First Saltwater Tank

[lljdma06]

if i could go goby/shrimp and then another 2 small fish, why not 3 small chromis?

Yes, its very well covered, I know gobies like to jump ship, as do many fish

oh and do gobies need shrimp? I would certainly provide a shrimp and a goby to complete the pair either way, but im wondering if the relationship is absolutely nessecaryor just a luxury for them both

Because the goby/shrimp has very different habits from the chromis. Gobies don't move around much. They have a territory and tend stay there. 3 chromis, on the other hand, are social fish that need space to swim. They also employ a pecking order. This isn't great in small tanks. In a big tank, you can have more numbers and the fish that's lowest in the pecking order has space to break from the group to just go chill. In a small tank with less fish, the bottom of the pecking order has no where to go. So, when you have little tanks like you and I do, it's good to get 2-3 fish with similar social habits, but contrasting behavior, and that do best alone. See, in my 8g I've got...

Royal gramma - prefers to be solitary or in mated pairs, likes a cave to retreat too but swims in the water column. Territorial to fish that look like it but basically peaceful.

Yellow watchman goby - prefers to be solitary or in mated pairs, burrows, dwells in the bottom. Territorial to other yellow watchmans but basically peaceful.

So these two fish have a similar profile. They both don't mind being solitary, but they don't look anything alike and they don't go to the same parts of the tank. It works. That's why having 2-3 fish work in my case and why it doesn't work with chromis. Does this make any sense?

Also, regarding the shrimp/goby pair. The shrimp needs the goby more than the goby needs the shrimp, IMO. But in all fairness, the shrimp really doesn't add much to the overall bioload of the tank, and to watch the group together is fascinating and well worth the investment. My pistol was originally paired with two Yashas, but they jumped (I hate yashas now ), and actually had to be alone for a few weeks. Terrible time for him. He never came out. I only knew he was alive because he would click his claw. Now, that he has his goby, he comes out and cleans and gets food for the goby and is a much happier shrimp, I think. I was rewarded with a shed the other day, so I know now he's growing. And my goby has grown too. Good ol' Tigger & Eeyore.

 

[pkppv]

both of the fish you described are quite stunning...

I may just go and copy you....

If you had 15gallons, and a royal gramma and a yellow watchman and you had space for maybe one more fish, what would work?

Ammonia is .75ppm!!!!!!!!

My ammonia has been off the charts for so long, and now that i can finally accurately record it, it is showing some serious proccessing speed! I might check nitrite tomorow, seems to me like its nearly CUC time!!!!

 

[pkppv]

Nitrite is 2ppm.... I will try to remain patient

 

[lljdma06]

both of the fish you described are quite stunning...

I may just go and copy you....

If you had 15gallons, and a royal gramma and a yellow watchman and you had space for maybe one more fish, what would work?

I'm pushing it with the 8g stocking. 15g is very reasonable for the two fish. Not certain I'd add another.

Ammonia is .75ppm!!!!!!!!

My ammonia has been off the charts for so long, and now that i can finally accurately record it, it is showing some serious proccessing speed! I might check nitrite tomorow, seems to me like its nearly CUC time!!!!

Ammonia and nitrite must be at zero before you add your CUC, and nitrate should be below 10.

Nitrite is 2ppm.... I will try to remain patient

You'll remain patient or I'll smack you. NO CUC YET!!!! I'll tell you when you can put them in. Go make your refugium. It'll pass the time very nicely. Or, decide what you want for a CUC and start running it by us and pricing them at stores.

L

 

[pkppv]

I know i know i know i know i know!

Relaxxxx, haha, Im just being optimist because of the progress!!

hermit crabs
various snails
some sort of shrimp?

Haha...please help

 

[MBOU]

Choose a type of hermit, turbo snails... maybe mithrax crabs...

Nassarius snaild are my favourite! They live under the sand and eat everything and sift the sand for you at the same time, they are hilarious because as soon as you put food in the tank... they caterpault themselves out of the sand to rush off and grab the food!

 

[lljdma06]

I know i know i know i know i know!

Relaxxxx, haha, Im just being optimist because of the progress!!

Ok, I understand. It's very exciting.

Haha...please help

Ok I'll help. Make sure your CUC does various things. Nassarius snails are awesome, but make sure they are not too big. Like an inch max. Really big ones are not Nassarius snails but Babylon snails. I've got two Babylon snails in my 36g. Thought they were nassarius, same genus, just in a super size. They are aggressive and can take down a small fish, but my jawfish show 'em who's boss, so I'm not worried. If I had picked those little blennies I wanted though, I'd be in trouble.

Mithrax are ok, you just can't keep a few things with them. Really depends on the crab. I have a great mithrax, so I can even put porcelains in with him, but other mithrax are not so nice. Get a small one. Smaller ones tend to play nice.

I don't like mixing my hermit species, but others do. I keep three kinds, but in separate tanks. My scarlet hermits are the most unobtrusive and least aggressive. My blue-legged hermits are the most active and are really the best at algae eating. They will totally tackle cyano even. They are fierce. Also the worst snail killers. Naughty blue legs. My Electric blues are pretty good with snails, but they are very clumsy. Very lovely to look at though.

I like both turbo and asterea snails, but my ultimate favorites are stomatella snails. Not much to look at, but hard-working and extremely hardy. Nothing kills these guys. Ceriths are good too. They are little and mine have bred in my 36g, so I've got a load of them now. I can put them in other tanks now.

As for cleaner shrimps. I've got a fire shrimp in my 8g. He's a gentleman who begs for food. Doesn't bother anybody, but you don't see him much. My skunk cleaner steals food from corals, despite me feeding him, so he's a bit of a butthead. I like my mated pair of banded coral shrimp, but they are more aggressive.

So, anymore questions?

L

 

[pkppv]

I think I've got it

Ammonia is like barelyy readable, MAYBE .05, so I think it's time for me to focus on nitrite and in a couple of weeks I can enjoy invertebrates! Hurraaayy!

No sarcasm, cuz to me the CUC is atleast as exciting as the fish

Thank you so much!

 

[pkppv]

0ppm ammonia
1ppm nitrite

 

[lljdma06]

I think I've got it

Ammonia is like barelyy readable, MAYBE .05, so I think it's time for me to focus on nitrite and in a couple of weeks I can enjoy invertebrates! Hurraaayy!

No sarcasm, cuz to me the CUC is atleast as exciting as the fish

Thank you so much!

Oh, you'll get no CUC sarcasm from me. It's one of the most important components of a good SW tank IMO, and warrants careful thought. I'm very happy to have a long-lived CUC.

0ppm ammonia
1ppm nitrite

Getting closer.

 

[pkppv]

I have some big tests coming up this week and the beginning of next so I won't really be doing anything further with this tank until atleast next Wednesday. The 1ppm should be gone by then, in the mean time should I feed it?

 

[lljdma06]

I have some big tests coming up this week and the beginning of next so I won't really be doing anything further with this tank until atleast next Wednesday. The 1ppm should be gone by then, in the mean time should I feed it?

feed what? The bacteria?

L

 

[pkppv]

Yep

 

[lljdma06]

Yep

I didn't, but it's entirely possible that I was wrong. Have you checked for hitch hikers yet?

L

 

[pkppv]

there are none, as the LR i used wasnt from the oceon but rather just big things of sodium bicarbonate