Starter Fish

[john5748]

Ok I have decided I am going for a reef set up.

Off to amazon now to see about those books.

 

[Chac]

A Softie Reef can be almost as eay as a FOWLR IMO, you just have to cut out any coral munching fish, but you still have a large scope for choice

Have a look on E-Bay for books, I have spotted loads on there

 

[SkiFletch]

Glad to have another glutton for punishment around here . I'd also start by deciding on your lighting. Basic rule of thumb: T5 power compacts will do soft corals and some LPS (large polyp stony) corals, but SPS (small polyp stony) will be difficult to impossible. Metal halide lighting is probably the only option for keeping SPS corals. T5's are cheaper to buy and run, while metal halides are expensive to both run and buy. Do you have any lighting now?.

 

[john5748]

A Softie Reef can be almost as eay as a FOWLR IMO, you just have to cut out any coral munching fish, but you still have a large scope for choice

Have a look on E-Bay for books, I have spotted loads on there

Great thanks for the advice,

That's another thing to research "softy reefs" , It's like going back to school again .

Glad to have another glutton for punishment around here . I'd also start by deciding on your lighting. Basic rule of thumb: T5 power compacts will do soft corals and some LPS (large polyp stony) corals, but SPS (small polyp stony) will be difficult to impossible. Metal halide lighting is probably the only option for keeping SPS corals. T5's are cheaper to buy and run, while metal halides are expensive to both run and buy. Do you have any lighting now?.

The lighting that comes along with the sytem I am buying is a Ocean Light twin 150w metal halide, will this need to be upgraded at all??

 

[Navarre]

Tangs can live together (i have loads of them) but its not easy and i have had alot of bad luck along the way to get them to live in harmony.

They simply wont tollerate each other in smallish tanks (this is a smaller sized tank for a tang). If you want to have the bst option of getting 2 tangs to live together i would add them at the same time. The risk however is that they resulting ich they catch (they usually get ich very easy so movng them wil most likely make them break out in it). is twice as powerful and thus twice as deadly.
I wouldnt recomend more than a single tang in a tank of this size anyway... Perhaps a yellow or purple with a bristletooth might work on a tank this size but you really need to know what you are up against.
Be aware that the tang is almost certainly gonna be the boss of the tank so its wise to add them last and then they wont see other additional fish as targets to beat down into submission... oh and yes, these fish can really do damage to other fish.. i have seen a tang slice open a fish that it wasnt keep on before


Books.. all of the above and also

Reef Secrets.

 

[Chac]

A Softie Reef can be almost as eay as a FOWLR IMO, you just have to cut out any coral munching fish, but you still have a large scope for choice

Have a look on E-Bay for books, I have spotted loads on there

Great thanks for the advice,

That's another thing to research "softy reefs" , It's like going back to school again .

Glad to have another glutton for punishment around here . I'd also start by deciding on your lighting. Basic rule of thumb: T5 power compacts will do soft corals and some LPS (large polyp stony) corals, but SPS (small polyp stony) will be difficult to impossible. Metal halide lighting is probably the only option for keeping SPS corals. T5's are cheaper to buy and run, while metal halides are expensive to both run and buy. Do you have any lighting now?.

The lighting that comes along with the sytem I am buying is a Ocean Light twin 150w metal halide, will this need to be upgraded at all??

there is no need to upgrade the Aquamedic Halides at the Mo, if you are concidering some of the light loving SPS then yes but IMO they aint a easy start

 

[john5748]

Are the rest of the fish I mentioned ok as long as I keep the sailfin tang or blue surgeonfish (I have not decided yet) as the last fish I add?

Also what is the name of the coral which is like an anemone but easier to handle, this is for my clownfish?

Thanks

John

 

[Chac]

My Clowns host in a Colt Coral (Softie) - Have a look at my Pics in the post on Marine Chat

 

[Navarre]

Sarcophyton

I wouldnt add a sailfin as it grows very large (much larger than a yellow or purple tang).
A Regal tang (blue surgeon) are ok.. they do get ich extremly easily though and i consider them risky fish for beginners to be honest. They also grow very large )and IMO very ugly as they get older ) ).

If you want a blue tang then i would recomend the atlantic blue (starts yellow and turns blue). Dont even try a powder tang (brown, goldrim or blue).

 

[Aquascaper]

A Regal tang (blue surgeon) are ok.. they do get ich extremly easily though and i consider them risky fish for beginners to be honest. They also grow very large (and IMO very ugly as they get older ) ).

How can you say that about my little Dory She's still as lovely now (5") as she was when I got her (1")

I agree with Navarre though, they are not really beginner fish as they get stressed easily and can catch Ich like it's a cold

Saying that mine has never had Ich in the 12+ months I've had it

 

[john5748]

Sarcophyton

A Regal tang (blue surgeon) are ok.. they do get ich extremly easily though and i consider them risky fish for beginners to be honest. They also grow very large )and IMO very ugly as they get older ) ).

Ugly, or just full of character as they age?

Right I am going off to do some reading. I am sure I will be back soon enough with more questions but for now I will leave you in peace so you can help others as well

Thanks for all the advice so far

John

 

[Navarre]

Dont get me wrong, they are stuinningly beautiful fish when young but as they age they get that face full of warty looking bumps.

Juvenile...

Adult

Just my own preferences i guess but they dont age gracefully IMO. )