Your input please

[KT & SJ]

Mr. Calfo, I know this might be the rong forum in wich to post this thread. I have read alot of your info in reguards to this topic on wet web media and was wondering if you wouldn't mind reviewing the choices I've made for my FO system before I give it the go ahead.

Each group will to be introduced @ a 2 week-1mo. interval

100 gal. Main tank with enough LR to provide adequate hiding places and a sand bed deep enough for jawfish. LR rubble in two over flow boxes with a bag of carbon. 50 gal. Sump/fuge with oolitic DSB, elevated LR to maximize DSB nitrification space, macro algae, protein skimmer and chiller, grow lights for macro algae. Enough pumps to work every thing and provide adequate tank circulation for the fish.

* I need to choose either 1 pair of long nose BF and one individual Flame angel, or 1 pair of flame angels and one individual long nose BF. Unless tank is not already at acceptable stocking limit, then go with both pair.

GROUP # # FISH/INVERT
&
SIZE

G1. 3 Fire shrimp/lysmata debelius any

G2 2 Green Clown gobies/Gobiodon atrangulatus any (Still debateing on this addition)

G3 2 Pearly/Yellow Headed Jawfish any Opistognathus aurifrons

G4 *1-2 Yellow Long Nose or Long Long Nose BF 3� Forcipiger flavissimus or Forcipiger longirostris

G5 1 Threadfin BF/Chaetodon auriga 4�

G6 1 Red Sea Raccoon BF/Chaetodon fasciatus 5�


G7 *1-2 Flame Angel/Centropyge loriculus any (If 1is male and 1 is female)


G8 2 Neon Gobies/Gobiosoma oceanops any
(Or if tank raised, add at any time)

Thank you for any imput you provide, Shauna

[KT & SJ]

woah, the format of my list was changed when I submitted it from my word doc's. Hope it isn't too confuseing. The size of the animals was moved around and if you see the word any by a name that's supposed to mean buy at any size. Shauna

[Anthony Calfo]

Cheers, Shauna

overall, the tan looks like a peaceful display with the glaring exception of the Racoon butterfly. While I love this fish and find it to be one of the hardier and better suited butterfly fishes for captivity, it would be a very poor choice for this tank. Beyond their large adult size, they often become dominating if not plain aggressive. Do exclude this fish and the rest of the mix seems reasonable for the tank size.

Some other items worth mentioning:

please be sure to employ a quarantine tank for all livestock. This will require a minimum of 4 weeks between additions to allow for a proper observation period in QT

the jawfish are going to be tough here... they require very deep sand beds - arguably 8"/20 cm deep for optimal long term success. 6"/15 cm bare minimum.

be sure to keep your refugium fishless and without corals or other filter feeders, else it will cease to be a refugium for desirable plankton ;)

I think that sums it up :)

best of luck!

Anthony

[KT & SJ]

Sad to hear about the racoon. It is my favorite out of the whole list. Should the racoon have a tank all to itself? I just happen to have an extra 100 gal. with a similar set up. I just wasn't sure what to put in it yet. We have the QT's set up, four of them, The 2 perculas are almost done with thier 40 day QT stent. They are for a different tank. The fuge/sump is as you suggested. With the other fish that are going to be in this tank and the waste they are going to produce should I keep the Jaw Fish in thier own tank as well since they need a DSB? I keep reading that with a FO set up the DSB needs to be in the sump/fuge and a min of 2-3" (not enough for the Jaw Fish) in the display tank so the DSB wont get over loaded with fish waste and create problems. Thanks for the help. Shauna

[Anthony Calfo]

The Racoon does need sturdier tankmates... ones that can hold their ground. This is one of the few butterflies that you can actually put in a tank with triggers, groupers, puffers, etc... they really are that tough and assertive. The 100 gall sounds nice to keep it seperate.

Great to hear about the use of QTs! You will go far for using them :)

You could also make the argument for a species tank for the jawfish too. Beyond the need for very deep substrates, they simply are not community fishes. They are skittish and disturb easily. A mixed reef display would be rather unnatural for them, although some will undoubtedly survive/acclimate.

Else all sounds good :)

Anthony

[KT & SJ]

Perfect, I'll do as you sugested. With all those tank lights on at night I won't have to use the house lights lol I think that one might be in the "The top 10 signs you might have to many tanks" in the reefkeeping magazine. Oh well, the more the better. Thanks again, Shauna

[KT & SJ]

One last question. What other kind of fish could I have in the 100 gal. with the Racoon BF and still not over crowd the tank? Or should I just leave it to the racoon?

[Anthony Calfo]

You certainly can have something else in the 100 gall with the Racoon. You'll want to pick something clearly non-competitive though. Tough enough to take nips, but not really feeding similarly and posing a threat. An eel (crab eater, not fish eater) or peaceful trigger (seek planktivorous ones like Niger Odonus) could make a fine tankmate. A gulping grouper is small enough (some with adult sizes under 12"). A lionfish could possibly work too. There really are quite a few fishes that would work with a racoon. Since you are making an effort to get a Red Sea Racoon... how about studying the Red Sea biotope and finding another handsome fish that would occur naturally in the same region/waters? There are plenty of excellent references on the Red Sea.

One of my favorite sites for filed guides and unique aquatic science books is Seachallengers.com

Do check them out perhaps for a Red Sea or I.O. book :)

Kindly,

Anthony

[KT & SJ]

thanks we'll check it out

[KT & SJ]

Thanks again for your input on our FO tanks. Since we have been researching the racoon bf's natural envrionment we have seen so many more bf's we are interested in. I have read Fenners good, medium, and poor list of bf's on wwmedia and have come up with a list we are going to start researching today. I just wanted to run the list past you to see what you think. Like the racoon, we would be setting up the tank to mimic, as closely as possible, thier natural enviroment. We don't have any thing yet for the set up, it is in the planning phase and will be totaly based around what these bf's need. here's the list: C. paucifasciatus, C. ocellicaudus, C. declivis randall, C.raffles, Heni not sure what one we like the most, C. melannotus, C. mertensii, C. xanthurus, C. semilaruatus. In your opinion, would any of these get along together in one tank? If so, how big of a tank would you recomend? As usual, any other input you have is appreciated. Well, gotta go find more info, back to the books. Oh! btw, what books are great for bf research? Thanks again, Shauna

[Anthony Calfo]

as to species hardiness/appeal... its largely subjective. I should state for the record that I am not a fan of keeping many butterflies in pairs/schools (when even possible) as these fishes are so far roaming naturally that even the largest aquarium seems inappropriate to me. This in contrast to other species of fishes that spend their whole lives within the same square feet/meters and are much better suited to the confines of captivity.

That said, to answer your question... I'd favor a pair of declevis or pair of semilarvatus if acquired as a bonded pair and run through QT demonstrating that they really are a true pair/bond.

A six foot long 180 gallon tank would be a nice minimum in my opinion.

For books... one of my favorite places to find gems is seachallengers.com

Fantastic field guides, natural history books and some aquarium books too. You can find works there to help you set up region specific biotope tanks from their great field guides alone

best of luck,

Anthony