fish suggestions?

[MattG]

hello everyone

i am thinking of adding another fish or so to my tank and really cant decide what i want. I would love to add a flame angel or long nose butterfly but am afraid to since they might nip at coral/clams. Anyone have any experiences with these guys in a reef tank? Ive had a flame angel before but it was in a FOWLR. Im hoping to eventually get lots of clams so clam compatibility is sort of a biggie.

Any other fish suggestions? Something colorful with a unique body shape.

the current fish are a hippo tang, two barred rabbit and a mandarin.

[1package]

Matt,

It seems odd you asking for advice, so let's call it opinions.......as you know the coral beauty, lemon peels and flame (pigmys)angels are said to be hit or miss. I do not chance it but nearly every tank photo in books or videos of reefs - got one or the other in it.

My suggestion is 3 anthias- Bartletts (hardy), Lyretail (may get too big), Dispar (they say up to 4", I have not seen them that big) or the best - Sunburst (tougher to find and keep) are my favorite.

[LowCel]

Matt, have you thought about getting some schooling fish like chromis? They would be really cool in there with the new wavebox. :D

[coralreefer]

Originally posted by LowCel
Matt, have you thought about getting some schooling fish like chromis? They would be really cool in there with the new wavebox. :D

Somehow I keep picturing a gang of chromis with surfboards :eek1:

[firefish2020]

I agree anthias are a great addition to a reef tank and that I will not chance a flame as much as I have always wanted one. I'll look through the book today and see if I can find something "intersting" for you.

[MattG]

thanks for the suggestions guys. Im looking them over now. If anyone else has any favorites throw them out there

[H.crispa]

One of my favorites is good ol' pan seared grouper served with a nice lemon pepper sauce.

[MattG]

ewwwww

fish belong in my tank not on my plate :D

[Curtis1]

How about a really awesome Fairy or Flasher Wrasse ??? Maybe a harem. I been looking at the Genicanthus Angels, Swallow tails a pr !!! From my research , they say that they are totally Reefsafe. I also been looking at the Long-Nosed Butterfly, not the Big LNB. I also been considering one nice male Square Box Anthias, no females, no fighting. My last suggestion,,, a pr of Heniochus D. LMK what you think. Matt, check out the rare fish at The Marine Center.Com. They got some awesome fish !!!! Don't hold your cursor over the images, they won't load ?????

[firefish2020]

A reef safe angel? Never seen one yet you'll have to let me know how it works if you get one.

[Curtis1]

I plan on trying them,,, at least that's what some of the guys in the forums are saying ,,,,,,, You know how that goes!!!

[LowCel]

After doing some research it looks like some of the angels will nip and eat soft corals and zoanthids but are safe for sps. I am going to check into it some more because if this is true I will definately consider one. Especially if they will eat yellow polyps!

[LowCel]

Matt, I have been wanting an Emperator for a while now and it seems like most people are having luck with them. Check out this thread and see what you think.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=451507

Only thing you may need to consider is your clam.

[Curtis1]

Most of the angels have a preference for what they nip on, LPS and soft corals. You just have to find out what they like and omit it. But you are right Bruce, most are safe with SPS. Check out the angels at The Marine Center.com.

[Curtis1]

Hey gang, check out my fish list in the Reef Fishes forum, LMK what you think. I am even thinking of just going with one Tang, Mr. Sohal !!!!!

[1package]

I got a Sohal a couple months back and he is beautiful. I wanted a smaller one but the colors were so great I could not resist. I am planning to drop him in my big tank, I hate to say it but he is in a 75g at this time. Before the rock throwing starts, I know he should be in a bigger tank. He is with me at work and will eat out of my hand, even let me sort of pet him, hangs around my arm like a cat or something, really hard to believe. I would not take $200 for him. I am hoping to keep my purple tang but I suspect the Hippo will have to go after the move, the Sohal is aggressive.

I did not check out your list, I will do so and critize accordingly.

[1package]

Curtis, I checked out your list - big list, perhaps big BIO load since I suspect your going mostly SPS.

Someone mentioned the LMB would starve - I agree, mine did after the long hair alge battle was over.

I would watch the 6 line and the Royal Gramma, take it from a guy who has flushed a lot of fighting fish, they each get territorial after they settle in. I have seen them chase firefish as well as gobies......does not have to look similar shape or color, I put them on the mean chart.....not like a dottyback, close.

As for the Anthias, I would go 1 or 3, they are always competing for rank, two will be a constant battle unless sex is correct.

That's my $0.02, probably worth less than half of that amount.

[LowCel]

I have to agree on the royal gramma. Mine was a mean little *****. My tank is so much more peaceful now that I removed him.

[Curtis1]

I have to differ, I had a 6-line, royal gramma and a pr firefish, other than an occassional mouth flaring at the firefish, they all got along fine. Fish will be fish. I do plan on getting them again. Maybe next time I won't be so lucky ?

[Curtis1]

1Package, what did you have to give for the Sohal ???? I saw one at Bert's awhile back for $119.00

[firefish2020]

Curt way way way less ;)

[Curtis1]

Ron, I'm not surprised, seeing how you were anywhere 30 to 25% cheaper on your livestock, when I was there !!! I 'll give ya that !!! Can you get them, smaller on request ??? How much avg ???

[odoprelude]

Matt, was just reading a thread on Red Bugs (not that your or any of us, thank god, have to worry about those... knock on wood) in the SPS forum and liveaquaria.com actually has video of dragonface pipefish eating them. Pretty neat fish, and since they crawl around on the rock, coral and substrate, they seem to do pretty well in full flow SPS tanks. Pretty neat looking fish, they say pairs do well, I'd get one or two, but my clownfish are kinda territorial... Apprarently they eat pods and then the red bugs, but neat looking little guys...

[LowCel]

Chris, the truth is that most likely we all have red bugs. If you have bought acro's or traded acro's you most likely have them. I am actually planning on doing the interceptor treatment in my tank just as a precautionary measure.

I have done quite a bit of research on them and basicly I have come to the conclusion that if you have not done the treatment then you have them. It sucks!!!!!!!!!

[odoprelude]

Maybe we all should go ahead and get some dragonfaced pipefish? I would rather do that then interceptor treat my tank. I know I cannot get all my crabs and inverts out of there and I hate to think of my mandarin w/o any pods to eat...


Ron, can you get us some of these fish???

[LowCel]

Honestly I believe interceptor is the only way to go. Even if the pipefish did eat some of them they would continue to reproduce. The interceptor method is the only proven way to rid sps tanks with acros of the bugs.

I'm willing to risk losing some of my invertebrates in order to have healthier, larger corals. I wish there was another way though but unfortunately there isn't. :(

[MattG]

what makes you think you have them bruce?

Most of our corals have come from very limited tanks.

ORA (should be bug free)
hiller
Playfair

a few others but i dont think they were acros.

I think a pipefish would be a nice addition but he'd compete with my mandarin. Im always worried about the poor guy. Especially after removing the remainder of my sand and around 50 pounds of rock.

[LowCel]

Other than seeing them on a couple of my lighter colored acros ya mean? Unfortunately they are only visable on the lighter colored acros, I can't see them on the darker ones but I still know they are there.

Since all of my corals have come from the same places that everyone else here has gotten there's from I would say it is a safe bet that we all have them. :(

[MattG]

boy ill have to take a really good look at it. Ive looked pretty closely at my acros and have never found anything. Maybe ill have to break out a magnifying glass.

[MattG]

how long ago did you notice them?

[LowCel]

I thought I might have a couple a month or so ago, but after looking, looking and looking some more it is very obvious that I have them. Seeing as how a couple of acros have never really opened up I would say that it is possible that I have had them for over six months. There is really no way of knowing. There is no telling where they came from either. It could have come in on a acro, could have come in on live rock that was in a system with acro's. Who knows.....

They could have come from a trade, a purchase or even from a pet store. When you get things from a pet store that have corals in them from various sources it's hard to tell what you may be getting. Even an ora coral could have them after being introduced to a community tank. Heck, the last ora frag I bought had bubble algae and aptasia.

Oh, I do know that after I treat my tank I won't be adding any acro's from tanks that have not been treated. Too risky.

[LowCel]

BTW, my local vet is selling me 6 interceptor pills for $45. Anyone want to go in on them with me?

I only need one pill to do all three treatments. Then want at least one for a backup.

[LowCel]

BTW, here is a great link concerning the treating for red bugs and the results.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=381644

[LowCel]

Here ya go, this is about 5 times larger than the actual frag. It's the only way I could post a picture that would actually show the bugs.

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/bottlebrushredbugs.jpg

I'm doing my first interceptor treatment this evening. My vet was really cool and sold my wife the pills for $6 each, only bought two of them. One to treat and one just in case. She was really interested in the red bugs and asked if I would send her a copy of Dustin's article on them. She also wants pictures of my tank to put in the waiting area.

[MattG]

well at least your vet sold you some interceptor.

on a good note i looked for about 30 mins today at the tank and am 99% sure i dont have any.

[LowCel]

Sweet.......do you have any really light acros?

It's weird that we have all gotten all our corals from the same places and I am the only one that has them.

Here is a great article on them by Greg Hiller. (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2003/feature.htm)

[MattG]

yea i have some that are just as light as the picture you posted if not lighter due to the bleaching.

[LowCel]

Great, I hope you never do find any.

[LowCel]

Matt, you could always add one of these to your tank. I'm pretty sure they are reef safe. ;)

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/Copyof0002761a.jpg

[firefish2020]

"Oh, I do know that after I treat my tank I won't be adding any acro's from tanks that have not been treated. Too risky."

I think we should QT all new accros Bruce just to be safe from this point on that way we know that our system is safe as long as we dont relax on the issue. I will start preventative measures ASAP. I urge everyone who has any “brown� or pale brown accros to look at them very close. Even if you don’t see them chances are they are there and are the cause of the color loss.

[LowCel]

Don't forget about poor polyp extension and just pale in color. Oh, and also slow growth.

Think you could do a log as well once you begin treatment?

[odoprelude]

Ron do you think it is possible to get these fish? If I have red bugs it's not enough to be visible as I have lots of areas on my coral where I would be able to spot them and haven't seen any, but an ounce of prevention....

[firefish2020]

Pipefish don't work very well and will compete with your mandrian for food. Chris I promise you have them. I just found some on mine...like fleas on a dog really. Stare at or around the bottom of the coral with the actenic on they are only about 1/2 a millimeter so very hard to see, but you can kinda see them moving. I haven't added anything for awhile and I just seen them a few minutes ago when the halides went off...didn't see them last night and I've been looking for them since I seen them at Bruce's. The best treatment/prevention is interceptor. Treat the tank and then dip all new corals in a mix to prevent getting them again.

[firefish2020]

btw the only coral showing them at this point is my delicate stag (ora)

[LowCel]

Chris, and anyone else interested. I just asked Steve Weast his opinion on how he feels about untreated tanks and if he thinks they are likely to have red bugs. Here is his reply. BTW, I also asked permission to quote him. He also mentioned that he is just a hobbiest and this is just his opinion.


steveweast wrote on 01/20/2005 10:22 PM:
Bruce, I always assume that everyone who hasn't treated for red bugs has them on their acros ....I just don't see how anyone could avoid them since red bugs are everywhere, including wild acros. I treat every new coral in a six hour interceptor dip whether it be a frag trade or wild colony. I know some folks think that iodine dipping helps prevent red bugs....they're mistaken. There are also those who really don't know what they're looking for.....these bugs are hard to see sometimes. I know that I have a couple of light colored acros where they show up easily; but, on a blue or purple acro, it is real tough to see these guys. I don't understand why every acro owner doesn't keep a couple boxes of interceptor on hand at all times and just give all newcomers a six hour dip. The interceptor has no negative effect on the corals....they don't even slime...which cannot be said for iodine.

Steve

[odoprelude]

I'll look, but if I run interceptor, it'll kill all my pods and then my mandarin won't have anything to eat anyways... With the refugium I seem to have more than enough. Besides, I have emerald crabs, peppermint shrimp and my horseshoe crab that I cannot find ever and I don't want to endanger them, not too mention the plethora of hermits... Can you get those dragonface pipefish, Ron? Let me know the pricing on those..

[firefish2020]

I have no idea i'll look for ya

[odoprelude]

Disregard request there Ron, liveaquaria had some for 12.99... Thanks!

[firefish2020]

No prob best of luck Chris :)

[odoprelude]

I should receive them tomorrow, I'll let you all know how they do!

[LowCel]

How are the pipefish doing?

[odoprelude]

man, they are so awesome.. I mean they have a lot of personality... red bugs or not, man I think I should have bought a pair of these earlier. I love these guys! I need to take some pics and get them on here...

[MattG]

just thought id update this. added a copperband butterfly yesterday that seems to be making himself right in at home. Lets hope he doesnt take a liking to my clam......so far so good

[coralreefer]

:thumbsup:
I was wondering the other day if you'd ever picked out a new "wet pet".
Hope he continues to behave.

[MattG]

well i found my copperband dead this morning.....grrrrrrrr. i really dont know what happened. he was a little reluctant to eat .... very dissapointing to lose the little guy, especially since it was a gift....

[coralreefer]

That sucks :(

They do seem to be really touchy fish to get settled in but it sounded like your little guy was doing good

I'm pretty sure you know this but I've heard fresh clams on the half shell work well to get them to start eating.

[MattG]

yea i have black mussles that i feed to the tnak a few times a week. it was all that he would pick at......

[firefish2020]

That really sucks Matt. Im trying to get some orange shoulder tangs for next week. Let me know if you would like to try one. They are great algae grazers at least ours is.