bad fish combos: what fish/invert not to put with what, and why....

[Sk8r]

1. mandarin goby/six-line wrasse----the wrasse is reported to be an aggressive copepod eater: he will outcompete the wrasse unless you have a very old, very large tank with a very large fuge.

2. yellow watchman goby with another yellow watchman: reportedly, if the two YWGs don't kill each other, the accompanying pistol shrimp will do in a new roommate.

3. rabbitfish and cleaner shrimp: bad news for the shrimp. The rabbit thinks they're delicious.

4. fairy filamented red wrasse with rainford goby: the wrasse will intimidate and starve the goby.

5. ghost eel v. just about any smaller fish: the mouth expansion of this eel is amazing: ate 300 dollars worth of fish before I could get him out. [allegedly hard to feed: ha! It hunts at night.]

6. small perching fish [mandarins, scooters, citron gobies, lawnmower blennies, hawkfish, etc.] with an elephant ear mushroom: rhodactis sp.: will trap and suffocate fish.

7. sally lightfoot crab with fish: gets carnivorous as it grows, and is very agile.

Sidenote: Things that looked bad but worked out fine: a third highfin goby added to a pair: a lot of nipping-at, little contact, mouth-comparing, no real bites. Now settled in to live together.

ANYBODY WANT TO ADD TO THE LIST?

[natan]

good one. pity its going down the page fast.

black molly (espacially males) and green chromis dont mix. the molly annoyes the chromis by trying to schoal with if (females) or copulate (males), and the ajitated chromis do them in.

[scatty25]

A snowflake eel and any small fish such as damsels or cromis!

[lastdrummist]

Triggers and small feather dusters.

[Apercula]

Would Ptereleotris gobies (scissortail, blue gudgeon) get along with Nemateleotris gobies (firefish)?

I have what appears to be a true pair of red firefish, noticeable sexual dimorphism and pairing behavior. Id like to add a scissortail and maybe a zebra, but Im afraid its too many of similar types.

[mrwilson]

Didn't know that about the rabbits and the shrimp. My foxface has co-existed peacefully with a cleaner for a few months now, but the shrimp is quite large and was in the tank first. I wonder if it will become interested in the two small peppermints I added recently?

[Sk8r]

If the rabbit gets hungry, he will have no sense of gratitude. I think it may be particularly dangerous for the shrimp during molt.

Scissortails and gudgeons are flighty, very inclined to jump rather than fight, ditto the zebras. The firefish are the combative ones. I'd say go slowly: I've never found scissortails to be argumentative about new additions, but firefish certainly are...

I'd say use gutter-guard plastic to keep your tank jump proof and tilt it so the fish can flop back into the tank: the acrobatics of these fish have gotten the better of any protective system I have ever had, and they may end up in the downflow and sump unless that is protected. Amazing jumpers. I can easily contain firefish, but not scissortails.

[triggerfish1976]

Originally posted by Sk8r
1. mandarin goby/six-line wrasse----the wrasse is reported to be an aggressive copepod eater: he will outcompete the wrasse unless you have a very old, very large tank with a very large fuge.

2. yellow watchman goby with another yellow watchman: reportedly, if the two YWGs don't kill each other, the accompanying pistol shrimp will do in a new roommate.

3. rabbitfish and cleaner shrimp: bad news for the shrimp. The rabbit thinks they're delicious.

4. fairy filamented red wrasse with rainford goby: the wrasse will intimidate and starve the goby.

5. ghost eel v. just about any smaller fish: the mouth expansion of this eel is amazing: ate 300 dollars worth of fish before I could get him out. [allegedly hard to feed: ha! It hunts at night.]

6. small perching fish [mandarins, scooters, citron gobies, lawnmower blennies, hawkfish, etc.] with an elephant ear mushroom: rhodactis sp.: will trap and suffocate fish.

7. sally lightfoot crab with fish: gets carnivorous as it grows, and is very agile.

Sidenote: Things that looked bad but worked out fine: a third highfin goby added to a pair: a lot of nipping-at, little contact, mouth-comparing, no real bites. Now settled in to live together.

ANYBODY WANT TO ADD TO THE LIST?

SK8R,

Not to start a fight or try and sound like a know it all but many of your statements are circumstantial at best IMOP even though they come off as fact. When I opened this thread I thought that it was going to be a general info post given that you are a MOD similar to the 30g Tang thread but it doesn't look like it is going that way so I thought I would add my experiences to some of the things you stated so the info doesn't mislead anyone.

1. Fish that target copepods as their main food source should only be put into mature tank. They should also not be placed togther unless the tank is on the larger side, not only to assure they have enough food but to also avoid territorial disputes (Six Lines are down right mean to pretty much any similar sized fish). The later being the main issue since live copedods can now be bought at most LFS.

3. This sounds more like an isolated incident to me. I am sure this can happen but Rabbitfish are mainly herbivores and even some of your more aggressive carnivorous fish like triggers tend to leave cleaner shrimp alone since they view them as utilities that have more benefit to them alive as apposed to a meal. A well fed rabbitfish shouldn't even consider eating a shrimp.

4. Rainford's pretty much are doomed regardless of their tank mates. Some do fine but most just waste away. As far as Flashers go, yes they can be territorial but they generally pick other fish to bully since they occupy a different niche than rainfords.

6. You mind as well include all small fish in this category that accidentally wander to close to the mushroom. I have seen wrasses, cardinals, even a small lion fish get trapped by these guys.

Again, I apologize if I am coming off as aggressive, it is not my intention I just interpreted your post as fact by the wording so I wanted to chime in.

[Sk8r]

Lol, there are few facts in reefing except that water is wet.

And I'm not a mod, just Team RC, glorified gopher.

Discussion is the name of the game: no objection at all to your qualifications of my statements. Since we operate mostly on anecdotal experience, all experience is useful, and one person's experience can suggest, but can never make a rule.
I appreciate your post.

[adtravels]

large serpant/brittle stars and any small fish

[SDguy]

I had a lined blenny which ate acros. I was not the only one, so I'd avoid that combo

[cardiffgiant]

Camel shrimp and corals. It's only a matter of time before one becomes delicious to the other.

[lightdir]

I have one...
Cleaner Wrasse and clams.. that little bugger nipped at mine till I got mad and pulled half the rock and water out to catch him. back to the LFS he went. The clam is doing great now.