Fish for my tank.... reef safe

[seachel71]

Hi All,

I have a 72 gallon bow front almost ready for fish. I am having a hard time picking anything to go in it. It seems most of the fish I like are not reef safe or will be too big for my tank.

I have a large pair of clowns that I will be moving over from my smaller tank, maybe a royal gramma and a coral beauty angel.

I am seeking suggestions on what else would work well in my tank.

Thanks.

[Vitaly]

How about adding a wrasse (sixline, yellow, etc) or some type of goby (diamond, randalls, etc).

They will be reef safe, stay at an appropriate size for the 72 and should not quarrel with your other fish (dwarf angel, basslet, etc)

[seachel71]

Thanks Vitaly... I have seen a lot of people having trouble with the 6 line wrasse, trying to get them out of their tanks.... is that the norm for the fish... or do they just have difficult ones...I love gobies and blennies so I know I will need some of those. What do you think of the Blue Tang... pretty.. reef safe... may be more susceptible to disease?

[ChemE]

We've been super happy with our madarin goby. I couldn't imagine a more peaceful, beautiful, reef-safe fish. Getting one that eats mysis, formula one, and formula two certainly didn't hurt.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/cdl1051/Tank%20Inhabitants/IMG_0163.jpg

[Vitaly]

<I>"I have seen a lot of people having trouble with the 6 line wrasse, trying to get them out of their tanks..."</I>

Are any fish "easy" to get out of our tanks :-)

I guess that all depends...on how skilled one is with their net ;-)

I caught mine twice. Once with a net. Then I wised up and realized that it was a lot easier to catch him at night when he retired into a rock to sleep. Just take the rock out of the display. This works for me since I do not have a lot of rock in my tank.

[JMeesh]

maaaaaaan, that is a nice looking mandarin. when i get a large tank i will for sure have one.

meesh

[RobynT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10286389#post10286389 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChemE
We've been super happy with our madarin goby. I couldn't imagine a more peaceful, beautiful, reef-safe fish. Getting one that eats mysis, formula one, and formula two certainly didn't hurt.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/cdl1051/Tank%20Inhabitants/IMG_0163.jpg

I also love my mandarin fish who is as mellow as it gets. Mine has never eaten food put in the tank but constantly picks at the rock for his food.

Hey ChemE.......
Mine also has the same dorsal fin. Is it a male?? I've often wanted to get a mate for mine but wasn't sure which sex I have.

[RobynT]

I love my six line wrasse and wouldn't imagine trying to get him out. However, they are very fast so I would hate to have to try.

Another of my favorite fish is the diamond goby. He definately has the most personality of my gang but he also rearranges the sand to his liking.........constantly. The upside is watching him scoop up the sand, spitting it out his gills and keeping my sandbed perfectly clean. The downside is that it's hard to keep things on the sandbed. I've had him put loose corals all the way on the top ledge of my upper rock, but that isn't every day. He's really quite a character and always out keeping his turf spotless. Also, he was 1 1/2" long when I got him and now closer to 5" long (but not growing anymore TG) about 18 months later.

[seachel71]

ChemE ...What an awesome Mandarin!

Chem E and RobynT .... I thought they were difficult to keep... hard to get to eat... had to have lots of pods etc. What is your thought on that?

RobynT.. the diamond gobies are cool... I think he is on my list too. Along with some variety of wrasse.... not sure what yet.

[RobynT]

I read on many of the boards that you should have a very established tank with lots and lots of LR and pods before you even think about a Mandarin. I waited until I had those things before I got one. Mine does not eat any food except pods, etc from the LR. I do not think it is common to find a mandarin that will eat packaged food but some have. I'd wait until I knew I had enough pods to support one since watching them starve to death would be awful. It is worthwhile to be patient, it really won't take long in the scheme of things. Good luck with choosing from all the wonderful creatures! If you don't have a cleaner shrimp or two I'd recommend them too. I love the shrimp!!

[seachel71]

Thanks!

I have a cleaner shrimp in my other tank and I love him. I am definatley getting one or two for the new tank.

That was what I thought on the Mandarin... thats why they weren't on my list for now.... I definately love them but think I need a refugium to be sure that I have enough pods to keep them happy.

[UH_OH_5_OH]

I love my Engineer Goby....they look like Eels but with none of the attitude ! They also do great in groups...so it looks like you've got several eels in your tank !!!

The Foxface....especially the Brilliant Foxface.....is the Algae Eating Goddess of the Aquarium World ! ! ! Mine is currently staying at Medic29's place helping him with some very minor algae issues that have started to creep up....but when I got mine she was put in the tank two days before IMAC and when I got back.......she had virtuallly destroyed 85-90% of the nuisance algae in the tank. I mean all of it too....bubble, hair....fuzzy...all of it was just being devoured !!! She will swim around ALL DAY long chewing on anything algae and green ! She doesn't mess with any of the corals or coralline algae. It's cool to see her pick between the zoas and not have any hesitation about tearing up that green stuff !!! They are wonderfully social for the reef ! They are venomous...watch out for the spike fins...but short of that...they are wonderful fish ! They also take other frozen foods as well.

I have a Carpenters Flasher Wrasse that whenever I put my hand in the tank....he swims up and runs through my fingers...rubs up on my hand....he's like a Golden Retriever, very 'affectionate'? ! Gorgeous too ! Any questions you might have about them can be addressed in the Let Them Flash Thread by Dr. Tanaka in the Reef Fishes Forum.

HTH

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10288271#post10288271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobynT
Hey ChemE.......
Mine also has the same dorsal fin. Is it a male?? I've often wanted to get a mate for mine but wasn't sure which sex I have.

Yup, long dorsal fin = male

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10288638#post10288638 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seachel71
ChemE ...What an awesome Mandarin!

Chem E and RobynT .... I thought they were difficult to keep... hard to get to eat... had to have lots of pods etc. What is your thought on that?

Thanks! Ours didn't touch any prepared food for quite a long time but then he decimated the pod population and started to become quite thin. After a month of that he began to pick mysis from the forceps when I tried to spot feed my LPS. Soon after that he acquired a taste for Formula One, Formula Two, and blood worms. Now the only things he doesn't think are food are Prime Reef and green/red/brown algae.

Given all that I do think that a fuge chocked full of pods which is allowed to gravity overflow back to the display is the safest way to go but you might luck out and find one locally who eats food. If you ever do, snap it up without a moment's hesitation!

[medic29]

Mine eats mysis and brine as well as pods; but then again, I have a fuge that gravity feeds the display as well.

[UH_OH_5_OH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10289719#post10289719 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by medic29
Mine eats mysis and brine as well as pods; but then again, I have a fuge that gravity feeds the display as well.


See...now you're just braggin' ! ! ! :rolleyes:

[medic29]

oooopppss

[UH_OH_5_OH]

I sooo wanna be you when I grow up ! or at least have that sweet Kalk Reactor system of yours !

[Sk8r]

Best decide early whether you want fish that battle for territory or those that don't. If you have a tankful of nippers [wrasses, dottybacks, damsels], they're always patroling, looking for incursions into their zone: they'll balance out if they're the same size and if each gets about 6-12" of tank bottom for their own. If you want to have mandarins [dragonets], gobies, or blennies, that's a fairly non-nipping tank. You may already have gone over to the 'nipping' sort if you have 2 clowns, who will claim a foot or so of tank bottom: percs, skunks and even clarkiis are moderately nippish, but usually don't do in other fishes. Maroons and tomatoes tend to be much, much more aggressive over a wider territory, and a large maroon will just want the whole tank if possible.

[hubris007]

I will definately back up the "no mandarin yet" side of the arguement. You need at least 9 months before you have enough food living in the system for them. Awesome fish, though.

Blue (not green) chromis are pretty cool.

[seachel71]

Thoughts on the nipper vs non nipper idea from sk8r?

[seachel71]

Does the brilliant foxface have another name... cant find it on liveaquaria. What does it look like?

[UH_OH_5_OH]

Hang on I'll grab a pic of it for ya !

[medic29]

Try foxface rabbitfish....that is what I found it under.

[UH_OH_5_OH]

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/1205/img4053pw2.jpg

Ugly huh !!! yeah right !

[Sk8r]

Fish that nip and pick at each other: 2 firefish, but not one; 2 blue chromis, but not one; any wrasse, any dottyback, pseudochromis may; damsels; clowns...there's a long list.

Fish that won't, generally: gobies [watchmen will tend to fight others of their own kind, but most gobies will cohabit the same burrow even with other species].; jawfish; tailspot blenny, ok with everything; lawnmower, pretty laid back; most dragonets [mandarin, scooter blenny, etc]....these fish tend to be about 2" long and many live in the rocks, in shells, dig burrows and cohabit with shrimp, darting out for food, or just hanging about near their 'home', are intensely territorial, but very small, no teeth to speak of, and mostly bluster instead of bite. Mandarins and the tailspot blenny are oblivious about others' territories and may provoke a little bluster until the other gets the notion these fish aren't claiming territory---they just wander, continually, focused on the hunt for food.
I happen to like the goby and blenny side of the force: I got a filamented fairy wrasse guaranteed to be harmless and he killed 3 of my gobies---he found another home fast. But a purple tang guaranteed to be the meanest guy in town, irresolvable conflicts with other fish, was an absolute doll [he was there to eat algae] and my little mandy absolutely loved him, followed him like a puppy and he taught her to eat frozen mysis: whatever he did, she thought was ok, I guess. [One secret is: a tang can't hit a cigar-shaped fish: put them with things shaped like a pancake, and a fight is possible.] So it's not just attitude, it's company. The tang never harmed a thing, and got along famously with everybody---except the yellow watchman, who wouldn't come out of his hole until I got rid of the tang, and now the watchman is lording it over his sandhill, center tank, as if he were king of the world. Just stand and observe behaviors of some of these fishes before buying, and you may get some notions about what ought to get along. Float the bag of a new arrival---and if one fish comes up and tries to kill it through the bag, get the new fish back to the store---it will never work. :) HTH.

[medic29]

hey....that's not who is hiding out in my tank??

[seachel71]

Foxface rabbitfish?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=687&N=0

[medic29]

That is what is in my qt tank...right now.

[JokerGirl]

The Rabbitfish of mine that Uh_Oh showed you a picture of is called a Scribbled Rabbitfish... species Doliatus.

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/scribbled-rabbitfish---siganus-doliatus-fish--rabbitfish.html

I picked it up from Pet Jungle here in Northern Indy... I'm sure they could order you one.

Live Aquaria also has a slightly different kind right now that's rather pretty as well...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=22580&siteid=20

[UH_OH_5_OH]

TOTALLY MY FAULT !!! I thought it was the Magnificent Foxface !

I'll shut up now !

[seachel71]

Ok...so the one that I want that eats lots of algae and Rick has is a Foxface Rabbitfish... it is yellow with black and white face? Right?

[cioutlaw]

Michelle, the fish I got from paul/Epon when you were there was an Orange Spot Rabbit fish like the one Jokergirl posted from liveaquaria. Great fish very mild & supposed to be VERY disease resistant. Like everyone else has said they have a great appetite. Ive had around 100 or more Zoanthids that have come up missing since I have had him(2 weeks) but Im not sure if he is the culprit although the only new edition in months. Paul never had a problem with zoos missing I guess mine just look more tasty:) from what I have read on them this is not common.

[cioutlaw]

I think they are all(rabbitfish) good algea eaters. I like the magnificent foxface as well.

[Benny Z]

all rabbitfish will decimate algae at first. none of my big stupid herbiverous (hah!) fish eat green hair anymore. they did for a while when they were first introduced, but since they've gained weight and are accustomed to daily algae sheet feedings they have gotten choosey with what they will eat in the tank.

cioutlaw - that's nuts about your missing zoos! :o

[local44]

hey seachel.....a foxface in that size tank might will work but there may be a little territory prob with the mimic

[syrinx]

I had a foxface that was every bit of 10 inches long and 5 inches tall- they can grow fast too! They also have strange habits with their colors- sometimes "turning off" the yellow in certain portions. Great fish though- and woud reccomend small one.

[seachel71]

Thanks for all the advice.... I was at Johnny's today and picked up a foxface... ( the yellow and black kind!) He is acclimated and getting used to his new home. Did some freaky color change stuff in the interim (thanks fo the warning guys!) but now he is fine. I also picked up two conchs and a bright blue hermit crab. ( Sorry John and Ben... what exactly was it called again.

Jack... I checked about putting it with the mimic and Ben and John thought it would be fine. Both are fairly docile fish.

If you haven't been yet... go check out Johnny's reef... it is worth the drive. Lots of cool stuff. I had a hard time choosing!

Next on my list... midas blenny. I saw one at the Culvers in Bloomington ( another place you need to check out if you haven't been yet). It was awesome. Looks like I am going to have a bit of yellow in my tank.. Yeah. Keep the ideas coming.

Thanks all.
Michelle

[syrinx]

Bear in mind they have a nightime pattern also- don`t be alarmed if he looks "moldy" in the morning.

[seachel71]

lol.... thats what he did when we were acclimating... looked like camo pants lol. Good thing John and Ben warned us.

[Benny Z]

nice to meet you, michelle. good luck with the new additions.

the rabbitfish may act very timid for a couple of weeks - they tend to be shy for a while after a tank move. once it gets accustomed to the new environment it shouldn't be as shy. good luck with the fish...i hope you enjoy it. foxfaces are freaky fish - i think you'll understand after you get to know it. mine thinks he's a tang and is usually hovering along side one of them. he's the odd guy out usually, though, as the tangs don't seem to enjoy his company as much as he wants them to. :lol:

[Michelle L]

My Magnificent always reminds me of the dorky kid in school who hangs with the "in" kid (my yellow tang) to try and be cool too. Remember the little terrier on Bugs Bunny who hung around with the bulldog? Yeah, that's my dummy foxface.

Of course, no one seems very impressed. :rolleyes:

[seachel71]

Ben... it was great to meet you too. It is always good to put a face with a name. I really like my foxface. The bright yellow is so nice in the tank. He was a little shy at first but is swimming around grazing on algae on my rocks. He adjusted much faster than I expected! He still prefers to hide when we get to close to the tank but he slowly swims away versus darting in the rocks like he was doing. I am amazed at out quickly he has gotten used to his new home. I am afraid he is a bit lonely... he is the only fish in the tank. I get my tang in about a week. I don't want to add too much to fast. I can move my clowns anytime but I think I will wait until the foxface and the tang are settled in. I really like my electric blue hermit. He is really cool, wish I had gotten another one. I thought I got another "plain" crab, but I guess we were so busy talking I forgot about the other one lol. Thanks again for your help. Let me know when you get a midas in again, I don't think I will need the lettuce nudi... the foxface is taking care of the algae!

[brad23]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10292497#post10292497 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cioutlaw
Michelle, the fish I got from paul/Epon when you were there was an Orange Spot Rabbit fish like the one Jokergirl posted from liveaquaria. Great fish very mild & supposed to be VERY disease resistant. Like everyone else has said they have a great appetite. Ive had around 100 or more Zoanthids that have come up missing since I have had him(2 weeks) but Im not sure if he is the culprit although the only new edition in months. Paul never had a problem with zoos missing I guess mine just look more tasty:) from what I have read on them this is not common.

Have you tried blowing your Zoas with a baster? Do it hard a couple of times and see if any nudis come floating out.