Reef Discussion

[camillo]

so I'm looking to add some more fish to my 90l tank which currently is housing a fijian damsel, couple peppermint shrimp, and the rest of my clean up crew. so fish need to be 100% reef safe. I'm really struggling to think of what to put in there. i want a pair of clowns, and I'm thinking a nice pair of maroon clowns would be cool. i think 4 fish is plenty, so really its just one more fish i need to come up with. i was thinking a fire fish, but i got a hoodless tank and their known to jump..anyone got any ideas? something nice and different thats fun to watch in the tank?

 

[MagicJ]

You might need to rethink your clown selection - maroon clowns can grow to 14cm and can have a nasty temperament. A recommended minimum tank size for a pair would be around 250 litres.

 

[camillo]

You might need to rethink your clown selection - maroon clowns can grow to 14cm and can have a nasty temperament. A recommended minimum tank size for a pair would be around 250 litres.

yeah, i was just reading up on them right now actually..and the temperament dosnt bother me much..cause i could accommodate by putting some other aggressive fish with it..i mean i got a damsel already, and i only want 4 fish...but the size is a bit worrying..maybe i could keep them as juveniles but your right they'll most likely too big....you mention 250 litres for a pair would be a good size..do you think that a maroon clown alone could do with a smaller tank? (just out of curiosity)......

I'm really leaning towards going out and getting a pair of fire fish..i just read that they tend to jump only if stressed out.

 

[mscott]

i have a pair of maroons in my tank, which would be about 120l of water, they are actually looking like they will breed

 

[192k]

I had a pair of Maroons that I sold in the past two months.

The male was ok, the female started biting me during water changes :)

 

[mscott]

yea mines the other way round, the males agressive and the females placid as anything lol

 

[Dr. Schell]

a pair of 6 line wrasses would be nice. As long as there are cracks and crevices for the shrimp to retreat into, the cuc will be fine. They will control bristle worms and flat worms. Only issue may be jumping, but if they are secure in the tank, they will be fine.
They are great little fish and don't grow too large and are generally well mannered (at least in my experience)

 

[Dr. Schell]

a pair of 6 line wrasses would be nice. As long as there are cracks and crevices for the shrimp to retreat into, the cuc will be fine. They will control bristle worms and flat worms. Only issue may be jumping, but if they are secure in the tank, they will be fine.
They are great little fish and don't grow too large and are generally well mannered (at least in my experience)

Males have NO WHITE SPOT in the rear black osscelli at the base of the tail. Females have a tiny white spot in the osscelli. Keep the pair together at all times, otherwise the female will turn into a male and the two will fight.

 

[Josh M]

Hey doc when you say at all times what times frame you talking till she turns ? Can you ship them seperatly or do they need to be bagged together ?

 

[Dr. Schell]

you need to keep an eye on the fish at your LFS. The females will change sex in a mapper of weeks when kept alone. Buy one, keep it alone for a month until it looses the whit spot (at which time it will be a male). Then look for a newly caught fish at the shop (with a white spot, and put it in with the existing male (in your quarintene tank). Keep them together and they will not fight. Males are much larger than females. Look at the following to see my pair in the proces of spawning:

 

[MTG]

orchid dottyback?

 

[Dr. Schell]

orchid dottyback?

yes, another beautiful fish

 

[Josh M]

I thought dotty backs were skitzos

 

[MTG]

I thought dotty backs were skitzos

tank bred orchids arnt to bad and are one of the more settled, mine only picks on my female ventralis, other then that keeps to itself!

 

[Tang]

Orchids are for girls. Like Matt Green.

If you want anything to do well in that firstly I'd look at removing the damsel.

Then add a gramma, like a Royal.

 

[MTG]

Orchids are for girls. Like Matt Green.

If you want anything to do well in that firstly I'd look at removing the damsel.

Then add a gramma, like a Royal.

orchids are so much nicer then grammas! agree with the removal of the damsel.

 

[Dr. Schell]

Add a watchman goby and pistol shrimp!

 

[MagicJ]

orchids are so much nicer then grammas! agree with the removal of the damsel.

I had penciled in an orchid for my tank but am pretty happy that I ended up with a royal gramma - both a very nice fish though.