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Stocking Plan & Question


MPSchenck

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Hello Everyone!

 

I have a JBJ 30g Rimless, approximately 2" of live sand, I ended up using 30 pounds of cured LR, filled in 23 gallons of SW, and mounted a Kessil A360WE on top. The tank was set up on 1/22/16 and the cycle, if there truly was one was undetectable. The owner of my LFS, whom I got the LR from and all my livestock has and will come from, said the following Sunday (1/24) that it would be safe to put a fish in, enter small 1.5" SA standard ocellaris and a very small CUC including hermits and a small variety of snalls. Params stayed basically dead flat for the next week+. This past Monday (2/1) I added a starry blenny, and again params stayed dead flat.

 

pH: 8.2

Ammonia: 0 ppm (Seachem Ammonia Alert reads <0.02 ppm)

Nitrite: 0 ppm

Nitrate: 2.5 ppm? (Somewhere between 0 & 5.0 on API test as there was the slightest tinge of orange)

Salinity: 1.025

 

More detail here.

 

For corals I have 3 different types/colors of mushrooms, 1 little patch of GPS, and I'm trying out what was sold to me as candy cane but I have my doubts about that. Future plans are some more easier to keep stuff, zoas/palys etc, nothing crazy is going in there.

 

Concrete near future stocking plans would be to add another SA clownfish (Larger or smaller? - I've read and heard both) and a red fire shrimp.

 

I got him because I like his face including the little stalks above his eyes, but I'm not loving the starry blenny so far, he's still hiding 99% of the time, but he is eating mysis and some things from the LR. I originally wanted a midas blenny, but no one in my area has one and most say they don't remember the last time they got one in. If he doesn't liven up a little I might consider trading him into my LFS towards him finding and ordering a midas.

 

My wife and 5 yo daughter both want a rich blue fish in the tank. This would be in the future, I've read nothing good happens fast in a reef tank. :)

Towards that I have looked into blue reef chromis (delicate, maybe? and color muddies up as they get older), azure damsels (somewhat aggressive), pygmy "cherub" angels (love the look of this little guy but seems to need more room), and Malanurus wrasse (not as blue & gets big/needs more room).

 

Am I missing an option? Is there one above that can be successfully/humanely kept in my tank?

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For the clownfish, it depends on if your current clown is already a female. The safest bet is to get a smaller one, because the bigger generally becomes the dominant female. Male clowns can turn into female, but not vice versa...so that's why it's safest to go with a smaller one just in case yours is already female. If not, there will be serious aggression and territory issues with two females.

 

Another good option for a deep blue fish is a springeri damsel, they're more docile than other breeds of damsel...but you would still want it to be one of the last fish in the tank. Gorgeous fish though, and typically not very expensive.

 

Fire shrimp are gorgeous, but they're always in hiding. Even at feeding time, mine grabs morsels from his spot behind the rock. If you're looking for a more active shrimp I would recommend a skunk cleaner shrimp.

 

Do you have a protein skimmer?

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Springer's damsel would definitely be my pick for a blue fish. They're more peaceful than chromis in my experience, are very bright blue, and mine have always eaten flatworms. Not blue, but talbots damsels are pretty much the only other peaceful damsels I've come across.

 

ANother blue-ish community fish is randalls assessor basslet.

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For the clownfish, it depends on if your current clown is already a female. The safest bet is to get a smaller one, because the bigger generally becomes the dominant female. Male clowns can turn into female, but not vice versa...so that's why it's safest to go with a smaller one just in case yours is already female. If not, there will be serious aggression and territory issues with two females.

 

Another good option for a deep blue fish is a springeri damsel, they're more docile than other breeds of damsel...but you would still want it to be one of the last fish in the tank. Gorgeous fish though, and typically not very expensive.

 

Fire shrimp are gorgeous, but they're always in hiding. Even at feeding time, mine grabs morsels from his spot behind the rock. If you're looking for a more active shrimp I would recommend a skunk cleaner shrimp.

 

Do you have a protein skimmer?

 

 

Thanks for explaining to me the clownfish thing, like I said I've heard and read both so it's good to have it laid out.

 

The springeri damsel does look like a great option.

 

I had started to realize that. My LFS has 2 usually, both are always under a rock, and all you can see are white antenna sticking out. While the red striped skunk cleaners they have are always out on a rock ready to clean a fish.

 

I do have a skimmer, Tunze 9001, that I'm still tweaking a little to get it dialed in perfectly. Other equipment is a IM MiniMax AIO Media Reactor with a bit of Phosguard in it, but I don't run it all the time.

 

Thanks again!

Springer's damsel would definitely be my pick for a blue fish. They're more peaceful than chromis in my experience, are very bright blue, and mine have always eaten flatworms. Not blue, but talbots damsels are pretty much the only other peaceful damsels I've come across.

 

ANother blue-ish community fish is randalls assessor basslet.

 

I'm liking what I'm reading about the springeri.

 

Thanks!

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Thanks for explaining to me the clownfish thing, like I said I've heard and read both so it's good to have it laid out.

 

The springeri damsel does look like a great option.

 

I had started to realize that. My LFS has 2 usually, both are always under a rock, and all you can see are white antenna sticking out. While the red striped skunk cleaners they have are always out on a rock ready to clean a fish.

 

I do have a skimmer, Tunze 9001, that I'm still tweaking a little to get it dialed in perfectly. Other equipment is a IM MiniMax AIO Media Reactor with a bit of Phosguard in it, but I don't run it all the time.

 

Thanks again!

 

No problem! The fire shrimp are great, but a bummer that they're always in hiding...you'll definitely have more entertainment with the skunk cleaner though.

 

I have the Tunze 9001 too, I love the compact size...especially since I don't have a sump.

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress! Any photos yet?

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No problem! The fire shrimp are great, but a bummer that they're always in hiding...you'll definitely have more entertainment with the skunk cleaner though.

 

I have the Tunze 9001 too, I love the compact size...especially since I don't have a sump.

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress! Any photos yet?

 

I'm going to go with a skunk cleaner eventually.

 

I like the 9001.

 

I do have some pics here nothing spectacular. I'm waiting to break the tripod out when things really get rolling.

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Looking great so far! You got some great hitch hikers on your live rock, I have some stomatella in my tank too, and they eat algae like crazy! Multiply like it's nobody's business too..

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Looking great so far! You got some great hitch hikers on your live rock, I have some stomatella in my tank too, and they eat algae like crazy! Multiply like it's nobody's business too..

 

 

Thanks, I like the stomatellas I just hope my hermits don't get them. I will say the stomatellas are wicked fast, and I think they could out run my very small hermits.

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i have a ten gallon tank that has a occ clown fish and a yellow watchman goby i realy want a molly miller blenny this set up would be a temp till my 40 gallon breeder was ready for the molly miller blenny is this going to put me at over stocked or will it be ok thill the 40b is ready

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I'm no expert, but I would say if the ocellaris, YWG, and Molly Miller Blenny weren't all full size that at 10 gallon would be fine.

 

Other considerations would be how much LR & LS you have in the 10g and if you have a skimmer or not, as this would influence how much waste would be broken down or removed.

 

How long do you estimate until the 40b would be ready?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm no expert, but I would say if the ocellaris, YWG, and Molly Miller Blenny weren't all full size that at 10 gallon would be fine.

 

Other considerations would be how much LR & LS you have in the 10g and if you have a skimmer or not, as this would influence how much waste would be broken down or removed.

 

How long do you estimate until the 40b would be ready?

with in the next few weeks to a month I doing a fish in cycle with blue/green reef chromis and yes I know this is looked down a pawn but it is how my friend does it I have a bio wheel 150 on the 10g and about 2" ls and 4lb of lr. this is what I want in the 40b is it to much with about 4" ls and 40lb of lr and a cpr hob skimmer

 

6 blue/green reef chromis

2 clarkii clown fish with host

1 yellow tang I know I will have to rehome to a bigger tank

1 molly miller blenny

1yellow watchman goby with pistol shrimp

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