Livestock advise

[Marius_LT]

Hello, I'm looking to introduce 3rd (and last) fish for my 20g reef to accompany my pair of clowns. Other inverts: 2 cleaner shrimps, 1 brittle star, 4 CUC snails, beginner corals. Would like to add Emerald crab some day later, maybe some Peppermint to fight Aiptasia too.

 

So for final fish and their availability at my LFS I narrowed my choice to

1. Ecsenius bicolor
2. Amblyeleotris guttata
3. Gobiodon okinawae

 

What would you choose and why?

 

Thank you

[bofo]

Hey! I'm in a similar situation; 29 gallon looking for a 3rd fish after clown pair. Will follow to see what folks say!

 

I'm probably looking for something for the bottom of the tank, like a diamond goby.

[fishfreak0114]

I would get the bicolor blenny, I have a tailspot blenny and their personalities are awesome.  I love the color of yellow clown gobies and their perching behavior is cute (I have a GCB), but I've heard the yellow ones can be difficult to get eating.  Also, they're pretty small, and my GCB can be hard to find.  The blenny on the other hand, comes out lots to graze algae, and he's not afraid to jump in with the clowns when feeding time comes around.

[moosubi]

I find blennies infinitely interesting.  I have a starry blenny and it's mannerisms with the clowns and the inverts are so fun to watch.  Mine sits at the top of my rock work like Simba checking out his kingdom, lol.  He'll swim around and peck at everything, and eats pretty much anything I throw in the tank.  I mostly alternate between frozen mysis and frozen spirulina/mysis/brine mix and everything seems to be doing well!

[Clown79]

The  blenny or the spotted watchman. Both are cool.

 

Blennies have a ton of personality but some have noted that corals get peeved by its perching tendancies.

 

The goby is cool too but is only  bottom dweller.

 

I would get aiptasia x instead of peppermints. Peppermints can go after corals.

[lkoechle]

7 hours ago, Clown79 said:

 

The goby is cool too but is only  bottom dweller.

Not true.  They perch high in the tank and will actively swim. 

 Personally, I would blenny or YCG.  I never had any issues with getting my yellow clown gobies to eat.  They have always been pigs.

 

HOWEVER, if you plan on keeping acropora you need to note the goby's natural behavior which is to perch in the acros and sometimes eat/nip at them.  I had one that never bothered any acros and one that did.  So its personality dependant.  I do think they are awesome, bold, colorful little fish.  way more out going than green clown gobies which is the only other clown goby I have had. and the green clown gobies are difficult to feed.

[Clown79]

Clown gobies may swim around and perch but I meant the watchman. They rarely leave the bottom portion of the tank.

[Marius_LT]

Thank you for your input guys! Meet my new fella..

 

[bofo]

3 hours ago, Marius_LT said:

Thank you for your input guys! Meet my new fella..

 

Very cool! He's peekin out like "at whatchu doin?!"

 

is is that a spotted watchman? Hard for me to tell!

[Marius_LT]

Yes it is  - Amblyeleotris guttata. 

[Clown79]

The spotted is cool.

When he gets comfy in the tank he will venture out more.

 

 

[Marius_LT]

So something terrible has happened. I think my goby was getting accustomed to his new home, did some movements for few days, even ate a little bit. After getting home yesterday, I noticed that his mouth is always open, even though his behavior was the same. But I sensed that something bad will happen. I was observing him for quite a while, he moved trough the tank normally, suddenly his mouth closed, so I though maybe he is back to normal, and in a few moments he went crazy for like 10 seconds, swimming wildly trough water column, tried to jump, when he "calmed downed" he began fading away. Instantly cleaner shrimps showed interested in him and looked like they were eating something from his mouth and gills, he was still showing signs of life during this 10 minute period, the end was when brittle star pulled him under the rocks after he passed away. Clowns and other livestock is looking good, water params looks normal. I'm worried for ammonia spike due goby death, but I hope brittle star did his job.. Will take my water test to LFS for thorough analysis.

 

My first livestock loss it was like horror moving watching as it happened.. Maybe my tank was not well enough established for a goby, but I've read they are hardy enough for 1month tank..

 

I'm afraid to think about new livestock right now, but probably will go after bicolor blenny when I find out that my tank is in good condition.

 

RIP

 

 

[jambon]

Sorry for your loss, it happens and it sucks. A quarantine tank is a valuable tool. It was likely an ailment the goby was suffering with. Besides some speciality feeders many marine fish are hardy. 

   That being said I would probably purchase a fish from a system if I knew the conditions, how long it was in the system and other factors. Beware though many stores only want your cash. 

[Clown79]

Sorry for the loss. 

 

He may have  been ill.

 

I have never seen a spike when a fish dies but as your tank is new, I would monitor.

 

As its only a month old, I'd wait and let the tank settle before adding another fish.