Adding Fish & Coral

[Dave21]

So I’m in the process of stocking my first reef tank. The tanks appears to be completely cycled. I currently have a black clownfish and a regular clownfish that have been in the tank for about a week and a half doing good and I’d like to add another fish in a week or two. I also have a feather duster that I’ve been spot feeding and seems to also be doing really good.

 

My wife likes a neon dottyback at our LFS and I was wondering if there was any issues adding one? I do plan to eventually add a shrimp or two, a goby or blenny, and maybe a fire fish if they are all compatible. The tank is 29 gallon.

 

On a second question, my LFS has a really nice looking bubble coral that is around 1.5 inch for $39 that I was thinking of buying. I have not added any corals yet but would like to start and was wondering if the coral is appropriate for a first coral?

 

Thanks for any advice!

[stevie1493]

My understanding is that Dottybacks are predators and can become very territorial and aggressive. The would be no problem adding one per se but I would exercise caution adding any fish or shrimp after it. Dottybacks have been known to eat or kill some ornamental shrimp...I don't know if the neon is. Have you considered the Orchid or Indigo Dottybacks? Known to be more peaceful and less risk with shrimp. All those fish could be compatible especially with the Dottyback in last... Always a risk for territorial disputes though.

 

I'm not familiar with bubble coral, but they are an LPS and I would presume a slower grower. Based on all my reading Euphyllia family corals are beginner friendly so far as recommended parameters are stable. Just beware of their sweeper tentacles that could harm other corals near them.

[Clown79]

Dottybacks are generally knoen as aggressive fish. Even orchids have been known to become jerks.

 

The neon should be kept in 30g or larger with lots of rockwork. It needs to be with larger aggressive fish.

 

Its known to go after shrimp and any passive fish like a firefish probably wouldn't do well with it.

 

Check out liveaquaria for stats and compatability

[banasophia]

Just saw a bubble coral at my LFS recently with its sweepers out… they were long… it looked aggressive. I’d try to stock less aggressive corals in a nano tank. 

[Clown79]

Bubble corals are beautiful. Had one in my 20g. 

 

They can grow quickly, need lower to moderate flow, definitely not in direct high light.

 

They like to be in the sandbed as being against rock can damage their flesh.

 

Fairly easy coral that enjoys being fed. 

 

 

[banasophia]

3 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Bubble corals are beautiful. Had one in my 20g. 

 

They can grow quickly, need lower to moderate flow, definitely not in direct high light.

 

They like to be in the sandbed as being against rock can damage their flesh.

 

Fairly easy coral that enjoys being fed. 

 

 

Hmmm, good to hear you were able to keep one in your 20. The sweepers weren’t an issue in your tank? Live Aquaria has them listed as aggressive… they are beautiful corals, but I’ve avoided them, elegance, galaxea, and chalices to keep a more peaceful reef since I do like having lots of corals close together. Just recently got a maze brain coral but I have it in a special spot in my 32 away from the rest… 

 

 

Here’s an article I found.

https://www.tfhmagazine.com/articles/saltwater/give-your-minireef-a-bit-of-the-bubbly

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, banasophia said:

Hmmm, good to hear you were able to keep one in your 20. The sweepers weren’t an issue in your tank? Live Aquaria has them listed as aggressive… they are beautiful corals, but I’ve avoided them, elegance, galaxea, and chalices to keep a more peaceful reef since I do like having lots of corals close together. Just recently got a maze brain coral but I have it in a special spot in my 32 away from the rest… 

 

 

Here’s an article I found.

https://www.tfhmagazine.com/articles/saltwater/give-your-minireef-a-bit-of-the-bubbly

It had a corner to itself because i knew how large they grow.

I like the coral so much that i would give up others to keep it. I'd do bubble over frogspawn and torches.

 

Any surrounding corals had no issues nor were hurt.

 

I had a chalice, it was orange nacho something it was called. Lol.  that one was surrounded by zoas. Its sweepers were tiny and i had to remove it from a rock because it was getting smothered by the zoas. 

 

Now in my pico i had a hollywood chalice, that one had long sweepers and fried a frogspawn and 2 other corals overnight. 

 

 

[aclman88]

Agree with clown on this one. I had a bubble coral in my 20 and absolutely loved that thing. The sweepers can get long, but they’re not nearly as bad as a chalice coral and you can usually isolate the coral or place it so the sweepers stay in an area where there’s no corals downstream from them. I also had a small chalice that completely melted a two headed hammer frag within a couple hours and it was 5 to 6 inches away and above the hammer. Devious things chalices are. 

[Dave21]

Mhmm sounds like the dottyback is probably out. And I wasn’t aware that bubble coral had sweepers that would sting other coral. I might pass on it and see if I find something else. 
 

I will actually most likely hold off on coral at the moment as my wife sent me pictures of the tank today because some type of orange algae has started growing on the sand and rock work so I want to wait to see what happens with it before adding anything else.