Stocking help

[MaxLR]

Hi all,

 

I’m new on this forum so hi all! Recently I upgraded my tank from a normal 110 liter breeder to a Red Sea 170. The cycle is done now and added a bi color blenny to the system but I also have a kauderni and two clowns from my previous tank. My plan is to slowly add those fish but before I do that I want to add the peaceful fish so there won’t be loads of aggression from the clowns. But now I really don’t know if I can add something else to this tank and what it would be so i’m looking for some suggestions of fish that would work in a Red Sea 170. The total tank amount is 165 liter or 43 gallon and the DT 130 liter or 34 gallon.

 

thanks!

[Tamberav]

You could move the cardinal over whenever. 

 

Fish ideas (not all):

Pink streak wrasse or possom wrasse

Royal gramma

Shrimp gobies

Yellowhead jawfish

Clown gobies

Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish

 

 

 

 

[MaxLR]

Thank you! I really like the pink streak wrasse and the royal gramma but i heard they can be quite aggressive towards blenny’s so I’m not sure. I also heard al lot of bad stories about the clown goby as they are not really reef safe. Nevertheless thanks for the input and I’m going to research the pink streaked wrasse a bit more!

 

[MaxLR]

I also really like a six line wrasse and saw one at my LFS would that be possible or would he be to aggressive to the blenny?

[filefishfinatic]

no 6line evil unless you are paul b 

harlequin filefish are midwater. you could get one or 2 and feed them masstick. 

[Murphs_Reef]

1 hour ago, MaxLR said:

I also really like a six line wrasse and saw one at my LFS would that be possible or would he be to aggressive to the blenny?

They can be a little boisterous. But I keep a pretty large six line (3 inch) and he is fine with my other wrasses, Gramma, yellow clown goby and green chromis. I would say if the six line goes in after the blenny it should be ok... But no guarantees...

[MaxLR]

1 minute ago, Murphych said:

They can be a little boisterous. But I keep a pretty large six line (3 inch) and he is fine with my other wrasses, Gramma, yellow clown goby and green chromis. I would say if the six line goes in after the blenny it should be ok... But no guarantees...

Thanks! the blenny is already in the tank but I don't think it will be a great choice as is also have to add my two clowns and they can be very nasty at fish that bother them so I thinking of maybe a yellow clown goby.

[Jaren45]

Midas blenny! Shouldn't interact with your bicolor as they aren't herbivores and they're super colorful and personable

[MaxLR]

16 minutes ago, Jaren45 said:

Midas blenny! Shouldn't interact with your bicolor as they aren't herbivores and they're super colorful and personable

I really like that one but I dint consider it because it was also a blenny but do you think they will get along? I know the bi color stays more on the rock and the midas is a open swimmer but my tank is not that big so will there not be a high chance of fighting?

[MaxLR]

I'm doubting at the moment between the yellow clown goby or the royal gramma but I also heard that it can get into problems with the bicolor because of there same shape en yellow color.

[Tamberav]

8 hours ago, MaxLR said:

I also really like a six line wrasse and saw one at my LFS would that be possible or would he be to aggressive to the blenny?

The sixline can be very aggressive. The pink streak is the peaceful version. Royal grammas are generally not too bad. Blennies actually can be fairly fiesty themselves. Clown gobies are common in reefs but yes they nip at SPS. 

[Tamberav]

My Midas was a mean shit. They like to defend a hole/cave.

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

I’ll pretty much echo what Tamberav stated. Pink streaks would be great in your tank. They’re incredibly peaceful. The downside of them, is they aren’t out in the water column as much. They tend to stick close to the rock work. 
 

Six Lines are hit and miss, in terms of aggressiveness. Most are dicks, but there are some calmer ones out there. You just have to decide if you’re willing to take a chance on them. If you decide to go down the six line road, I’d recommend him as the last fish in your tank.  
 

Our first Midas was a total jerk. He’d bite anytime your hand was in the tank. He was way worse than the clowns. I think they’re a beautiful fish, and I love the way they swim, but you may get a chill one, or you may get an asshole. 
 

One other fish you should consider, is a possum wrasse. They’re very peaceful, and once they’re comfortable you’ll see them out swimming regularly. 

[banasophia]

I like my sixline and my diamond goby in my 32 gallon… both are easy to care for and good working fish, cool looking and out and visible in the tank and do their jobs eating pests/sifting sand… my diamond goby is the only thing my husband is interested in in all three of my tanks… if you’re going to add a sixline you would want to add it last

 

I had a pink streak wrasse and it was really meek, hid all the time, and I think it starved to death because it was so timid it would seldom come out to eat… the sixline has been a much better fish for my tank 

[Snow_Phoenix]

I've kept sixlines before in previous setups - in both instances, both fish turned out to be very aggressive once they were established. But I have heard/read instances where they're okay and go well with the other denizens of the tank. It's a hit or miss, like @NoOneLikesADryTang has mentioned earlier. 

I used to have a pink streak in my 60G and she was wonderful. Very active and constantly exploring the rockwork for pods. Only issue I can see with getting a pink streak is their availability, they can be difficult to acquire in some places, and a bit pricey too. Possum wrasses are a lovely option as well. 

Based on your current stocking, you already have a percher & 3 open-column swimmers. Have you tried looking into a tiny sand dweller instead? There are many types of tiny gobies that dwell on the sand (hi-fin, yasha, randall's, aurora/pinkbar, wheeler's, dracula etc.) and *some of them even form symbiotic relationships with pistol shrimp, which can be interesting to watch. 

Of course, if you don't want to do a sand dweller, you can try another tiny percher - clown gobies are very cute and full of personality (might occasionally nip SPS polyps though), green banded goby (GBG) or even neon gobies. 

Might want to watch your blenny though. Blennies can be a bit bossy when it comes to defending their territories, and if you pick a similarly shaped fish, you *might have some trouble. 

[Clown79]

Loved my midas blenny, both that i had weren't aggressive. The first one was an open swimmer, the second was lazy and stayed in his home most of the time.

 

I personally wouldn't add one with another blenny in the tank because they are similar shape. If it was 80+ gallons i would but not in a nano.

 

I'd try one of the more passive wrasses that others have mentioned or a goby thats a bottom dweller

[Tamberav]

2 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Loved my midas blenny, both that i had weren't aggressive. The first one was an open swimmer, the second was lazy and stayed in his home most of the time.

 

I personally wouldn't add one with another blenny in the tank because they are similar shape. If it was 80+ gallons i would but not in a nano.

 

I'd try one of the more passive wrasses that others have mentioned or a goby thats a bottom dweller

Do you still have your Midas blenny? I was recently reading a post on another forum about how they actually have poor long term survival in our tanks. That many seem to do well for awhile but that something may be missing from the diet or malabsorption issues and many eventually die. Just curious.

[Clown79]

3 hours ago, Tamberav said:

Do you still have your Midas blenny? I was recently reading a post on another forum about how they actually have poor long term survival in our tanks. That many seem to do well for awhile but that something may be missing from the diet or malabsorption issues and many eventually die. Just curious.

I don't have my tanks anymore. I sold him but he was healthy and ate like a champ. I had him for a year or more.

 

I think what may be the problem is that a lot of people associate blenny with grazer/algae eater but midas blenny isn't a grazer, its a carnivore. So maybe they are getting starved by hobbyists. 

 

 

[Melfy77]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

I don't have my tanks anymore. I sold him but he was healthy and ate like a champ. I had him for a year or more.

 

I think what may be the problem is that a lot of people associate blenny with grazer/algae eater but midas blenny isn't a grazer, its a carnivore. So maybe they are getting starved by hobbyists. 

 

 

What happened to your tanks?!! Your lagoon 25 was a piece of art! And that yellow fiji leather, it was so gorgeous!!

 

I got a yellow banded possum wrasse last week and I'm in love with it!! I have it in my fluval 13.5g, the other fish is a two spot blenny, so both very peaceful fish, and love mysis shrimp. The possum also eats pods.

[Clown79]

20 minutes ago, Melfy77 said:

What happened to your tanks?!! Your lagoon 25 was a piece of art! And that yellow fiji leather, it was so gorgeous!!

 

I got a yellow banded possum wrasse last week and I'm in love with it!! I have it in my fluval 13.5g, the other fish is a two spot blenny, so both very peaceful fish, and love mysis shrimp. The possum also eats pods.

I had to shut them all down due to life changes. 

[Tamberav]

20 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

I had to shut them all down due to life changes. 

 

Glad you are still around on here though! 🙂 I am making some life changes too.... though just trying to go all softies in hope I can mostly ignore the tanks for long periods and not worry about dosing or parameters so much. 

[Clown79]

17 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

 

Glad you are still around on here though! 🙂 I am making some life changes too.... though just trying to go all softies in hope I can mostly ignore the tanks for long periods and not worry about dosing or parameters so much. 

Thank you.

 

I loved my tanks but it does get to a point where you end up having to give up a lot of things to dedicate to the hobby.

 

I can understand wanting to change to softies. I think they are underated corals. I like them better than sps. 

[Melfy77]

3 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Thank you.

 

I loved my tanks but it does get to a point where you end up having to give up a lot of things to dedicate to the hobby.

 

I can understand wanting to change to softies. I think they are underated corals. I like them better than sps. 

Both my tank are softies only. No dosing, no testing. Waterchanges every once in a while and that's it.