90g stocking idea...

Eienna · Mar 18, 2013

Squishie89 said:
Ahahaha that is too funny. I wish I had gone bigger as well.

If I can find one that will fit in the space, it looks like that's what I'm doing. I WANT MY ANTHIAS!! XD

Eienna · Mar 18, 2013

And yes, I realize they're difficult. I'll take the time to work with them.

Eienna · Mar 18, 2013

6 Bimaculatus Anthias
1 Ocellaris Clown
1 Mandarin Dragonet
Various Inverts

In a 90?

spznm · Mar 25, 2013

The stock you have seems ok, you can have a pair of Mandarin when you have 1 of two things, I nice population of copepods or they are trained to eat pellets/frozen food. Its REALLY hard to do so. You can also keep a pair of clown fish. For a 90 gallon thats a small bio load which is good. If you plan to get tangs, then I would suggest getting the 120 gallons. Good luck.

Eienna · Mar 25, 2013

spznm said:
The stock you have seems ok, you can have a pair of Mandarin when you have 1 of two things, I nice population of copepods or they are trained to eat pellets/frozen food. Its REALLY hard to do so. You can also keep a pair of clown fish. For a 90 gallon thats a small bio load which is good. If you plan to get tangs, then I would suggest getting the 120 gallons. Good luck.

Thanks

No tangs. Aside from whatever I have to deal with from the anthias, I want as little aggression as possible.

spznm · Mar 30, 2013

All fish have different personalities, even some of my tangs are real friendly, they are all different. No two tangs are the same.

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Eienna · Mar 30, 2013

I imagine not. All fish are individuals.

Mom just shocked me by being interested in helping me purchase a 125 acrylic <3 <3 <3

I should be able to get the mandarins trained. I'm disabled so I really have the time to work with them.

spznm · Mar 30, 2013

Oh that's great! Reefing is a great hobby! Post some pics when u get some.

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Eienna · Mar 30, 2013

It's going to be a while, for sure. First I have to get my freshies moved to their new 125g glass home, which will require some purchases...then I gotta save up enough for the SW stuff on $100 spending money a month (a lot of which has to go to my FW guys, whom I'm not giving up because I'm quite attached XDD). I could do it faster if I didn't owe somebody $1000 for something I'm not sure I even broke, but hey XD At least my honey is helping me get that paid off.

Eienna · Mar 31, 2013

I have discovered something. When I first fell in love with anthias in person, it wasn't the bimaculatus after all. It was the female pictilis. Looks like I'm getting those instead, though I'll have to cut the numbers because it's a bigger fish. I think I'll do four. I'll start with four females and let someone grow a pair, as it were XDD

I'm also getting myself a 125g tank for all this...<3

Eienna · Mar 31, 2013

I'm also getting a 125 for all this <3

PaulKreider · Mar 31, 2013

If its your first SW tank I wouldnt recomend mandarins at all. They're a very difficult species even if you have thousands of copepods that dosnt mean they will eat. Very Finicky and youl want to be more worried about your parameters than a finicky fish to start off with. A pair of clowns would be good for a first SW, along with blue/green chromis, you shouldnt have a problem with a yellow, purple or blue tang if you get them small rather than a large one. Dont forget about a CuC eather.

Eienna · Apr 1, 2013

PaulKreider said:
If its your first SW tank I wouldnt recomend mandarins at all. They're a very difficult species even if you have thousands of copepods that dosnt mean they will eat. Very Finicky and youl want to be more worried about your parameters than a finicky fish to start off with. A pair of clowns would be good for a first SW, along with blue/green chromis, you shouldnt have a problem with a yellow, purple or blue tang if you get them small rather than a large one. Dont forget about a CuC eather.

It may be my first SW, but it is absolutely not my first tank

and I am doing LOADS of research (what's CuC stand for, by the way?). I'm disabled, too, so I have tons of time to devote to looking after them. I'll train the little suckers to frozen food if it kills me - they're one of the reasons I want a reef tank at all, so I'm more than willing to put the extra work in. I appreciate the concern, though.

They'll be QTed in my 29 until they are eating well, so they won't have competition until they're up to dealing with it.

spznm · Apr 1, 2013

I like your enthusiasm and I'm glad that you are researching as we all do, but in this hobby there will be more than one answer to anything! This is an expensive hobby which sadly we learn by killing fish, its sad but its the reality, just try to see what others do and once you start it gets very hard but as time goes it gets much easier, good luck and ask questions when in doubt, cuc = clean up crew like snails which there are several species that will help you clean ur tank once the cycle is over.

Eienna · Apr 1, 2013

spznm said:
I like your enthusiasm and I'm glad that you are researching as we all do, but in this hobby there will be more than one answer to anything! This is an expensive hobby which sadly we learn by killing fish, its sad but its the reality, just try to see what others do and once you start it gets very hard but as time goes it gets much easier, good luck and ask questions when in doubt, cuc = clean up crew like snails which there are several species that will help you clean ur tank once the cycle is over.

Ah, right

I've got a couple of critters in mind, such as the skunk cleaner shrimp and emerald crab...though I could use suggestions?

Yeah, I know I'm gonna lose some. I get very attached to my fish but that's how it goes...all I can do is my best and I know that. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do and I know that too, especially with wild-caughts and SW fish in general. I realize they're touchier than the FW fish I'm used to. I do, however, keep rummynoses - one of the more sensitive fish; there is a saying that if you can keep rummynoses you can keep discus, though I've never tried that.

My plan for the mandarin(s) is to get them tank-bred, possibly from ORA. They'll be kept in my 29g until such as a time as they're fat and eating what they're given. I know I may have to go through a couple before I have success with them...but thankfully Deep Sea Creations is near me and they get them in all the time, so I can wait for a nice, healthy one to come along before jumping on it, so my chances may be better than if I ordered one or if they came in infrequently.

I know I still have a lot of learning to do, and will as long as I'm involved in the hobby. Even the 'experts' are constantly learning...

Eienna · Apr 1, 2013

Something else that gives me some confidence is that I have two good forums with knowledgeable people I can go to for advice - here and my main hangout, fishlore.com's forums.

Crud's gonna happen. I have no illusions about that. I already lost the most expensive fish I've bought to date, a wonderful gold nugget pleco named Vegas, to an absolute disaster that claimed nearly my entire stock of FW fish...long story there...made short, something wrong with the water supply. It wasn't even my fault. So I get it.

Smooth sailing is the exception for the aquarist.

spznm · Apr 1, 2013

Oh I see, don't think I'm trying to discourage you lol I have lost a few but start with the clown pair and wait till your tank matures enough to handle the bio load, not only read about the fish but also how they need to be housed. I have 41 healthy fish right now and it has taken me at least 4 hrs reading a day for 6-8 months now, I'm no expert since the ocean is full of mysteries that we might never know. Shrimp are real sensitive so I would suggest u get them after a few months, also fire shrimp are nice. My friend gets me the snails which I don't remember their names others than mexican Turbo snails, its an excellent hobby and I bet we all get attached I've cried a few times lol they are just so much fun to watch.

Eienna · Apr 1, 2013

Right.
I was actually figuring on starting with the clowns, lol.

I've been looking at compatibilities, tank sizes, temperaments, feeding, etc until I'm aching from being on the computer so long XD and I shall continue.