Add Biota fish to display or not?

[dkelley]

Good afternoon!

I received a couple of new fish yesterday from Biota and they are smaller than expected. Not necessarily smaller than they stated, just smaller once you get them than expected.

With that said, I'm curious if these fish should sit in a separate tank for a year or so and they can grow and develop or should they get into the DT with an acclimation box or something for a week or so?

Details:

New fish: Pavo Damsel about 1" and male mandarin about 3/4" These are the smallest fish I have ever seen!!!

Existing: FEMALE Mandarin 3" fully grown, Sailfin 6" (big and old, runs the tank and might get grumpy on the damsel), Foxface (won't care), Keyhole angel (probably the biggest risk?), Malanurus Wrasse (won't care), Clowns (won't care), Copperbanded Butterfly (she's still brand new out of QT and won't care yet I don't think)

Essentially everything in the main display is fully grown except the CBB which is brand new.

I don't think any inverts will get the fish. I just have a fire shrimp, some emerald crabs, and hermits.

Looking for some thoughts. They are in their own 14g tank at the moment and they can stay there as long as needed but wouldn't mind not maintaining it if I didn't have to.

Thanks in advance!

 

[naterealbig]

How big is your display?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

That female mandarin will likely kill the male...

 

[dkelley]

How big is your display?

140g

 

[dkelley]

That female mandarin will likely kill the male...

The female will kill the male due to size or no matter what?

 

[argiBK]

The female will kill the male due to size or no matter what?

Mature females are highly aggressive to males before they’re paired, regardless of size — lots of chasing and even biting and holding/dragging the male around. The male will have to be of similar or larger size in order to withstand her.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

^^^ This

 

[dkelley]

Ok, so the mandarin will need to stay in the 14g until he's big enough or forever I suppose, any opinions on the damsel?

The 14g has been setup and running for awhile. I was ultimately going to turn it into an anemone/maroon lightning clown tank which I still believe I can do with the mandarin in there especially since it will be there before any clowns show up.

 

[argiBK]

Ok, so the mandarin will need to stay in the 14g until he's big enough or forever I suppose, any opinions on the damsel?

The 14g has been setup and running for awhile. I was ultimately going to turn it into an anemone/maroon lightning clown tank which I still believe I can do with the mandarin in there especially since it will be there before any clowns show up.

The damsel should be fine with the rest of your fish. Seems like only Damsels attack other Damsels, and everything else with similar colors, once they grow up.

 

[Reefering1]

Is the barrier still splitting your tank?

 

[dkelley]

Is the barrier still splitting your tank?

Nope. CBB is swimming around and everyone is getting along after about a week of the barrier.

Wouldn’t matter anyway, the holes in the barrier for flow are bigger than the biota fish.

 

[Reefering1]

I was wondering about how the copperband is getting along with the angel/desjardini... I never kept a mandarin so I can't speak to that, but I would put the damsel in.. if you did and decided to keep mandarin separate- would it be by itself?

 

[dkelley]

I was wondering about how the copperband is getting along with the angel/desjardini... I never kept a mandarin so I can't speak to that, but I would put the damsel in.. if you did and decided to keep mandarin separate- would it be by itself?

CBB is doing excellent so far. Not eating during feedings but constantly hitting the rock so hopefully it learns.

The mandarin would be alone in the 14g however, I do have plans for nems and clowns in there, I could accelerate that.

 

[Reefering1]

Not losing any weight right? Does he get excited at feeding time(assuming you get a feeding frenzy response)? Mine started by waiting for food to hit the ground.
I never liked the idea of keeping a fish completely by itself, seems unnatural. Maybe keep them together, make sure damsel is eating and healthy, until mandarin gets tank mates- them move damsel. 14g tank shouldn't be hard to catch it in. 140 is a totally different story

 

[dkelley]

Not losing any weight right? Does he get excited at feeding time(assuming you get a feeding frenzy response)? Mine started by waiting for food to hit the ground.
I never liked the idea of keeping a fish completely by itself, seems unnatural. Maybe keep them together, make sure damsel is eating and healthy, until mandarin gets tank mates- them move damsel. 14g tank shouldn't be hard to catch it in. 140 is a totally different story

Damsel is eating great. Both biota fish are good.

CBB does get excited with the frenzy but doesn’t seem to chase food at all and just pecks rocks. CBB is not getting skinny yet. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

 

[Reefering1]

Feed enough for food to land in rocks, it will catch on. That said, don't forget to monitor nutrients/ turn up export. Could take weeks.
What's the plan for 14g?

 

[dkelley]

I admittedly over feed. I have a Reefmat, skimmer, Chaeto….numbers stay pretty decent. I test a couple times a week.

The 14g is eventually going to be a couple maroon lightning clowns and anemone tank. The mandarin can live with them.

 

[areefer01]

I've kept a few Biota fish (I'm biased, love them) and more or less placed them into the display with a few exceptions.

1. Matted filefish. Very small vs flow in the display. Had to place in refugium for about 2 months then moved to display.
2. Radial filefish. Very small vs flow in the display. Like matted filefish it spent 2 months in the refugium then to display.
3. 4 x pink square anthias. Small. Right into the display.
4. Gold Lined Rabbitfish. Small. Assumed my scopas tang may not like it so it went into the refugium for 2 months then display.
5. 7 x pavo / sapphire damsels. Small. Right into the display as they stay lower, fast swimmers, and love rocks.
6. 3 x forktail blenny. Small. Refugium then display.
7. Blue neon goby. Small. Display.
8. Upside down goby (trimma striatum). Small. Display. Ordered a starry goby but accidentally got this. Amazing fish.
9. Links goby. Small. Display.

Long and short of it is like you I looked at the fish, general habits, flow, vs what fish I have then went from there. In my experience the fish grow fast so didn't expect them to stay in there very long. I also feed heavily. I feed every hour pellet (tdo small, medium) between 8 am and 6 pm then feed frozen at 8 pm. This is made up of LRS nano, reef, brine, and mysis. Anytime I have new fish coming in from Biota or ORA I make sure to have their food on hand as a backup.

Works for me. I do not have a mandy but you got plenty of great advise on it here.

 

[Reefering1]

How long has the 14g been running? Is it a completely seperate system from 140?

 

[dkelley]

I've kept a few Biota fish (I'm biased, love them) and more or less placed them into the display with a few exceptions.

1. Matted filefish. Very small vs flow in the display. Had to place in refugium for about 2 months then moved to display.
2. Radial filefish. Very small vs flow in the display. Like matted filefish it spent 2 months in the refugium then to display.
3. 4 x pink square anthias. Small. Right into the display.
4. Gold Lined Rabbitfish. Small. Assumed my scopas tang may not like it so it went into the refugium for 2 months then display.
5. 7 x pavo / sapphire damsels. Small. Right into the display as they stay lower, fast swimmers, and love rocks.
6. 3 x forktail blenny. Small. Refugium then display.
7. Blue neon goby. Small. Display.
8. Upside down goby (trimma striatum). Small. Display. Ordered a starry goby but accidentally got this. Amazing fish.
9. Links goby. Small. Display.

Long and short of it is like you I looked at the fish, general habits, flow, vs what fish I have then went from there. In my experience the fish grow fast so didn't expect them to stay in there very long. I also feed heavily. I feed every hour pellet (tdo small, medium) between 8 am and 6 pm then feed frozen at 8 pm. This is made up of LRS nano, reef, brine, and mysis. Anytime I have new fish coming in from Biota or ORA I make sure to have their food on hand as a backup.

Works for me. I do not have a mandy but you got plenty of great advise on it here.

Great advise hear. Thank you.