Biocube 29 re-stocking

tnewell · Dec 22, 2020

I have had my biocube 29 stocked with 2 clowns for about a year now, and I’m ready to move them to the frag tank along with my rbta and restock. I’m thinking about adding a longnose hawk fish, a cherub angel, and 3 chalk bass. You think this would provide plenty off diversity and color to my tank? My clowns tend to hide around rocks. I’ll grab a pic in the morning! (If you have any suggestions on fish, IM ALL EARS) @footgal

EvanDeVita · Dec 22, 2020

Oh do I have recommendations . I would get a flame hawk fish over longnose personally, I think they are cooler and less nippy. Cherubs can nip at corals (the one I got did). If you like basslets so much, there are other choices that have more color to them. Royal grammas are great, and you can get other cute fish !!

SakuraSky · Dec 22, 2020

I second the flame hawk. Lots more color and chiller personality.
Chalk bass would make a cute little group.
Take a look at flameback angels, they are really pretty & small like the cherubs.
Definitely add a little goby or blenny, cant go wrong with those!

Zoa_Fanatic · Dec 23, 2020

If you’re gonna do coral I’d stay away from angels period: they nip. All of them. Always. Extreme cases where they don’t but that’s all my coral beauty did, ever. Be aware the hawkfish will murder your cuc. I’d personally go with something like a colorful goby or blenny and an orchid dottyback. You can get aquacultured ones for 20$+ now and they are beautiful and super chill. You could do those and some pajama cardinal fish and have a nice tank with swimmers at all different levels.

SakuraSky · Dec 23, 2020

claudius_galen said:
If you’re gonna do coral I’d stay away from angels period: they nip. All of them. Always. Extreme cases where they don’t but that’s all my coral beauty did, ever. Be aware the hawkfish will murder your cuc. I’d personally go with something like a colorful goby or blenny and an orchid dottyback. You can get aquacultured ones for 20$+ now and they are beautiful and super chill. You could do those and some pajama cardinal fish and have a nice tank with swimmers at all different levels.

I've never once In my reef keeping have had hawkfish eat a cuc member. I did stay on the cautious side and had a coral banded shrimp instead of a cleaner or fire shrimp. He definitely left the coral banded alone. But I've never seen them go after hermits or snails. Not saying they can't. Just saying it's kinda rare that they are that feisty

EvanDeVita · Dec 23, 2020

SakuraSky said:
I've never once In my reef keeping have had hawkfish eat a cuc member. I did stay on the cautious side and had a coral banded shrimp instead of a cleaner or fire shrimp. He definitely left the coral banded alone. But I've never seen them go after hermits or snails. Not saying they can't. Just saying it's kinda rare that they are that feisty

Agreed. I had one until it ate my fire shrimp. Never bothered any of my other CUC. I love fire shrimp so I picked up a new one and returned the hawkfish, but that's just me. You can do what @SakuraSky said and just not get a cleaner shrimp if you love them. Flame hawks have the cutest inquisitive nature to them and they are amazing!

tnewell · Dec 23, 2020

EvanDeVita said:
Oh do I have recommendations . I would get a flame hawk fish over longnose personally, I think they are cooler and less nippy. Cherubs can nip at corals (the one I got did). If you like basslets so much, there are other choices that have more color to them. Royal grammas are great, and you can get other cute fish !!

Do you think flamebacks would nip at corals?

tnewell · Dec 23, 2020

claudius_galen said:
If you’re gonna do coral I’d stay away from angels period: they nip. All of them. Always. Extreme cases where they don’t but that’s all my coral beauty did, ever. Be aware the hawkfish will murder your cuc. I’d personally go with something like a colorful goby or blenny and an orchid dottyback. You can get aquacultured ones for 20$+ now and they are beautiful and super chill. You could do those and some pajama cardinal fish and have a nice tank with swimmers at all different levels.

I had a flame angel that was peaceful as could be, until my clowns bullied him to death

Zoa_Fanatic · Dec 23, 2020

tnewell said:
I had a flame angel that was peaceful as could be, until my clowns bullied him to death

I’ve heard people have the same story with coral beauties but all the ones I even had nipped at the rock work and coral constantly

tnewell · Dec 23, 2020

Yeah I have a full reef tank I can’t have any of that nipping stuff going on. I reeaalllyy want a angel though. Bright, vivid colors! I still want a hawk fish, but I need a show fish and the angel was gonna be him! I want a madarin, but I have had little success keeping one in a biocube

claudius_galen said:
I’ve heard people have the same story with coral beauties but all the ones I even had nipped at the rock work and coral constantl

Zoa_Fanatic · Dec 23, 2020

tnewell said:
Yeah I have a full reef tank I can’t have any of that nipping stuff going on. I reeaalllyy want a angel though. Bright, vivid colors! I still want a hawk fish, but I need a show fish and the angel was gonna be him! I want a madarin, but I have had little success keeping one in a biocube

I had a striped hawkfish that ate my cuc but people on here say the flame hawks are chill.

tnewell · Dec 23, 2020

claudius_galen said:
I had a striped hawkfish that ate my cuc but people on here say the flame hawks are chill.

Would flame hawks eat mysis?

SakuraSky · Dec 23, 2020

Hawks will eat mysis, krill, brine shrimp. Mine has no issue eating pellets too, once they get eating they arent picky. I had to hand feed a hawk prawn/Krill on a stick but once he started it was easy to get him to eat. I've had all species of hawks, they are a joy to have in the tank

tnewell · Dec 23, 2020

SakuraSky said:
Hawks will eat mysis, krill, brine shrimp. Mine has no issue eating pellets too, once they get eating they arent picky. I had to hand feed a hawk prawn/Krill on a stick but once he started it was easy to get him to eat. I've had all species of hawks, they are a joy to have in the tank

So I have a frag tank(water box) that’s establishing right now, had it up for about a month and a half, in the ugly stage, but I’m using water from my established tank to spread the cycle up. You think the hawk would be okay if I bought him and held him in there? (Water box has no lid)

Zoa_Fanatic · Dec 24, 2020

tnewell said:
So I have a frag tank(water box) that’s establishing right now, had it up for about a month and a half, in the ugly stage, but I’m using water from my established tank to spread the cycle up. You think the hawk would be okay if I bought him and held him in there? (Water box has no lid)

They’re very active fast fish. If he afraid of him jumping

SakuraSky · Dec 24, 2020

tnewell said:
So I have a frag tank(water box) that’s establishing right now, had it up for about a month and a half, in the ugly stage, but I’m using water from my established tank to spread the cycle up. You think the hawk would be okay if I bought him and held him in there? (Water box has no lid)

What does the layout look like? The only concern with a frag tank is the hawk perching on the corals if there isn't a lot of open spots. Since they have no swim bladder they are constantly perching on rockwork. Otherwise it would probably be fine

tnewell · Dec 24, 2020

SakuraSky said:
What does the layout look like? The only concern with a frag tank is the hawk perching on the corals if there isn't a lot of open spots. Since they have no swim bladder they are constantly perching on rockwork. Otherwise it would probably be fine

I have minimal rock in there right now, but that will change after the holiday season! Plan to have 10 pounds of live rock!