ivysbe
New Member
Hello!
I wanted to get some input on stocking ideas for my 60-gallon reef tank. Right now it's mainly empty (just a clownfish and royal gramma) and a bunch of corals. The tank itself is pretty well-established and I'm considering getting a more 'finicky' fish but can't seem to make up my mind. These are my ideas so far:
- Leopard wrasse: I think these guys are super neat-looking but I know they can be picky eaters. I don't want to get one and condemn it to starvation because it won't eat frozen food. I do dose the tank with copepods and am planning to start some pod cultures but I would like to avoid being dependent on pods.
- Mandarin dragonet: Sort of similar to the wrasse I know these guys are pretty crazy pod hunters. Would probably end up getting captive-bred just to maximize the chances of it eating prepared food.
- Seahorse pair(s?): Okay, I am well aware of how notoriously hard seahorses are to keep, but I want to get some opinions (or someone to talk me out of it!) Most of the corals in the tank, except for a large bubble coral are non-stinging and can be used as 'hitching posts.' I have a *lot* of xenia and kenya trees in the tank as well as a couple of gorgonians currently. I'd probably look into getting more gorgonians/more hitching posts if I went this route. Of course, the biggest issue with seahorses is feeding. Like the dragonet, I'd get the seahorses captive-bred so that they are more likely to accept frozen, but I'm more concerned about the frequency of feeding. I probably consistently feed frozen every other day, which most likely isn't enough to maintain healthy seahorses. Would having a large pod population help mitigate that? And would captive-bred seahorses even recognize pods as food?
Anyway, I'd appreciate y'alls input! I really don't want to make the jump and buy a harder-to-care-for fish that I'm not prepared for. I am also very open to other suggestions that maybe aren't so difficult. I've attached a video of my tank so you all can see the setup + what you think would look good! Thanks!
I wanted to get some input on stocking ideas for my 60-gallon reef tank. Right now it's mainly empty (just a clownfish and royal gramma) and a bunch of corals. The tank itself is pretty well-established and I'm considering getting a more 'finicky' fish but can't seem to make up my mind. These are my ideas so far:
- Leopard wrasse: I think these guys are super neat-looking but I know they can be picky eaters. I don't want to get one and condemn it to starvation because it won't eat frozen food. I do dose the tank with copepods and am planning to start some pod cultures but I would like to avoid being dependent on pods.
- Mandarin dragonet: Sort of similar to the wrasse I know these guys are pretty crazy pod hunters. Would probably end up getting captive-bred just to maximize the chances of it eating prepared food.
- Seahorse pair(s?): Okay, I am well aware of how notoriously hard seahorses are to keep, but I want to get some opinions (or someone to talk me out of it!) Most of the corals in the tank, except for a large bubble coral are non-stinging and can be used as 'hitching posts.' I have a *lot* of xenia and kenya trees in the tank as well as a couple of gorgonians currently. I'd probably look into getting more gorgonians/more hitching posts if I went this route. Of course, the biggest issue with seahorses is feeding. Like the dragonet, I'd get the seahorses captive-bred so that they are more likely to accept frozen, but I'm more concerned about the frequency of feeding. I probably consistently feed frozen every other day, which most likely isn't enough to maintain healthy seahorses. Would having a large pod population help mitigate that? And would captive-bred seahorses even recognize pods as food?
Anyway, I'd appreciate y'alls input! I really don't want to make the jump and buy a harder-to-care-for fish that I'm not prepared for. I am also very open to other suggestions that maybe aren't so difficult. I've attached a video of my tank so you all can see the setup + what you think would look good! Thanks!
