Really exotic fish for 6-gallon nano reef?

[Anonymous]

Was wondering what y'all would recommend for something 'way out of the ordinary' as a solitary fish in a 6-gallon nano reef.

Money is not an object in this case. One of my customers wants something 'special'...

The reef has been up for over a year, and currently has no other fish. No other fish will be added after this one.

Thanks in advance.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Dragonlady]

a tank raised neon goby(Gobiosoma oceanops)
OR
a lemon goby(Gobiodon citrinus)

They both usually stay under 1 inch in aquariums, but a 6 gallon tank might still be too small for any wild caught fish.

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dragonlady:
<strong>a tank raised neon goby(Gobiosoma oceanops)
OR
a lemon goby(Gobiodon citrinus)

They both usually stay under 1 inch in aquariums, but a 6 gallon tank might still be too small for any wild caught fish.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Is the lemon goby the same as the citron?

Can't get neons...everytime we order some, they send us juvenile engineer gobies. We have advised them of the error, but they are obviously retarded because they kept sending them. Now we no longer order them at all.

Peace,

Chip

 

[danmhippo]

Clown goby, or toad fish. I think a small toad fish should be ok for a year or so because it's a slow grower, but would probably need tank replacement beyond that & mostlikely, you will get his business again!

 

[Chucker]

The Gobiodons get bigger than most people think. A guy around the corner from me has quite a few of them in his 220, and they all are over 2".

My LFS here in Rochester regularly carries Gobiosoma (pretty sure they're ORA's captive-bred stock)- if I remember, I'll try to check and see where he gets his from for you.

The real issue is that 99% of the cool fish that could fit in that nano will outgrow it. The other problem is that so many of the colorful wrasses need too much live food for a 50g to support, let alone a 6g.

Perhaps I'm just re-stating the obvious, but I think you'll find it rather difficult to get a fish that will satisfy your customer, but still allow you a comfort zone to ethically stock the nano.

 

[yellow_dog]

A small harlequin goby (white ray shrimp goby - white with red spots and yellow trim) with pistol shrimp if the sand bed is deep enough. If you can find a small specimen that accepts prepared food a hectori goby (like a rainford's but with day-glo lime yellow/green stripes). Red head goby. Otherwise, 6g is pretty small and most fish will outgrow this space.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll second the toad/frogfish idea, though one of the small species, obviously. These guys are largely sedentary, after all.

 

[Len]

If his tank is covered (and since price is no object), I'd recommend a Helfrichi firefish. Here's my pair in my 10g nano:

These guys range from $100-$200 a piece.

There are far more "exotic" fish, but 1. most are nearly impossible to get and 2. I'm sure money will be a concern (hundreds to thousands).

 

[Len]

If your customer likes gobies, the Yasha Hase goby (Stonogobiops yasha) is a cool little dazzler. Mated with a pistol shrimp, it makes a nice display. Hardy species that has been bred in captivity. It isn't too expesnive: $40-80 for an exquisite and uncommon species.

 

[danmhippo]

Oh, one more, the Caribbean or Florida dwarf seahorses. The 6Gal can easily fit 2 pairs of them. Just make sure the temp does not exceed 75F. Prices for the dwarves are pretty cheap, under $8 each. Tank breds are available too.

[ April 17, 2002: Message edited by: danmhippo ]</p>

 

[SPC]

Posted by Dan:
Just make sure the temp does not exceed 75F.

-Dan, how do you keep a 6 gallon tank at 75 or lower, a tiny little chiller

.
Steve

 

[danmhippo]

No, Try an ice cream maker!

 

[Anemone]

Green Clown Goby - interesting green with pink stiped face - likes something with branches to perch on (mine enjoyed hide and seek in a branching frogspawn), but anything with branches would likely be appreciated (not a big swimmer).

Kevin