Tank pics. Help me decide on a possible new pair of fish.

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to decide on which fish (if any) would be best to add to my 75g tank. The current inhabitants have been in there for at least 6 months. Everything seems stable although I recently added about 200lbs of sand. I'm planning on placing an order w/ Inland Aquatics this week for some mini-stars and worms. I've also got an order that should be showing up Tuesday from Marine Depot. Plus a small order from Champion that hasn't been sent yet. I say all that to say that the 'reef budget' has been tapped for awhile so I'm in no hurry to add the fish or anything.

Here's the residents:

Sabea Anemone
Blue Damsel
Bicolor psuedochromis
2 Clarikii Clowns
Brittle star
CB Shrimp

What I'm wanting to do is go with Captive Bred and symbiotic type additions. Also I want mated pairs. If I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn't add a Blue Damsel or a Bicolor psuedochromis. Too late now though.

So here's what I'd like to choose from:

pair of Bangaii Cardinals
pair of Mandarins
pair of Blue Neon Cleaner Gobies
Yellow Watchman Gobie/ with sybiotic Shrimp


I feel like I can add at least a one pair from this wishlist. But I don't want to overstock my tank and have overly stressed out fish. Since I don't have an attached 'fuge, then the Mandarins should probably stay in the 'maybe-one-day' catagory. But I'd *really* like to have a pair. Please comment freely.

Oh, and here's a few pictures of the tank as it is. It might be interesting to see how the hair algea seems to prefer the right side of the tank. The left side is lit with a 175W 10k blueline. On the right is a 175W 5.5k el cheapo from pet warehouse (soon to be replaced with an 10K Aqualine Buschke from Champion).

I'm hoping these critters from Marine Depot will help me get rid of the hair algea. Especially on my Porites coral! (It's impossible to prune by hand there. The 'twirl-it-up-with-a-toothpick' trick worked like a bad joke.)

Bumble Bee Snail Tiny 10
Nassarius Snail, Cortez 24
Astrea Conehead Algae 24
Cucumber, Red & Black
Lettuce Nudibranch, Hair
Blue Starfish 2
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Emerald Mythrax Crab


po

 

[Anonymous]

The Bangai's and the Goby/Shrimp would probably be best. I'd pass on hte pair of Manderins. I'm not fimiliar with the cleaner gobies.

I wouldn't add anything more until you get that algea under control.

Are you overfeeding?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Are you overfeeding?

Louey

Yes. Or I was. Golden Pearls (for my zoo's and purple blade) and too big chunks of shrimp and Formula 1 (for my CB shrimp, brittle star, Sabea and Hairy Green Mushrooms) was what did it. Plus, I try to target feed my corals with a cube or two of Marine Cuisine and Emerald Entree soaked in Selcon about 3 times a week.

Here's my inverts:
yellow polyps
encrusting gorgonia
brown zooanthids
green zooanthids
brown stick polyps
blue mushrooms
green hairy mushrooms
purple blade gorgonia
branching frogspawn
porites
Sabea Anemone
Blue Damsel
Bicolor psuedochromis
2 Clarikii Clowns
Brittle star
CB Shrimp


If possible, I'd prefer to bulk up my detrivores and infauna so that they could handle a heavy feeding regime. Any suggestions?

po

 

[SPC]

Po, I agree with Louey when he says not to add more fish untill you get the algae under control.
I think any of the pairs you have mentioned would be great with the exception of the mandarins. I wonder though about the blue damsel and Bicolor psuedochromis getting along with any new additions you may add. I have never owned either one but understand that they both can be pretty dominating.

Posted by Po:

Bumble Bee Snail Tiny 10
Nassarius Snail, Cortez 24
Astrea Conehead Algae 24
Cucumber, Red & Black
Lettuce Nudibranch, Hair
Blue Starfish 2
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Emerald Mythrax Crab

-According to Dr Ron the Bumble Bee snails will eat many of the critters in the sand bed, he does not consider them sand bed safe.
I am sure you already know the hit and miss on keeping the Lettuce Nutibrachs.
I have read where many have had success with the Mexican Turbo for hair algae.
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

-According to Dr Ron the Bumble Bee snails will eat many of the critters in the sand bed, he does not consider them sand bed safe.
I am sure you already know the hit and miss on keeping the Lettuce Nutibrachs.
I have read where many have had success with the Mexican Turbo for hair algae.
Steve

Dangit! I missed the post where Dr Ron said that Bumble Bee snails would eat my critters. aww man.

Well, I'm working on a tank in the garage to cultivate critters and serve as a quarantine. Maybe I can use the overflow of critters from this tank to supplement my display.

I hear ya on the Lettuce SeaSlug. That's why I only ordered one. Trying to cut my losses in case it's a failure.

I wish now that I'd gone with a few Turbo's instead of the bumblebee's.

The bicolor psuedochromis is a tough little guy but he doesn't bully anybody yet. He/she just kind of hangs out wherever it wants to. Even if it's by the Clarkii's spawn site, I haven't seen the clowns try to fight with it.
Of course, alot could be going on when I'm not watching. :lol:

po

 

[Anonymous]

Well, here's what I'm thinking. Since the cleaner gobies aren't seen as threatening, and the yellow goby/shrimp will pretty much keep to one little spot, I think that I can get both of these pairs without undo crowding.

Now my question is... can I also add a pair of tank-raised bangaii cardinals?

 

[jamesw]

I would not recommend any more fish until you can catch that Bicolor Pseudo out of there. He will kick the crap out of anything you try to add. He will literally rip them apart.

HTH
James Wiseman

 

[shalegac]

not realy a suggestion, I just wanted to say I realy like your rock formations. Very nice, and very clean.

 

[Anonymous]

WOW!

Yes that definitely helps. Until I can find another reefer that I can trade him to, I'll keep this wishlist on the shelf.

Thanks,
po

BTW, Your website and pics are fantastic.

 

[Anonymous]

not realy a suggestion, I just wanted to say I realy like your rock formations. Very nice, and very clean.

Thanks. After I learn to take better pics, then I'll try to highlight some of the open spaces in the aquascape. I 'blow' the rocks with a turkey baster about twice a month. After I get this hair algea under control and with the help of my arriving snails, I'm hoping I can get some of my plating corraline to spread. I've also got some pretty spots of turquoise and black corraline that I'd like to see multiply too.

po

 

[tizme]

Po, I agree with Louey when he says not to add more fish untill you get the algae under control.

http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/algaewar/algaewar.htm

Best of Luck!

 

[JohnD]

Po,

I can see a real big difference on the first picture between the two lights. Wow.

I second the "nice rockwork" comment.

 

[Mouse]

Your aquascapings beutifull Po, youve got such a nice open structure there. Congrats mate, im sure your creative nature has come through in your construction.

P.S. Bangiis all the way mate, and the shrimp Goby would be cool too.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree, nice layout and arrangement.

One point, slightly off topic. You mentioned ordering mini-stars from IA? If you mean the tiny brittle stars, by all means- but if you meant the little white stars..... I got them from IA in a detritivore kit, and they reproduced to plague proportions. They don't do anything bad, but a hundred 1/4 inch starfish all over your front glass get to be a bit of a drag, IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

nice tank po-that, imho, is the way lr struture should be like-nice and open.

have you ever tried using phosguard?

 

[Anonymous]

Po,

I can see a real big difference on the first picture between the two lights. Wow.

I second the "nice rockwork" comment.

I appreciate your comment JohnD.

I'd love to get an AquaSpaceLight fixture. Maybe one day.

po

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/algaewar/algaewar.htm

Best of Luck!

Thanks for the link tizme. I thought that I'd been all over Rich's site. Can't believe I missed this page. I'm going to let these new critters from Marine Depot get settled in and see what they can do and then, if needed, I'll order some Turbos or something.

po

 

[Anonymous]

Your aquascapings beutifull Po, youve got such a nice open structure there. Congrats mate, im sure your creative nature has come through in your construction.

P.S. Bangiis all the way mate, and the shrimp Goby would be cool too.

Thank you for your kind words Mouse.

Man I'd love to find a tank-raised pair of mated Bangiis. The pictures that I've seen of small fry hiding in the spines of a long, spined urchin are soo endearing. Maybe one day. And that whole shrimp/goby symbiotic relationship absolutely fascinates me.

po

 

[Anonymous]

I agree, nice layout and arrangement.

One point, slightly off topic. You mentioned ordering mini-stars from IA? If you mean the tiny brittle stars, by all means- but if you meant the little white stars..... I got them from IA in a detritivore kit, and they reproduced to plague proportions. They don't do anything bad, but a hundred 1/4 inch starfish all over your front glass get to be a bit of a drag, IMO.

Thanks Dan.

I just checked my email and Morgan Lidster from IA wrote that if I can confirm my order ASAP, then he can ship on Monday. So it's uncannily on topic. Did the plague proportion ever subside? I wonder if their population will decline in response to less detritus or if I'll have to try and manually remove them?

TIA,
po

 

[Anonymous]

nice tank po-that, imho, is the way lr struture should be like-nice and open.

have you ever tried using phosguard?

Thank you vitz. I've noticed tufts of hair algea floating around since these new critters have been doing their thing. Since you asked this question, I started thinking about all that algea breaking down and releasing organic phosphates back into the water column. Looks like it's time to break out the 'ol canister filter

po