Need an honest opnion..and some info if you have it..

[Doan]

Hey guys as alot of you know I have been having horiable luck with Tangs latley and I am through with them for a while (read until I buy a different house and have a 225 built into a wall). I have my refractometer and my 2 clowns and flame angel are now being treated with Hypo and I finally seem to be winning my ich battle Yay Anyway on to the point.. My wife and I are searching for something else Reefsafe and She has decided she likes the Cardinals. She would like to get 4 of them to have a little school but Before this conversation goes anyfurther and we even consider buying them and putting up a 2nd QT tank I need to know if you guys think this would work in a 55 with 2 clowns and a Flame angel when they go back in? Normally I would think that that would really be pushing the fish limit but the Cardinals are small and don't get all that big from what I have read in Fenners book. Also our clowns don't ever get more than about a foot away from the anonome and my flame is the only fish that kinda wanders around the tank but I think she is lonley without the clowns so she spends about 80% of her time over with the clowns giving us more than half the tank that never has any fish in it. What do you guys think? Do you think we could pull this off in a couple of months down the road or should we continue to try and find something else that interests us.. I also have heard some rumors online latley that cardnals are not hardy at all is that true??

Thanks guys/gals

Doan

 

[loganj]

The clowns and flame angel should get along with the cardinal just fine. I would be very careful about adding more than one though. Mature male bangaii cardinals will fight...usually to the death. Blue or green chromis make a good schooling fish choice. They get along with each other and usually will not bother any other fish/invert.

 

[sumphead]

I agree with logan. I don't think at all that you are pushing the fish limits. I am admittedly overstocked but not crowded. As long as the system has the biological capacity it will be fine. But as logan said why not look for a pair of cards and a pair of chromis or even a damsel (personally I think their agression is overstated) If gotten young the clowns will determine your pecking order and no agression issues should arrise. This will add more color and movement to the display.

HTH,
R-

 

[Doan]

Yeah I keep reading how the clowns are to detrmine the pecking order in our tank however you have to understand that Our Flame angel is evil She is the boss let there be no doubt. She was even in charge when we had a tang in there that was twice as big. It will be interesting to see as our clowns get older how that changes. Ok so I can get a pair of cards you say... sounds like I will continue research then and make sure I know as much as I can before purchase.. After thinking about it a little bit it will be a month before I buy them. Gonna get through the rest of my ich treatment and then get my clowns and Flame back in the display then use the hospital tank as a QT for the cards if we decide these are the fish we want. That way I am only putting 3 fish in the display then 2 a month later as opposed to putting in 5 at one time.. in a tank that has been fishless for 6 weeks that might push the bio load a bit. Really there is no hurry and I think better safe than sorry. Anyother opnions/ facts on hardiness I should know about?

Doan

 

[Hara]

I think 4 cardinals would be too much for the tank and I think the clowns would be sure to point the fact out as well as the angel.