Stocking advice wanted - goby choices etc

[hirsheybolt]

So my first saltwater tank (29 gal biocube) cycled nicely, and back on 12.26 we picked up a couple of hermit crabs and some snails. Then yesterday we added two fish from a local LFS - a lovely looking firefish and not exactly what we had planned (had figured on a blenny) - a scooter dragonet (aka scooter blenny, but not a blenny really). I am hoping for successful feeding. So far he definitely is eating some copepods that are in the tank, but not sure he is eating otherwise.

I am contemplating what other fish to consider - and currently the plan is a green clown goby, single ocellaris (probably the last fish to be added), and I'm hoping a goby that will pair with a pistol shrimp (have been reading that shrimp and goby should be added at the same time).

Goby options that I've been considering to pair with a pistol shrimp include the Orange Stripe Prawn Goby; Orange Spotted Goby; Pink Bar Goby; or a Yasha White Ray Shrimp Goby.

From what I've seen, the Watchman gobies may get a little big for my tank.
Any advice? Does anyone know if there is likelihood for any issues amongst the Scooter Dragonet and the gobies I have mentioned?

Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[navaljonf]

A couple thoughts:
1. You don't need to introduce a watchman goby and pistol shrimp at the same time. I have introduced them at different times on multiple occasions over the years and they always found each other. A great pair but don't plan on seeing them too much.
2. The dragonet will likely not do well in your tank if you plan to add other fish that will be much better/faster at catching food. The copepod population in a smaller tank will not be sufficient unless you plan to add more often.

Hope this helps


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[bribo12]

So this tank is about half a month old and there's already 2 fish in it? And ones a dragonet??? Oh my. Here's my advice: the dragonet needs a lot of pods. A lot more than that tank can provide without you buying them weekly and that gets $$$$. I'd take him back.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Well first things first the scooter wasn't a good choice, they need large established systems for the best chance at survival. IMHO you may want to return it, it will quickly wipe out your tanks pod population.

As to the shrimp gobies, they usually stick to there burrows and are pretty laid back IME.


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[hirsheybolt]

Good to know that the goby and the shrimp don't have to be introduced together.

The LFS guy said that he has them as well as the other fish there eating a special combination of food - saltwater, brine shrimp, garlic guard, seaweed, pellets and phytoplankton. I see the dragonet picking at things on the live rock after I've syringed some mixture into the tank and it was definitely eating some pods that we had added to the tank. What tankmates are appropriate for a dragonet, and would more frequent feeding help the situation do you think?

 

[hirsheybolt]

We started the tank with live sand and cured live rock in early December (the 6th if I recall correctly) and all parameters have been holding steady for the last 10 plus days , so we started with some live stock. I had not been planning on the dragonet, was convinced by the LFS person telling me that he has them eating non-pod food. I think it really depends on how well it can manage to eat some non-pod food. I will order some more pods for it as well. I'd like to give it a little more of a go before I take him back - it seems like the LFS isn't feeding pods to him at all per what I was told. We had put pods in the tank figuring they would be helpful to the system and act as some additional food for fish at the point we added fish. I've only had the dragonet for 24 hours and it is active and eating some.

 

[hirsheybolt]

Will keep return as an option in mind, though I'm not sure it's going to be loads better off there or not. Does anyone have any suggestions for good online sources for pods? I've seen them advertised on Reefs2Go.

Also I am interested in advice about how to stagger adding live stock and eventually some soft corals (thinking mushrooms might be a good place to start) to the tank. Any input is welcomed. Thanks.

ETA - is it possible to buy "too many" pods at one time for this tank??

 

[Sniperhank]

I kept a green mandarin in my 55 reef for over a year. I would use the BOGO orders from reefs2go to keep it stocked with pods, and had to do it monthly. Keep in mind this was 2k pods every month. This tied into the fact that my mandarin did the impossible, started eating frozen mysis out of the water column like the rest of the fish. Never did it when I got it and I never tried to train it to eat frozen. This is the only reason it didn't starve.
I once read that mandarin eat something every so many seconds or something extremely crazy and fast. I've watched it, they are always eating. It is doable, mostly only with a reproducing population of pods in a refugium, but ended up being too expensive for my tastes.