Help with livestock selection

[cmor1701d]

I have a 125 AGA aquarium with a dsb, 50# of base rock and 95# of live rock. I have cleanup crew of scarlet and blue leg hermits, 2 peppermint shrimp, and 1 serpent star.

I just added a Live Sand Activator and Reef Tuneup from IPSF.

I curently have:
QTY NAME
1x Green Chromis - (Chromis viridis)
1x Coral Beauty Angel - Centropyge bispinosus

I am thinking of adding the following (over a period of several months)

2x True Percula Clownfish - (Amphiprion percula)
1x Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)
2x Bartlett's Anthias (Psuedoanthias bartlettorum
1x Purple Pseudochromis (Pseudochromis porphyreus)
1x Foxface Lo (Siganus vulpinus)

I would apreciate your thoughts on my selection and order of introduction. Is it to late to add another detrivore kit?
I noticed the CB is now picking at the lr.

125 gal FOwLR (2/15/03)
DSB 5"-6" (Southdown added 3/1/03)
Acqua Clear Aquatics 125 trickle filter without bio balls
2 Hagen 802 powerheads
4 - 30w fluorescents (FW30T8-AR-TS)
Rio 2500 pump in sump (Mag7 as standby replacement)
300w heater in the sump.
25w Coralife UV sterilizer (connected but not in use)
50 lbs of base rock (added 2/22/03)
95 lbs of LR (50# added 2/22/03, 45# added 3/4/03)
1400VA UPS

 

[d9hp]

Well, I think with a tank that big you have some more room, correct me if I am wrong. I love tangs, why not try a Powder Blue. I also love Bangai Cardinals. One of my favorite fish is the purple firefish, and the regular one too.

 

[cmor1701d]

I actually had a powder blue tang on my list till I read timbo2's post the other day about losing his cb to his yt. Kind of put me off tangs.

I just added the purple firefish to my list. It is a beautiful fish.
I'm trying to keep the bio load down and just add 1 or 2 specimens each month.

Is it too soon to add the pair of clowns? Should I pick them up this weekend and put them in my 12 gal. qt?
The green chromis has been in 2 weeks (3/14) and the cb for 10 days (3/18).
Ph is 8.2; NH3=0, NO2=0; NO3=3

 

[michealprater]

Only problem I can see is purple pseudochromis' can be butt heads due to their aggressiveness. I would recommend the orchid dottyback. Looks just like the purple pseudo but is a little darker. They are higher price but you can get them tank raised and they are very hardy. Plus the way they swim looks cooler than the purple pseudo. IMO

 

[Hara]

Sounds like you have a nice workable plan. You could get a couple bigger fish if you wished. The powder blue tangs can be difficult to keep alive. Not all tangs are difficult, in fact, many are quite hardy, such as the sailfin. You can add more detrivores at any time.
hth

 

[d9hp]

I am glad you added the firefish, I think you can get the clowns now, some people use them for cycling. I think the foxfish is the biggest, I am not sure, but instinct says him after the clowns. I totally forgot about the sailfin tang, thanks Hara, its a great looking fish.

What do you think about adding 2 or 3 more green chromis, they are not the prettiest, but when they school, it is cool (no rhyme meant, im not a rapper)

I really like your list though

 

[cmor1701d]

Wow, great suggestions. This is exactly the type of advice I was looking for.

Michael: Thanks for the advice and the suggestion of the orchid dottyback. Does this come from personal experience. Both species are listed as Semi-aggressive.

Hara: Are you suggesting adding a sailfin to the list or replacing something else?
That would give me two large fish, including the Foxface. I like the balance having two larger fish would bring to the tank.

All: Is there any special order that you would recommend for adding fish from this list? I was thinking of adding the largest (adult) fish last.

d9hp: The green chromis is the last survivor of an original group of 4. I wanted 3 but couldn't leave that last one by himself in the store. I believe the others succumbed due to an unfortunate acclimation accident. While the bag was floating and between ½ cupfuls of tank water additions to the bag, the bag slipped down into the tank and filled with tank water. This happened within the first 30 minutes. After reading more on the species I found that they can become as problematic as damsels so i decided not to add a small school, but look for other selections.

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

 

[michealprater]

Orchids will be very aggressive towards other dottybacks and pseudos. However they dont seem to bother other fish, purple pseudos (aka strawberry dottyback) can be much more agressive to all types of fish. I have personally seen this on three different occations.

 

[cmor1701d]

Spoke to the lfs a little while ago. They are holding a pair of True Percula Clownfish for me. I'll pick them up this weekend and put them in the QT for now. The lfs has had them for 2 weeks.

And so it begins...

 

[d9hp]

I think Hara did mean to get a sailfin and the foxface, that would be really neat! I love seeing big fish with little ones. Have you considered a bangaii cardinal, or some other small fish

 

[cmor1701d]

Hmmm..... the sailfin grows to over a foot! Now that's a fish.

I hadn't looked at the bangii cardinal till now. Cool looking fish. That's one of the problems. I need a larger place to live to house the tanks I'd like to have :?

 

[Hara]

Yes, add the sailfin to the list.

 

[d9hp]

I really like the foxface and sailfin tang being together, great colors

So here is what I am really happy about

Foxface
Sailfin
Pair of Clowns
Gobies (firefish)
Bicolor Blenny

the bangaii cardinal has a really low bioload, and for the most part lingers around in the front of your tank, which really helps if all your other fish are playing hide-n-go-seek

 

[cweaks]

UV Sterilizer

I was looking at your inventory and noticed that you have a UV Sterilizer that is "connected but not in use". I was just curious as to why you were not using it. I have a Coralife Turbo-triple Twist 9 watt I'm about to hook up. Did you have a problem with it?