live stock list , would like your opinion

[clownin around]

I have 58 gal tank and have traded all my fishies for some coral frags they went to a very, very good home!! My intention was to start a seahorse specific tank but I have read and read and read some more and come to the desicion that it is just to hard to do. So, I now I am faced with a near empty tank. I have three corals a green star polyp, Some silver tipped Zenia, and some green mushrooms. 13 snails of various parentage are in there as well. There is nothing else in the tank at all.
I am putting together a, hopefully, more thought out plan for new additions. I thought I would see what you guys thought of it. I went off the descriptions given by Marine Depot Live now I'd like to see what you guys think before I go and order anything.
I have Sealife Inc power compact Smart lite for lighting, 85 lbs of live rock and a shallow sand bed. A Sealife Pro 200 Wet Dry (in the process of pulling out the bio balls slowly, very slowly at the moment) and Protien Skimmer.
Ok heres what i am thinking
1 Copper Banded Butterfly
1 Springer's Bluestripped Dotty Back
and maybe 1 tomato clown added last but I am thinking that may be to much
2 red skunk cleaner shrimp
1 Marble Starfish
1 Electric Scallop
1 Flame Scallop

 

[ReefLady]

Be careful with the CopperBand, they can be a very *iffy* fish. The Indo-Pacific ones are often cyanide-caught, difficult to get to feed, and often die within a couple months. The Australian ones are a much better choice, usually net caught, but the price usually reflects it (upwards of $50.00 for a small one).

I'd add the Dottyback last - nasty fish.

1 Electric Scallop
1 Flame Scallop

These are both extremely difficult to keep long-term in captivity. Here's a good read:

>>Flame Scallops, Rob Toonen, Advanced Aquarist online magazine<<

HTH!

 

[triggers]

Copperbanded have an uneven survival record so read up on them before you purchase one.

However, I like the Flame Angelfish, this will add great coloration.
Another one of my favorite small fish to try is a Redlip blenny, they have alot of character. You could also try a Scott's fairy wrasse.

hope this helps

 

[clownin around]

Thats great reeflady thats the info I need they just dont tell ya that stuff in the descriptions.
Ok what other butterfly do you suggest then scince I have no idea where to procure a Australian caught copper banded . Or none at all?
Oh, and I knew the dotty back had a attitude did'nt know it was that bad though, trying to put him with fish that can hold there own though, ok he goes in last! Wow something with more attitude then a tomato clown! maybe I'll go maroon clown then!
and Ill ditch the scallop idea really stems from the fact that I want clams and dont have the lighting to keep em' thought I'd be a comprimise

 

[clownin around]

I love flame angels but wrote them off I thought they were sure to eat corals!

 

[BBReef]

i think that the butterfly will eat corals as much as the flame angel, if not more. also, i have no personal experience with scallops, but my gf's dad kept an elecric scallop for years with no problems. he said it was really iteresting turning all the lights off and watching the thing spark.

 

[ReefLady]

Ok what other butterfly do you suggest then scince I have no idea where to procure a Australian caught copper banded . Or none at all?

The Copperbanded Butterfly is the only "reef-safe" Butterfly that I am aware of. Let me quantify "reef-safe' ---- we have one. I love it. It does display some strange behavior - it seems to have a *thing* about snails on the glass. Just can't be - pecks them all off. It doesn't eat them, just pulls them off the glass. Fortunately, our tank is large enough that the terror is widely spread, so the snails don't seem adversely affected.

It will eat Aiptasia (YAY!). It will also eat all feather dusters in your tank - little, big, whatever. I personally detested those little tubeworm dusters all over the place, so that was an added bonus for me. It does not bother any of our corals.

You can get an Australian Copperband from www.themarinecenter.com. Beware though, between price & shipping, you're looking at close to $100.00. We were lucky enough to have a decent LFS where we bought ours from, special order.

The Flame Angel (and any dwarf angel), yes, will nip at corals. Their favorites seem to be Open Brains, other LPS, Colt, Xenia, and 'polyps', pretty much in that descending order.

HTH!

 

[clownin around]

ok amended list thanks to the heads up
1 Midnight Angel ( I like the look of these best out of the small angels)
1 springers blue striped Dotty Back
1 maroon clown
2 cleaner shrimp
1 marble star fish
and maybe i will try the electric scallop after more reading on their care

 

[MACATUA]

FYI

A Tomato or a Cinnamon clown have some attitude themselves. I think if you like these fish, they would be fine with the dottyback. But if ya like the maroon, go with it!

 

[clownin around]

Reef Lady you always have good advise! I will check those butterflys out! Maybe i can order several things from them and cut the cost i will see what their shipping is like. Thanks for all the info now i feel like i can make a informed decision.

 

[Hookemhorns_98]

I have a splendid dottyback and a maroon clown that do well together. The dottyback was the only fish in the tank for about a month, and the maroon had just enough attitude to pull it off when I added him. They are fine now.

I am also trying to find a new fish that is mean enough to be added, and I'm leaning towards a flame hawk.

 

[Hookemhorns_98]

another thing...scrap the cleaner shrimp! My dottyback proceeded to obliterate my 2 cleaners. One was small, and became a bite-sized morsel, the other was bigger than my dotty, and he killed it last weekend while I was in Vegas. Guess he missed me. Hope he enjoyed his two $20 meals! grrrr!

The dottyback seems to like small ornamental shrimp.

 

[clownin around]

How sad about your cleaner shrimp ok I will do with out them!
Oh I checked out that site Reef Lady posted earlier on this thread. What a great site!! I am impressed, if their live stock is as good as they look I know where Ill be ordering from , from now on!!
WOW, I will have to keep my eye on the dotty back but the one I am getting eats brissel worms and I have one that needs to be his dinner before it gets froggy and goes after my corals, so the dottyback remains on my list !!
Scince, I found net collected copper banded thanks to Reef Lady one of those is back on my list and off goes the Angel and Maroon still contemplating space and bio load as to whether or not I can have one of those too.
Well I finally have a more concrete plan thanks all the help from you guys!
Thanks so much!!