Which fish should I choose.

[utahcutter]

I'll be moving my tank to my house, finally!! (it's been at my parents due to space issues.) I would like to add some new stock at that time. First wondering if that is a good idea to do after a big move, and changing out most of the water. Second I have a flame angle so I figured if I added the newbies at that time, he may not be aggressive toward them. Right now my tank is 80 gal. no LR, (planning to add it in the future). And all that I am keeping is the Flam, and a really cool Sleeper Goby. I'm thinking along the lines of a some type of basslet and some other smaller stuff. I'll let the angle rule the tank. Thought about maybe some type of clown, but not to sure.

 

[Tierhog]

I am a huge dottyback fan. They stay small and are very vibrant. Easy to care for, and semi-tolerant of water instability. Very aggressive towards co-specifics though. Clowns are neat, I prefer and currently have a tomato. They are big eaters. Some dont care for the clumsy way they swim, but again, they are funny to watch (after acclimation). You could consider your LR addition w/ some green emerald crabs or better yet, cleaner shrimp. God, I remember when I was at that stage in my tank, seems like a million years ago.

 

[steve-s]

When adding LR to an established tank, it is best to cure it seperately to avoid water quality issues. This should help... Curing Live Rock? I didn't even know it was sick!!. If possible saving as much of the water will still help when moving the tank. Adding alot of new water can greatly upset the water chemistry and although there is currently no rock or coral, the fish will still be happier. Some new water is unavoidable but try to keep at 50% or less.

Basslets/dottybacks are a possibility but be wary which you get and be sure to do your research. Many will not co-exist with the slepper goby you have now and possibley the clown you may decide on. Since you are trying to maintain the flame angel as the "ruler of the roost" I would stick with less aggressive smaller growing species of clowns as well..

You should also be setting up a quarantine tank for when the new fish are introduced one at a time, except for possible mated clowns.

Cheers
Steve

 

[utahcutter]

Speaking of a QT tank, that is something I wanted to do since I bought the flame. He's a beautiful guy and I would hate for some foreigner to be the cause of his death. I have an extra 20 gal. floating around. Is that big enough to QT. As far as the clowns go I was thinking something along the lines of a perc, or a clarkii. What about Blenny's? Will they get along with the goby I already have. I also worry about them fighting for the same food source. Maybe I'll go with something like the clown and a firefish. Or would a royal gramma do well? Better start researching compatibility issues and quit hounding you guys. THanks for you help though. Also when your QT's aren't in use do you still keep them running to keep them cycled? My problem with the QT is the space issue. Most likely I will cylce it, run it while I need to and then place it in storage. Cycle it again when I need it again.

 

[steve-s]

Speaking of a QT tank, that is something I wanted to do since I bought the flame. He's a beautiful guy and I would hate for some foreigner to be the cause of his death. I have an extra 20 gal. floating around. Is that big enough to QT. Also when your QT's aren't in use do you still keep them running to keep them cycled? My problem with the QT is the space issue. Most likely I will cylce it, run it while I need to and then place it in storage. Cycle it again when I need it again

The 20 gal would make an excellent choice for a QT. The link I provided above will give you some info on the set up and it does not need to be kept running. It can be seeded via the main tank by running the sponge filter in it providing you never use meds in the QT.

What about Blenny's? Will they get along with the goby I already have. I also worry about them fighting for the same food source. Maybe I'll go with something like the clown and a firefish. Or would a royal gramma do well? Better start researching compatibility issues and quit hounding you guys

Researching as much as you can will always be a good idea but it doesn't hurt to get others opinions as well once you've got things narrowed down.
As far as the clowns go, I would not really suggest a clarkii if you want to keep things on the peaceful side. A. percs, ocellaris or skunks might make better choices and TR is possible. Be wary when mixing species that have similar feeding habits. Blennies, gobies and dottybacks can easily fight and few species will mix well. The firefish are also known as dartfish due to their extremely skiddish nature and do best in very peaceful set up.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mrmarine]

I highly reccomend a Cinnamon clown they are the cutest little guys!

 

[steve-s]

They are also very aggressive but I agree, they are great fish. I had a mated pair for several years. The female would almost bite my finger off every time I put my hand in the tank... LOL

Cheers
Steve

 

[utahcutter]

I think I'll go with the Oscellaris. What I've read said they are a little hardier than the Percs, and since I'm a beginner that's probably a good way to go. If I were to get two what are the chances they would pair up? And would a paired couple get along with my other fish? I think a pair would be cool, but if the healthier decision for the tank is one that's what I will do. Would still like to add a misc. something else, just don't know what that might be yet.