Manderine Goby

[john0087]

Hey all,

i was wondingering what you all thought about keeping a manderine goby in an 10 month old 37 gal tank.

My stocking list is as follows:
1 coral beauty
1 purple dottyback
1 yellowtail damel
Cleanup crew and 1 cleaner shrimp
in three weeks 1 pecula clown

Coral stocking list
1 colt coral
1 open brain green
1 open brain red
in one week
1 BTA

45lbs live rock; 20lbs LS

Water params are all great. Will I be pushimg my limit with this stocking lists? Is there any danger with having a manderine and a BTA?
I know of the difficulties of keeping a manderine, and I do not have a fuge, but there does seem to be a lot of life in my LR.

Thanks

John

 

[mp3z24]

dont do it... that tank is too small. and you dont have enough live rock (need 100 plus pounds, and a LOT of pods). plus, with all those fish, you are probably over stocked.

~mike

 

[john0087]

Oh well, won't do it.

Thanks

 

[melosu58]

Yes I`ve heard that they need lots of pods which need lots of LR.

 

[Brenden]

I would not do it. It would last a while but starve to death in a couple months.

 

[flamingonhot]

You can keep them in that small of a tank, but you'll need more live rock, some macro, and possibly a refugium. You'll also need to add copepods once a month or as much as you can.

It's not impossible, heck, I have one doing fine in a 10 gallon! Petco had one a while back and it was absolutely underfed and poorly taken care of, I just had to get it because I was worrying it would sit in they're tank until is died because no one would buy it. It is in a ten gallon but I do add some new live rock everyonce in a while and just added about a pound of macro a couple of weeks ago. Doing ok, and starting to eat some mysis shrimp so it may live lol.

I would say skip it for right now, unless you can get a decent size fuge with a lot of macro.
And btw, you don't need 100 pounds of live rock.... 60 is fine as long as you have a fuge and places where they can hide and breed (copepods).

 

[john0087]

You'll also need to add copepods once a month or as much as you can.

How do you add copepods? Where can you get them?

FYI-I am not going to try the Goby's as I can not really add anymove LR. I was able to get some really nice, low density and large LR so it already takes up a lot of space in my tank.

added about a pound of macro a couple of weeks ago

Did you add this to your main tank or to the refuge? What good does some macro do for goby's?

Thanks

 

[zuzecawi]

You know, have to say, Flamingonhot, more power to you if you can succeed at your mission. But to be fair and brutal, don't you think that the "it may live lol" attitude is a little irresponsible? I admit it, I bought a half dead mandarin out of pity, but I knew my tank was two years old and stable, and I have over 180lbs of liverock and a teeming 15 gallon refugium to support it. You have more gumption than I to buy one with only a 10 gallon tank. And I turned aside from the cleaner wrasses, even though I know they're suredly doomed at the pet store. To buy them is only to fuel the trade. Same thing with the mandarines. Don't get me wrong, not trying to flame here, just wanted to set the record straight... one person's success doesn't justify throwing out guidelines set by years of failure by the main percentage of aquarists.

John... your misgivings are there for a reason. Trust your instincts on this one, if you have to ask the question on this one, the answer is probably no. It sounds like you're overstocked already, with that list of fish, and mandarins really don't do well with competition. Even if you are as lucky as Flamingonhot is, and get one that eats mysis, it still has to actually GET the mysis! And coral flames, damsels, and clowns, all are very energetic, not to mention that dottyback. If I were you, I'd either put the dream of a mandarin aside until you have a bigger tank, or I'd dedicate the tank to the mandarin alone. Either way, that stocking list really needs pruning. Best of luck to you.

 

[john0087]

Either way, that stocking list really needs pruning. Best of luck to you.

I agree that I should't try to manderine....I think I said that eareiler. And the more I think about it, the more I do realize that my fish as a little on the aggressize side.....

Not sure if I agree that I am overstocked with what I have...
1 Coral beauty, 1 damsel, 1 dottyback.

I know that if you go by the 1"per 5 gal rule, then yes, I would be slightly overstocked. But isn't keeping water params in check and supplying all of your fish ample swim space just as improtant as following a simple math rule?

I think that keeping 2 fish in a 37gal is a little too conservative. I by no means and sugggesting that people throw any fish in their tank, and I think that most of my posts support that I am in favor of maintaining a heathy system, but I also think that if I do add 1 clown, I will not throw off my system and all my fish will still have ample room to roam.

FYI...I love Barney(my purple dottyback)

Thanks[/quote]

 

[Brenden]

flamingonhot: I agree with others here. If you have a mandarin healthy and happy in a 10 gallon it will be short lived.