Stocking! ...yeah I know..there are 5,000,000 stock threads

[Jarred Darque]

OK, 29 gallon tank

45 lbs of rock.
Corals include but not limited to: ricordia, xenia, polyps, leather, hammer, torch.

Inverts: Serpent Star, Sand Sifting Star, a dying http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=578 , hermits, necarius, turbos, margaritas, pepermint shrimp, striped cleaner shrimp...possibly still alive are the hitchikers...rock crab and banded clinging crab, havent seen either in months, but they whre always good at hiding. Also have a sea cucumber

Fish 2 small O. Clowns, 1 Firefish.

I am wanting to add, pistol shrimp and a pistol goby, smaller one, prolly a hi fin red banded
neon goby (1 or 2?)
BTA (LFS has some beautiful ones in right now, very differant colorations) similiar to http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=27312&siteid=20
Feather duster(s) pink and maybe a yellow (tank is at the gf's apartment)
and would like to add another small goby, like a red striped


Any problems, too much, not enough ? suggerstions, future complications etc?

 

[austinsdad]

Nitrates at zero to 5 was always an indicator for me that I could add fish. And the thought that the gobies you mentioned - high fin banded are very small sounds OK to me. I've had a pair before and they shared guard duty. Only thing, they kept getting into my overflow since they were so small.

Have you thought about a bi-color blenny? He'd swim and hang out in the middle rock area. You got the clowns area, and the firefish and goby will hang out more at the bottom. The blenny could populate the middle grounds. Might give up on one of the gobies if so. Just a thought.

I'm not an anenome guy, but your tank sounds kinda small for one. Besides, won't he move around for a bit and destroy corals already in place? I'm just chicken I guess.

 

[Jarred Darque]

from everything I have read and been told, a BTA is just barely acceptable for a 29 gallon.

Also from what I understand, once they find a spot, they will normally stay there, which means that I will simply need to move plce corals around that spot.

I am not to worried about on area of the tank missing fish, between the corals and the colors on the liverock, it doesnt look empty like a freshwater tank would with no fish swimming in a certain range of the tank

 

[roka64]

Also from what I understand, once they find a spot, they will normally stay there, which means that I will simply need to move place corals around that spot.

I think they are trying to say, it may move around the tank and sting anything in it's path, before it settles down. Also, they can and will just up and move. So those folks are giving you a general warning of the possibilities. You will also want to keep the other corals out of the reach of it's sweeper tentacles (not sure how far they can go).
One other thing, be careful of moving it. If you tear the foot, it will die.

 

[Lance M.]

How much lighting do you have? I have a 130 watt pc over a 20 gallon tank. One of my btas is located ~3 inches below the surface of the water. I've had it for a year and it's lookig very good. It does move occasionally in an area about one inch around where it is. I also have another bta (I rescued from lfs) that is about half way down the tank in between two rocks. It hasn't moved since I placed it there a week and a half ago.

When they find a spot they like they do usually stay there, may move like one inch to the right or left if it feels like it. Make sure not to change the water flow once it finds it spot or it will move again. Also it will move if irrated from excess nutrients in the water or if your bulbs are getting close to need being replaced. Be aware they can move pretty fast. I had one move about 8 inches in an hour. So if your at work or something and it starts moving it could take out some corals. They can also detach from the rock and float around the tank and reattach somewhere else.

If you do have the 130 watt fixture (30 inches long) I would suggest getting more light for the anemone if you get one. Like I said mine is under 130 watts in a 24'' tank, right at the surface and I can tell it would like more light.

 

[Jarred Darque]

Well, I picked up a red/pink BTA earlier today, the tank is at the gfs apartment, I instructed her to keep an eye on it and keep all the corals out of the way of his movement. I had to turn off the powerhead for a bit (is still off) because he was kinda floating around when he went in, I told her to put the PH back on after he had at least attatched to something. I know he will move after that, but that way he doesnt get sucked into a PH or filter.

I fed the tank about 30 minutes after he was in (acclimated him for 2 hours) and he ate a bit of brine shrimp, I have some largish krill for him I will start feeding tomorrow

If they decide to host, how long should I expect teh clowns to take to the anenome? OR at what point will I know they wont?

If they dont...Would changing anenomes possibly work, or would I need to change clowns?

 

[roka64]

There is no guarantee that they will host. Sometimes, they will head straight to it and other times it could take days/month/years...