fish wishlist, please take a look and give me your input

[missusliz]

Of course this will have to be honed down, but this is the wish list for a 70 gallon with live rock. No coral.

2 clowns
cardinal
bicolor pseudochromis
fridmani pseudochromis
yellow damsel
black and white butterfly
blue tang (tangs will have to be introduced simultaneously)
yellow tang
six line wrasse
coral beauty angelfish
spotted cardinal

EDIT: Strike the tangs, angels and butterflies. Just read they reak havoc on a reef system.

Let me know what you think would be best in terms of striking from this list. I also need advice on cleaners. Would love to have some starfish for aesthetic purposes, and I see they serve for cleaning. When would you introduce cleaners? What other cleaners are best? Shrimp? Where are you getting them? My tank has only been up one day, have live rock in there, about 20 lbs. Getting the rest shipped to me end of this week. Please advise!!! Thanks!

 

[missusliz]

Oh yes, in the future, when I get more experienced, I am looking to get some anenomies and some coral, so the fish should be compatable with inverts and reef settings. I think I took all of this into consideration. Also, do not want any fish that are venomous.

 

[zacdl]

Well, it was a pretty heavy load for a 70 I thought. Getting rid of the Tangs and butterflies was a good idea. I think that list looks OK.

Also, go SLOW.

Introduce the clowns first, as they are one of the more hardy fish on the list. I think both at one time would be OK for a 70.

If you would rather add one at a time add one clown, then another 4-5 days later or so.

You dont want one clown to establish turf and then introduce another one, they mgiht start fighting. Keeping them introduced close will be a bigger chance of them pairing together, and not having any issues.

What you have here is a FOWLR tank just for your info (if anyone asks)


Cleaners... Yes you want cleaners. Hermit Crabs, and snails are your main cleaners. You can introduce a bunch of these when you start seeing algea in your tank AFTER it is cycled (dont add any livestock til afterthe cycle)
Start with maybe 10 of each, maybe later you might deside you need more or less.

Shrimp are a good addition too. Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. They help clean larger fish (angels, tangs, etc) and also eat fish poop and extra food. I would wait a while for these, you might choose to buy 2 of them at one point.

As for starfish i dont know about, I dont have one. I am planning on soon getting a serpent star or brittle star. People here have advised me not to get Chocolate Chip, Linkas (Spelling) or Green starfish because they will eat snails and/or corals, and/or are harder to keep (Depends on the star listed, just stay away from those types).

What kind of live rock are you buying?

 

[missusliz]

Hey Zac, did I tell you I got a wakin for my pond? Finally found one.

I don't plan on getting ALL of these fish, but this is a wishlist. Don't plan on putting anything in at all until I am cycled. How slow do you have to add these fish? I know the clowns have to go in together...I read that, too. I love the butterfly fish and tangs, but I want a reef at some point!

Are starfish hardy?

 

[zacdl]

Starfish are pretty hardy...


Yes you told me about the wakin the other day.


Test your water when you add a fish. Your tank will go through a "mini cycle". Ammonia will go up a bit, then go down, same with nitrate and nitrite. You will see the same exact thing as when you cycled the tank, exept on a much smaller scale. When the cycle is done let it sit a day or two and then you can add another (Normaly every 1-2 weeks is how long this takes per fish)


Consider a Yellow Watchman goby. Its a burrowing fish, pretty neat.

Maybe a firefish, but only get one of these if you dont have any places he can jump out (Fish can jump out a hole just an inch across...)

If you like Angelfish, look into Dwarfs. I like Coral Beauty. They are much smaller than a full size, and wont bug your corals if you ever deside on one (Although some dwarfs nip and might eat corals, it just depends on the personality I guess...)