new stocking plans

[Guest]

im getting a 55 gallon tank instead of the planned 40 so i need to make changes to my list( im going to have 15 lbs live rock and 60 base rock

fish
-2 percula clownfish(or 2 maroons)
-1 yellow tang

inverts
-2 cleaner shrimp
-1 camel shrimp
(any other shrimp?)
-6 fiddler crabs
-10 blue leg hermits
-1 horse shoe crab
-10 red leg hermits
-2 emerald crabs
-10 turbo snails
-10 cerith snails
-1 or 2 green brittle starfish
-eventually get some kind of clam

what should i buy to feed all of them because i dont think there will be enough algae created in the tank(should i wait until the tank is infested with algaes before i get the inverts(i will get the fish at the same time or later)) is it possible for me to get rid of the emerald crabs and get 12 fiddler crabs?

please let me know of any concerns or recommendations you have

thanks

 

[lando]

Get a couple peppermint shrimp instead of the camel. Fiddler crabs? A species would help. The only "fiddler crabs" I am aware of are FW and require oxygen. I would also skip the horse shoe crab. They tend to die of starvation in home tanks. They are aggressive eaters and ca deplete the substrate of fauna in no time.

 

[Guest]

it says they are red fiddler crabs and i was looking at them at fish supply.com. it has them with all the other saltwater stuff so idk

i was thinking about the pepperment shrimp but it says that they sometimes eat coral is there anything i can do about that?

what do i do with feeding all of them?

thanks

 

[lando]

Camels are know more for coral munching then peppermints are. You can feed any type of sinking algae, pellets or waffers.

 

[Guest]

emerald crabs are a must right?

 

[lando]

They are not a must but do help in clean-up duties. They are a nice addition. I would skip the "fiddler crabs".

 

[Guest]

none of the crabs will bother the shrimp right?

 

[lando]

they shouldn't.

 

[afilter]

I concur with Lando. Also since it is a new tank I would look as going with half now and half in a month or so if that is an option. Down the road with a 55g you could even add more hermits and snails. I think the general rule is 1/gallon, so 30 or so of each should not be a streach once the tank is more established.

One brittle star is probably enough and then look at some kind of banded serpeant stra for variety. You will not see either much though as they tend to hide.

Do you have any other plans for fish or is three it? Don't get me wrong because three is plenty, I only ask because if you go with Maroon clowns (love them and own a pair) they can be quite agressive and possibly should be added later depending on what your long term fish goals are.

 

[Guest]

ive been thinking about the fish and i just want 2 or 3(wanted maroons but i also want other fish soo...) types of clowns, but i read that they should not be kept together.
so its
-2 or 3 true percula clowns
-1 yellow tang(what do i do with the annemome when i get it. wont the anenome sting and kill all non-clown fish?
-1 copperband butterfly- but i dont think it would be wise at all

ps just got the book " the conscientious marine aquarist" so this should help me alot

 

[lando]

the tang will not bother the anemone, and vica-versa. Stick with two clowns, preferablly a mated pair from the LFS. Be cautious with the copperband. They are difficult fish to feed and many do not survive.

 

[Guest]

i will get 2 clowns but i dont have a lfs i live in nebraska.... i think the nearest store is 3 hours away in lincoln so im ordering online.

i dont think im going to get the copperband. is there another fish you would recomend to live with the clowns and tang mayb a clown that is easy to care for ?

thanks

 

[lando]

Like I said, two clowns max. they should be male/female of the same species. Introducing a third would cause some agression issues. You have lots of other choices for fish. It will depend if you want corals in the future. For now, dwarf angels are nice...flames or coral beauties, or a lemonpeel. royal grama, purple firefish or some type of wrasse (like a sixline) would also be nice.

 

[Guest]

i was thinking after about a year turning it into a reef but i dont know if i can afford "proper" lighting for that

what one of those fish are reef safe?

 

[lando]

All are reef-safe excpet for the dwarf angels. They are a gamble...some will no touch corals while others are nippers.

 

[Guest]

ok i just looked at the dwarf angel sucks that it nipps coral, very pretty fish

i have another question with invertibrates the ones above(plus some more hermits) do they need special lighting to be healthy?

 

[lando]

No...crabs, snails and shrimp do not require special lighting at all.

 

[Guest]

ok

what type of lighting would you recomend for this setup? does the lighting come with a cover or do they have to be purchased seperately?

 

[lando]

It depends ( I love that answer). If you are looking at a FOWLR tank then NO flouesent will be just fine. You do need to purchase a glass cover for your tank if you have no way to elevate the light fixture off of the surface. Many people run "topless" tanks for a variety of reasons but, like I said, make sure your fixture is off the surface of the water by several inches.

 

[Guest]

would high power flouresents be fine for the corals that require less light?

does a topless tank lose water faster? do you know of a website i could look at glass covers?