First fish suggestions...

Hi,

I was wondering whether anyone has a suggestion for a cool first fish
to add to my sal****er tank.

This is my first SW tank, having kept small and big fw tanks all my
life. Tank cycled for a month, and i started added critters last week.

The current inhabitats are hermit crabs (10 red legged), snails (1
turbo and 5 bumble bee), and an Emerald crab.
I had a surge of algae a week after my tank finished cycling, and am
trying to get this under control with these cleaners. I would like to
add fish soon.

My near-term goal (next 6-months) is to add 1 clown fish, 1 goby, and
1 six line wrasse.

I thought it would be a good idea to start with a reasonably priced,
hardy fish to start.

I have 50 lbs of live rock in a 58g. all my nitrogen params are
stable, and where they should be.

Temp is 82, ph 8.4, alk 2.6, calcium 450.

If you have any suggestions, I would be interested in hearing friom
you.

Thanks, Aroon

"Aroon" wrote in message ups.com...
My near-term goal (next 6-months) is to add 1 clown fish,

Only one? I would get two and have a pair. Pairing is tricky...
Buy two small ones, from a tank where they swim in a group.
Singled out fish for a while turns into (aggressive) female...

1 goby, and 1 six line wrasse.

That is it for a 58 gallon?

Do you plan this to be a fish-only tank or reef (w/corals)?

Aroon wrote:
I was wondering whether anyone has a suggestion for a cool first fish
to add to my sal****er tank.

I'd go for a lawnmower blenny. He'll help with algae control and what
he lacks in beauty he'll make up for with lots of personality.

I also have 3 neon blue damsels that have been with me from day 1. They
are hardy and fun to watch. After 9 months, they still haven't been
very aggressive, but that may be the result of larger more aggressive fish.

--Kurt

"KurtG" wrote in message .. .
Aroon wrote:
I was wondering whether anyone has a suggestion for a cool first fish
to add to my sal****er tank.

I'd go for a lawnmower blenny. He'll help with algae control and what
he lacks in beauty he'll make up for with lots of personality.

I have heard stories about this blenny being aggressive towards other fish.

I also have 3 neon blue damsels that have been with me from day 1.
They are hardy and fun to watch. After 9 months, they still haven't been
very aggressive, but that may be the result of larger more aggressive fish.

I would not advice damsels to a person who did not indicate wish to have one.
These are very misunderstood fish and many people waste them as a cycle fish.
Having a problem then, when fish matures and becomes heighly territorial.

He is thinking about clownfish - this is hardy, beginner fish, good for a start.
Plan the fish you want to keep ahead of time and do not impulse-buy fish
which might be imcompatible to others.

Damsels are place on earth to be sacrificed for cycling a tank to the
benefit of the human race.nothing more, they are considered expendable
just like 99% of the members of this and the other aquaria forums are,
and virtually all of the rpm forum......**** a god dam clown
fish.......you chech dumbass.............

On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:35:34 -0500, "Pszemol"
wrote:

"KurtG" wrote in message .. .
Aroon wrote:
I was wondering whether anyone has a suggestion for a cool first fish
to add to my sal****er tank.

I'd go for a lawnmower blenny. He'll help with algae control and what
he lacks in beauty he'll make up for with lots of personality.

I have heard stories about this blenny being aggressive towards other fish.

I also have 3 neon blue damsels that have been with me from day 1.
They are hardy and fun to watch. After 9 months, they still haven't been
very aggressive, but that may be the result of larger more aggressive fish.

I would not advice damsels to a person who did not indicate wish to have one.
These are very misunderstood fish and many people waste them as a cycle fish.
Having a problem then, when fish matures and becomes heighly territorial.

He is thinking about clownfish - this is hardy, beginner fish, good for a start.
Plan the fish you want to keep ahead of time and do not impulse-buy fish
which might be imcompatible to others.

Pszemol wrote:
I have heard stories about this blenny being aggressive towards other fish.

Mine is fairly tame although I've seen it chase a blue damsel out of his
rabbit hole. He roams the entire 110g tank, but seems mostly content to
sit and watch happenings both inside and outside of the tank. I wonder
what goes on in its little head sometimes. I've seen my tang and
blenny feed on the nori simultaneously. No fireworks.

But, Pszemol is right. Definitely think about what you want and plan
accordingly to avoid aggression.

--Kurt

On Jun 25, 1:45 pm, KurtG wrote:
Pszemol wrote:
I have heard stories about this blenny being aggressive towards other fish.

Mine is fairly tame although I've seen it chase a blue damsel out of his
rabbit hole. He roams the entire 110g tank, but seems mostly content to
sit and watch happenings both inside and outside of the tank. I wonder
what goes on in its little head sometimes. I've seen my tang and
blenny feed on the nori simultaneously. No fireworks.

But, Pszemol is right. Definitely think about what you want and plan
accordingly to avoid aggression.

--Kurt

thanks for the comments. i only plan on having 4 or 5 fish in my 58g
as i would like to get anemones and coral when the time is right.
Sounds like I shoould start with the clownfish i want, or go with a
damsel? i have been considering a talbot damsel.

are there any issues you've heard about keeping blennies and gobies
together? i expect that have similar habitat needs. and gobies can get
alot bigger (in my field experience, anyway).

Besides the blenny, I have a gobie. It's easily the most unobtrusive
fish that I have.




Aroon wrote:
On Jun 25, 1:45 pm, KurtG wrote:
Pszemol wrote:
I have heard stories about this blenny being aggressive towards other fish.
Mine is fairly tame although I've seen it chase a blue damsel out of his
rabbit hole. He roams the entire 110g tank, but seems mostly content to
sit and watch happenings both inside and outside of the tank. I wonder
what goes on in its little head sometimes. I've seen my tang and
blenny feed on the nori simultaneously. No fireworks.

But, Pszemol is right. Definitely think about what you want and plan
accordingly to avoid aggression.

--Kurt

thanks for the comments. i only plan on having 4 or 5 fish in my 58g
as i would like to get anemones and coral when the time is right.
Sounds like I shoould start with the clownfish i want, or go with a
damsel? i have been considering a talbot damsel.

are there any issues you've heard about keeping blennies and gobies
together? i expect that have similar habitat needs. and gobies can get
alot bigger (in my field experience, anyway).

"Aroon" wrote in message ups.com...
thanks for the comments. i only plan on having 4 or 5 fish in my 58g
as i would like to get anemones and coral when the time is right.
Sounds like I shoould start with the clownfish i want, or go with a
damsel? i have been considering a talbot damsel.

The cycle in your tank is over, so you do not need to worry about
elevated ammonia levels and pick a "hardy fish" because of ammonia...

Start stocking your tank with the overal picture in mind.

Think of the idea that the fish you buy will stay with you for long years.
Unless fish dies, it is very hard to catch it and remove from the reef tank
without demolishing the rock-work and probably ruin your corals first.

I got all four fish to my tank in 2002 and they are with me today...
They are kind of part of the family now :-)

Go with a pair of clownfish. The kind you plan on having.
After a month or two, get the other two-three fish you've planned for.

Damsel is not a very good choice... Very Mean *******s!
Especially when they are getting older and bigger.
They can destroy all fun from having a fish tank.
Read online alot about damsels before you decide to buy.
There are a lot of stories of people buying damsels out of
an impulse or because of stupid advice and then having hard
time geting rid of an unwanted fish. Save yourself a hassle
and donot buy damsel unless you really, really like these fish
and really want to keep them.

On Jun 25, 3:21 pm, Aroon wrote:
On Jun 25, 1:45 pm, KurtG wrote:

Pszemol wrote:
I have heard stories about this blenny being aggressive towards other fish.

Mine is fairly tame although I've seen it chase a blue damsel out of his
rabbit hole. He roams the entire 110g tank, but seems mostly content to
sit and watch happenings both inside and outside of the tank. I wonder
what goes on in its little head sometimes. I've seen my tang and
blenny feed on the nori simultaneously. No fireworks.

But, Pszemol is right. Definitely think about what you want and plan
accordingly to avoid aggression.

--Kurt

thanks for the comments. i only plan on having 4 or 5 fish in my 58g
as i would like to get anemones and coral when the time is right.

anemone ... singular, not plural, and you might want to reconsider
even putting that many in there if this is your first SW tank. They
can be can be problematic and difficult to keep in the long term,
exceedingly so when you mix them with other cnidarians (eg. corals or
even other anemone species/genera). Too many people give up on this
hobby due to early catastrophic failures, and I'd hate to see another
one - I'm sure most other hobbyists would agree.

Sounds like I shoould start with the clownfish i want, or go with a
damsel? i have been considering a talbot damsel.

Honestly, since this is your first SW tank, a clownfish or lesser
aggressive damsel is an excellent choice. Down the road when your tank
is matured and you're ready for a new challenge you can always swap
the clownfish out for something more exotic and put it in a small,
dedicated 20g or 30g tank with your first anemone (they are much
easier to keep in a species-only or dedicated system)

are there any issues you've heard about keeping blennies and gobies
together? i expect that have similar habitat needs. and gobies can get
alot bigger (in my field experience, anyway).

In a tank that size I'd say you'd stand a good chance of seeing some
aggression if you add a blenny and a goby (or even 2 blennies/ 2
gobies) so do some careful research before purchasing and careful
monitoring after adding the fish. Also be aware that many benthic
dwelling (sand-dwelling) fish have specific substrate needs and can
also topple rocks that aren't secured properly by digging the sand out
from under them.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby - and my condolences to your
wallet!