livestock questions

[jess128]

I just got 2 clownfish and they're doing really well. All water parameters are perfect and I'm going to get a bit of a cleaner crew next week. I have a few questions about what I want to add:

1. What kind of coral would be best to add? This is my first tank, so something easy to keep would be perfect.

2. I want to have a maroon clownfish, coral beauty angelfish, and some anthias in my tank. Which should I add first? I don't think I'll be getting the maroon clown soon, I'm a little nervous about having 2 different types of clown in one tank (it's a 65g) Are anthias easy to keep? Or would the angelfish be best?

[Tarolisol]

If the other 2 clownfish you already have arnt maroon then putting a maron clowfish in there will be a very bad idea. They are quite aggressive.

[mr_alberta]

I think adding Maroons would be a bad idea especially if you already have other smaller clowns in your tank. I would only keep one type of clownfish per tank. Also, I don't know if Anthia's are really a good fish if you are new to saltwater. I've heard they are quite high maintenace in that they require a lot of feeding and can be tricky to get them to start eating. I'm not trying to discourage you from getting them, but just want to let you know what you could potentially be getting yourself into. Dwarf angels are beautiful fish, but they can be a hit or miss on the "reef safe" part. I've heard that Coral Beauties are generally well behaved though.

Before adding any type of coral, I would first add a cleaning crew. If you are waiting for the group order to go through, I appologize for the wait

I'm not familiar with your tank setup, so I can't really recommend a coral to you just yet. What are your lighting conditions? How much flow do you have in your tank overall? For people new to saltwater, zoanthids and other softies such as Xenia or mushrooms are usually recommended as they are usually more tolerant and require less light than other corals. I would, however, recommend getting frags vs large wild colonies from the store. Less impact on your wallet (usually) and on the environment. Tank raised frags are usually tougher as well. Ask around on the Edmonton group. There are people usually with cheap and/or free frags available to help out the newbies.

[Fish]

I have a maroon clown and personally think they are the nicest looking clownfish. I second the comments that you cannot mix different types of clowns in the same tank but would also caution you against getting a maroon even if it was the only clown that you had.
Man, they are an ignorant fish!
I don't mind in my tank because the other fish is a Scott's Damsel and the two of them have reached a mutual agreement; however, it really limits any future fish selection. I'm sure that any peaceful fish would get bullied to death. JME.

- Chad

[Sushiman]

If this is your first tank I would caution you on the Angels & Anthias. They have some specific requirements & can be less forgiving to newbie goof-ups. I would wait till the tank is nearing it's 1st birthday. It will have really settled in, you will have really got the hang of the care of your system by then & had plenty of time to establish food sources, etc. nothing good happens fast in an aquarium .

[jess128]

So if you don't recommend anthias or angels, what can I get? I'm thinking about a goby. I will deffinately get a coral beauty at one point, it's just a matter of when? I'll get a cleaner crew pretty soon, another thread of mine is discussing that issue in more detail. Tank stats: 65g, no sump, fluval 204, 2 maxi-jet 1200, PC lighting (2 65W 10000K and 2 65W actinics) and that's about it so far. So what do you think?

[Fish]

Jess,

My pick would be a 6-line Wrasse. They are colorful, cute, and always very active. Might be my favorite fish ever.
I know it can be frustrating being cautioned against certain fish. My list of favorites was decimated in no time. Now I think that is the really rewarding part of this hobby - putting together a tank with fish that you can care for, that get along with each other, and get along with the other invertibrates and corals in the tank. There are so many factors at play that a person really needs to do their homework to pull it off but when you do, it is a real accomplishment. Good luck!

- Chad

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by jess128

(it's a 65g) Are anthias easy to keep?

you could only keep a single anthias in that tank due to the requirment for keeping more than one. the smallest anthias when kept in a group is recomended to have 1 male and 7 or 8 females and in a tank no smaller than a 120gal.

Steve

[Sushiman]

I agree, hold off on the Anthias till you have the space they really need. You should have no difficulty with a Coral Beauty though, just give the tank some time to mature. 6-Lines are beautiful and produce little waste. Basselets or a Royal Gramma could be a good choice too. One of the most overlooked fish out there is the blue/green chromis. A small shoal will turn your tank into a slice of ocean in an instant, & they're easy to keep. It doesn't have to be $$$ fish to be spectacular. Set yourself up for sucess, there is no reason why a 65 gal can't be a showtank you'll be proud of.

[jess128]

While getting my tank ready I thought about a 6-line wrasse but complately forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me Chad, I'll look into that. My clowns STILL aren't eating, so I think I'll make sure they're fine before adding something else. I also have looked into blue/green chromis. Aren't they like damsels? Never die? I saw a website and the Chromis were on the same page as the damsels. I'm really happy with my tank size, not too big and not too small. If I was to do another reef I think I'd get a 72 or 90g bowfront, but for the moment I'm satisfied. So I think the six-line will be next, thanks for all your help!