Newbie Stocking question

[DJ_Z]

Hi everybody! First poooooooost

I am keeping my first saltwater aquarium after an extended period of time working with freshwater fish. My tank is a 40 gallon breeder. In terms of stocking, I have tried to be conservative about it:

1 Six Line Wrasse
1 SA Fancy Mocha Clown
1 Firefish Goby
1 Arc Eye Hawkfish
5 red leg hermits
5 blue leg hermits
5 snails (like turbos but smaller, I cannot remember the exact name to save my life)

So it's a pretty solid stock so far. I know the hawkfish can be extremely territorial but he's young, just about two inches long and calm even around the firefish which is basically the scaredy cat of the tank. I was just wondering if this was there was anything else active I could add or if this was about it? Also, do you see any long-term issues with my stocking, aside from increasing the size of the clean up crew?

 

[chichimom79]

Welcome aboard! Firefish are jumpers so make sure you have a breathable lid of some kind to contain him. Six Lines can get a bit bossy as they mature as well as the hawkfish which you are aware of. The clown I wouldn't worry about but the firefish may get bullied down the line. You're pretty much at your limit. If you have no problem seeing nitrates you may try a fifth small fish, however with those tankmates, adding another fish could induce the aggression. As far as your clean up crew, brittlestars make a great member (stay away from the green ones). Shrimp may be prey for the hawk so that would be risky. Nassarius snails are great for stirring your sandbed and I also like astraeas(mostly glass and rocks) and ceriths(sand, rocks and glass). Have any pics yet?

 

[DJ_Z]

We've been trying to get a good pic with everything, myself and my girlfriend. The Wrasse is actually very young, maybe 1.5" long so he hasn't been a problem, in fact he's the only one that can get right up on the Hawkfish without it even flinching in response.

There is a glass lid and no space the goby could leap through, though he generally stays in the bottom half of the tank. In terms of fish, the only thing I've really thought about so far is maybe a pair of small cardinals, like Pajamas or Bangaii. If it leads to a healthier home, I will consider giving a goby to either a hobbyist who is better experienced or one of the LFS. I just really like the personality the other three are showing, so I guess I'm hopeful to find one more.

The water parameters are good. Nitrates are at safe levels, temperature is around 78*F, and my hydrometer's last reading was 1.023.

It is a shame, I really like some of the larger cleaner shrimp but I assume it will constantly be chased by the Hawkfish despite it's larger size. So yeah, mostly just going to add more snails to keep algae in check.

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

I wouldn't do anymore for a while. But, on the plus side, with the exception of the firefish, most of your fish are aggressive. So, they can all hold their own. The firefish is more then liekly going to go carpet diving unless you use the mesh lid like chichi said. Other then that, welcome aboard. Great group of people on here :)

 

[kbuser92]

I think that sounds good, but chances are the govt will get harrassed at some point unless he's got lots of spaces to hide. Also, that glass top will hold in heat and hinder oxygen exchange, so I would strongly consider getting rid if it for a screen or mesh tip. You can order kits or DIY one yourself for pretty cheap.

 

[DJ_Z]

Just rearranged the live rock formations. I read that aggression is curbed by re-aquascaping, forcing the critters to re-form territories. I know Goby is probably in the worst position, and it's fortunate nothing has happened so far.

But if I were to err on the side of caution, would it be okay to add a second clownfish in the hopes of forming a mated pair if I re-homed the firefish?

 

[kbuser92]

Absolutely. Just make sure to get one smaller than the one you have now.

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

I would actually recommend doing that. I love clownfish, so, I always recommend them :mrgreen: (I own 5 different pairs of them :Cheers:)

 

[DJ_Z]

I really wasn't a huge fan of most clowns, but the SA Fancy Mochas I saw were so amazing-looking, just a perfect combination of black, orange and white. The tank at the LFS probably had twenty-some, and you could put your hand in and they would nibble at your fingers.

I am still in the midst of playfights with my girlfriend, who wants a cowfish more than anything else, despite needing at bare minimum a 100g tank >.>

But yeah, she wants to convert the 10g I have that's not being used into a nanoreef tank, which would be perfect for the firefish and a cleaner shrimp of some kind. It'll probably be a couple months before that happens, but it seems like this is a hobby where, if you're not planning a month ahead, you are behind when it comes to starting out.

Actually I was surprised when I came to realize that I was building a semi-aggressive tank. My freshwater experience was almost always with very peaceful fish. So goby will have his own place to chill soon. Today I upgraded my CUC with five bumblebee snails. So let's say the arc eye, clown, and wrasse are the only three fish in the tank, what would be the best from these options:

1. Second clown to try to view the behavior of a mated pair.

2. A pair of cardinals, either bangaii or pajamas.

3. A green mandarin - yes, I realize that would take a year to prepare for, but they are so FREAKING COOL.

4. A bubbletip anemone to observe the symbiosis potential with a clown.

5. A lawnmower blenny. I am researching this species more today. I don't really know much about it, beyond it being a ravenous herbivore

I do want this to eventually be a reef tank, so I know sea stars are among the worst CUC options. the crabs are also going to be at constant risk of being eaten by the hawkfish, so it will mostly be snails. Could a non-hermit crab species be okay? I worry it would try to eat my fish.

 

[chichimom79]

I say a second clownfish. Wait about a year before you get an anemone to make sure your tank is stable enough, but you can have one of those too! I am curious though, why do you think a sea star is a bad cuc member?

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Most starfish eat corals, but there is a red one (I can't remember the name) that is 100% reef safe lol

 

[chichimom79]

There are several reef safe options. Especially brittle stars :)