Whats Next?

Skylar Oborny

Skylar Oborny

Reefing newb
After recently purchasing a maroon clownfish and later finding out how difficult it will be to add more fish. I thought it would be wise to ask you guys, what should I do next? The tank has been up and running for almost 2 months. The parameters seem to be within range, I would like to eventually have a reef tank with some fish. Which fish are right for a reef tank? When should I add corals? When should I expect to see coralline algae? How should I go about adding a fish to my tank that already has the maroon in it? Im just want to head in the right direction, and I know you guys know your shit :)
 
Lots of reef safe fish. Not sure of your tank size. Check out liveaquaria's site. SOOOO much fun to browse for fish and inverts there. You can add corals anytime now. Start with some forgiving corals, mushrooms, zoas, any soft coral really. Coraline algae, now that depends, did you buy rock with that algae on it? You need a way to introduce it into your tank I do believe.
 
Okay, yea I will probably be purchasing some soft corals here in a week or two, should I just buy a small rock with coralline on it, since my rock that I purchased had no algae?
 
Skylar Oborny said:
Okay, yea I will probably be purchasing some soft corals here in a week or two, should I just buy a small rock with coralline on it, since my rock that I purchased had no algae?
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I started my tank with dry rock, so I added a very small piece of live rock with pink coralline algae and a medium size piece of live rock cover with purple coralline algae to promove the grow of this algae in my tank, and now I'm starting to see both of them in it. You really need to be careful when you add LR to your tank, because you'll have to deal with hitchhikers later on.

By the other side, as far as I know clownfish are very territorial. I have no idea how big is your maroon if it's a juvenile or a mature one. But I can tell you that my first fish was also a semi-aggressive one, is a Royal Dottyback and when I introduced the pair of black clowns after him, it was a nightmare. My dottyback was already 3" long and the clowns were both juveniles very small like 1 1/5" and the dottyback didn't want them near the rocks. I had to rearrange the rock like three times, but the dottyback "Rusty" was really smart he started swimming like crazy in the tank until he knew the new arrangement of the rock and started bullying the clowns again. He never nip their tails or fins, but he definitely keep always and eye on them. He never let them close to the rocks standing like a Swedish Guard on the Buckingham Palace just watching them from the distance.

So I had to fight with him, I literally fought with him. If he bullied the clowns, I bullied him (I just scared him a few times with a little stick I use to sift the sand in the tank), until he learned to share the tank with them. But I must tell you, the clowns were never afraid of him, they never moved when Rusty pushed them because he did, or when he followed them, or even when he swam fast between them (Yeah, he was a nightmare bully fish). The clowns have always ignored him and now they swim together as good friends.

I wish you good luck with your maroon when introducing new fish, because it won't be easy. I waited a moth before adding the clowns after I got Rusty because of the bio load. And during this time he made the tank his own. I'm guessing the same will happened with your maroon.

I didn't mean for this reply to be so long. I just wanted to share with you how I've handled this same matter. ;)
 
Hey I really appreciate that story, would you suggest adding fish within the next week so the maroon does not think the tank is completely hers?
 
Skylar Oborny said:
Hey I really appreciate that story, would you suggest adding fish within the next week so the maroon does not think the tank is completely hers?
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I guess you can add the new fish, the issue with that, is that is better if you wait a month between additions to give the beneficial bacteria time to grow so it can handle the bio load caused for the fish addition. How long has it been since you added the maroon? If you don't wait at least the four weeks you can have a bloom algae (diatoms) after you add the fish, a big one if your tank is not ready yet for the next one. I'm telling you this because I have no idea how big she is, and she looks pretty big in the picture. And also, because I wouldn't add more than 3" of fish in a new set up tank that is small (less than 55 gallons) specially if you don't have enough live rock to help with the filtration. I'm a newbie in this hobby, so I've tried to do things slowly to avoid problems that I won't be able to handle for my lack of experience. You can try it, and deal with the algae bloom if you have it. I think you will be just fine.

But this doesn't make any difference with the aggressive behavior, she will still bully new fish in the future it's in its nature. It doesn't mean you cannot have new fish after her in your tank, just that you have to keep an eye on things to make sure everyone is doing good. What kind of fish do you have in mind for your next addition? And by the way, your maroon is gorgeous, it looks very healthy and happy. :)
 
I have over 100 lbs of live rock in the display tank, the maroon was added 2 weeks ago so I will most likely wait another two weeks to make an addition to my tank. I am also not sure which fish I would like to add next , any suggestions? I am also not very experienced.
 
You have a 55 gallon right? I'd scope out some fish selling sites to see what fish you like. I'd start adding the most peaceful ones from that list first, one at a time, every 2-3 weeks, maybe in the next week or so here as the maroon will start to become established. Maybe a goby or blenny, a reef safe wrasse, cardinalfish, basslet, and lastly, a dwarf angel. My favorite! Check out liveaquaria.com for beginner fish, I'd stick with those listed as semi-aggressive so they can hold their own.
 
I agree with the fish Sarah mentioned except for the dwarf angel, they need a bigger tank than yours at least a 70 ga. Go to www.liveaquaria.com and check the fish list they have there. I also agree that you should stick with the semi-aggressive ones.

Just take this little tips in count to do your stocking list:

You shouldn't have more than two clowns in a tank that big. I'd recommend you to get another maroon if you want to have a pair of clowns or maybe a black one or an ocellaris. Do not choose a cinnamon, a tomato or a goby clowns because those are from a different species that the one you have, and they will probably fight to death for territory. Also if you do choose to get another clown, do not choose one that is bigger than the one you have, choose a smaller one that can be the male. If you are lucky they will become a mated pair.

Wrasses are beautiful fish, very colorful but, you will need to put a net or a screen at the top of your tank because they like to jump out of it. This way you avoid finding them on the floor some day.

If you don't have a deep sand bed avoid fish that require one to be happy like most goby fish.

Stay away from damsels, they are very aggressive fish especially the domino's one. I read a thread here from someone that have two in his tank and lost three of his fish to them.

Choose fish that are reef safe if you're planning to have a reef tank.

If you want to keep shrimps be careful, don't choose fish that will eat them. Dottybacks have a taste for shrimps because they are they natural pray. I didn't know this when I bought mine.

These are all the things I can think of now. Let me know if you have more questions, feel free of PM (Private Message) me.

Have fun doing that stocking list. ;)
 
I would do a wrasse of some sort, they will hold their own against the Maroon...also could do a dotty back which are just as aggressive

2 weeks is plenty time between adding fish IMO, if nothing has spiked and you parameters are in check then go for it
 
Sakura slow your roll yo, NOBODY disagrees with me. haha. Anywhoozle. Dwarf angels stay small and would have no trouble in a 55 gallon. That's ridiculous. Many, many of us keep them and they are very happy. I've had a flame angel in my 60 for, a year and a half? Also, yes, there are sand sifting gobies BUT there are many gobies that have nothing to do with the sand bed. As to your comment that you bully your fish with a stick, well, this is straight up redonkulous. I question your ability to offer logical advice at all. Please, I beg of you people who read this thread. Do not bully your fish. Just say no to bullying. I have such an amazing image of me standing on a chair with my arm in the tank, poking and yelling at fish to behave.
 
SarahSmile said:
Sakura slow your roll yo, NOBODY disagrees with me. haha. Anywhoozle. Dwarf angels stay small and would have no trouble in a 55 gallon. That's ridiculous. Many, many of us keep them and they are very happy. I've had a flame angel in my 60 for, a year and a half? Also, yes, there are sand sifting gobies BUT there are many gobies that have nothing to do with the sand bed. As to your comment that you bully your fish with a stick, well, this is straight up redonkulous. I question your ability to offer logical advice at all. Please, I beg of you people who read this thread. Do not bully your fish. Just say no to bullying. I have such an amazing image of me standing on a chair with my arm in the tank, poking and yelling at fish to behave.
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What are you talking about? Is this because I disagree with the dwarf angel in a small tank? I was just giving my opinion. I didn't know I have to ask for your approval to do it. And by the way, who's everyone who agree with you?
 
Okay, so my main question after reading these recent posts is - Should I be looking at purchasing peaceful fish and start from the bottom and work my way up, or should I get fish that are also semi aggressive so they can hold there own against the maroon?
 
I would go semi-aggressive and see how the maroon acts...I prob wouldn't add a peaceful fish unless it's a smaller goby that could hide in a cave
 
If Im going with a peaceful fish ill go with 2 -3 firefish, otherwise for a semi aggressive I would like to get a couple chalk bass. What are your opinions on these choices?
 
I have never had experiences with chalk bass but that would be my option if it were me...don't know if I would add multiple fish at the same time in a young tank though

2 smaller fish would be my max
 
dwarf angels are usually not reef safe so make sure you do your research before buying any fish to see compatibility and reef "safeness"
 
The reading I've done says you can't have fire fish unless you have a mated pair. Otherwise two or three fish will become one as they pick each other off....unless it's a mated pair.
 

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