Tank Journal Archive

MagicJ

Moderator
Jul 11, 2011
9,650
3,761
Hobart, Tasmania
The Fish List
I am planning on a low bio load for this tank with probably only 6 fish, which will include 3 species that I have never kept before. This is my list at this stage :

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I already have a Flame Hawk but would like to try forming a pair

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I would also like to get a pair of of these beautiful fish

I have a few picky eaters in this list, but without any majorly aggressive feeders I am hoping that I can keep them all healthy.

Thoughts?
 

Sam Parker

Moderator
May 6, 2013
4,802
2,397
Geelong
Moorish idol aren't difficult any more (not compared to a copper band anyway), but they will eventually eat corals.

Will the two butterfly's get along ok in the tank together?
 

Wrangy

Member
May 7, 2013
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Sounds like a good list to me and once you get the butterflies to feed then I don't see any issues :) it'll make a great looking tank!

With the Hawks, go for it! Having a pair is one of the best things I've done in the tank :D my suggestions are get the smallest hawk possible (half the size at least is preferable) and have her cordoned off for a week so they can adjust :) That's what I did and once I released her into the tank it was love lol they were all over each other for a day solid!
The other point I have to reinforce is have a cover! As a pair they jump :( it's to do with them pairing and mating and I was devastated when it happened, so learn from my mistake lol and cover the tank :)
 

suta42

Member
Aug 13, 2011
211
120
sydney
Nice list Magic. Just some observations-

RE: the long nose. Just be careful when you first get it as they're very vulnerable to white spot. The copperband if small will also snack on pods, possibly competing with the mandarins. If you can keep up the pod supply it's doable, but would be hard in a minimalist set up up etc...

Not sure about a pair of butterflies, very hard to achieve in the long run. Sometimes immature WC CBB pairs are available from the collector but their pairing as juveniles is probably transient. When butterflies fight it can get ugly. :(

In your shoes I'd be pretty happy with a pair of Hawks and mandarins instead. :p

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Angie
 

dimitri

Member
Aug 15, 2015
287
76
I never had Hawk fish with Mandarins, but I would guess the Hawks might leave very few pods for the Mandarins.

In the 350 i have 2 hawkfish in with my mandarin, they dont compete for food, i do feed the OF pods in a can though...

both hawkfish of mine are of similar size one is only about 10% smaller than the other, no issues, i think i fluked it though, they were in the same holding tank at the LFS and they didn't seem to bother each other much, they always perch together, its pretty cool.

I put a moorish idol in 525XL, he is eating instantly and greedily, i'll post how he goes long term, he is taking some heat from the sailfin tang, he might need to go though he is bullying a lot of fish in that tank..

the 525 has minimal coral, will see if they pick on it as they get older.
 

dimitri

Member
Aug 15, 2015
287
76
Can you expand on this :confused:

ocean free PODS!


most LFS have them or try online.

i just dump a teaspoon in every other day with the pumps off with the reef roids and let it float around.

my mandy is pretty tubby!

just watch cause they jump so have a lid ;-/
 

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Wrangy

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May 7, 2013
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ocean free PODS!


most LFS have them or try online.

i just dump a teaspoon in every other day with the pumps off with the reef roids and let it float around.

my mandy is pretty tubby!

just watch cause they jump so have a lid ;-/
How long does this stuff last open? I've actually been looking at trying some of the cyclops for my tank but I'm a little worried about open life lol and do you rate the stuff highly??
 

dimitri

Member
Aug 15, 2015
287
76
lasts 1 week open.

i go the small cans for the pods as they go a fairly long way, big cans for the brine shrimp as i feed that to both tanks along with the NLS pellets and Flake (thats sposed to be the beez neez for the Moorish Idol diet wise).


All my fish are getting quiet tubby so I think the OF food is good, I do overfeed the tank with no real side effects and it all gets eaten pretty quickly so they must like it.

It's kind of hard to see a mandarine eat anything, so I won't give you 100% unequivocal stamp of approval however I feed that and frozen lobster eggs for him, I don't see my mandarin eat any other type of prepared food, and I doubt my Pod population is that strong to support its constant eating so I can only assume he is eating the pods and or lobster egg food, i make sure that pumps go off and everything can sink to the bottom where he spends a lot of his time.. the fact he/she has gotten so fat can only lead me to two conclusions, I must have shitloads of pods (unlikely?) or he is eating the canned stuff to supplement.

on a side note and fairly anecdotal but, I've noticed my phos & nitrate drops using this stuff compared to the Hikari frozen foods.

i should probably put some in some RO water then test it for phos and nitrate once its thawed out and compare the two
 

MagicJ

Moderator
Jul 11, 2011
9,650
3,761
Hobart, Tasmania
I have made my first purchase - a little (hopefully female) Flame Hawk. The LFS is holding it for me until next Thursday - I have had water in the tank for a week but haven't had a chance to move over any rock etc. I plan to spend a few hours on Sunday getting things setup.

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Wrangy

Member
May 7, 2013
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Research
I have made my first purchase - a little (hopefully female) Flame Hawk. The LFS is holding it for me until next Thursday - I have had water in the tank for a week but haven't had a chance to move over any rock etc. I plan to spend a few hours on Sunday getting things setup.

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Keen to hear how she goes :)