Stocking advice :)

[godnok]

I have some troubles make up my mind about stocking my tank, and the people at the only decent looking nearby LFS confuses me... So, I want to ask you guys here =) I really love to read forum and articels here on reefland.com and I also like to use http://www.liveaquaria.com and http://www.aquariumdomain.com for information. But, I feel kind of insecure since I am new to aquariums, and have like 0 experience!


I guess I can try to describe my tank, (and its condition): aquarium is allmost 75 gallon, but I like the idea of DSB so I added like allmost 100kg sand and 15kg live stone (bali) and ~6-7kg of "base stone".. old submersible tunze scrubber (bubbly) no clue what brand. Old scrap i bought used.

The tank has been running for nearly 2 months, ammonia ~ 0ppm, nitrite ~ 0.05ppm, nitrate < 0,5ppm, ph ~ 8,3, temp ~24Cdegree, Ca ~ 540ppm, Mg ~ 1200ppm, alk ~ 9dkh, phosphate ~ 0ppm.

5 hitch-hiker corals (polyps and 1 ... mushroom? ) Seem to thrive, 4 hitch- hiker turbo snails and 5 newly bought nerita seem to thrive. Brown bloom of goo (diatoms?) and bubles started to develop in the DSB

First thing my LFS confused me with today, they want me to buy more bali stone since I said I had small reading of nitrite (they are dropping, went from out of scale high, to 0,4ppm to 0,05ppm) - I told them I think my 15kg is enough since i will add fish (and other stuff) slowly, giving microbal life time to spread to the sand and base rock..

The stocking plan that has developed over the past 2 months:
- I hope to start with a cleaner shrimp and 2x Gobiodon Citrinus (Citrinus clown goby) (I wonder if the poison will protect them or these gobies will be harrased by other fish??!) - LFS comment, hard to feed gobys ( I want to grow acropora at a later stage )
- then _1_ dottyback, either springeri, orchid or bicolor
- yelowtail damsel - LFS comment, MEAN BASTARD FISH (I have aquascaped a few caves with my stone so I hope the yelowtail will feel secure enough to behave??!?)
-mated tomato clowns and bulbtip anemone (entecmaea quadricolor) - LFS comment, anemone is easy to keep (I was WTF??!) and tomato clowns are MEAN BASTARDS! (I asked them if the tomato had an anemone when he experience the aggressive behaviour, and LFS said no.. I suggested thay may be the cause why the loco tomato... I dont know really, but LFS didnt like tomatos at least!)
-sixline

Any input and corrections to reduce my confusion would be appreciated, and sorry for my english, it is not my everyday language (I am also a bit worried about algae spreading right now in display, i will add macro algaes to my sump next week, snails have too much to eat atm )

[Reefing Madness]

Get more snails for your algea problem, Turbo Snails. Tomato Clowns= Yup, mean dudes. Territorial. Gobies= pretty easy boys to take care of. Anemone, easy to take care of if your water parameters are in check, phosphates=0 and no Nitrates.
Your tank looks as if its still in a cycle. No need to add anymore substrate, you have enough. Don't go messing with the substrate now, those bubbles are toxic, and if they are released all at the same time, your tank is going to be in serious trouble. At this point you must leave the substrate alone.
Yellowtail Damsel= One hellofa mean fish, no matter what you do to accomodate. I'd not get one myself.

[godnok]

Thanks, I guess damsel and tomatoes really are too risky then. But will they be able to bother the sixline or the dottyback, or eachother?

I read the sixline is kind of fast, so it is hard to harrass for the tomatoes and the yellowtail... not so sure how the poisonous gobies and dottyback will do.

[Reefing Madness]

Thanks, I guess damsel and tomatoes really are too risky then. But will they be able to bother the sixline or the dottyback, or eachother?

I read the sixline is kind of fast, so it is hard to harrass for the tomatoes and the yellowtail... not so sure how the poisonous gobies and dottyback will do.

Its a territory thing. If the other fish venture into the Clowns territory he will go after them. The Damsels are just crazy and chase everything for no reason. And well, if one of them gets ahold of the Citrin Goby, they are going to be in for a shock. They can both chase the Sixline around, your right they are fast, but doens't mean they like getting chased around. They Damsel can keep up, they Clown can't come close, but will try.

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

Also, lots of people have had excessive aggression issues with the six lines.

[leebca]

I would caution against setting up a DSB. They can be tricky, even for advanced hobbyists. Without doing it correctly and monitoring it properly, they have caused system crashes. The most common problem is when and if they develop areas that trap hydrogen sulfide gas -- which when released kills many marine life forms.

Anemonefishes are types of Damselfishes and in general, they are very assertive fishes, and hardy. It would seem your goal is a reef tank with some fishes in it, otherwise the DSB's purpose wouldn't make too much sense. (The primary function of the DSB is for denitrification (converting nitrates to nitrogen gas and other compounds). This process is useful to control nitrates, but most fishes are not nitrate sensitive.) If you do want additional corals and non-mobile invertebrates then you'll want to keep your fish bio load low. Otherwise, without this concern, your tank can hold more fish bioload.

This link takes you to a list of links of topics in Reefland for the hobby, that you might find useful: Table/Contents - Link List

[godnok]

Hi, thankyou all for tips and link =) .. the DSB seems ok at the moment, few N2 bubbles raising to the water surface here and there.. ;)

I think I will start with a Dottyback, then 2x tomatoes, and last, finish with a sixline. Yes, I will try to grow corals

[godnok]

Also, lots of people have had excessive aggression issues with the six lines.

It was related to sixline added last, bothering a dottyback?

[Reefing Madness]

Marine Compatability Chart

[godnok]

thanks for input, I have decided to start with a peaceful Hector's Goby

[ShooterRick]

I have all aggressive to semi aggressive fish in my fowlr. 29 gal with marroon clown, yellow tail damsel, jewel damsel, purple psuedochromis. Only issue I have seen is if any fish gets close to the psuedochromis' cave. He will dart out and confront but not nip or such. The clown likes to nip the back of my hand when cleaning the glass.

Since this is all the fish this tank will support and since they all have a similar temperment it seems to work out fine with little conflict. I am on the way with a 72 gal bow front build that will house coral also. I plan on only adding a flame angel, a small school of blue chromis and if needed will get rid of the yellowtail. I will add a yellow eye kole tang last.

[Reefing Madness]

I have all aggressive to semi aggressive fish in my fowlr. 29 gal with marroon clown, yellow tail damsel, jewel damsel, purple psuedochromis. Only issue I have seen is if any fish gets close to the psuedochromis' cave. He will dart out and confront but not nip or such. The clown likes to nip the back of my hand when cleaning the glass.

Since this is all the fish this tank will support and since they all have a similar temperment it seems to work out fine with little conflict. I am on the way with a 72 gal bow front build that will house coral also. I plan on only adding a flame angel, a small school of blue chromis and if needed will get rid of the yellowtail. I will add a yellow eye kole tang last.

\
You think the Maroon is cool, you shoulda got a Clarki, those suckers get teeth, and do the same thing to your hand when cleaning the glass. Man I dislike those fish.

[ShooterRick]

\
You think the Maroon is cool, you shoulda got a Clarki, those suckers get teeth, and do the same thing to your hand when cleaning the glass. Man I dislike those fish.

No thank you. I am fine with the Maroon. 15 years ago I had a 75 reef tank and housed a snow flake eel. That sucker did his job getting rid of my Mantis shrimp but got big enoeph to sneak out and nip me hard. Use to scare the shhht out of me.

[Reefing Madness]

No thank you. I am fine with the Maroon. 15 years ago I had a 75 reef tank and housed a snow flake eel. That sucker did his job getting rid of my Mantis shrimp but got big enoeph to sneak out and nip me hard. Use to scare the shhht out of me.

[godnok]

I will def. not host an eel :P ...

[godnok]

Hm, not seen the little Hector Goby since I put him inside the tank... Give him a few days to feel comfy in there before I start worry too much?

[Marinefish]

Citron gobies or their cousins the clown gobies are not actually poisonous, but they taste REALLY BAD!!!!! I have a damsel who is a bit nippy, he bit my clown goby, and never did it again!

[Reefing Madness]

Hm, not seen the little Hector Goby since I put him inside the tank... Give him a few days to feel comfy in there before I start worry too much?

Yea, gotta give him a few days, he's prolly just hunkered down right now. Might check when the lights are out, see if he's peeking his head out.

[leebca]

If you are sure you've given plenty of 'sit and watch' time, just to be sure the fish doesn't show itself, then I'd look for it no later than 6 days afer putting it in. Hope all is well!

[godnok]

It is alive... But it is _really_ shy..