recommendations for next addition

C

cathy

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May 2, 2003
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Still cycling, still reading, though hopefully am nearing the end of cycling. I am just about at the 6 week mark; am hoping to have completed cycling by 8 weeks. Then will do a water change, and let the tank settle out for a week or two after that.....then will go shopping!
We have a 46 gal bow with about 40 pounds of live rock, 2 yellow tail blue damsels, a green chromis, and snails. (am planning on adding a few hermits for housecleaning after cycling)
My plan is two populate the tank with 2 more fish and a few of the "easier" inverts. We are not quite at 2 watt/gal, so I would call my lighting moderate; current moderate as well.
My daughter wants clownfish, so that will be our 2 more fish. (I was thinkng of tank raised.) My husband wants an anenome, but he is not the one doing the research! From what I've read Pacific anenomes (the ones that house clownfish) are beyond the scope of a beginner with my tank specifics, so I am not seriously thinking of one of them. I might consider a Carribean species, as these seem to be a bit easier to handle.
The list of "easier" inverts that I've compiled includes Discoma (mushroom), Pachyclavularia sp (starburst polyp), Xenia sp, Sarchophyton sp (toadstool leather coral), and Lobophytum (devil's hand leather coral).
So, from all of you with more experience, I am seeking advice. What would you add next, an invert or the fish?
if invert, which species? (I would be open suggestions beyond what I've listed)
what variety of clownfish would you recommend? (will be doing some rock rearrangement when fish are added, to disrupt the established territories) Thanks all!
 
Exactly what lighting do you have? NO? PC? And how many total watts?
 
My own personal favorite clowns are Maroons. Easily the most charismatic and "friendly" sw fish I've ever had the pleasure of keeping. If you ever kept an Oscar, then you know about what behavior to expect from a Maroon. Maroons are however, rather aggressive. You CAN get pairs, but these fish are so tempermental towards other clowns that one of them might not survive the introduction. Best to introduce them at the same time and of equal size. I have a 29 with a 4" Maroon and a small Yellowtail Damsel in it and I have no agression problems.

My second favorite would have to be the Tomato clown. Great coloration, not quite as much personality as the Maroon, but FAR better than that of a Percula or Skunk. Tomato clowns are quite agressive towards other clowns, but a pair can usually be established rather quickly. I had a 2" Tomato and decided I wanted another one. So, I added a 1" (always add the smaller one second or else a new bigger one will kill the old one for her turf..) and in about a month, after excessive harassment and beating, the bigger one finally accepted the little guy. Now they get along fine. Best to introduce them at the same time and of equal size, unlike how I did it...

Clown psycology is complex and very fascinating.

As for corals, your list seems ok. I'd suggest you let the tank get established and stable for about 3-6 months before adding any sessile inverts to it. Something to consider for an imediate fix would be a feather duster or 2. Great color, interesting and pretty dang hardy. That actually was one of the first things I added to my tank.
 
I've had a gold striped maroon clown for about a year now. I'm just about ready to trade him in for something else. Yes they are full of personality, but, they can also be a pain in the ... Mine will not let my mandarin in the front of the tank, will not leave any sand in "her" corner of the tank, and is killing a gonipora that it uses as a host. To top it off, it is now starting to chase my hand in the tank. If it bites me, it may not last until a trade. I also suspect it was biting small pieces off my frogspawn. Just another view on maroons.

Brian
 
I can't disagree on any of that I'm afraid. Some of them can be quite the little problem child. My own has excavated her "spot" and will do so again anytime I fix it. I've seen some that were well behaved though, so we have that exceptions rather than the rule =)
 
I had a Maroon Clownfish that must have been heavily medicated, because all he did was just lazily swim around and occasionally eat something. His tankmate was a Yellow Tang, who had vastly more personality. Maybe I just had the Ben Stein of clownfish. The only time he got scrappy was when I first put him in and he got into it with a domino damsel. I liked the clown a lot, he was really great to look at, he was just boring.
 
Mine gets along fine with my fire goby and my gramma, but there's a spot in the back center of the tank where the sand is about 3" less than everywhere else.
If it bites me, it may not last until a trade.
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Lol!
 
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