Coral Banded Shrimp and DSB

[DaveJ]

How many of you have a coral banded in a tank with a DSB?? Have you had any problems with it eating your infauna at all? Have you seen any lowering of DSB effectiveness in having it?

[Doug1]

I dont do coral banded shrimp. I have at least one peppermint(L wurdmanii) left ove from the aptasia caper that seems to be putting a dent in infauna. CBS are great scavengers but prolly not a good idae with a developing SB and they can be quarrelsome with fish, or other shrimp

[DaveJ]

I knew this was going to be difficult. Now I am beginning to wonder if I should do the DSB now that the levels are becoming normal and just leave it the way it is and watch the feeding etc, just dealing with any problems as they arise, if they arise. If I start pulling everything out that may effect the DSB, I will have a barren tank or an overstocked eclipse!! Maybe it would be better to look at a new sump instead and put the DSB in there???

[Spanky]

Dave,
We have a pair of coral banded, pr. gold banded, and two pr scarlets in the 350. No problems so far. We feed a lot though.

HTH
Jerel

[Doug1]

Then again, a 350 has a heck of a lot more volume, sand area and places for 3 pair of shrimp to territorialize than a small tank, plus the feeding, it always comes down to turf and chow. Unless you are Carcharidon carchirious its all food

[Alice]

Feeding well is a way to keep your critters from decimating your sandbed. Feeding the shrimp, fish, etc. well also means that more food gets to the infauna in the sandbed and helps to increase their population. It's all a circle.

On the other hand, isn't that partly what the population of infauna in your tank is for? To help feed the tank? Sure, you want a high enough population to be able to process waste in the tank but having your fish, shrimp and corals be able to make a snack out of them is all part of the "natural system" we strive for, isn't it?
You certainly don't want animals that will feed exclusively on this food source, such as sand-sifting stars but the occasional meal by a CB, peppermint shrimp, fish or coral should be within the bounds of your system. If you have animals that consume a high amount of 'pods, worms, etc. you should look to a refugium of some type and scope for replenishment.

~Alice

[Drew]

I'm a little late but here are my 2 cents. I have a good sized CBS in a 45 and yes, I have seen him eating the occasional worm. But I feed the tank nearly two cubes of formula 1/prime reef a day and the sand bed is doing well. Like Alice said, feeding is the key!

Drew

[DaveJ]

Yep.. a 120 with about 120lbs of rock. It will have the 4 - 4 1/2" DSB by middle of next week. No sifters, just the goby and assorted shrimps, 8 in total. I lost one peppermint in the overflow the other day.

I might just toss him in the eclipse for a month or so to let the infauna catch hold.. maybe a bit longer than transfer him back in. I don't plan on adding any other fish until at least the end of the summer, though I was thinking of a few more corals. When your suggesting not to add anything, does that include corals?

I am also adding a couple of species of macro algae next week. Hopefully it will take hold before my two tangs suck it all down. Putting some in the eclipse to grow for harvesting. I also got the pod seeding kit from Indo. One of the main tank and one for the eclipse. That will serve as my seperate refugium.

BTW... will a velvet damsel or blue devil eat the pods?????

[Alice]

though I was thinking of a few more corals. When your suggesting not to add anything, does that include corals?

I think you could add a coral or two every 2 weeks. (Isn't that convenient that most people get paid every two weeks? ) Just monitor your water parameters and slow down if it spikes at all. YOu've put quite a bit in there rather quickly so a watchful eye is needed

[DaveJ]

That's what I figured... I am pretty much to the point where I am happy with fish I have. I wouldn't add something else unless something caught my eye. With the two tangs in there, I would have to be careful at what I added for size considerations. I think the last fish I will add are two clowns and a red bubble, but won't attempt that for a long time. Want to make sure things settle down and grow well first. I'll keep adding corals though and replace any shrimp die off. I have developed an affection for them it seems.

[DaveJ]

Very good point Alice. How would you rate the watchman goby??He currently eats the flake and shrimp pellets, along with brine that I put in the tank, but he is a sand sucker/sifter. Think he would do more harm than the shrimp and I should consider him for the move to the eclipse?

[Alice]

Dave;

You've got a 120 with a good amount of rock and not really any other animals that are sand sifters, if I remember correctly? If so, I think your Watchman will do ok by your tank.

The tank is pretty new though, so if it were me, I wouldn't add anything else for awhile. Give the system some time to adjust for bioload and your sandbed fauna a chance to grow more in population.

~Alice