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New hobbits stalking list

1K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Doug1 
#1 ·
First off I would like to hear your honest opinion about my stocking list and what I can change or add to it I was thinking of. What I’ve been considering for a tank is fluvial 32.5 gallon tank or a 40 gallon breeder fowler tank with no corals but maybe inverts. I will also be culturing copepods and zooplankton to feed my fish. Don’t worry I will also be giving them brine shrimp and mysis shrimp with other frozen food. So first is green mandarin and spotted mandarin dragonets, pink streaked wrasse, Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse, white banded possum wrasse, Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse. These are what I would really like but I have a maybe list which is a pare of clowns and a royal gramma with skunk clear shrimp. I am still considering to but them all together or use the clowns to start the nitrogen cycle and then when I get done with the the wrasses and dragonets stocking to make by quarantine tank a tank for the fish on my maybe list. Last thing what is the compatibility of male dragonets and wrasses together if not from the same species from the species I listed of.
 
#3 ·
* I moved the thread to help you get more exposure.

First, welcome to TRT!

Now......this is one of those hobbies where 'bigger is better'....OFTEN. So that being said if everything is equal, I'd go with the 40 gallon breeder.....nice size and dimensions.

STOCKING......Dragonets/Mandarins are not options for a new system. They are listed as EXPERT ONLY for good reasons, their diets. With rare instances they only eat PODS....a LOT OF THEM.....CONSTANTLY. Small mouths and bellies, so 2-3 feedings a day won't keep them healthy as they can only eat so much at one time. They require a CONSTANT food source, thus a large, mature tank. Just 'introducing them' won't be enough, as you'd go broke buying bags of them to continually re-introduce. Given the right conditions over time, you can have a system suitable for them, but will be a while.
SORRY.....they are gorgeous, incredible fish that EVERYONE WANTS, so sadly we see way too many failures.

And to throw more rain on the parade, .......

or use the clowns to start the nitrogen cycle
......This is a very outdated method for 'cycling' our new systems. We now simply add a piece of table shrimp, uncooked/unseasoned and allow it to decay in our tanks cycling them without any further intervention. Another method that's popular is either adding 'products that promote cycling' the tank, or adding ammonia till it cycles.....both require careful monitoring, and has had plenty of instances where things go wrong....so generally we advocate the table shrimp method and just let Mother Nature do her thing.

Hope all the 'negatives' this early don't discourage you, but it'll save a WHOLE LOT OF HEART BREAK latter.

All the best,
Hack
 
#4 ·
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i agree with Hack on the 40 Gallon breeder tank being the better option.
also what he said about cycling the tank. While clowns would probably survive a cycle in a 40 gallon tank it’s not the best way of cycling.
I for one like to seed a tank with with either live rock or San from a existing tank and then feed the tank with fish food or add a raw table shrimp. There are other ways using bottled bacteria like Dr Tim’s , and dosing ammonia.
as far as your stock list I also agree with Hack on the mandarin, nowadays you can get captive bred from a few breeder that eat frozen foods. I have no experience with them to say how they do long term on frozen. But providing enough live food can be a challenge.
 
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