Getting another fish

[danmhippo]

(Before I continue, let me put on my XXL flame retardant suit.)

(OK I feel safer now......)

I want to get a killer fish to finish off my fish collection for my 150G. What fish would you fine gents and ladies recommend? I would really like to have a powder blue (dodging flying tomatos), Moorish Idol (dodging flying beer cans), garden eels, or leather Jacket(Oxymonacanthus longirostris)?

Which one of these would y'all recommend? Algae based food and pods are plenty to go around.

Tank specs if some of you aren't familiar:
150G with 2x40G refugium, skimmerless, 6" DSB in all tanks with full coverage of Culerpa prolifera, about 60#LR.

Current inhabitants,
1 chevron, 1 niger, 4 pipefish, 5 seahorses, a pair of mandarin, 1 canary blenny, 2 sand goby, 1 scott's fairy wrass, 1 purple pseudocromis, 2 apogon, 5 3" cleaner shrimps and 10 peppermint shrimp. (I must've missed one or two, but can't think of it now).

Thanks folks in advance. Let me find a bomb shelter......

 

[naesco]

How's about a .......trollfish :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

wow...you've got sea horses, dan? do you have any pics of them?? other than your avatar. i always thought they were so fragile - too fragile to have in a tank not by themselves. but then again, i don't know much about them. i'd like to have a couple some day though...

 

[danmhippo]

Oh, right, thanks a lot naesco........(I think the suit helps!)

 

[carver]

Is there any question---get the Powder Blue that you have always wanted!!! Why be intimidated by a few on the Board???!!

 

[naesco]

Carver, Damn Hippos tank is toooooo small for a tang!! :lol:

 

[carver]

Naesco: It will have fun swimming around in his 150 for a long time until it becomes too large. At that point I am sure he will find it a good (larger) home. Hang in there Dan, you were correct about the tomatoes!!!

 

[naesco]

Now that's a better idea for Damn Hippo:

A school of clowns.

 

[ChrisRD]

Hey Dan:

You sure you don't want a shark... 8O

 

[naesco]

Damn that's a good idea!

 

[carver]

I would get the Powder Blue first and when it gets too big, get the shark!!

 

[danmhippo]

Man, you guys are really not helping much.........(sigh)......

OK, PB aside(God, that hurts.......), how's the rest of the package?

 

[danmhippo]

wow...you've got sea horses, dan? do you have any pics of them?

Coral, here's the link
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725a-th.jpg
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725b-th.jpg
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725c-th.jpg
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725d-th.jpg
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725e-th.jpg
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725f-th.jpg
http://www.familyofyeh.net/Sh20725g-th.jpg

I just turned on the light and took these pics. The original pics are quite green as I just dosed algae paste into the tank before I turned off the light, so I adjusted the color a bit, so some of the background color is a bit off.

 

[Contender]

How do you feed your seahorse and pipefish in a tank with those tankmates? It is usually suggested that you only keep them by themselves.

I would stay away from the moorish idol...why buy a fish that probably won't make it past 6 months? There is a reason people suggest not to get one.

 

[danmhippo]

Keeping SH and pipefish fed is an obstacle in a large tank. I go expensive route by stocking saltwater ghost shrimps in tank. They are great scavengers BTW, and stay alive until caught and eaten. All fish in the tank benefit from this great live food.

Other then the ghost shrimp, my tank has Caulerpa Prolifera covering almost 80% of main tank sand surface and 100% of all sump surface. Thick growth of the caulerpa provide great refuge and breeding ground for pods and mysis shrimps. You can see SHs hunting in the caulerpa forest all day searching for next prey. The tank receives daily dose of diluted frozen phyto, golden pearl, and decapsulated artemia cysts. SH do not feed on them directly but rather the daily doses feeds the pod and mysis which in turn feeds SH and pipe. Gorgonians, sponges, scavengers, and macro algae helps consuming leftover nutrient and DSB finishes off the nitrogen compounds.

I liked this natural hunting approach to keeping SH as you can observe their natural behavior throughout the day instead of waiting to be fed. I agree feeding them enriched frozen mysis yields a more consistent growth, though.

 

[danmhippo]

Yeah, I admit being a troll mentioning the PB and moorish Idol............. :mrgreen:

 

[EmilyB]

I don't know what apogon is, but Blackback or other hardy butterfly.

 

[SPC]

Posted by Dan:

Yeah, I admit being a troll mentioning the PB and moorish Idol.............

-Dan, I see you didn't take my advice about cutting back on your alcohol intake. :roll:
Steve

 

[Jawbone]

Gold neon gobies wont make much of an impact and are pretty active little guys, Nice to look at and hang out on the glass or rock or on the sides of the other fish or just about anywhere.

 

[Chucker]

Gold neon gobies wont make much of an impact and are pretty active little guys, Nice to look at and hang out on the glass or rock or on the sides of the other fish or just about anywhere.

IIRC, after seeing a few shots of Jimmy's tank, there may already be some in there.