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Guzman

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Hey all. Can i get a suggestion please... My fiance wants NEMO (the clownfish) and of course Dori (i think a blue hippo tang or am i wrong?) and she wants Patrick (star fish) and Mr. Krabs (duh)

anyway...

What type of clownfish and anemone, what kind of tang, and star fish would work well together in a reef tank? I wont be putting anything in till the end of september. Might need some sort of starter fish around the 21st but the tank is stabilizing now.

Thanks so much
 

ChrisRD

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Upstate NY
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Clowns do best in pairs. You can get a mated pair or just get juveniles and they will typically form a pair (one will become dominant and turn female). With a 90 gallon tank you've got room for whatever species you want, but keep in mind that certain species like Tomatos and Maroons will get aggressive as they mature. Captive bread clowns are commonly available and I recommend going this route whenever possible.

Hippo tangs get large and require a lot of swimming room. IMO a 90 gallon tank is borderline for this species in the long term. IMO they are also not as hardy or useful for algae grazing as other tang species. That said, if you really want one, do some searches here and read-up on their dietary needs, etc. Consider smaller, more useful/hardy species like a Kole, Tomini, Yellow, Scopas, etc. Make sure to research any species you're considering as many tangs can be quite aggressive.

Of the hosting anemones, it's generally agreed that Bubble Tips (BTAs) are the easiest to care for and captive propagated specimens are readily available. That said, an anemone is not a great animal to start into reefing with. They require strong lighting and good water quality to survive long term. There are many possibilities for a surrogate host that are easier to care for. An excellent book on this topic is Joyce Wilkerson's book on Clownfish.

As for stars and crabs (other than mini/brittle stars that hitchhike on in on live rock) I've generally avoided adding either in my tanks so I'll leave those recommendations to others. If you do some searches here I'm sure you'll find plenty of discussion on them.

Don't mean to rain on your parade or discourage you - just want to give you the whole story before you jump in. :)

HTH
 

cindre2000

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Tank Raised Ocellaris/Percula and a Bubble tip anemone for "nemo".

"Dori" as a Regal or Blue "hippo" tang will not work in a 90, they need a 6ft tank and they can be mean. You would be better off with a Ctenochaetus (Bristletooth) tang or a Zebramosa Tang. Otherwords- Chevron, Tomini "Flame fin", Kole, Yellow, Scopas, Sailfin, or Purple Tang ... purchased small(er)!

For a reef tank starfish, you basically have Linckia and Fromia Stars. They can be delicate and need an established tank with plenty of life.

Finally, for crabs, you are fairly limited if you like coral and you like your fish. Just stick with some scarlet hermits and call it a day.

Other things to consider: The tank gang in Finding Nemo included a yellow tang and a royal gramma. The movie also featured a Longnose Butterfly as one of the "dads".
 

Guzman

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thanks for the advice! I'll look into those clowns and i'm sure the clown will not be the first fish i get because of the anemone. what would be your suggestion for a good hearty and colorful first fish for the tank?
 

cindre2000

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Lionfish- heheheh

Seriously:

Shrimp Gobies
Blue/Green Chromis
Yellowtail Damsel (can be aggressive, but generally less so than other damsels)
Clownfish
Blennies
Hawkfish
Fairy Wrasse
Tangs
 

spanko

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Also remember for the Nemo (clown fish) they do not need to have an anemone. They will be just as comfortable and hardy with or without one. I am saying this so that you don't think you have to wait until your tank is mature enough for an anoemone to get the clowns.
 

Guzman

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excellent... didn't realize that ... thank you

what could i substitute the anemone for in the beginning for their comfort, but that would not cause a problem down the road with an anemone.
 

spanko

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Clowns will a normally do host in anything from magnet algae cleaners to powerheads. Most coral will do the job, things like mushrooms, torch, frogspawn etc. ect.
But also remember they do not have to have a host at all.
 

FinalPhaze987

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if you plan on getting an anemone for you clown do research and first find out if the anemone host the species of clown you plan on purchasing...anemones such as the giant and the ritteri host a majority of them but have poor survival rates in tanks...
 

ChrisRD

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Upstate NY
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Ditto on the advice above - clowns don't need an anemone to thrive, and if you are going for an anemone in the future, it makes some sense to match up the fish and anemone species. That said, many clowns will host an anemone in captivity that is not their normal wild host (much like they will take to corals, etc.).

This is all covered in the Wilkerson book in greater detail including specifics on the various clown and anemone species.
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... Code=Books

HTH
 

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