Some Fish Suggestions

[Toggil]

Hi everyone, in the next couple months I'll be starting a 75 gallon reef tank. My plan is for about 100 pounds of LR and a DSB.

My problem is that I'm not experienced at all in SW and am just starting to read about all the different fish. I was hoping for suggestions about fish you have kept and liked because of interesting personalities or nice colors or whatever reason.

I'm planning on having peaceful fish only and they need to be reef and invert safe.

Thanks.

 

[Lorna]

In Michael Paletta's book he has some suggestions for a peaceful community tank depends on how much activity you want your fish to have. I like wrasses and clowns and blennies/gobies, cardinals all are peaceful reef safe fish and suitable for a 75g. Just remember to take things slow and easy does it. Read the stickies and you will be fine.

 

[Toggil]

Yeah I've been researching SW tanks since like december, as far as setting up and cycling and everything I've got that down. I just realized though that I had barely even thought of what I wanted to go into my tank.

 

[Lotus]

I started researching fish when my cycle was coming to an end

I went with some gobies, banggai and pajama cardinals, a couple of flasher wrasses and an orchid dottyback. All are fairly hardy and peaceful. I found it good to get the "hardy" fish, as they're more forgiving of beginners' mistakes.

I hope you have a quarantine tank planned

 

[Toggil]

Definately

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I third the suggestion for fairy/flasher wrasses. Awesome little fish.

 

[Lorna]

fairy wrasses totally under rated and a great fish for a community tank. Add to the list a small pygmy/dwarf angel and you have a showy tank of active swimmers who are not overly aggressive. Dottybacks as a rule tend to be the most aggressive of that mix but not if you add them at the right time.

 

[Toggil]

Thanks everybody, I definately like some of the smaller angels and will probably get one.

Does anyone have experience with jawfish, they sound kind of cool but I wasn't sure if they hide all day in the sand.

 

[Lorna]

no they don't they make a burrow in the sand and sit above it for quick escape if startled. They are very cool.....the yellow headed one and the pearly one are quite common.....you need a good dsb with fine grained sand for them and you should be fine....

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If you get jawfish (or anything that burrows or digs, really), you need to make sure to put the LR on the bottom glass of the aquarium, and then add the sand around it. Don't put the sand in first and then stack the rock on top, because if something burrows under the rock they can cause it to collapse. Really, this is a good idea anyways but it's much more important if you know you're going to have digging.

 

[Toggil]

Yeah my plan was to put rock in before sand. Quick question on jawfish, when you QT them do you put sand in the QT tank? Will they be stressed and freaked out without it?

 

[Lorna]

yes, and you must put sand in the qt tank for them. I have heard of not, but it stresses them out too much I think.

 

[Lotus]

You could probably have a container of sand in QT for them. In the main tank, they need at least 4", and some rubble to build with.

Be aware that if they do come down with ich in QT that you'll have to treat with hyposalinity, as copper and sand won't work.

 

[Lorna]

well you can treat with a sand bed but the sand will absorb the copper and you will need to pitch it out after. It may also alter your copper readings.....I would put in a sand bed for the jaw fish and if something needs to be treated then toss the sand and treat.....you could use cheapo sand from Lowes or HD........play sand

 

[Toggil]

Yeah I figured buying some cheap sand was the best route cause I don't think I would want to put it back in my DT after it had been in the QT.

 

[Toggil]

Do jawfish do better in pairs or single. I've read that they get along, and that they only get along given a certain amount of space between burrows. Anyone kept more than one?