V-Tail Red Grouper comments requested

RockingCricket

RockingCricket

Large Fish
#1
Jul 29, 2005
443
0
16
46
Sunny Cali & Rainy England
#1
V-Tail Red Grouper Info Request

Can anyone offer any comments on the Flagtail Rockcod fish, also know as the V Tail Red Grouper (Cephalopholis urodeta). They have a beautiful one at a small nearby fish store and they are prepared to offer it to me as a straight exchange for my panther grouper and my convict goby, both of which I am looking for new homes. The goby is proving more and more bothersome with his burrowing behaviour, although he is a beautiful and interesting fish (although rarely seen) and I am not happy with the grouper, despite his curious personality.

The information I can dig up on the net regarding the flagtail is providing varying reviews. Would someone who has first hand experience with these guys care to comment. Many thanks!
 

Last edited:
RockingCricket

RockingCricket

Large Fish
#3
Jul 29, 2005
443
0
16
46
Sunny Cali & Rainy England
#3
Thanks Wayne. I find that site to be one to be one of the most reliable resources and the opinion they give is that it is a gorgeous fish (well duh!) who can be aggressive with conspecifics and will eat anything they can fit in their mouths.
My only real concern is that my blue faced needs to feel like he is the boss of the tank. I've observed the V tail a good long while on a couple of occasions and he appears well behaved, alert and curious. I don't believe he will place any more of a bioload on my system than the two I am removing do and his max growth size is smaller than both the departing fish. Also the max growth size of 11 inches will be smaller in an aquarium, and it'll take him a few years to get anywhere close to that. He is currently about 4 inches long. The engineer goby I am removing is about 7 inches and the panther, 3 inches.
I think he will do fine. If he proves otherwise, I have a good relationship with the lfs offering him and I'm sure I could work something out with them.
My problem now is to find a way to net the goby.
.......wish me luck! :eek:
 

RockingCricket

RockingCricket

Large Fish
#4
Jul 29, 2005
443
0
16
46
Sunny Cali & Rainy England
#4
Both goby and grouper proved easy to net with no chasing them around the tank. I just laid my large net in open water and gently coaxed each one in, and then whipped it up quick. Nice and stress free.

The new guy (bass/grouper/cod) is now in and is a little timid which is to be expected. He is size is well balanced with the others and his colours really adds something to the tank. Everyone is interested in him, yet noone is being mean. The bicoloured angel is trying to push him around a little but he is having none of it and doesn't seem at all perturbed.

I'll post pictures once he's more settled in, which I'm confident he'll do nicely. I couldn't be more pleased with the switch.*BOUNCINGS

Thanks again Wayne for the link.
 

RockingCricket

RockingCricket

Large Fish
#6
Jul 29, 2005
443
0
16
46
Sunny Cali & Rainy England
#6
A little update regarding this guy. He's a mean fish and no good for a community tank. For example, everyone else feeds relatively orderly, peacefully nipping at the meaty seafood blend. This guy spys the food, darts up from his perch like a bat out of hell, opens his massive mouth and swallows the food whole before the others know what has happened. I found myself having to deliberately feed him first, and then everyone else. Not a good tankmate for a fairly peaceful aquarium.
Two Chromis have mysteriously disappeared in the night since his arrival and I've recently noticed a little shredding on the maroon clowns fins on two seperate occasion.
He had to go! Fortunately the lfs he came from has been kind enough to take him back and offer me a store credit refund.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#7
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#7
Ha ha, live and learn.

I would always bear in mind a predator like this will always grow like the clappers compared to a herbivore just due to quality of diet - did you say an inch per month?
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#9
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#9
Sorry that you had to do that, get a fish then have to take him back. Have you given thought to what you will put in place of the groupers? What about some type of tang? Not the usual variety but something nice and showy?
 

RockingCricket

RockingCricket

Large Fish
#10
Jul 29, 2005
443
0
16
46
Sunny Cali & Rainy England
#10
It wasn't a problem taking any of the fish back. The only hassle was gettting the V-Tail out of the display without removing all the rock. With some help from blueface I managed to herd him into an old vase I have in the tank. In there he only had 2 escape routes which I was able to cover with nets and get him out. I did end up sticking myself on my 10inch longspine urchin. A little blood but it's not bad. I actually profitted from the whole deal. The V-tail cost me a panther grouper (which I got for $15 as the lfs sold it as a spotted grouper) and an engineer goby (which I got for $4 and fattened up). I got a $38 gift voucher for the V-tail so the only ones who lost out were my poor Chromis who were on their way out anyway.

Anyway, what to replace him with? Well, having 2 angels and a tang already, my initial thoughts were for a butterfly, and if that was the case, I was leaning towards a copperband.
I've recently been reading that different tangs can actually be housed together without too much aggression, and any aggro there is usually settles down after a week or two. So if that is the case then yes, perhaps a showy tang - a gold rim (Acanthurus nigricans) or even a chevron if funds can stretch. A moorish idol would be fantastic, but I need to do more reading on that. I've found mixed reviews.
I've even contemplated trying a 3rd angel but that maybe pushing my luck too far. A little flame would be lovely but I'm almost certain him and my bicoloured angel would thrash it out. I saw a nice midnight angel yesterday and had to resist all urges.
I've got a lot of thinking and research to do. I don't want to make another poor impulsive decision.
What would you suggest Lorna. Anyone? Current tank mates are in my signature.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#12
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#12
I would guess a raccoon or auriga butterfly might be ok, or a backback. CBB, forget it, difficult, too nervy passive. Moorish Idol - don't be ridiculous - people having success with these have, basically, better, bigger higher energy setups.

Yet again your choice in fish exceeds your tank size - go look at wrasse I think. Or a Ctenochaetus tang
 

kevin4052002

kevin4052002

Large Fish
#13
Jul 14, 2005
433
3
0
Tampa, FL
#13
RockingCricket,
Just as a forewarning, Acanthurus nigricans has a survival rate close to zero in captive systems. Most (if not all) starve to death. A similar, but much better, choice would be Acanthurus japonicus. Or atleast this is what R. Fenner suggests.

Good Luck!
 

RockingCricket

RockingCricket

Large Fish
#14
Jul 29, 2005
443
0
16
46
Sunny Cali & Rainy England
#14
That's pretty much the responses I was expecting. Thanks guys *thumbsups
I'll thoroughly research those species which I'm interested in and get back for your opinions.
Just quick regarding the Idol though. It seems the main problem they suffer is getting them to initially feed and transporting them gently. I read that so long as they are already feeding, so long as transportation is quick and food it available during, and so long as they enjoy as loooooooong aclimitization period, success rate can isn't so bad. I'm under the impression that once they are in and settled, they can be quite hardy.
Don't worry - I won't make any hasty and undiscussed decisions.

Wayne - would I be really taking the p*$$ chancing another dwarf angel?
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#15
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#15
okay what about a couple of bannerfish? Similar in appearance to the moorish idol but easier to keep? I believe your angels get along as they are a pygmy and a regular right? What about a Hippo tang? though I personally would go with the bannerfish.....the racoon would be nice too......
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#17
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#17
Hmm, everything I've heard about success with idols is similar to what I hear about achilles tangs. Getting a fish to feed is possible, more than it used to be as transport and care improves. However they need biggish tank, much water movement, high oxygenation, perfect water a varied diet and little aggression from tanks and the such. I doubt many people are keeping thme beyond 2 or 3 years. People who are have them with a few other docile fish in 'SPS' type tanks
The person who I know of who is working hard with them at the moment has a spawning pair of regal angels ..... he thinks they're easier....

But realistically with what you already have in your, frankly speaking, small tank, should make you rethink any of what you're trying to shoehorn in there
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#19
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#19
Well the large heniochus that they have at our local lfs (the only one I respect around here) are about 6" across and the medium are about 4" They tend to school together which is nice.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#20
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#20
At the end of the day this tank is only 4 feet long? Stick to fish less than 5 or 6 inches i.m.o. Even a 6 inch fish like a tang will look cramped
 

You must log in or register to reply here.