40 Gallon Tank 40 Gallon Long Reef

Should be fine.

 

So I have been hearing and reading horror stories of the Clownfish with the Goby and Jawfish, so I was going to trade the Clowns for a type of Cardinalfish. So which would be best, heres what I am thinking about the stock now
5 PJ Cardinals or 5 Yellowstriped Cardinals or 1-2 BanggaI Cardinals
1 McCosker's Wrasse
1 Red Fin Wrasse or 1 Firefish
1 Yellow Clown Goby
1 Orange Spotted Goby
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 Yellowhead Jawfish

 

I would stick with 1-2 of them (ie PJ or Banggai). They can fin nip in groups and possibly kill each other in captive environments. I was going to get some more PJ Cardinals but after going to my LFS and seeing how they interact (biggest one tends to bully the rest) and that put me off of getting more than the one I have in my tank.

McCoskers and Red Fin over the Firefish. Firefish are brightly colored but are very skittish and timid by nature and are arguably the most easily bullied fish in the hobby. You will get WAY MORE visibility and activity out of the wrasses then you will out of the Firefish.

The rest of the list looks great for your tank. BTW you do have a tight fitting lid, right? You have a long list of known jumpers there.

 

I have a glass lid and was going to a fine mesh over it to help prevent jumpers. Also for the Jawfish how much rubble do I need, I have read never stop supplying and live rock rubble is best, would base rock work instead?

 

Base Rock should work, but honestly I feel that a reasonably deep mixed substrate (ie live sand, argonite) should be fine for a jawfish as it has smaller pieces mixed in.

 

After planning to get the Jawfish I was going to get 20 lbs of Live Sand (0.5-1.5 mm) and 20 lbs of crushed coral and rock rubble sand (1.0-2.0 mm). For the base rock rubble,
do I just use a hammer and chisel and crush away the corners?

 

Honestly, I have never heard of the need for rubble rock directly for the Jawfish. I do know they need a mixed substrate, but usually Live Sand can provide that. Even though you don't need the live bacteria in it, I stick with it simply because it's about the perfect mix of sand grain, small rubble, crushed shells, etc. I would just do live sand substrate and your choice of options from Dry Rock, Life Rock, Live Rock, etc. for your biological filtration and it should be fine.

 

Ok, will do, thanks!

 

No problem. Keep us posted with the developments.

 

Will do, once it gets warmer(Over 70'F) I will do another leak test, before I start collecting equipment. It will be about a year before any signs of life go in the tank besides sand and rock.

 

So while looking through LiveAquaria I found myself in the Tang section and while looking found 2 Tangs I like, the Kole Yellow Eye and the Bristletooth Tomini. LiveAqauria states they need a 70 Gallon and larger but when I looked at 70 gallon dimensions my 40 is longer by 8 inches but shorter and not as wide. I have read they get around 6-7" and are active swimmers, but would a 48"x12"x16" tank be fine for one? Thanks, and Happy New Year!

 

No, even the smallest tangs need a bare minimum of a 4 foot long tank with a bit of height and width. Most agree that the 70 gallon is a bit shy and a standard 75 gallon is really the minimum for either of those tangs 48X18X21. The 12 inch depth is just too shallow for a taller fish like a Tang. A Pygmy or a Dwarf Angel is what I would recommend if you really want a fish with a similar shape for your size of tank.

 

Ok, thanks, I figured but I wanted to make sure.

 

Sadly, there are always going to be fish we would love to add to our tanks that just won't quite work out due to space constraints. I might have dreams of a small shark or ray but I recognize I would need to double my tank size just to dedicate it to a single specimen and it would require a level of care that makes my 90 reef tank seem like child's play be comparison. There are also some larger tangs, angels and butterflies that I simply have to let go because I know I can't give them a good long term home.

 

So I decided to not go with the Cardinals after hearing they prefer slower moving water and tankmates, so I am going to get just one Clownfish. Would a Burgundy Sea Star be ok? LiveAquaria states they are peaceful and other websites also state they are, would one be fine? And to have a Shark or Ray tank is one of my to-dos if I strike it rich

 

Seastars can be a bit tricky to care for as they are pretty sensitive to water parameters, it would probably be better to wait a few months and then add it. At 8 inches in a shallow tank that one also gets a bit big. If you are going to do one I would recommend the Tiled Sea Star. It maxes out at 5 inches and is pretty much identical in care, temperament, etc.

 

I like the Tiled more, I must have skipped over it while looking at LiveAquaria. So should I add it with or after I add the snails, crabs, and shrimp?

 

I would not add it until it's been running for a few months (tank is more stable as time progresses). CUC definitely way before.

 

Last question hopefully, I would like an Anemone for the Clown(I know it might not host it) and because they are interesting, so if I could get one which one would be best? I like the Bubble Tip and MinI Carpet but was reading that a artificial Anemone would work also, so would one of those be better than the other or none at all?

 

'nems generally require well established tanks and very bright light to do well so I recommend a tank that has been running for several months before putting one in. The Condy BTA would probably be the easiest one to keep. As for the fake 'nem, I am not a fan for several reasons:

1) The fake stuff provides zero benefit to the clown and is often made of foul smelling cheap rubber or plastic from China. I just don't trust them to saltwater (keep in mind technically saltwater is corrosive and will break down such things over time). Do you really want bits of rubber breaking down in your tank?

2) Just me personally but I find plastic and rubber decorations in saltwater tanks to be beyond tacky. Kind of like the freshwater tanks loaded with decorations to make them look like reef tanks.

3) It is possible that the clown could injur itself on a poorly made fake one.

Bottom line either get an easier to maintain BTA or just skip it. The clowns will be fine without one.

 

So which would be better a BTA or a Starfish, I don't want to overload the tank or annoy the other inhabitants. I know Clowns would be fine without an Anemone but I thought it would neat to see the symbiotic relationship in action.

 

If it was me, I would say the tiled starfish would be a bit easier to care for in the long run. To my knowledge they don't require the bright lighting like the BTAs and you don't have the risk of the clowns getting overzelous with one before it's had a chance to settle in. The other thing is that BTAs can sting corals (if you do ever decide to get them) and the Tiled Starfish wouldn't really bother them. I agree the symbiotic relationship can be fun but to me it's just too much hassle and the idea of a roving stinging critter in my tank kind of freaks me out (which is ironic since I have a One Spot Foxface with venomous spines in my tank).

 

So Starfish it is. What do you recommend feeding it?

 

It will primarily scavange detritus and left over food bits from the bottom of the tank. I recommend the same food source as I do for anything else (LRS Reef Frenzy).

 

What are the care and requirements of a Chalk Basslet?

 

It's considered to be a hardy fish. A mixed meaty diet (ie LRS Reef Frenzy) would be perfect for them and honestly I recommend Reef Frenzy as an all in one food source for your tank anyways. Great for the fish, corals and inverts. They can be somewhat assertive to tank mates. The bigger ones can also eat smaller shrimp, so be aware of that as it grows.

 

It's considered to be a hardy fish. A mixed meaty diet (ie LRS Reef Frenzy) would be perfect for them and honestly I recommend Reef Frenzy as an all in one food source for your tank anyways. Great for the fish, corals and inverts. They can be somewhat assertive to tank mates. The bigger ones can also eat smaller shrimp, so be aware of that as it grows.

I have read that they like groups and only grow to 3" while the Tobacco Bass gets up to 7" and hates all tankmates. Would a Chalk Basslet bother the tankmates, the only ornamental inverts will be my Pistol shrimp, Crabs, Sea Star, and a Feather Duster, will it bother any of them?

So I had two ideas for the tank, the Chalk Bass was the one that I liked the most, but had more risk due to aggression. My other idea was instead of the Clown add a group of about 5-6 Blue Gudgeon Dartfish or Zebra Dartfish and have them be my slow moving centerpieces. Which in your opinion and experience would be the best choice in the long run?

 

Are you still planning on the Flasher Wrasse(s) and the other fish mentioned in previous posts? Dartfish aren't what I would call slow moving or centerpiece fish (even in a small school) they are easily spooked/startled and will vanish quicker than you can believe (make sure your lid fits tight as Dartfish are among the worst for jumping). The Chalk Bass should be okay with your inverts, but not sure how it will be with the other fish.

 

I was planning on either trading the Clown if I got another, I just wanted to know my options. I figured the Dartfish would be a no, but I have always liked there color and that they can actually be kept in groups.

 

So are these fish in addition to the previous list or all you are planning on putting in your tank?

 

The original list minus the Clown if I got one of them.

 

Sounds good.

 

So I have estimated that the tank will be ready to set up in about 6-8 months. With my original Coral stock could I also keep a colony of Flaming Sun Zoas? . My original Coral stock was 1 Green Toadstool Mushroom, a Colony of Green Starburst Polyps, 1-2 Trumpet/Candy Cane Coral, and 1 Blue Xenia. Thanks for all the help with this tank!

 

You should be able to. I can't remember if you had a Dwarf or Pygmy Angel on your stock list as they can nip at them. Beware the Xenia though, they grow like weeds and can overrun other corals. Zoas can be hit and miss with how they grow.

 

Stock is mated pair of Randall's Shrimp Gobies, 1 Chalk Bass, 1 Clown Goby, 1 McCosker's Flasher Wrasse, 1 Red Fin Fairy Wrasse, 1 Tailspot Blenny, and 1 Yellow-Headed Jawfish. If I got rid of the Xenia what could I replace it with, I really like the blue/purple color.

 

Branching Hammer has a Purple/Green Color, it's the one on the right:

The branching hammer spreads out more. I have a green hammer and a branching hammer. You can see the difference between the two
I suggested the branching hammer based on color.

 

Will it be safe with the other Corals, Live Aquaria states it as aggressive. If it's safe, what requirements does it need?

 

If you give it about a 6 inch clear area around it you will be fine.

 

Ok will do, is there a difference between the Branching Hammer and the Hammer? Or are they same, just different species?