Specimens to Avoid

Specimens to Avoid



I have tried to list the major specimens that should be avoided in the typical reef tank due to various reasons. Many of the fish listed are best kept in fish-only tanks due to size, aggression or eating habits. Some experts might want to take on the challenge some of these present, but at least you've been forewarned.

FISH

Specimen Difficulty
Achilles tang
Very delicate. Seems to require specific water conditions of very high quality. Should be left to experienced reef keepers with mature tanks.
Angle fish
Tend to get too large and eat coral. Some hobbyists have been successful in keeping angle fish in a reef, but it is a risky business.
Anthias
Tend to be very delicate. Seem to do best in large established tanks with frequent feeding several times a day.
Catalina Goby
These fish are commonly put into reef tanks, but they are cold water species from the California Catalina Islands and do not survive very long in the tropical temps of the typical reef tank.
Butterflyfish (Most)
Many eat coral, all tend to be delicate.
Exceptions: Copperband butterfly (delicate, but coral safe).
Firefish
Tend to be very shy and can be bullied by aggressive tank mates until they starve. Success with these can be somewhat spotty depending on various factors. Do best with other non-aggressive fish or in a dedicated tank.
Groupers
Tend to grow too large and eat tank-mates
Jaw fish
Require attention to providing the proper substrate for them to build their homes in.
Lion Fish
Eat tank-mates
Mandarin dragonets
Must have large, long established reef habitat for feeding. Many only eat live foods found in the tank. Recommend introduction only in tanks established over a year and at least 55 gallons in size per mandarin to provide food requirements.
Moray eels
Tend to eat tank mates. Most get too large and become a nuisance in the reef tank.
Moorish Idol
Tend to be delicate, difficult to feed, may eat coral
Parrot fish
Notorious coral eaters
Pipe fish
Have difficulty competing with other fish for food. Best kept in dedicated tank or with seahorses.
Porcupine fish
Eats invertebrates and can be difficult to keep nutritional requirements met.
Sea horses
Not well suited to the typical reef tank due to need for low water currents, plus they have difficulty competing with faster fish for food. Best kept in a dedicated tank.
Sharks
Most grow too large and tend to eat tank mates. Should be kept in fish-only tanks.
Sleeper Gobies (Valenciennea sp.)
Sometimes will not take food and cannot get enough by sifting sand and slowly waste away. Their aggressive sand sifting style can also pile sand on the coral and other places you don't want it.
Triggerfish
Very aggressive and destructive. Should be kept in fish-only tanks.
Wrasses
Larger wrasses can be destructive in the reef tank, most tend to be somewhat delicate. Best bet for a reef tank is probably the 6-line wrasse.



Invertebrates

Some of the specimens listed here are completely unsuitable for a reef tank while others require specialized care and only hobbyists that are willing or able to address those specialized care issues should attempt to keep these specimens.

Specimen Difficulty
Anemones (Carpet varieties)
Anemones, especially of the large carpet varieties tend to require the highest lighting possible and often wander around the tank stinging other corals while looking for the best spot to settle down. Best kept in dedicated tank under intense lighting.
Basket starfish
Very difficult to care for due to filter feeding habits.
Brittle star (Long-spined)
Brittle stars tend to be good reef tank specimens, but some of the long-spined varieties seem to be very difficult to acclimate and immediately fragment upon introduction to the tank.
Camel Shrimp
Tend to eat tank mates including clams and polyps.
Chambered nautilus
Eats tank-mates. Requires dedicated tank.
Chocolate chip starfish
Eats tank-mates
Goniopora / Flowerpot coral
Majority do not survive past 6 months in reef tanks, but some do. Appears to require relatively 'dirty' water with heavy organics in order to survive. The candidates with the best chance of survival include the purple and pink varieties or the related Alveopora.
Flame Scallop
Non-photosynthetic unlike Tridacna clams and therefore require supplemental feeding of phytoplankton or similar to survive.
Harlequin (Clown) shrimp
Has specialty diet that is hard meet (small starfish)
Non-photosynthetic corals These all require targeted supplemental feeding if you are going to keep them. Some of the most common include: Sun corals, carnation corals, non-photosynthetic type gorgonians.
Octopus
Tend to eat tank mates and escape from the tank. Best in dedicated tank.
Sea Apple
These sea cucumbers are filter feeders and require that their feeding requirements are met. There are also reports that they can poison the tank if unhappy or they die.
Sea Slugs
Most are not compatible with the reef tank due to eating habits, or the tendency to fit through the power heads.

Houston We Have A Problem

This morning I woke up to find my Butterfly Tang stuck to the overflow box. I'm pissed, this is the first fish I have lost. I'm pissed because he was beautiful and cost me $40!! Now I have to figure out how to solve this problem. I really didn't think that the suction was that strong going into the overflow, guess I was wrong. I guess I could raise it just a bit and hope that it doesn't happen again. Whats weird is I have a little Firefish that swims around it all day long!! Go figure!

It's Hammer Time!!!

Picked up this Green Hammer from Greentree Pet Store in Clarksville, IN. I seen it in one of their aquariums and fell in love with it. It wasn't to expensive, $29.99. Looks great under the blue lights. Can't wait for this baby to grow!! Heres a little info about Hammer Coral.



Scientific Name: Euphylla ancora
Classification: LPS
Common Name: Hammer Coral, Anchor Coral
Description:
Forms fairly large colonies. Skeletons grow in a meandering fashion. Polyps have long tubular tentacles with Hammer, anchor or T-shaped tips. Color is usually orange, with lighter colored edges to the tips of the polyps. Similar to and related to Torch Coral and Frogspawn coral. Can be differentiated by the anchor or T-shape of the end of the tentacles.

Veron: Colonies may form a continuous cover over the substrate many meters across although individual colonies are seldom over one meter across. Colonies have the same skeletal structure as Euphyllia divisa. Polyps have large tubular tentacles with few or no branchlets but with anchor, hammer or T-shaped tips. Color is blue-gray to orange, usually with pale cream or green outer borders to the tentacles.

Natural Environment:
Veron: Large colonies are usually found in shallow environments exposed to moderate wave action. Seldom common, but may be a dominate species on protected horizontal substrates and on rocky outcrops in high latitude locations.

Care:
Hardiness: Hammer coral is fairly hardy once established in the aquarium

Lighting: Requires moderate to strong lighting.

Water Current: Hammer corals prefer low to moderate water motion.

Temperature: Does well within a range of at least 75º to 84º F

Aggressiveness: High. Hammer coral can expand considerably from its skeleton and has sweeper tentacles that are up to 2" longer than normal tentacles that can sting neighbors. Hammer corals grow fairly quickly and to a large size, so they do best in larger reef tanks. They can be kept in contact with others in the same family such as frogspawn coral.

Feeding: Hammer coral is photosynthetic and does not need to be directly fed, but will take small meaty foods that are offered.

Supplements: Maintaining correct calcium levels is important for skeletal development

Tank Positioning: Best positioning is a low to moderate water flow area where it has room to expand and grow.

My first coral acquisition

Finally decided to start adding some coral to my setup. I decided to go with some Green Star Polyps. I want that grassy looking effect that they give off once they start growing . I purchased these at Sandy's Pet Shop over in Louisville. KY. Couldn't beat it for 2/$15.

Infomation On These:


Scientific Name: Clavularia viridis
Classification: Soft Coral
Common Names: Green Star Polyps
Description:
Green Star polyps are small bright green polyps connected together by a rubbery purple colored mat. Open during the day, retracted at night or when disturbed.

Natural Environment:
? Many specimens are now captive propagated.

Care:
Hardiness: Green Star polyps are extremely hardy and can survive most reef tank conditions.

Lighting: Will tolerate fairly low light levels, but tend to develop brighter colors under higher intensity lighting. A picture above shows a colony that is lighter in color due to being raise in lower lighting conditions.

Water Current: Green Star polyps prefer moderate water motion.

Temperature: Does well within a range of at least 74º to 84º F.

Aggressiveness: High. Although the coral does not have a stinging capability, it's encrusting growth pattern can lead to rapid encroachment on its neighbors. Mat can be pruned with scissors if it starts to get out of hand. This is one of those corals that some hobbyist regret ever putting in their tank.

Feeding: Green Star polyps are photosynthetic and require no feeding. It is unknown if they will accept any prepared foods.

Supplements: No special requirement are noted. Normal acceptable water parameters seem to suit it just fine.

Tank Positioning: No special requirements other than keeping them out of forceful water flow. They will sometimes grow up the back glass forming a very attractive green backdrop.

Propagation:: Green Star polyps are easily propagated by cutting a section of the purple mat from the main colony using scissors or similar. This mat can be attached to a suitable substrate such as a piece of live rock usually with a rubber band. It will quickly attach to the rock and the rubber band can be removed.

Aqualine 600 gpm overflow box

In the beginning stages of my build, I was undecided between having my tank drilled or purchasing some overflow boxes. There where positives and negatives to both. With drilling, there is a chance that the tank my crack. Also some fittings may leak after awhile. The only negative I seen with the overflow box was not having your tank close to the wall, the boxes need about 3 inches of space on the back. IMO thats not bad at all. With that in mind it was a no brainer for me, I definitely didn't want 125 gallons of water leaking into my living room. So I chose to go with the overflow box. Well after running around and calling my LFS (local fish stores). The boxes in stock cost way way way to much. So I started my online search and BAM Ebay had them. Made by a company called"Aqualine". I bought two because my 125 is 6ft, so I wanted one 7 inches from the corner. For $48 and free shipping why not!! I bought them on a Saturday and they arrived on Wednesday. Kudos to Ebay User: salt-solutions no wonder they have 100% feedback. these things where solid and easy to assemble and get started. BTW they where packed so safely, I couldn't believe how much foam and cushion they used. Very impressive!!! I could have went with a dual but like I said the tank is 6ft. Plus each single one is rated 600gph, thats 1200gph. Pretty good for a 125.

Red Sea Deluxe Prizm Hang - On Skimmer w/Pump

Skimmers extract dissolved organic waste products (protein) from the aquarium by mechanically removing them through foam fractionation. Efficient skimmers such as the Prizm remove proteins before they breakdown and pollute the water. Skimming enhances the quality of the aquarium's environment as well as its appearance. The Prizm conmbines an efficient 18-blade Turbojet air injector together with Red Sea's patented convergent-divergent flow technology reaction chamber, resulting in exceptional skimming performance. Features include Skim enhancing, convergent-divergent reaction chamber with "triple-pass" air flow Flow regulator optimizes the skimming action for all aquarium conditions. Includes external water pump, adjustable height surface skimmer and filtration media basket User-friendly operation and set-up Adjustable height surface skimmer and filtration media basket Specifications: Suitable for all Marine and Reef aquariums up to 100 gallons.

My Red Sea Berlin XL

The unique skimmer with a triple air pass and patented air return "skirt". Tangential water inlet. Venturi air injector. Full size air carbon filter. Unique compact design. More effective than skimmers twice the size. Removes levels of proteins other skimmers can`t. Optional internal or external mounting. Easy cleaning. Safe ozone use. A successful marine aquarium should have an efficient protein skimmer as part of the filtration system. Protein fragments and other wastes produced by living organisms are potentially harmful to aquarium inhabitants. Red Sea`s Berlin Skimmer will efficiently remove the suspended or dissolved organic waste and invisible particles from your aquarium consistently, by extracting them from the water flow.

The Rio 3100 has a flowrate of 900 gph.