I'm cycling a 120 FOWLER tank and noticed many mushrooms that were in the live rock. None of the fish are eating them so far and I'm wondering if there are any other known corals that non reef safe fish wont eat? I've heard that xenia will grow so fast the the fish cant eat it faster than in grows. I have a 48 in double t5 strip and I may add another one like it. I will be meeting with Rit Aquatics tomorrow so he may answer my questions but I just wanted the throw this out there.
Any Corals that FOWLER tank fish wont eat?
- Thread starter mug
- Start date
3 nice sized rusty red colored mushrooms were in my live rock and a few more small ones. As far as I can tell they have grown some over the two and a half weeks the tank has been cycling. The fish are:
2 Figure Eight Puffers
1 Violet Goby
1 yellow coris wrasse
5 damsels, 3 blue, 1 yellow tail, 1 four stripe
2 Figure Eight Puffers
1 Violet Goby
1 yellow coris wrasse
5 damsels, 3 blue, 1 yellow tail, 1 four stripe
- Messages
- 103
- Reaction score
- 0
you typically cycle the tank then add fish.
Oh man. I am glad you are posting. You know we all will help in any way possible and between us all have made all of the mistakes and have learned from each other. Definitely post up if you have any questions before you add or buy something. That's what we're all about.
I honestly doubt anything will touch the shrooms if they are well fed. Those puffers are mean as hell though and would be the only thing that may if they are hungry. Xenia will grow like mad and someone is giving some away right now.
Let the tank finish cycling before you add anything else though. Test away. What are your params at now?
I honestly doubt anything will touch the shrooms if they are well fed. Those puffers are mean as hell though and would be the only thing that may if they are hungry. Xenia will grow like mad and someone is giving some away right now.
Let the tank finish cycling before you add anything else though. Test away. What are your params at now?
I was hoping this discussion would be about corals but...The tank with fish is getting close to being cycled. The tank without fish seems like its going to take much longer. (I've been testing them daily) The saltwater guy who has been helping me has cycled tanks is less than two weeks before and I'm using his methods on one tank.
The puffers are mean I've had them for a few years now and its a love hate relationship but they act like a pair. (they really keep the damsels out of the rocks) I love the wrasse and I want more of them if they get along.
tank with fish had just small amounts of ammonia at first. now I've got nitrite and I just need to keep waiting until I get some nitrate. the tank without fish has nothing.
I was going to add some more live rock and maybe some cheap corals that will spread tomorrow. The mushrooms seem to be growing, think I should wait?
The puffers are mean I've had them for a few years now and its a love hate relationship but they act like a pair. (they really keep the damsels out of the rocks) I love the wrasse and I want more of them if they get along.
tank with fish had just small amounts of ammonia at first. now I've got nitrite and I just need to keep waiting until I get some nitrate. the tank without fish has nothing.
I was going to add some more live rock and maybe some cheap corals that will spread tomorrow. The mushrooms seem to be growing, think I should wait?
Yeah man definitely wait a few weeks. It will make them more worthwhile when you do get them.
Glad you are testing regularly. We just noticed a larger problem than the shrooms being safe and other potential coral and wanted to help. Keep us posted on the cycle.
Be sure the live rock is cured so you don't start another mini cycle when you add it
Glad you are testing regularly. We just noticed a larger problem than the shrooms being safe and other potential coral and wanted to help. Keep us posted on the cycle.
Be sure the live rock is cured so you don't start another mini cycle when you add it
You can even get "pure" ammonia from the hardware store....I think ACE still sell pure ammonia....put just maybe a capful in and that will start the cycle right up.....this is for the tank without anything on it.....by no means do not put ammonia in the tank with fish in it.....ammonia burns the gills and fins....nitrite is deadly as well....really not good for the fish to be in the tank before you complete the cycle....they may live but they won't be happy about it....plus it wil leave them more susceptible to disease even well after the cycle is complete....it can wreck thier immune system...try by all means to remove the fish and place them into a established holding tank....
- Messages
- 3,454
- Reaction score
- 0
Just a heads up, if you are not a patient person, this is probably not the hobby for you. People here will try to help, but if you boldly state, "I'm doing it this way" despite what EVERYONE has told you, you will soon find that the help goes away...
I'll get a shrimp for the tank with nothing going on and use that method from now on. I began this way because the person who has been helping me has different methods. Personally I like what I'm hearing on this forum better.
thanks for the concern. I really feel that the fish are fine right now. I have good filtration and I've never seen the ammonia or nitrite go higher than .25 (I was told these damsels are tough)
thanks for reminding me to make sure the live rock is cured. If its not I wont add it to the tank with fish. and I'll wait on the corals
thanks for the concern. I really feel that the fish are fine right now. I have good filtration and I've never seen the ammonia or nitrite go higher than .25 (I was told these damsels are tough)
thanks for reminding me to make sure the live rock is cured. If its not I wont add it to the tank with fish. and I'll wait on the corals
ANY ammonia or nitrite is harmful to fish....damsels being "tough" has nothing to do with it....plenty of fish are tough but putting them in more or less intentional harm is not a good practice...it's unfortunate that you were told to do it this way....not saying that you did it on purpose per say....but whoever told you should have know better....especially of they work at a LFS...
- Messages
- 1,712
- Reaction score
- 0
come on guys quit beating this guy up
- Messages
- 154
- Reaction score
- 0
I cycled my tank with fish... a whole dead trout from publix to be exact.. Man that was a nasty tank for a few weeks :yuk:
haha thats funny I feel like that too. I need to stop spending money on this but its so addictive.
A whole dead fish! what size tank and how long did it take to cycle?
A bunch of Frozen krill should work instead of a grocery store shrimp. I was thinking I'd just hang the krill in a bag at the top of the tank so I could take them out easily once its cycled.
Thanks small block... your post got deleted.
I've worked at different LFS for years and I know the typical reef person. There are many different types of fish keepers, I'm an aggressive fish person. I cycle my freshwater tanks with guppies so cycling with damsels seemed to be normal. But the shrimp method seems to be the way for saltwater so I'll give it a try.
Thanks Rit Aquatics for the live rock and thanks to everyone for the late night help last night!
A whole dead fish! what size tank and how long did it take to cycle?
A bunch of Frozen krill should work instead of a grocery store shrimp. I was thinking I'd just hang the krill in a bag at the top of the tank so I could take them out easily once its cycled.
Thanks small block... your post got deleted.
I've worked at different LFS for years and I know the typical reef person. There are many different types of fish keepers, I'm an aggressive fish person. I cycle my freshwater tanks with guppies so cycling with damsels seemed to be normal. But the shrimp method seems to be the way for saltwater so I'll give it a try. Thanks Rit Aquatics for the live rock and thanks to everyone for the late night help last night!
- Messages
- 42
- Reaction score
- 1
remember not reef safe doesn't always apply to corals, it could be that the fish will eat the inverts not the corals which is why they are not reef safe. I have no idea what figure eight puffers will eat as far as coral but I have plenty of xenia (elongated and pom pom) you can have if you are ever in my area. I have been working hard to get the elongated out of my tank. you can't stop it from spreading, even when I contained it to one rock little pieces would let go and fly around the tank. By the time you realized it, it was to late. Pom pom is a little easier, a little. If I am wrong about the reef safe thing, please correct me somebody.
@ zippgirlRN - I think your right about the reef safe thing, sometimes I just need to hear it from someone else. I doubt I'll be by Jackson anytime soon but thanks for the offer. Your description of xenia sounds like exactly what I'm looking for... a coral that will grow out of control and I don't have to worry if my fish eat it or care for it in any way.
@ tomaquar - yeah I'll look into zoos, thanks.
:lightsaber2: <--- they are just going at it!
@ tomaquar - yeah I'll look into zoos, thanks.
:lightsaber2: <--- they are just going at it!
ZippgirlRN is right... some NRS fish (e.g. angels, butterflys) eat coral, but many (e.g. triggers, lions) will eat CUC/inverts along with smaller fish you may happen to be fond of and would kind of like to keep around... but it isn't written in stone. For example, several members here have large angels in reef tanks, and have minimal coral damage, if any. Keeping the fish well-fed goes a long way to help that.
If you have doubts, some of the mailorder sites like Live Aquaria are reasonably good for obtaining info like this. They'll usually specify why a particular fish is considered NRS. That's about all I use them for, and sometimes they're a little vague, but it's better than nothing. (Don't even think about relying on their "minimum tank size" IMO, but that's another discussion!)
A better</em> way would be just to ask in Reef Discussion about a specific fish. No matter what it is, chances are somebody here has it and can give you some firsthand information.
Now, as far as any "fish proof" corals? I'm not sure, but I can say I've never heard of fish harming GSP, and only once have I heard of one eating Xenia. If you try Xenia and something is eating it, list the fish for sale here and you'll make a nice chunk of change.
If you have doubts, some of the mailorder sites like Live Aquaria are reasonably good for obtaining info like this. They'll usually specify why a particular fish is considered NRS. That's about all I use them for, and sometimes they're a little vague, but it's better than nothing. (Don't even think about relying on their "minimum tank size" IMO, but that's another discussion!)
A better</em> way would be just to ask in Reef Discussion about a specific fish. No matter what it is, chances are somebody here has it and can give you some firsthand information.
Now, as far as any "fish proof" corals? I'm not sure, but I can say I've never heard of fish harming GSP, and only once have I heard of one eating Xenia. If you try Xenia and something is eating it, list the fish for sale here and you'll make a nice chunk of change.
thanks for the advice. I'm guessing GSP is green star polyps. I'll try that first and some xenia too. I may actually have some on my live rock already. More "hitchhiker" corals have been popping out of my live rock. Some I know is aptasia. The other stuff I'll have to let it grow and post some pictures once it gets bigger. One looks like a white mushroom so I think it might be a small leather. There are other round balls that I think are some type of sponge coral. And a few others that are too small to tell.
Similar threads
