My new stocking!!! (Pics coming soon)

Tommy Gun · 10-27-2006, 05:56 PM

So today I called over to my LFS to ask a totally unrelated question about some filter media I was looking for and these people are getting to know me so well that they asked how my SW tank was. I told them that I had traded in my Lionfish and my snowflake eel for store credit and was looking for some other fish in particular. They tried to sell me this bird wrasse or gudgeon (not sure how to spell it), but it is wicked looking fish and another fish that eats live feeder fish (which I am trying to get away from). So, I said no.

BUUUUUTTTT! They have also had a bicolored angel fish there for quite some time, which I have never seen for some reason. So, my I picked it up for less than 10 bucks and got five (it was all they had) green chromis (green damsels). I just got them into my tank about 10 minutes ago and they are all doing fine.

I also got my live rock stacked up a lot better and higher like I was asking about in some other threads. Right now the tank lights are off and the water is still sort of cloudy from kicking up the sand, so I will get some pictures ASAP for you all!

I also went to the grocery store again to find some nori (I think that is what it is called) but couldnt find it. I had read that this is the same stuff they wrap sushi in and it is a form of seaweed and good food for both my chromis and the angel. If anyone knows of a good place to find this type of seaweed, other than the smaller grocery stores in my area, I would like to hear about them (possibly an online store????)

I also got me two more of those clams and I took a video of them in the wrapping from the grocery store and putting htem into the tank. I can see that they are alive right now, but will wait for clearer water and the lights to come back on to complete the video. This is just so amazing to me!

Tommy Gun · 10-27-2006, 06:58 PM

here is a vid of the clam! You can clearly see the big one is open a bit and filtering water!

Saltwater Tank Videos - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

gm333 · 10-27-2006, 07:15 PM

Good luck on those!

Tommy Gun · 10-27-2006, 07:59 PM

On what GM? I cant tell if you are sincere or trying to warn me about something.

Tommy Gun · 10-27-2006, 08:28 PM

Here is my bicolor angel while being acclimated (just matching the two water temps in this pic). It is actually in the tank right now and swimming a lot more that I had thought it would be since I have heard they tend to be shy.

gm333 · 10-27-2006, 10:02 PM

Sorry forgot you guys dont know me that well, its sincere, I have no clue on the clams, just wish you luck. Love the bi-color angels, I just had too much yellow in the tank and went with the potters angel.

ahill3780 · 10-28-2006, 09:42 AM

Hey Tommy,

I would advise caution with the clams. Adding anything in your tank that was not caught specifically for that purpose can be risky. Adding in livestock from a grocery store is definately a risky thing to do. There is no way for you to tell what materials they came in contact with during their travels to the grocer. Not knowing anything about a creature in your tank is not a good sign for the tanks future either. If you cannot ensure that you are feeding it what it needs to survive then there is no way for you to ensure that it is going to live. On the same coin there is little way for you to know when it starts dying, but when they die they could pollute your tank beyond anything you saw during your cycle, which can spell disaster for your other tankmates.

Always take caution when adding any 'unknowns' to the tank, as well as any wild-caught livestock that you catch from the ocean, and try to always quarantine these aquisitions for a month before risking your main display tank.

Nori is dried seaweed and is used in making sushi, yes. Most grocery stores that I have seen do not carry this. Even here in Atlanta you have to go to oriental markets to find this stuff. I don't think your average chain store is going to carry it. I don't know of anywhere online to get it, but I'm sure you can find it if you do some searches.

Be sure to feed your Angel appropriately. They require a diet that consists of algae/seaweed/sponge foods. Some frozen foods are made specifically for Angels and you should be able to find them at your LFS frozen food section.

HTH,
Aaron

Tommy Gun · 10-28-2006, 09:59 AM

Aaron,

Thanks for the reply. I understand the concerns and am sort of amazed that you were the first to caution me as I have talked to quite a few people about these clams. I am usually looking for the negative feedback rather than the positive as it relates to my SW tank. I have been trying to err on the side of caution as much as I can. I have found some good information on these clams though and that is what promted me to get some more of them. Here is one of the sights I found:

Mercenaria mercenaria

Some other sites also state that this clam is used in large tanks (like at the Milwaukee County Zoo) to help keep substrates from 'packing' or otherwise getting too solid. The zoo around here states that they are a good option because they are less likely to become food for some of their larger preditors (sharks, I assume) versus using snails or having to have a diver go in the tank. The clam is also sold, or at least a very close relative of this one, by Dr. Fosters and Smith as a 'cleaner clam' (if I remember right). In the end, this is more of a novelty than anything else and so I dont think I will be keeping them long term and am actaully planning to cook them so that I can just put in half a shell or something for my puffer to munch on.

I have a little bit of each type of food that this angel fish should like. The best vegitable based food I could find though was Formula 1 and I think it is actually a discus food. I hope this will be somewhat comparable to the seaweed as food since I cannot find that Nori anywhere close to me. I will be researching later today to see if I can order it online or if there is a place in Milwaukee itself that I can get it at. The trouble is that most grocery stores do not really have websites that I can search for a spacific product from the comfort of my home.

Tommy Gun · 10-28-2006, 11:07 PM

So, I have a bad update on my new stocking. Regardless of what any SW fish compatability chart says, I would really suggest that no body ever puts smaller fish (clownfish, green chromis to name a couple) with a porcupine puffer. All the charts tell me that a puffer can coexist with almost anything (i think pseudochromis was the only no-no) but as the only fish in my tank capable of shredding another fish, I am certain that mine has now ate two of my green chromis.

Last night I looked into the tank and saw one of my five green chromis was not only dead, but looking like it went through a paper shredder. When I bought these fish, the LFS lady forgot to make sure that all five of the fish came out of the collection cup deal and into the plastic bag. One of the five was still in the collection cup and out of water for a good 45 seconds to a minute. The lady didnt charge me for him, but I figured that maybe the dead fish was the same one that got stuck and died from stress. I also figured that it might have gotten chewed up by one of the hermit crabs or ghost shrimp that are running around the tank.

So I have been working on my school work all day but just took a look at the tank about 5 minutes ago and there is another dead chromis that is shredded as well. If you have ever seen a porcupine puffer eat you would know what I mean about the shredded thing because they do that to all of their food (suck it in, chomp on it, spit it out, chomp on it, suck it in.....)

So, I am now mad and about to trade this puffer in even though my wife would be ultra pissed if I did. So, hope someone can learn from my mistake here!

Salt bitten · 10-29-2006, 01:33 AM

Tommy,

I had a bad feeling about your puffer and the clown. Sounds like you just fed your Puffer an expensive meal. Hey, we all make mistakes. One time I threw a cat over the fence to a pit bull, they weren't compatible either.

(note to all people on this forum: I never threw a cat to a pit bull, this was just an example to get Tommy to laugh, therefor, all cat lovers need not take serious offense to this joke, thank you.)

Sounds like your shy little puffer tricked the crap out of you. Time to throw in some aggresive fish to match the tenacity! Lyretail Wrasse maybe?

Those are awesome! Beautiful greens, constant swimmers and affordable! Can't go wrong there.

I believe they are compatible with your puffer. You should check into it.