Re: Marine Stocking…A Sand Perch with Smaller Fishes? (Nope!) - 07/25/08 Hi Eric, <<Michael>> Thanks for your quick reply. <<Always welcome>> Sorry to hear about your finger. <<Thank you my friend…it is healing nicely thus far>> Ouch! I almost fainted when I read it (I am a real Navy Seal, am I not). <<I must admit to getting a bit weak in the knees while I was standing at the sink running water over it just after it happened…but at least "this time" I had the foresight to wrap the wound with a "wet" cloth before heading to the ER>> So The Sand Perch has to go. <<Yes…else it will certainly snack on your shrimp and some of your smaller fishes as it matures>> Well I kind of thought that would be the case. A species tank sounds nice, but the wife...you know what I mean? <<Hee-hee! Indeed I do!!!>> I think one tank is my limit. <<Mine as well>> Even though we talked about replacing my 80 G with a 150 G corner tank at some point. <<Keep working on her mate>> I will contact a local LFS store and ask them if they can take it into custody (Grin). <<Very good>> Do you think I could replace it with another fish. <<Sure>> I will then be down to 12 fishes. And what about getting another Chromis? <<I wouldn't…if the two you have are now "paired." Likely any third addition will be harassed to the point of death (which may be what happened already)>> I have a male and a female. <<Ah…well then…>> So I could have 14 fishes (I don't like the number 13). <<Mmm…was the number I wore while playing baseball, in my younger days>> Your thoughts! (Now its $2000, just send me your account number). <<Ha-ha!>> And then that would be it no more fish! <<Another small fish or two will be fine…or maybe a trio of a small Cardinal species (e.g. - Apogon leptacanthus)>> And what about the Sixline? <<Is a gamble>> I like it but will replace it if I have to. <<Opinions will vary… Just keep an eye on it…and be cautious re introducing any fishes of similar shape/size>> And the Rusty Angel too, but what a beautiful fish, well at least in my opinion. <<Agreed>> I love this hobby! <<Me too!>> Thanks for all your help Eric <<Is a pleasure Michael>> Who knows? Maybe one day we can have a beer together. I would like that very much. <<As would I!>> Take care my friend, Michael Fick Denmark Drag? (A city close to the seaside, I live half a mile from the ocean) <<And you, mate. Eric Russell…Columbia, South Carolina (about 150 miles to the ocean)>>

Stocking Without Researching…Tale of a Lesson Learned - 07/28/08 Hi Eric, <<Hi Michael>> Here is a little update, about what have happened in terms of The Sand Perch. It has been an interesting couple of days. <<Oh?>> And maybe someone can learn a little bit, about what NOT to do when it comes to buying, before doing proper researching. <<Ah yes>> After spending most of a day trying to catch The Sand Perch with a net (several nets actually) unsuccessfully. I tried a new strategy. (Not one of the LFS shops I contacted had any fish traps left) I cut the bottom of a cola bottle. And put some food in it, and managed to capture almost every single fish I have except... well you know. <<Ha, indeed! Always seems to be the case>> I spent another 1 1/2 hours doing this. My patience was running dry. Then I managed, to get hold of a large piece of glass, so I could divide the tank up in two halves, removed the corals and the live rock. And was the moment of truth (At least I thought so) there was a tiny hole, where the fish could squeeze itself through. So I found another little piece of glass to cover that hole. And then the hunting could begin. <<Queue the stalker theme music from the movie 'Jaws'>> The fish swam like its life was at stake, <<In its mind it is/was>> it didn't know that that was not my intention, although I was warming up to the thought of it, considering what I had been through the last couple of days. I almost had it, and THEN the tiny piece of glass tipped over and the fish went through to the other side of the tank. <<Ah…typical, eh>> At that moment I have to admit that I lost my temper a bit, and said some words I would normally not say. <<Hee-hee!>> So I took a piece of live rock and put it in the tank, because I knew that it favored that side of the tank, I opened a tiny hole so it could squeeze itself back. And BINGO, that was what it did, and this time I got it and put it my sump. <<Success!>> I decided to take a look about 15 minutes later to see how it was doing, and it WASN'T there, <<Ulp!>> I couldn't believe it I started looking frantically after it. And then I found it; it had JUMPED into a different area of the tank, near the return pump. Luckily the return pump was shut off at that point; otherwise it might have been sucked into it. But I got it and put in a plastic container with a tight lid on, and put it into the tank, and tomorrow it will go back to a LFS store, and that will at last be the end of that story. <<Mmm…do punch some holes in the container to allow water exchange>> So DON'T buy any livestock without knowing precisely what it is. <<Indeed…as well as its needs/requirements…and your ability to provide re>> It's just not worth it. And on top of that it attacked my newly introduced Fridmani and hurt its eye. I hope it will heal up. <<Depends on the extent of the damage…but observation, along with providing good nutrition and maintaining excellent water quality is what I recommend at the moment>> I have waited 9 months for that fish, but I didn't think it was large and strong enough to attack the Fridmani, but it was. It also attacked and killed, and ATE, a Hectors Goby, which I introduced with the Fridmani. I don't want to think what could have happened in the future. <<Yes…as the perch got larger mayhem would have ensued>> But something good did come out of it, I decided to rearrange all the live rock, and I think I got a more Reef like setting. <<Cool>> The new fish a Fridmani and a Banggai Cardinal will have a chance to get settled more easily maybe. <<Possibly, yes>> The Rusty Angel doesn't seem to care about the Argi any more (hope it lasts) and I also got hold of an annoying shrimp I bought some months ago (again without researching) which have been feeding of my polyps and corals (Dancing Shrimp, Rhynchocinetes durbanensis). <<Ah yes…these shrimp are quite opportunistic/destructive in reef systems>> So all is not bad (Grin) Thanks again for your advice Eric, even though it included a lot of work (Grin). <<All for the best I think>> A couple of side questions Eric. Will a small cycle begin after I have rearranged the live rock; some of the live rock was out of the water for a short period of time (ran out of buckets). <<This does often happen…due to the disturbance and exposure of organic material/detritus along with disturbance and damage to some biological function. But the resulting cycle is often small and easily managed with simple monitoring and performing water changes to dilute as/if necessary>> Can I add another Hectors goby (Amblygobius hector) or could the Fridmani pose a threat to it? <<It may…But if the Dottyback is a "cultured" specimen, and considering it is a recent addition as well, I think your chances of doing this successfully are best if done sooner rather than later>> I lost another Chromis during all this commotion, I only have the male back, can I add a couple Chromis (two female) Don't you think that he will perish if he is alone? <<They are certainly "social" animals in the wild, though the unnatural confines of captive care can often change/effect behaviors. I think you can do either here, add a couple more or keep it as a single specimen…up to you>> Or (I know this maybe a long shot, is it possible to add a male Fridmani, to keep the female I got, company? <<Unless "acquired" as a mated pair, I would not try this in your 80g system>> If not, you know my stock list, anything else you think I can add as a last fish. <<You mention the Banggai Cardinal was also a new addition…I think replacing the Chromis will pretty much fill you up mate>> What a story this has been. Thanks for your great help Eric, I really appreciate it. <<Always a pleasure>> I will now drink an ice cold beer (It is hot in Denmark right now, not complaining, it has been raining almost constantly for the last two summers prior to this) in honor of you Eric. <<Ah well…then have two!>> Once again take care my friend, Michael Fick, Denmark signing off (Local time 00:40 AM) <<And you Michael… Sk?! Eric Russell…about 8:00am here (is it too early for beer?)>>

Re: Stocking Without Researching…Tale of a Lesson Learned - 07/28/08 Hi again Eric, <<Hej Michael>> Well the Chromis made it, against all odds it showed itself in the tank this morning. So I am up to two again. So I guess you can forget the Chromis question (Grin). <<Meget godt>> Take care Eric. Michael Fick Denmark <<Vi ses! Eric Russell>>

Re: Stocking Without Researching…Tale of a Lesson Learned - 07/29/08 Hi Eric, <<Hello Michael>> Thanks (again) for your quick reply, <<And as always…welcome>> Well the good news is that the Fridmani's eye seems to be healing, it looks considerably today. <<Perfekt!>> The bad news is that the Fridmani killed my Firefish (Decora). <<Mmm…sadly, not a great surprise. Too similar in size, shape, feeding habits, and environmental preferences…being "purple" didn't help either>> Apparently a fight occurred during the night over a cave that the Firefish have been using since I introduced it to the tank. <<More likely that once the Pseudochromis decide it wanted the cave…the Firefish never had a chance>> A large chunk of its tale was missing. And it was just lying on the bottom of the tank while snails and shrimps tried to get a piece of it. So I put it to sleep. <<For the best>> The Fridmani has also shown some interest in the shrimps, but the Sixline and the Bicolor seems to put it in its place. I don't want another Firefish, to risky. <<Yes…especially with the Pseudochromis "established">> Could I replace it with another Banggai Cardinal? Or another fish? <<If you can manage a "pair" I think another cardinal would be fine>> Thanks again Eric <<My pleasure Michael. Eric Russell>> P.S. Your Danish is really starting to pick up. << Tak skal du have!>> Maybe you have a talent for it (Grin). <<Ah well, more a talent for finding words and simple phrases on the NET…if only I shared Bob's extraordinary ability for learning/memory/retention. Oh yeah! His beer drinking ability is pretty good too! [grin] Cheers, EricR>> <Oh yeah! B>

R2: Stocking Without Researching…Tale of a Lesson Learned - 07/30/08> Hi again Eric. <<Hey Michael>> Another follow up question. <<Okay>> What are the odds of finding another Banggai Cardinal that can coexist with the one I already have? <<Hit and miss… There is no sexual dimorphism or dichromatism so sexing them is pretty much a matter of observing behavior. Juveniles of this species can/will get along together as a group for a while, but once they start to sexually mature they become brutally aggressive toward conspecifics unless "paired up." If you have the patience for it, you can try placing mature individuals together one at a time and see how they behave. If fighting breaks out you likely have two specimens of the same sex and one will need to be removed. You will need to repeat this until you find a pair that seem to "get along." A lot of trouble yes…but once you have that pair, their behaviors will be more natural and their longevity/quality of life will also likely be improved. You will also very likely get to witness breeding behavior as these fish are known in the trade as "saltwater guppies" re. Another option might be to ask your LFS to get you a mated pair (maybe just identified/separated out from a bunch at the store) and trade in the one you have>> And I know a Decora won't work, but do you think that a Firefish (magnifica) will work, and if it will, will a single specimen be all right or does it have to be a pair? <<I think your Pseudochromis will very likely take issue with "any" Firefish species, considering its previous behavior re>> Again take care, and watch that finger of yours! Michael Fick Denmark <<Stitches out tomorrow! Eric Russell>> P.S Are you saying that Bob has a drinking problem (grin)? <<Ha-ha! Nope! When Bob and I get together…drinking is no problem at all! EricR>> <I do, admittedly, sometimes spill. B>