Stocking Suggestions - looking or that "last fish"

[digital-audiophile]

Glenda just about had me sold on the cardinals on the weekend, Oceans has a few in right now but none of the literature they had (nor was their internet working) that would allow us to find out how to sex them so we could get a m/f pair. What I have found since though is that you cannot tell It has been suggested that you buy 3 or more and find if two pair off and then remove the third before it is killed.

I've tried a manadrin before but it starved as I do not have a big enough pod poulation (nor a refugium to grow them)

I've also considered foxfish but my pansy side comes out as I am afraid of getting stung, or worse my daughter as she likes to stick her hands in the fishtank when I lift her up. (I created a monster becuase now when we go to the LFS's she is at just the right height when I carry her for her to stick her hands in every tank. )

[Delphinus]

I'm not sure about "impossible" to tell apart. Difficult maybe, I don't think I can tell the difference but there is supposedly a difference. Something like males have a more bulldoggish look to their jaw. Basically, since the males are mouthbrooders, their mouths are bigger (and slightly different shape) than females' mouths. I had both females as mine, which also made me wonder if having an unpaired female might lead to them becoming eggbound. It might be better to have a pair, but then you have the problem of them trying to breed. I say "problem" because while it's cool to see fish breed, it's more work on you to raise the fry, and it's hard on the males who don't eat for months at a time while brooding. They don't hardly get their strength back up before having another brood, so very often the males end up starving to death. It's one reason I've sort of steered clear of trying a pair myself.

Mandarins can be trained onto mysis, but the onus is on you to be sure they still get enough as they're sort of ponderous about eating. ("Is this food? Is this food? Is this really food? Oh, I guess it was, because my tankmates just ate it all.") So possible to try one but a little more work for you at feeding time.

Yeah, I love rabbitfish but shied away from suggesting one for two reasons. 1) They're pigs and grow quickly. The max size of most rabbitfish are really too big for most of our tanks. One reason I've been looking for Siganus doliatus is that it's one of the smaller rabbitfish. It also happens to be one of the prettier rabbitfish, bonus. The only thing is ... well ..I've been trying to buy one now for TWO FREAKING YEARS. I ask and I ask and I ask the stores, and they never get them in. For some reason they are just not coming into western Canada. I don't know why, because they seem to be readily available south of the border.

You can try the similar Siganus virgatus though, also very pretty, and although max size is slightly larger than the doliatus, it's not by much.

Here are some pics of my 2 virgatus:



Very fast growers. The little guy I bought in December was barely 1.5" when I got him (or her). Now in March is already half the size of the larger, easily 3"-3.5" I would wager. Great personalities though, total sweethearts.

Oh and I have the same thing with my little guy putting his hands in his tank. He has to be lifted to get up to tank level but he really wants to help with feeding and all that. I don't worry about him and the rabbits though, I mean he'd have to grab the fish or something, and that's just not going to happen, they see us coming and shy away from the surface.

[digital-audiophile]

Have they ever stung you or are you afraid of getting stung? I remeber being in Golds one day when Dennis was hit by a lionfish and that did not look like any fun.

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

Have they ever stung you or are you afraid of getting stung? I remeber being in Golds one day when Dennis was hit by a lionfish and that did not look like any fun.

No, not at all. To me, their personality is quite docile and timid really. I imagine the only risk would be if I had to catch them, I guess I'll have to cross that bridge eventually. But no, no cause for concern otherwise so far.

[ponokareefer]

I'd second the dottyback suggestion. Mine took a while to come out, but now that he has, he is always out and about. You could also pick up a tank raised dottyback, that are supposed to be much hardier, like I did. They have great little personalities! A dottyback won't add to your bioload, like my foxface does. Also, my regal tang and foxface don't get along real well. The other issue with foxfaces is sometimes they can start to eat corals.

[Delphinus]

Two other suggestions ... hawkfish and dottybacks maybe?

Flame hawk:

Might not initially get along with your sixline though. My sixline tried to pick fights with the hawkfish at first.. until about day 3 and the flame started fighting back. Did some damage to the sixline (bruises, nipped fins) and they've gotten along ever since. Basically the sixline will bully anyone he can... once he's discovered that everyone else is bigger and stronger than him, he stays in line.

In fact, that reminds me, yeah, I would actually stay away from a mandarin because of your sixline. My sixline killed my last mandarin, totally out of the blue and without warning. They got along fine until one day I found the mandarin with all her fins ripped off, she couldn't swim at all. She died later that night. I've never quite forgiven my sixline for that.

I can't quite get the colour to show up correctly in photos. This fish is much more pink/fuscia in real life: