Lighting and Fish

So I have my 55G setup done, the cycle is complete and last night I moved my pair of clown fish into the new tank. I am looking to add a fame angel and a purple fire fish for now. Then down the road I want to add a Mandarin Goby.

Any issues with these fish being together and currently I am running no lighting because I am waiting for the reefbreeders LED light I ordered to arrive. As far as I know fish don't really require light correct? I am also planning on adding and anemone and a CUC, and emerald crab or 2 and a a shrimp.

Thanks!

 

Add the Purple Firefish first, Flame Angel one of the last. Flame's can be very picky eaters and so you will need a well established tank for it to pick at all day. Mandarin Dragonet should be ok as again one of the last as long as you have a large refugium.

Technically you don't need a light for fish. However I would not keep them in complete darkness! Ambient lighting in a well lit room should be fine.

 

The room is well lit during the day. So they will get some light. the Mandarin Dragonet is going to be the last fish added probably 9 months to a year down the road. But I need to give it time for food to grow. I just talked to a local fish store and apparently there is a waiting list for Flame Angels. So I added myself to the list and maybe a few months before I get one.

 

Weird that there is a waiting list; they are one of the most imported fish in the hobby (something like 5000 per week!). Don't worry, you will be able to get one. However, when the time comes, make sure you get one that has been at the LFS for a few weeks. At least in my experience, getting a healthy one is quite challenging. Collection could very well be the issue (i.e. possible cyanide poisoning), along with being finicky eaters as mentioned.

 

I called a different local reef shop and they told me most of the flames are wild caught and usually come in with parasites. They don't get them in very often because apparently they are harder to get them parasite free.

 

Sounds like you have some realistic plans for the fish you want to keep. Flames are pretty awesome. They are very expensive around here unfortunately.

 

So I stopped by one of my LFSs and they had 2 flame angels for sale. I was planning on waiting but didn't. He was dropped in the tank on Saturday afternoon. The guys at the LFS seemed to be a little rough in getting him out of the holding tank. He didn't look very well on the way home or in the acclimation tank. He was kind of leaning against the side and not moving around much.

So I finally moved him into the DT and he is doing much better. it took him awhile to find the pair of clowns but they seem to be getting along quite well. He is normally cruising around the rocks and nibbling on some algae on the rocks I moved from the old tank. i also bought some Nori sheets and attached some to the side of the tank with a clip. I haven't seem him eat any of it, but he is eating the shrimp mixture food and pellets.

Hopefully he does well. I really like him.

 

Doesn't surprise me that it isn't touching the nori. They really aren't big eaters of algae sheets. They do love about everything else though, including meaty foods as you have found. Here is hoping he does well for you!