open for 54g suggestions....

[Cap'n]

I'm currently heading out the door, so I'll only respond to this one post:

Hey duml, why don't you sell me the lawnmower and mandarin before they die on you, I'll even pick them up.

Let me get this straight.....this past summer, you put all your saltwater fish in a rubbermaid container, neglect them, slowly kill them all off except for one clown......plus you let your trigger eat all your corals.

But you want me to hand these fish over to you because you assume you're going to do a better job with them? :bang1: :bang1: :bang1:

I think you need to find a better target.

I didn't slowly kill off my fish, it all happened in one night. The "rubbermaid container" you are mocking was only slightly smaller than that tank you are attempting. I admit I should have been more prepared, I thought I was. The destination tank wasn't delivered as promised. Some of these fish were with me for years. I'll never be able to replace them. I don't think it fair to call me neglectful for one mishap during a move, while working OT, caring for a 5 month old and working on renos. Those who know me know how well I care for my pets.

My trigger didn't eat any corals, it ate the invertebrates. You know, crabs, snails, worms. There's a difference.

I wasn't targetting you. My comment was based more on the fact that the two fish mentioned rarely do well in a new tank. My system has been running for over 5 years and has a healthy population of pods and (unfortunately) hair algae. I do think it would be a better environment, but I wish you the best of luck.

Last piece of advice, pods live and breed in live rock and other media of established tanks, as an owner you can't really "feed" a mandarin copepods and amphipods. Maybe you should do a bit more research.

I would suggest that you keep asking questions, but it seems you think you know it all already. With that attitude you won't make many friends in the reefing community.

[RD.]

Your tang doesn't need nori, there are plenty of greens in the NLS.

Sheesh Paul, where do you come up with this stuff? Pablo's tangs are all borderline fat, and he doesn't supplement with anything. Darcy - if you feel the need to add nori, then make sure to buy the non salted, non seasoned stuff.

[dunl]

Hey, if you're going to step in and make comments basically telling me I should give you my fish before I kill them off, prepare to get it thrown back in your face. You mentioned the rubbermaid container, you used the term neglected. I only mentioned what you had already stated.

I wasn't targetting you.

Funny, I don't see anyone else in the thread with a blenny and mandarin.

Last piece of advice, pods live and breed in live rock and other media of established tanks, as an owner you can't really "feed" a mandarin copepods and amphipods. Maybe you should do a bit more research.

Where did I say I was going to "feed" a mandarin pods? Where?

I would suggest that you keep asking questions, but it seems you think you know it all already. With that attitude you won't make many friends in the reefing community.

Actually, it's more your attitude that is the problem, and it's an attitude that seems to be prevalent on CanReef. Many experienced reefers there seem to think that "only they" know what is best, and that anyone thinking outside of the box must be some kind of an idiot. Take my thread over there asking where to find cuttlefish....it's turned into the usual thing. "You really shouldn't keep these, why would you keep these, the fish stores shouldn't sell these...."etc.

Who cares? Did I ask for a philosophy on keeping cuttlefish? Nope, I asked where to find them, and the attitude I get is "You're an idiot because you're trying to do something I wouldn't do myself." And when you defend yourself, you're called a newbie with an attitude. Nice.

Had a guy in CF who put what appeared to be wayyyy too many demasoni in a tank, stocked with rockwork to the top. Ended up working for him, because he researched the species, and thought outside of the box - load it with these guys, overfilter it, and the agression gets lost in the crowd. He tried it, and succeeded.

The fact that I am trying to do something challenging (keeping a mandarin that has been fed mysis shrimp) doesn't mean that it's okay for you to tell me it's going to die so I should give it to you. That attitude basically tells me that even before you ask any questions, you've made the assumption that I have not done any research, asked any questions, or have any kind of a plan in mind. In other words, as an experienced reefer, you're looking down on a new reefer, similar to what happens so much on CanReef, and what people get warned about with that site.

Maybe come off the high horse, and realize that it's okay for people to do things differently. Not everything has to be as you like it to be.

Disclaimer: There's some very helpful people on CanReef. At no point am I suggesting that all members have the above mentioned attitude.

[dunl]

Darcy - if you feel the need to add nori, then make sure to buy the non salted, non seasoned stuff.

Thanks Neil. I was thinking of adding it as a "habitual" thing for pecking, instead of a nutritional thing.

[JSTR]

Your tang doesn't need nori, there are plenty of greens in the NLS.

Sheesh Paul, where do you come up with this stuff?    Pablo's tangs are all borderline fat, and he doesn't supplement with anything.    Darcy - if you feel the need to add nori, then make sure to buy the non salted, non seasoned stuff. 

So sorry Neil, at the time of the comment, I did not know Darcy was using NLS.

Yes it is quite good for all fish, my only thought on nori was for the habit tangs have to pick at things. Also many tangs are underfed, I was just bringing up some points for Darcy to consider. (and he has so I retract any statements that made it sound to the contrary) Really all one had to do, was ask him and you would have found out he has researched the purchases. And curious what having a large pod population has to do with a mandarin that eats mysid shrimp (pod become a supplement then not a stable food). Darcy, good luck, I got a mandarin that also ate mysid and it took about a month to get it onto NLS marine pellets (shamless plug for RD), hopefully yours will too.

If you do add nori, you can purchase it in basically any Asian market (cheap) jsut be sure to get pure seaweed and no flavours. Personally I do not add this to my tank, I only feed NLS and a phyto supplement.

And yes Neil, the fish love it and are thriving on it, but my only attempt at keeping a tang was met with failure due to starvation. Again as I stated it was my error, no the food.

Think that should be politically correct enough, if not let the flogging begin. :bang1:

Edited November 14, 2005 by JSTR

[RD.]

No worries Paul, I was just yanking your reef chain. :beer:

[JSTR]

I figured as much, Neil, but I am practicing my political correctness lately.

Seems I have a knack for saying whats on my mind, without filtering it.

To me this is proper, but some folks believe its not.

[Majestic_Aquariums]

Hang in there Darcy, I think the lawnmower will be fine-mine was, and I added him after 4 weeks. I also know the Capt. and I really don't think he was trying to be nasty with ya, he's a cool dude too. But I know what you mean, sometimes it's hard not to get you hairs ruffled a little, and good luck w/the stocking.

Take care.

Rob

[Cap'n]

I was told it was eating well, and it was in a bare bottom tank, so I assume the owner wasn't feeding it pods?

This is the phrase that prompted my "feeding pods comment".

Hey, by all means, try things differently. That's how we all learn, trial and error. But there are some things that have been tried to death (literally) and have been proven to be an error. I might think outside the box and attempt to keep my school of cyps with Rudy's peacock bass. Other's may say to give them my cyps because they think they would have a better chance in their tank. Who's to say who's right?

I guess I could have been more constructive with my initial comment, but I think you could also learn how to take some advice and heed other's warnings a bit better.

[dunl]

I guess I could have been more constructive with my initial comment, but I think you could also learn how to take some advice and heed other's warnings a bit better.

More constructive? More? How about even a little bit "constructive"? There was no advice in your initial post, just plain ignorance.

Hey duml, why don't you sell me the lawnmower and mandarin before they die on you, I'll even pick them up.

It's not a matter of taking advice and warnings, as you can see from my responses to the other posters. It's about you writing a really, really stupid response simply because you thought you knew better, as a more experienced reefer.

You can sugar coat it all you want, but in the end, you were in the wrong to post that, and you got called on it.

[Cap'n]

What's so stupid about knowing what a fish needs to thrive in a captive environment? Success rates with those two fish are low to begin with. Add in the fact that it is a new system and it spells danger. You may get lucky and have a mandarin that loves mysis right off the bat, and you may be able to grow good algae for the blenny in a hurry. But chances are slim. Good luck to you, and them.

[dunl]

What's so stupid about knowing what a fish needs to thrive in a captive environment?

Here's what so stupid...assuming that just because you know this information, that no one else does.

Like Paul said (and thank you for that, Paul), it's obvious if you asked a question instead of assuming, you would realize that I did research these purchases.

Have you ever kept one of these two species before?

[Cap'n]

Hey, I never assumed no-one else knew this information. In fact, I figured you had. I also figured you got caught up in the moment and purchased too many, too soon, especially for those two species.

I had a lawnmower blenny briefly when I first got my tank. I thought that since I got it from someone who already had it running that the fish would be fine. I never realized how poorly he (and I) had the tank set up until I found the fish forums online and made HUGE improvements thanks to everyone I pestered with newb questions. And you know what? I've still got more (just got my first MH light today). I think you'll find that my horse isn't actually that tall.

I never tried a mandarin yet because I used to have a six-line wrasse in my old tank that I thought would out-compete the slower mandarin. I do plan on getting one (I want the spotted species) but I want to get the tank cleaned up first following the trigger experiment. I also want to wait a bit for the pod population to multiply again (tangent: anyone tell you about pod-piles yet?).

See, I actually do want those fish, they are most likely the final two additions to my tank. So that plus the likelyhood(sp?) of a wild fish being subjected to a early retirement prompted my initial remark. Not my best work when it comes to posting on a public forum, but I think you could have taken it with a bit thicker skin.

You mentioned earlier that you were a target. Well, I think I was the target for your annoyance with that "other" forum. And just like all forums, they have their good and bad. Same as here. Go ahead and put me in whichever category you like, I can take it.

How are the fish, BTW?

[dunl]

So far, so good.

As for this thread, maybe you made a bad post, maybe I took it the wrong way. I say we agree to disagree, and move along.

[Cap'n]

That's the best thing either of us have posted so far.

:thumbs: