I just picked up a super cheap yellow assesor basslet from my LFS and I'm excited to add it to the mix. I've already got a pretty established crew in my 55-gallon display tank - a royal gramma, yellow eye tang, lawnmower blenny, 2 percula clowns, and a variety of coflakes (frogspawn, zooanthids, hammer, mushrooms, and xenia) and inverts (turbo snails, peppermint shrimps, and hermits). My refugium's got a green carpet anemone and a small domino damsel.
My main concern is the compatibility between the yellow assesor and my royal gramma - both being basslets, I'm wondering if they'll get along.
Also, I'm curious about the potential for conflict between the carpet anemone and my coflakes, even though they're in separate parts of the system. I've lost two green chromis recently, and I'm thinking it might be due to chemical warfare or red slime algae toxins. Should I start running carbon to detoxify the system?
A guide to basslet compatibility
Re: A guide to basslet compatibility
I just got a very cheap yellow assesor basslet from my LFS - £50 is the usual price tag, so I feel like I struck gold.
I've got a pretty established tank, with a royal gramma, yellow eye tang, lawnmower blenny, 2 percula clowns, coflakes like frogspawn, zooanthids, hammer, mushrooms, and xenia, and inverts like turbo snails, peppermint shrimps, and hermits in the 55-gallon display tank. My refugium's got a green carpet anemone and a small domino damsel.
My main concern is the yellow assesor and royal gramma - since they're both basslets, I'm worried they might not get along.
Assessors can be pretty aggressive, especially with their own kind. I'm not sure I'd chance it, to be honest - they're a nightmare to catch. If I had to choose, I'd keep the assessor.
As for the carpet anemone and coflakes, I'm wondering if they'll fight even though they're in different parts of the system. I've lost 2 green chromis recently, and I'm thinking it might be due to chemical warfare or red slime algae toxins.
It's unlikely the carpet anemone would affect the coflakes in the main tank, and I don't think cyano would be the direct cause of the fish deaths. High phosphate levels might be the culprit, though.
What are your thoughts on this? Have you got any test results to share? Are you running phosphate remover? What's your lighting setup like in the sump?
Should I run carbon to detoxify whatever's killing my fish?
Not sure, but test results would help. Running activated carbon won't hurt, though.
I've got a pretty established tank, with a royal gramma, yellow eye tang, lawnmower blenny, 2 percula clowns, coflakes like frogspawn, zooanthids, hammer, mushrooms, and xenia, and inverts like turbo snails, peppermint shrimps, and hermits in the 55-gallon display tank. My refugium's got a green carpet anemone and a small domino damsel.
My main concern is the yellow assesor and royal gramma - since they're both basslets, I'm worried they might not get along.
Assessors can be pretty aggressive, especially with their own kind. I'm not sure I'd chance it, to be honest - they're a nightmare to catch. If I had to choose, I'd keep the assessor.
As for the carpet anemone and coflakes, I'm wondering if they'll fight even though they're in different parts of the system. I've lost 2 green chromis recently, and I'm thinking it might be due to chemical warfare or red slime algae toxins.
It's unlikely the carpet anemone would affect the coflakes in the main tank, and I don't think cyano would be the direct cause of the fish deaths. High phosphate levels might be the culprit, though.
What are your thoughts on this? Have you got any test results to share? Are you running phosphate remover? What's your lighting setup like in the sump?
Should I run carbon to detoxify whatever's killing my fish?
Not sure, but test results would help. Running activated carbon won't hurt, though.
Re: A guide to basslet compatibility
I'm back after a while, and a few things have changed around here. The yellow assesor was a steal at 20 bucks, and I found out it's not a basslet, so that's one less thing to worry about.
I've got some updates on my setup - the anemone is in a hang-on refugium with the damsel, since it wasn't getting enough light. I've only got one T5 light fixture at the moment, but I'm upgrading to a metal halide next week, and I'm also moving to an 80-gallon tank.
But, I had another green and red slime algae outbreak while I was away for three days, and it killed my yellow eye tang. I was fed up, so I did an 80% water change, scrubbed the glass and live rock until there was hardly anything left, and cleaned every powerhead, filter, and piece of equipment I've got. I vacuumed up all the snail poop and refilled the tank with 80% clean saltwater, adding some crushed coral and aragonite sand this time.
When I was cleaning, the yellow assesor hid in the live rock, and I haven't seen him in two days - is he okay?
I've also got some new additions - a pink skunk clownfish, two giant green chromis, a mandarin goby (yes, I've got copepods and phytoplankton!), a blue linckia star, a neon blue cleaner goby, some dechlorinator, and an RO unit. I acclimated them for an hour and a half, and they're all looking good so far. I'll test my phosphate levels tomorrow.
Oh, and I'm still waiting to see if the yellow assesor and royal gramma will get along.
I've got some updates on my setup - the anemone is in a hang-on refugium with the damsel, since it wasn't getting enough light. I've only got one T5 light fixture at the moment, but I'm upgrading to a metal halide next week, and I'm also moving to an 80-gallon tank.
But, I had another green and red slime algae outbreak while I was away for three days, and it killed my yellow eye tang. I was fed up, so I did an 80% water change, scrubbed the glass and live rock until there was hardly anything left, and cleaned every powerhead, filter, and piece of equipment I've got. I vacuumed up all the snail poop and refilled the tank with 80% clean saltwater, adding some crushed coral and aragonite sand this time.
When I was cleaning, the yellow assesor hid in the live rock, and I haven't seen him in two days - is he okay?
I've also got some new additions - a pink skunk clownfish, two giant green chromis, a mandarin goby (yes, I've got copepods and phytoplankton!), a blue linckia star, a neon blue cleaner goby, some dechlorinator, and an RO unit. I acclimated them for an hour and a half, and they're all looking good so far. I'll test my phosphate levels tomorrow.
Oh, and I'm still waiting to see if the yellow assesor and royal gramma will get along.
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