New Fish - Possibly A Mistake Though?

[bronzecat]

Hi

Have finally been adding fish to my tank over the past 7-10 days. Water params are still good and everything is going well.

These are the guys i have -

Silver belly wrasse (Halichoeres trispilus)

Flame/scarlett Hawkfish (Neocirrhites armatus)

I also have a Magenta Dottyback (Pseudochromis porphyreus) Cant get a piccie.....too fast lol. It's behaving itself at present, and feeds happily alongside the Hawk and Wrasse

However, i also have a Pink scooter (Synchiropus stellatus) Although the lfs said it will be fine, i have since leant that they are very difficult to feed and keep generally. I have started target feeding it with brineshrimp and mysis shrimp, and i believe it has been eating marine pellets.

Here he is

All of the fish are getting on well, with no real issues. The Dottyback doesn't like intrusion into its cave, but thats it really.

Any thoughts about the Scooter would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[n3ont3tra]

I don't know how big your tank is, but those fish should be fine together temperment-wise.

 

[Trod]

Done a little goggle search on this one, and I think the fish you may have there is a Dragonet, Synchiropus stellatus. and not a Pink scooter blenny, and the Halichoeres trispilus is actually a wrasse something completely differant.
Have a look here and see what you think
http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=...87&aid=1958
If this is the case then they are very difficult to feed, target feeding seems the way to go.

But all the fish are lovely

 

[bronzecat]

Done a little goggle search on this one, and I think the fish you may have there is a Dragonet, Synchiropus stellatus. and not a Pink scooter blenny, and the Halichoeres trispilus is actually a wrasse something completely differant.
Have a look here and see what you think
[URL="http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=...87&aid=1958"]http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=...87&aid=1958[/URL]
If this is the case then they are very difficult to feed, target feeding seems the way to go.

But all the fish are lovely

Yeh it is a Dragonet. lol I've actually no idea where my latin name came from. I just checked my stock spreadsheet and on there its Synchiropus stellatus, so gawd knows. They are mis-advertised in most lfs as Blennies, which is why i thought it would be fine. Going to take my book with me next time i go anywhere.

But thanks for pointing out the mistake

Just found out where that name came from.......its the silver belly's name, doh

 

[Truck]

Done a little goggle search on this one, and I think the fish you may have there is a Dragonet, Synchiropus stellatus. and not a Pink scooter blenny, and the Halichoeres trispilus is actually a wrasse something completely differant.
Have a look here and see what you think
<a href="http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=...87&aid=1958" target="_blank">http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=...87&aid=1958</a>
If this is the case then they are very difficult to feed, target feeding seems the way to go.

But all the fish are lovely

Yeh it is a Dragonet. lol I've actually no idea where my latin name came from. I just checked my stock spreadsheet and on there its Synchiropus stellatus, so gawd knows. They are mis-advertised in most lfs as Blennies, which is why i thought it would be fine. Going to take my book with me next time i go anywhere.

But thanks for pointing out the mistake

Just found out where that name came from.......its the silver belly's name, doh

you got copepods ready? i think most dragonets need them

 

[seffieuk]

As my sister rightly says you have a Dragonet, Synchiropus stellatus. They are extremely difficult fish to keep alive and require the same conditions as a Mandarin Dragonet. They need a mature tank with a lot of live rock (unless you are supplementing the tank with copepods) with a lot of copepods to feed off of with no other fish that competes for the same food source.

This fish will most likely slowly starve to death in your tank unless you have the amount of lr or a pod culture to 'top-up' the tank.

Please, please do your research before buying any live stock

The hawkfish is a lovely fish but will eat copepods and your small snails and shrimps!


As for the wrasse, it's common name is:

Four Spot, Banana,White Belly Wrasse

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scientific name: Halichoeres trispilus
Origin: Sri Lanka
Size: 5"
Minimum tank size: 50 gallons
Is it Reef safe?: With Caution, as it may feed upon feather dusters, ornamental shrimp and other similar invertebrates.
Diet: Regular feedings of meaty foods such as live and frozen brine and mysis shrimp, krill and other chopped marine meats.
Parameters: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4
Stocking: May be kept with a mate
Breeding: Non known in captivity
Sexing: Females may be slightly larger
General Price: £15-£25
General information: The Juvenile form is yellow and white/purple in coloration. The top half of the fish is yellow, while the lower half is white to purple. As the fish matures, the yellow coloration is lost to a beautiful pink coloration. Requires a 50-gallon or larger aquarium with plenty of live rock and a few inch deep sand bed which it will use for hiding and grazing. This species is a known jumper, and a tight fitting canopy is a must. It will eat fireworms and pyramidellid snails, protecting corals and clams. In addition, it may also eat feather dusters, wild shrimp, tubeworms, and flatworms. However, they will not bother polyps, mushrooms or corals

I don't remember the size of your tank - so really hope you have chosen wisely

Seffie x

 

[seffieuk]

just tried to look up your tank size, is this for your 25 gallon?

Seffie x

 

[Trod]

just tried to look up your tank size, is this for your 25 gallon?

Seffie x

Thinks its 38 gallon tank seffie.

 

[bronzecat]

I haven't got a 38(+2 circulating) gallon? I've got a 40 gallon.

With regards to research, when you are confronted by a label which states the fish is called a blenny, and the staff refer to it as a blenny and are fully aware of the customers tank set-up, one would assume that that is what it is? I wouldn't have been any the wiser researching because i would have been researching the wrong fish, if you get my drift? The lfs in question also has one of the best reputations in the Country and is often recommended by many people on many forums.

After realising myself what the fish actually was, i started to dig around for info. It soon became apparent that they are mis-labelled very frequently in lfs's (found info on a couple of other forums) and as such doesn't help the inexperienced person very much. I considered taking it back, but another person may purchase it and never realise what they have. At least i have realised my own mistake and am taking steps to to feed him correctly (Copepods culture is on order from Reefworks)

As for LR, i have near on 30kgs in the tank.

So, i can either keep him and do my best to feed him correctly; take him back to the lfs; or find someone with similar species?

Any suggestions which would be best?

thanks

 

[shibby]

it is a scooter blenny from the dragonet family, same as mandarins to look after really. you can train them to eat frozen most do its just getting them to continue doing so thats the tricky part ! the only thing i would worry about maybe is the hawk he might not take to kindly to the scooter.
i think 50 gallon min tank size for a silver belly wrasse is way excessive especially for something that will rarely exceed 4" in captivity.

 

[Trod]

Seeing as you now know what you have and how to deal with it, (good move getting culture from reefworks ) I would stick with it.

 

[bronzecat]

Thanks

I have seen the scooter eating Mysis shrimp and i am pretty sure he scooted off with "New Era" marine pellet.

So far, the only fish the Hawk has taken notice of is the Dottyback, surprisingly The Dotty normally wont let anything near his cave, however the hawk just swims in, perches himself down and the Dotty exits? The only other thing the dotty will allow is the peppermint shrimp.

I will do my best to keep the little scooter fed well

 

[mutantbigman2000]

i saw an article explaining a good way to train the fish into taking frozen food.

It basically said that you could isolate the fish (qt or breeding trap) and slowly feed frozen.

This way it would readily accept it once in the tank.

Target feeding would still be needed due to the way the fish always seems to be the last to notice anything in the tank, imo.

 

[seffieuk]

Excellent, if you can get it to eat frozen and supplement copepods you could be on to a winner - however, your 30 kg of lr will not harbour enough copods for the little chap (and even if they are eating frozen they must get enough Copepods) - start your own culture - its really simple, must be because I can do it

I still stick by: dont buy anything until you yourself are certain what it is.................I would never believe what a lfs told me (got caught like that myself) their staff vary too much, ususally they have one person who knows loads and then have lots of others who know barely anything

Anyway, hope luck is on your side

atb

Seffie x