Finally tracked down a figure 8 last night

[rockershocker]

So i finally found one of these little guys last night after looking for a good 3 weeks, I called 7 places last night and finally found one that had 2 of them. I've been to this place before and I like it alot, they have a large brackish community and cheap plants. I got 2 of my first 3 bb gobies there and bought two more last night.

so my current set up is:
20g long, pool filter sand substrate, lacerock, 1.005sg.

1 figure 8: Nebikinezer
1 molly: Shaniqua
5 bb Gobies: no names

alot of Valisnera(thats what they labeled it at the lfs, no specific name like jungle val or anything) and alot of sagiteria. all of the plants are short and grassy, not very tall. at the most they come up to about 3/4ths of the way up the tank.


So far I've noticed a few things about this little guy, he's about 2 inches head to tip of his tail, hes got the classic figure 8 design. He was pretty bored with his tank until i fed him about an hour after i got him last night, ever since then he's been looking for snails and blackworms nonstop . He can eat anything and everything, he's like a tiny garbage disposal, so much easier than getting my DP, Timbukthree to eat. He's absolutely adorable and i think he already recognizes the red Tupperware where i keep the blackworms. He gets along pretty well with the molly, I just read in someone else's post that they might not get along well(we'll see how that goes after a week or two).


1) will java moss attach to lace rock?
2) is there a company that makes a good light for a 20 long?
3) How do I get the black worms down to the bbg's before Nebikinezer eats them all?
4) How many black worms should i feed him? and how often should i feed snails?
5) Can anyone suggest an easy to use fertiliser for the plant setup that I have?
6) since I wont be able to keep any MTS alive, how often should I stir my sand and how should I go about it?
7) any suggestions for Brackish plants? I know he won't stay into this setup for long and I don't want him to start glass surfing.

any other advice for a new fig 8 owner would be great. also if you can only answer one of my questions thats cool too. thanks in advance guys.



edit* just found this:

if you are thinking of doing live plants, cycle your tank as freshwater, then raise to low-end brackish. this is because plants need to be acclimated to the salt very slowly, over a few weeks to get to 1.005 --- otherwise you will have to start another tank and bring that up slowly. (i learned that one the hard way) --

any other way I can acclimate them?

[crazedpuffer]

I think thats basically it. Isn't your tank setup already though?

[rockershocker]

I should really just get your email and send you all my questions cp haha. and yes the tank has been cycled for about three weeks to a month, it was pretty lifeless except for my molly and the three bbg's. thanks for the tips on feeding on the dp forum

[crazedpuffer]

Your welcome!
Thats gonna be kinda difficult acclimating the plants to that sg. Maybe you should just lower it by .002 a week untill it's at zero, plant it, and very very slowly bring it back up. That would probablly be the easiest.

[Jay.B.]

Java Fern tolerates brackish rather well, throw it straight in, mine has done just fine.

[rockershocker]

good to hear. I'll have to pick some up next time i'm at the lfs.