Starting up new tank for my GSPs

[Maggiec]

So, after telling myself not to rush things, I find myself typing aquac remora in ebay
Anyway, any thoughts on this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aqua-C-Remora-M ... SwHQ9WW4PM

[Pufferpunk]

There ya go!

[Maggiec]

Busy weekend - Christmas parties already! - but the most exciting thing is that my live rock went into the tank yesterday! I agonized over the placement (in my mind's eye I was picturing all those amazing tanks like PP's & all I had were some random chunks of rock). Anyway after looking at videos/pictures I finally threw something together. After the AC110 did its job during the night I awoke to a much nicer clear tank.

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Now I am obsessively scanning the rock. I saw a few tiny bristle worms(? centipede-like), as well as a wee little orange starfish:

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What is this little orange thing? Some kind of anemone?

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[Pufferpunk]

Peer in there after lights out with a flashlight.

[Maggiec]

Aagh this morning I notice there are tons of these little orange bristle worms. I can even see the m all brrowed into sand through the glass at side of tank. Can there be too many? What will eat/control these guys? Seeing a few was cool, but a whackload of them is a bit worrisome.

Are they safe for puffers to eat?

There were also a bunch tiny shrimp or flea-like creatures scampering over the sand & rocks.

[Pufferpunk]

Bristle worms are good guys--great detritus-eaters! Puffer might try 1 but would never try that again.

[Maggiec]

Ok, after some googling, I'm pretty sure the shrimp creatures are amphipods. Looks like quite a healthy population of them.

I wouldn't mind cutting down the bristle worm population a bit. How would a six line wrasse do with GSPs?

Do you think I can add a couple of snails & hermits at this point?

[Pufferpunk]

6-line should be quick enough to escape pufferteeth. Be sure you have a good lid on there though. Every single wrasse I've attempted to keep became a carpet mummy. :/

[Hillehaus]

your bristleworm population will ebb and wane as your food source does. They will reach a sustainable population very soon. no worries! They are good for the tank!

[bertie 83]

6 lined wrasses are quick but can be evil bullies. Bristle worms will self regulate to the amount of food available. If you really want shot of some put some food in a stocking or a piece of a pair of tights and tie it so the food can't escape, leave it in there overnight and some of the worms should get their bristles stuck in the material- remove carefully with tongs ( the stocking) and bin it. Job done

[Maggiec]

Thanks for the tip - I might try that one day. I guess I was just taken aback at my lovely clean sand suddenly packed with worms. In the meantime, I'm keeping a list of possible future tankmates that will 1) not be easily eaten/killed by GSPs, 2) be useful in the tank, 3) be interesting and nice to look at

My daughter is hoping for a Nemo down the road. I guess they are pretty cute. (I'll stay away from the maroons) I know tomato clowns have been suggested as a good option, but would a Nemo be ok if there is just one? I think that would be it: 2 puffers, 1 clown?, 1 wrasse ? I think the 4 line wrasse is smaller & less mean?
Hope that is not overstocking it.

Thanks for all the info everyone!

[Pufferpunk]

I think the ocellaris are too delicate for a GSP tank mate.

[hadla]

Yeah and too small lol I have a damsel in with olive and the Toby and I think olives scared of both of them even though she's bigger!

[sgtmyers88]

Yeah I haven't seen any worms in my tank for about a year since I cut down to a 2-3 day feeding schedule.

[Maggiec]

The sand is just packed with worms right now, like 5 per square inch! They're not big, maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch. Lots of amphipods racing around when the lights go on. I think I'm leaning towards a 6 line wrasse to keep worms in check as well as hoping its toughness will help it survive. It would be nice to have tankmates.