Fish Selection/ Maroon Clown, Leaf Fish Compatibility

[Random Aquarist]

Well, I've ordered my float valve, and I'm once again on my way to setting up my tank. I just need to setup my auto-top-off and skimmer then I'm good to go.

Anyways, here are my ideas for stocking my tank:

A:
Maroon clowns (Premnas biaculeatus)(pair)
Banded Coral Shrimp(Stenopus hispidus)(pair)

Optional:
Firefish(Nemateleotris magnifica)(pair)
Filamented Flasher Wrasse(Paracheilinus filamentosus)(4+)

B:
Maroon clowns(Premnas biaculeatus)(pair)
Leaf Fish(Taenianotus triacanthus)(pair)

Along with the above-stated livestock, I would have a BTA(Entacmaea quadricolor), some Nassarius snails(Nassarius sp.), and some Cerith snails(Cerithium sp.). Motile-invert-wise, I'd have a boat-load of Turtle weed(Chlorodesmis fastigiata), some various Acropora corals(9 species in mind), and maybe some Bubble Coral(Plerogyra sinuosa) or Stylophora(Stylophora pistillata).

Anyways, would these configurations work? Would the anemone possibly eat the wrasse? Even if it's protected by the clowns?



On a different note, if I go with Option B, I will stock in the following order:

Turtle weed, snails
Leaf fish or coral
Leaf fish or coral
BTA, 1 small clown
1 small clown

Would the leaf fish eat my clowns when they are juvies? Would the BTA eat the leaf fish? Even if the clowns stay with their BTA?

[FMarini]

I can't answer the clowns and leaf fish question, because I have never kept leaf fish w/ anything else.
IME, Leaf fish are slowwww methodical hunters and eaters. The require slow nonharassing tankmates, and honestly i've not found any other fish to be as slow (expect maybe seahorses).
Ergo, it is always suggested to keep leaffish in a species tank where you can ensure they are feeding properly.
Which brings up the next point, you really have to feed live foods to leaf fish, which IME is small ghost shrimp, lots of them, and the fish may never wean onto prepared foods. So again once you dump live ghost shrimp in a tank w/ active swimming fish, they actively eat all of the ghost shrimp and the poor leaf fish get none.

My personal opinion if you want leaf fish set up a small (10gal nano) for them, and keep the clown in another tank
You might also want to read up on keeping leaffish here
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...hcs3/index.php

frank

[Random Aquarist]

Well, if I can't feed them pellets or flake food, I can always just buy silversides and wiggle them. I plan on buying leaf fish from LiveAquaria's Diver's Den, so I can always ask them about their feeding ritual before I make a purchase.

Also, in order to keep the clowns away, I can just feed them full before I feed the leaf fish.

Well, I'll keep this thread in my Favorites, so when it comes down to the time where all this info is relevant, I'll bring it back up.

Thanks, Frank, for the help.