MarineDreamer
Est. April 2nd, 2005
Hello Lee, Others;
So while I’m taking a break from plumbing, (the kids were learning choice, new words to repeat to their Mother) I started to read up on QTing new additions to my tank.
In the post, “A Quarantine Process,†we read: “NOTE: Only quarantine one fish at a time.†I’ve read and understand the reasoning behind this concept, and I agree.
One of my goals with this tank is to have four or five Centropgye argi with the ultimate goal of being able to witness the dominant hierarchy social structure and hopefully, spawning behavior.
With Centropyge sp being protogynous hermaphrodites, (all males result from female sex change) which metamorphosis is socially controlled, and that females will start to exhibit “masculine†behaviors within a week with the sex change being completed in about twenty days; (Michael, 2004) I wanted to introduce all the fish at the same time in the hopes of reducing or eliminating aggression between the fish, (this course of action is normally suggested with regards to keeping more than one Centropyge spp in a tank) and trying to keep the females, well females. This would also spread any aggression between the fish.
I can’t possibility house five twenty gallon QT tanks:shock:, let alone conscientiously afford to purchase the equipment for five QT tanks, four of which I don’t plan on using again.
One of my first questions is: Will a Centropyge sp, specifically a Centropyge argi, without contact with another Centropyge sp, become a male? My thinking here is that a dominant male’s behavior will suppress male hormones and that without this interaction, females become males. I think that this would lead to my worst case scenario; a fish makes it through quarantine; and before the next fish gets finished with it’s QT process, the first has become a male and claimed a territory, and sees only one other conspecific when the second, now a male, is introduced into the first’s territory.
My second question is: can a Centropyge sp male, revert back into a female? I thought that I had read some where that scientists/researchers were theorizing that this was possible, but I have but unable to locate any resources saying that this had been confirmed. If this is the case, could I set up two QT tanks, and introduce in pairs? Would this facilitate the one harem, or would I be creating two pairs that would have to establish territory within the first pairs’ territory? One step further, what would happen with the introduction of a third pair or a single (fifth) fish?
And finally my third question; has someone thought outside the box, (or the tank as the case may be:lol
and have a solution that would allow me to QT five fish simultaneously without the need to set up five QT tanks?
Some details about the tank set up. The main display is an 8x2x2 SPS reef, supported by a 40 gallon sump and 110 gallon refugium. Potential tankmates may include a trio of Mandarin gobies, three Zebrasoma tangs, seven Chromis sp, two Gramma sp, one Tinker’s or Hawaiian Butterfly, one Blue Faced Angelfish, two anemonefish, one Bullet goby, and one flasher wrasse. I say potential because I have not finished my research into all these fishes. And in an effort to keep in the accounting department’s good graces, I try to consider fishes that she likes. (Why does she always point at the obligatory stony coral feeders and ask, ‘what about that one?’)
On a side note Lee: thanks for all time that you put in here. A lot time went into those stickies, and though it may feel at times that no one reads them; I sure found them to be helpful.
Thanks in advance, Everyone!!!
So while I’m taking a break from plumbing, (the kids were learning choice, new words to repeat to their Mother) I started to read up on QTing new additions to my tank.
In the post, “A Quarantine Process,†we read: “NOTE: Only quarantine one fish at a time.†I’ve read and understand the reasoning behind this concept, and I agree.
One of my goals with this tank is to have four or five Centropgye argi with the ultimate goal of being able to witness the dominant hierarchy social structure and hopefully, spawning behavior.
With Centropyge sp being protogynous hermaphrodites, (all males result from female sex change) which metamorphosis is socially controlled, and that females will start to exhibit “masculine†behaviors within a week with the sex change being completed in about twenty days; (Michael, 2004) I wanted to introduce all the fish at the same time in the hopes of reducing or eliminating aggression between the fish, (this course of action is normally suggested with regards to keeping more than one Centropyge spp in a tank) and trying to keep the females, well females. This would also spread any aggression between the fish.
I can’t possibility house five twenty gallon QT tanks:shock:, let alone conscientiously afford to purchase the equipment for five QT tanks, four of which I don’t plan on using again.
One of my first questions is: Will a Centropyge sp, specifically a Centropyge argi, without contact with another Centropyge sp, become a male? My thinking here is that a dominant male’s behavior will suppress male hormones and that without this interaction, females become males. I think that this would lead to my worst case scenario; a fish makes it through quarantine; and before the next fish gets finished with it’s QT process, the first has become a male and claimed a territory, and sees only one other conspecific when the second, now a male, is introduced into the first’s territory.
My second question is: can a Centropyge sp male, revert back into a female? I thought that I had read some where that scientists/researchers were theorizing that this was possible, but I have but unable to locate any resources saying that this had been confirmed. If this is the case, could I set up two QT tanks, and introduce in pairs? Would this facilitate the one harem, or would I be creating two pairs that would have to establish territory within the first pairs’ territory? One step further, what would happen with the introduction of a third pair or a single (fifth) fish?
And finally my third question; has someone thought outside the box, (or the tank as the case may be:lol
and have a solution that would allow me to QT five fish simultaneously without the need to set up five QT tanks?Some details about the tank set up. The main display is an 8x2x2 SPS reef, supported by a 40 gallon sump and 110 gallon refugium. Potential tankmates may include a trio of Mandarin gobies, three Zebrasoma tangs, seven Chromis sp, two Gramma sp, one Tinker’s or Hawaiian Butterfly, one Blue Faced Angelfish, two anemonefish, one Bullet goby, and one flasher wrasse. I say potential because I have not finished my research into all these fishes. And in an effort to keep in the accounting department’s good graces, I try to consider fishes that she likes. (Why does she always point at the obligatory stony coral feeders and ask, ‘what about that one?’
)On a side note Lee: thanks for all time that you put in here. A lot time went into those stickies, and though it may feel at times that no one reads them; I sure found them to be helpful.
Thanks in advance, Everyone!!!
