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i was told that a 55 gallon would be fine for needlefish but i was concerned that it wouldnt be wide enough, what do you think?

It should be fine. Needlefish are not very active, and they usually just pick a spot in the tank and float there for the entire day (that's how they hunt). At work we have a couple of adults that someone brought in in, and we put them in a 20 gallon tank because it was the only brackish tank that was free. A few days later, they started spawning! There were red eggs on threads everywhere, but I think they eventually ate them.

Obviously they weren't too upset about being in a 20 gallon tank, so a 55 gallon should be fine.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

thats great news! assuming i do get them would adding an archer and a few dragon gobies be a problem?

p.s. nice sig i remeber that from the tonight show a few months ago

The Archer Fish will easily outgrow the tank, as they can get about a foot long. As long as you move it when it gets to big, then it will be fine for a while. I wouldn't put more than two gobies in there, because from what I've heard they are territorial towards one another and they get very large.

I also think the Archer Fish will outcompete the Needlefish and the Gobies for food, as they are pigs and will eat anything and everything you put in the tank. The Neeldlefish will need small feeders, and the best way to feed a Dragon Goby is to inject zooplankton and/or BBS in front of it with a turkey baster.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

ok so, 3-5 needlefish 2 dragon gobies any suggestions?

I think a few Knight Gobies would be nice. They get a few inches long and will live in any rocks you put in the tank, so you will have:

Three Needlefish (top)
Three Knight Gobies (middle on rocks)
Two Dragon Gobies (bottom)

None of those fish produces a lot of waste, as they are extremely skinny for their length (well the Needlefish and the Dragon Gobies anyway), but I would consider the tank fully stocked.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

im not so sure on the knight gobies they just dont do it for me. do u think a figure eight puffer, bumble bee gobies or a flounder be a problem?

Figure 8 puffer would work you would just have to be carefull because they tend to nip and eat everything in the tank. My flounder is a gas, I would just worry about the dragons upsetting it because he is VERY skittish... just my two cents.

Also, the Bumblebee Gobies may become a snack for the Needlefish.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

ok so

3 needlefish
2 dragon gobies
1 flouder
1 figure eight puffer
6 bumblebee gobies

the reason i added the bumblebee gobies and flounder any way is because i would still like to try to make it work, if it doesnt work out i can put them in another aquarium.

my plan for the aquarium was to have a pile of live rock in the right corner, seagrass in the middle and left and a big peice of dead mangrove roots in the right corner with the sand sloping up from the left to the right. the problem is i cant seem to find anything on seagrass, if it isnt possible to get any i'll just use dwarf hairgrass. do u know anything about seagrass?

i have decided to go with vallisneria though i dont which subspecies. the 55 is currently filled with black gravel about two inches high though some of it will be put in a 20g, what would happen if put half an inch of silica sand ontop?

id like some other feed back because some people say a 55 is fine for needlefish and others say its only big enough for the younger ones and id really like to get this thing started

If your going to add silica sand I recently read an article that tested how much silicates where leached into the water from the sand. So be prepaired for the Diatoms or add some Seachem Phosgaurd to remove them. I don't know about the needlefish situation but my lfs stated that they would be fine in a 55, they also stated that they eat smaller fish so the bumblebee's may become an issue. My brackish tank has a full sand bottom and the fish all love it including the puffer because its easy for him to find the snails I feed him to keep his beak in check.

I am actually going to be getting a new 55 to put in the living room to replace my 35, but I am not sure yet because I like the width on my current tank, I would just like to add some length. I will have to think on that. Anyways hope this helps with your thoughts on sand.