Tank Size?

[badjuju]

OK I just picked up a Gonodactylaceus ternatensis. He is currently is QT until I get his tank ready. He or she is about 2" right now. I was wondering what is the smallest tank I could put him in. I would like to keep it 5gal or less for now. I am sure I will move him to one of my bigger tanks when it get to large, but I am not ready for that yet. Any suggestions? Besides some LR and maybe a few mushrooms and zoos, he will be the only thing in the tank.

[mattyice]

5G is way too small, its the largest of the gonodactylid and i would recommend a 20G high tank at least for them

[Gonodactylus]

If you look at Roy's list, you wil find a section for Gonodactylaceus ternatensis. It is easy to sex them. Females have yellow antennal scales, males blue. Both will have the tell tale red intersegmental lines and orange meral spots. At two inches, this animal could easily live in a 10 gal. Granted it will eventually outgrow it, but that is a couple of years down the line and given the success that most people have with G.t, it probably won't live that long. G.t is a live coral specialist, In the field they usually live in the center of a branching coral head like Pocillopora damicornis. They chip away branches to form a central cavitywith one or two entrances. It might be interesting to get a grapefruit sized coloney and see if the G.t will set up residence. This is something I've been wanting to do for some time and haven't gotten around to it.


Once the animal reaches about 4 inches, I would definitely get it into something larger than a 10 gal system.

Roy

[badjuju]

Well my plan was to house it in a 5 tgo 10 gallon tank until I was ready to put it in a 75 gallon tank. This tank was going to be a fish only tank. I have a 40 gal. reef tank with small fish, so it cant go in there. I have a 125 tank that started out as a FOWLR, but ended up as a reef. Mostly softies and some sps and lps but mostly softies. The 75 gal is currently a fresh water that I am making into a salt, but was planning a fish only. So I have a few option, but they all include segrating it to its own area. I dont mind that, and I am sure I can find some large live coral to put in what ever tank I put it in to make its home in. This guy came form I think a 12 gallon nano and has been doing fine. I currenlty have it in my sump on my 125. I have put in alot if items for it to hide, and this is only a very temp. thing. Any other suggestion?