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Saddleback Toby : One Question and One Cool Observation

GDawson

GDawson

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So I picked up a saddleback toby approx a month ago. Great fish! Fun personality, always out in the open, eats everything, and holds its own against the Psycho-Anthias. What’s not to like?

Question:

Are they shrimp compatible when they get older?

Observation:

So after the first week I was watching it and it took to crap like a clydesdale. A good chunk of the feces was very green and apparently full of plant matter given the texture. Looking in the tank there were 3 or 4 small dense patches on hair algae on the rocks I hadn’t been able to get rid of….they were gone. Never heard of tobys being used for hair algae control but it seems they like it…a least this one does.

-Gregory
 
They get a little more aggressive as they get older - mine started going after snails, but I never noticed him showing any interest in my sexy or peppermint shrimps. The sexies are guarded by mean little anemones though, and the peppermint shrimps are cryptic anyway. He'll chew on random bits of algae (and nori sheets!) as well as any bugs he can find, and the occasional bite of SPS. Hit the tank with a flashlight at night too, their sleeping behavior is super cool. :)
 
Always wanted to get a Toby but was weary since they aren't fully reefsafe and have plans to fully converting tank to hold small gobies only and would most likely be a target to a growing Toby.
 
They're "close" to reef safe... you may lose some snails/shrimp, and you may see nibbles on your acroporas, but it's manageable if it's your "dream fish" or something. They're not super fast swimmers, I doubt they'd have any hope of catching most gobies.

IMO the mimic filefish is a better choice - way less damage and they stay a bit smaller and less aggressive.

Crappy pic, but...
IMG_0380-Edit.jpg
 
Yeah, a bit of a bummer that they're not more common - I've only ever seen ONE (mine) for sale at an LFS, but they're available from LiveAquaria on a regular basis. Probably one of those things that has to be mail-ordered, or a special request at your fav LFS.
 
Thanks for the comments Jess, good to know about the shrimp. I have a few small hermits left over from the tank start up that will prolly become food at some point for it. As far as I can tell he sleeps belly against the galss, nose down, in the top corner of the tank. Kinda odd. Great fish though. He/She's learned to beg now whenever I walk in front of the tank.

@650-IS350 - I miss Marley.

-Gregory
 
LMAO thanks Greg.

My wife really wants me to get a Toby... but I doubt it will co-exeist with a bunch of Nano-fish plus with 2 MP10's, a K2 and MJ1200 don't know if it can handle that type of water movement without stressing?
 
My softie tank's current isn't that powerful...just a couple of Korrolia(sp?) 4s and a return of approx 750gph in a 75gal tank. The high current areas seem to be ok for him but he does tend to stay in the low current areas. When he gets bigger (Live Aquaria says approx 4") I would think the higher current would be OK. He's only about 1.5" now.

-Gregory
 
Dammit I'm so torn and really want to get one... just fear him going after all the Nano fish I'm getting to replace my fish list in the cube.
 
How big is the nano? These are 4" according to Live Aquaria. A little big for a nano IMHO...mebbie you should look at the mimic. Jess says they're smaller but I don't know how much.

-Gregory
 
Well the tank is 37 cube but what I want to put in there are Nano Fish...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+2124&count=38&s=ts
http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Browse.asp?Category=Fish%3AGobies

as most of these fish I'm getting are around .75" to 1" only, I don't want to have bigger fish anymore and would rather have a bunch of little buggers running around the tank... So I'm affraid that If I do get the toby and gets around 2"-4" that the little nano fish would be a meal to him.
 
Love my toby but in that environment I'd pass unless you're going for a specimen tank. Stick with the smaller/multiple fish.

-Gregory
 
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