Crown Squirrelfish and Common Cleaner Shrimp Compatibility 08/01/2008 <<Hello, Andrew here>> I currently have a Common Cleaner Shrimp in a 100 gallon reef tank. There are also a few hermit crabs and snails. I am thinking of adding a Crown Squirrelfish. Are they compatible? I see Crown Squirrelfish prey on some shrimps, does this include cleaner shrimps or is there a truce? <<These do tend to go for Polychaetes, pods and crustaceans, its a risk you'll take with this fish>> >Will be inhaled... assuredly. RMF< Thanks in advance, Don McClean <<Thanks for the question, A Nixon>>

Squirrelfish feeding   12/19/06 Good morning - my dad has a salt water tank and he has a Squirrel-fish that is several years old.  As of today, he has not eaten for almost 2 weeks. <Holocentrids do at times go on feeding strikes>   He asked our local pet store about the situation and they did give him a 5 day antibiotic to put in the tank but that hasn't helped. <... an antibiotic for what? Oh, to make a sale, give you the western ethic fix...>   I'm surprised he is still swimming but he is hanging on.  My mom thought at one point that he wasn't able to see the food when we put it in the tank (it is so rare for him not to eat because he was usually chomping at the top of the tank when you came anywhere near it with food in your hand) <Are nocturnal feeders in the wild...> ......is it possible he has a vision problem? <Yes... some common causes are related to nutritional deficiencies... age...>   He is my favorite of my dad's fish and I'm just trying to do some research to help him.  Thanks for any advice. Kari Wood <Thank you for caring enough to write, share. I would try some of these fishes favorite foods... live if you can find such... "Grass or Ghost Shrimp"... and add a vitamin, supplement prep. (e.g. Selcon) to the water... the food/s during the "lights out" period when the light is still on outside the tank so you can see what occurs. Bob Fenner>

Nocturnal feeding?    8/7/06 OK, here's a really basic question. Do nocturnal fish (e.g., a Redcoat Squirrelfish [Sargocentron rubrum]) stay nocturnal eaters, or will they adapt to daytime feeds? Grace, BJ Mora <Most all species, individuals that are nocturnal, can/do become more active during light periods in captivity. Bob Fenner>

Soldierfish as Clown Trigger toys and food items - 5/2/2006 My local dealer told me that Soldierfish can outrun clown triggers and hide under rocks. <They certainly do hide under rocks/in caves, yes.  They can likely outrun the clown trigger as well BUT do you want to take that risk?  There's still a very good chance that the trigger will make a meal of the solider.> Also, that even though they are nocturnal, they will come out during the day. Can this be true? <Yes, though you may not see much of them.  I see my soldier flit about during the day sometimes, but not much at all.  He comes out in the evenings for food and that's about all we see of him.  Your mileage may vary.  Jodie> Dale

Squirrelfish and Venom - Yep, It's True 7/20/04 Hi I would like some info on a fish called Squirrelfish. I would like to know what are the consequences when touching this kind of fishes. <it depends... most of the species in our hobby are prickly (painful/sharp) but non-venomous. But there are at least a few species that are actually harmful and venomous. As wit any fish, you need to research the species (its needs, feeding, dangers, etc). before buying it. Besides our archives, let me suggest you go to the website fishbase.org and type in the "Squirrelfish" in the common name field. It will come up with a list of species you can browse to find your own. Then you can confirm if it is venomous or not> I somewhat know their dorsal fins are dangerous and should be avoided. Please e-mail me back. <best regards, Anthony>

Squirrelfish What kind of Squirrelfish is a Sargocentron stiniferum?   Do you have any pictures of this fish that you can send me? <I think you may mean Sargocentron spiniferum. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/holocent.htm Bob Fenner>

Squirrelfish Pop Eye Bob: Sorry to bother you again, but this weekend our squirrelfish appears to have come down with what I think may be a case of pop eye. A clear bubble has appeared over only his right eye. He is eating fine, and otherwise looks normal.  The water is excellent, as I had it tested over the weekend, and just did a 10% change. The other fish all look great. I am purely speculating, but since we just started feeding krill to the puffer, and the squirrel eats a little, is it possible that this is a reaction to the krill? I read in your "bible" that sometime the best course of action is to do nothing, or perhaps treat with medicated food. I would appreciate your advice and course of treatment to take. Please be as specific as possible, Bob, as I am still new to the game and want to do the conscientious thing. Thanks, Mitch  >> Thank you for writing, and being an active part of this forum...  Well, this is exactly one of those cases of "keep water quality high, do nothing"... The Squirrel likely "bumped" the eye (if it only one-side), and will likely self-heal... Nah to the krill having an ill-effect, unless the fish got so excited in trying to get some, that it ran into something else! These sorts of "unilateral exophthalmia" sometimes take months to resolve... so, be patient.... And do try feeding the Squirrel near to lights off, or shortly thereafter... this is when they feed in the wild. Bob Fenner