Coralife Biocube 32 gallon......what fish are recommended

[kzitzman1]

Hi,

We recently took over an established 32 gal Coralife Biocube tank from friends. There are 2 paired clownfish already in it and we have added additional live rock, new sand and some cleaner crew as the previous owners hadn't done much with it other than get it established/cycled in the 1 1/2 year they owned it. It has now gone through a new recycling and is ready to have fish/coral added.

We have done fresh water fish but this is our first move into salt water tanks. With that I'm a researcher and have done a lot of research on line and with local salt water stores for preparation, but wanted to reach out to the group here for recommendations on the fish we should get. We are going to focus on peaceful fish and are looking for a group that is compatible, appealing to the eye, reef compatible and have great personalities. With that in mind, our initial thoughts are the following general mixture, but we are definitely open to suggestions:

1. The 2 clowns (one black and one orange ocellaris)
2. Goby
3. Firefish
4. Blenny
5. Possibly a Wrasse

I realize there are a lot of variations that could work, especially in the Goby and Blenny groups, and our goal is to pick one of each that best fits our goals above. Most Wrasse require a bigger tank and I'm not sure about going that way, but included it as it's a possibility. Greatly appreciation your recommendations and feedback based on your experiences.

Kirk

 

[Arlen nemeth]

Hi,

We recently took over an established 32 gal Coralife Biocube tank from friends. There are 2 paired clownfish already in it and we have added additional live rock, new sand and some cleaner crew as the previous owners hadn't done much with it other than get it established/cycled in the 1 1/2 year they owned it. It has now gone through a new recycling and is ready to have fish/coral added.

We have done fresh water fish but this is our first move into salt water tanks. With that I'm a researcher and have done a lot of research on line and with local salt water stores for preparation, but wanted to reach out to the group here for recommendations on the fish we should get. We are going to focus on peaceful fish and are looking for a group that is compatible, appealing to the eye, reef compatible and have great personalities. With that in mind, our initial thoughts are the following general mixture, but we are definitely open to suggestions:

1. The 2 clowns (one black and one orange ocellaris)
2. Goby
3. Firefish
4. Blenny
5. Possibly a Wrasse

I realize there are a lot of variations that could work, especially in the Goby and Blenny groups, and our goal is to pick one of each that best fits our goals above. Most Wrasse require a bigger tank and I'm not sure about going that way, but included it as it's a possibility. Greatly appreciation your recommendations and feedback based on your experiences.

Kirk

Love wrasses you could get away with a pair of sixline as they get aggresive by themselves

 

[edreefer]

For your #4 selection, I recommend a midas blenny. Lots of personality and interesting fish.

You say you already have 2 clowns in there? Clowns can be pretty agressive, especially if you add other clowns. If they have been in there a while, they may attack new additions of fish. Keep an eye on them when you do.

 

[Oropher]

You could pick fishes that serve a purpose. For instance you will need all the help with algae: lawnmower blenny, bristletooth tang, yellow tang. I know a Tang needs bigger tank, however you could get one that is tiny and once they are big, you could trade them at your LFS for tiny ones again.
Once your tank is mature then maybe the needs for algae control fish will be a lot less than the beginning of the tank.

 

[kzitzman1]

For your #4 selection, I recommend a midas blenny. Lots of personality and interesting fish.

You say you already have 2 clowns in there? Clowns can be pretty agressive, especially if you add other clowns. If they have been in there a while, they may attack new additions of fish. Keep an eye on them when you do.

Thanks for the advice. We had heard that and have a store that is willing to exchange our two current Clowns for two new, young Clowns to avoid the established ones from becoming too territorial/bullies. We also only plan on having 2 total Clowns and won't add any more. I had heard of the Midas Blenny as a good choice with personality, looks and fun in that he swims with an eel style. My only hesitation is that I've heard they can be finicky about food and can be pushy with gobies and firefish. Any thoughts on that?

 

[kzitzman1]

You could pick fishes that serve a purpose. For instance you will need all the help with algae: lawnmower blenny, bristletooth tang, yellow tang. I know a Tang needs bigger tank, however you could get one that is tiny and once they are big, you could trade them at your LFS for tiny ones again.
Once your tank is mature then maybe the needs for algae control fish will be a lot less than the beginning of the tank.

Thanks! That's great advice. We were strongly considering the Lawnmower or Starry blenny, both of which eat algae, because we liked their personality and looks. The fact that they serve an extra benefit of eating algae is another reason to consider them! Thanks

 

[Oldsman]

We have a pair of snowflake clowns , a firefish and coral beauty angel...yeah not completely reef safe w the cb..but gorgeous.
I've heard the mckoskers flasher wrasse was reef safe , and absolutely stunning colors

 

[kzitzman1]

Your coral beauty angel is gorgeous. I like the Mckockser flasher wrasse too, but it says it needs a 55 gal tank. A lot of the Wrasse's need bigger tanks than the 32 gal we have.

 

[Oldsman]

Your coral beauty angel is gorgeous. I like the Mckockser flasher wrasse too, but it says it needs a 55 gal tank. A lot of the Wrasse's need bigger tanks than the 32 gal we have.

Few of the members here said the wrasse was suitable for our 32 , I just didn't wait to order one and bought the cb first

 

[kzitzman1]

Really? I'll definitely put the Mckockser Flasher Wrasse on the list of potentials then.

 

[wheels 45]

Thanks! That's great advice. We were strongly considering the Lawnmower or Starry blenny, both of which eat algae, because we liked their personality and looks. The fact that they serve an extra benefit of eating algae is another reason to consider them! Thanks

Tail spot blennies are great! Mine picks at the rocks looking for food and hangs out in his hole in the rocks

 

[Tired]

I'd suggest a possum wrasse instead of a flasher. They need less space. I don't know that a flasher would be a good pick, but they are really pretty.

Don't get a baby tang. Never buy any fish that can't at full size be housed in a tank you already have. If you want a fish that eats algae, you can acclimate a molly to saltwater, but you should really just keep snails for algae control instead.

In a tank this size, the only utility any of your fish will have is to keep amphipods from multiplying to coral-bothering levels. Nano fish are by and large just decorative. They're fish, they don't need any purpose other than being decorative.

 

[AlexKintner]

Not on your list... but the royal gramma might be my favorite fish in our 32 cube. His colors are off the charts, and watching him dart and hover around the rockwork is really impressive.

 

[CavalierReef]

I like your stocking list. I have an "established" 32 Biocube (1 year old). I have a McCosker's wrasse, a bonded pair of Davinci clownfish, a firefish, and a Wheeler's goby with it's Tiger pistol shrimp. The tank also has a pair scarlet shrimp, a pair of peppermint shrimp that I added recently to help rid my tank of a few aiptasia that came in on a coral plug. I have a clean-up crew that consists of a Tiger conch, a few nasarrius snails, a few turbo snails and 3-4 red legged hermits. The clowns were added last (3 months) and the others have been with me since the tank cycled.

 

[jskoms]

Not on your list... but the royal gramma might be my favorite fish in our 32 cube. His colors are off the charts, and watching him dart and hover around the rockwork is really impressive.

What other fish do you have with the royal?

 

[AlexKintner]

2 ocellaris and a blue-spot goby

 

[Ghost25]

Clownfish, tailspot blenny, yellow clown goby, royal gramma, Springer's damsel, court jester goby, hi fin goby, and neon goby.

 

[Tired]

Those are some options for a biocube, all right, but you should not pick all of them. I would personally avoid a court jester unless you're certain it's eating well on prepared foods, and have an established tank.

 

[curlyreefgirl]

Do you still have the CB? If so how is it going with the corals? I really want one.

 

[kzitzman1]

We don’t. We ended up getting a 125 gal Red Sea tank and sold the 32 gal biocube. We had it for about 16 months and just sold it. I enjoyed the 125 gal tank more as it was more stable and obviously had more room for fish and coral. Good luck if you decide to get one. They are a lot of fun and beautiful but also will cost a lot and seem to take a lot of maintenance.