Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

[Omar Torres]

Currently have a 29g biocube running at 80 degrees with a salinity of 1.205. Running Steves LEDS currently at 50%. 865 gph from MJ1200 cobalt aquatics and hydor 565. Thinking about adding another head for more flow. Not sure yet.

Current inhabitants
2 ocellaris clown fish
2 peppermint shrimp
2 emerald crabs
Torch Coral
2 Caribbean Rose Coral
2 patches of zoas
Favia Brain Coral
Pencil Urchin
6 turbo snails (small guys) about 1 inch
6 nasarius snails
1 fighting conch
2 bumble bee snails


Looking to add more coral of course. Wanted to do an anemone originally but I know the biocube is too small. Want to add 3 more fish tops.

Suggestions would be lovely.

 

[Roxxiloveskittens]

Hello is this a game or not

 

[FeliciaLynn]

Agree with the tang.

We have a giant volitans in one of my service tanks who has coexisted with a pair of clowns for years, and I feel like the risk is probably negligible, in addition to quite a few tanks on here that have those guys mixed with decent results. I could do a fuzzy dwarf, but I like the look of the antennata better and they grow to the same max size.

The clowns and the gramma are definitely a risk. I have two clownfish with my very small lionfish that have been fine, but I believe its because they have a whole island of 8-9 large BTA's that they never come out of. I believe that offers them protection and makes them not tempting as food. However, it is a risk once my lionfish get larger. My fu manchu lionfish (the smallest species of lionfish) actually ate a good sized leopard wrasse and an anthias, so a gramma and clowns will never truly be safe.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Currently have a 29g biocube running at 80 degrees with a salinity of 1.205. Running Steves LEDS currently at 50%. 865 gph from MJ1200 cobalt aquatics and hydor 565. Thinking about adding another head for more flow. Not sure yet.

Current inhabitants
2 ocellaris clown fish
2 peppermint shrimp
2 emerald crabs
Torch Coral
2 Caribbean Rose Coral
2 patches of zoas
Favia Brain Coral
Pencil Urchin
6 turbo snails (small guys) about 1 inch
6 nasarius snails
1 fighting conch
2 bumble bee snails


Looking to add more coral of course. Wanted to do an anemone originally but I know the biocube is too small. Want to add 3 more fish tops.

Suggestions would be lovely.

Some options for fish that would work for a 29g would include firefish, royal gramma, swales basslet, zebra dartfish, watchman goby, possum wrasse, pink streak wrasse, yellow assessor, barnacle blennies, stigmatura blenny, neon goby.

Hello is this a game or not

No, not a game. Just trying to help hobbyists have a successful stocklist moving forward. Livestock compatibility is an important factor for their health and the hobbyist's peace of mind.

 

[LionFish47]

Would a pygmy rooster waspfish be a bad idea for a community reef tank? I have a 75g tank with rock and all, but I haven't gotten any fish yet.
Looking to add a mated pair of clownfish, an anemonea of course, some coral, a watchman gobbie and pistol shrimp pair, some other fish if I can, but saw this fish and thought it'd look great in the tank. Thanks in advance, also if someone could verify the compatibility of the other fish in a 75g if that fish won't fit in.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Would a pygmy rooster waspfish be a bad idea for a community reef tank? I have a 75g tank with rock and all, but I haven't gotten any fish yet.
Looking to add a mated pair of clownfish, an anemonea of course, some coral, a watchman gobbie and pistol shrimp pair, some other fish if I can, but saw this fish and thought it'd look great in the tank. Thanks in advance, also if someone could verify the compatibility of the other fish in a 75g if that fish won't fit in.

It's not a bad fit as long as it's tankmates are big enough not to be swallowed. They get around 3.5", so I would be reluctant to keep them with most watchman gobies, but they are completely peaceful toward fish they can't swallow.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Hello!
Looking for input on stocking my new mixed SPS Dominant Tank. The tank is 48x24x20 with a minimalist aquascape. I will insert a current picture below. My current stocking list is...

One Spot Fox Face
Percula Clownfish Mated Pair
Yellow Assessor
Small Banded Possum Wrasse

For future stocking, I am thinking I would like to add one Tang like a Kole or Bristletooth. Beyond that, I am not sure. A couple of things that are important to me...

• I need fish that will eat dry food so I can use an auto feeder when I am out of town. It's not that often but I do go away for a week at least one time per year and I don't really have anyone to sit my tank. Normally I feed a mix of frozen and dry.
  
  
• No jumpers! I don't have a top on my tank and I have had jumpers in the past and they are no longer with me.

So some fish I was thinking about in no particular order are...

• Blue/Green Chromis group (not sure how many.)
• Potters Angel (Pygmy)
• Maybe some sort of Goby? Not sure if they will eat dry
• Others?

Thanks!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hello!
Looking for input on stocking my new mixed SPS Dominant Tank. The tank is 48x24x20 with a minimalist aquascape. I will insert a current picture below. My current stocking list is...

One Spot Fox Face
Percula Clownfish Mated Pair
Yellow Assessor
Small Banded Possum Wrasse

For future stocking, I am thinking I would like to add one Tang like a Kole or Bristletooth. Beyond that, I am not sure. A couple of things that are important to me...

• I need fish that will eat dry food so I can use an auto feeder when I am out of town. It's not that often but I do go away for a week at least one time per year and I don't really have anyone to sit my tank. Normally I feed a mix of frozen and dry.
  
  
• No jumpers! I don't have a top on my tank and I have had jumpers in the past and they are no longer with me.

So some fish I was thinking about in no particular order are...

• Blue/Green Chromis group (not sure how many.)
• Potters Angel (Pygmy)
• Maybe some sort of Goby? Not sure if they will eat dry
• Others?

Thanks!

Any fish can jump, so just be mindful of that. Possible additions could include a species of damsel in the genus Chrysiptera, they are more peaceful than other damsels, sunburst anthias, barnacle blennies, royal gramma, chalk bass, neon goby.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Any fish can jump, so just be mindful of that. Possible additions could include a species of damsel in the genus Chrysiptera, they are more peaceful than other damsels, sunburst anthias, barnacle blennies, royal gramma, chalk bass, neon goby.

Thanks for this list. Will the Sunburst Anthias eat dry food?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks for this list. Will the Sunburst Anthias eat dry food?

Not initially, but they can be trained to eat pellets.

 

[Sound2]

Following this thread as it has great information and comments. We are new to reefing and have a 30 gal set up right now and working on setting up a 90 with a Emerald Sump system. We have 1 Maroon clown and just added 2 more fish that the LFS said were 2 different fish. Turns out they are both purple dottybacks, one just looks like he has a batman mask on. He's smaller and hides from the other guy. I'm hoping he makes it until we get the 90 going and he will have more room for them.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Following this thread as it has great information and comments. We are new to reefing and have a 30 gal set up right now and working on setting up a 90 with a Emerald Sump system. We have 1 Maroon clown and just added 2 more fish that the LFS said were 2 different fish. Turns out they are both purple dottybacks, one just looks like he has a batman mask on. He's smaller and hides from the other guy. I'm hoping he makes it until we get the 90 going and he will have more room for them.

It sounds like you may have two different dottybacks, the ine with a 'batman mask' will be a fridmani dottyback. They are a peaceful Pseudochromis species, which is not common for the genus. The one without the mask qill be a purple dottyback, which is more aggressive. 30g doesn't give them a whole lot of room to coexist. Hopefully you can catch one to return it, because most likely a 30g will only house one dottyback.

 

[bandit1994]

hey Patrick Cox I have a yellow watchman goby and they will eat dry. I also have 6 blue/green reef chromis and they are great fish also they will eat dry food. the only fish I have that wont eat dry is my algae blenny but here is my 40b stocking list
6 blue/green reef chromis
2 occ clown
1 algae blenny
1 yellow watchman goby
1 Banded Possum Wrasse
is this a doable list

 

[eatbreakfast]

hey Patrick Cox I have a yellow watchman goby and they will eat dry. I also have 6 blue/green reef chromis and they are great fish also they will eat dry food. the only fish I have that wont eat dry is my algae blenny but here is my 40b stocking list
6 blue/green reef chromis
2 occ clown
1 algae blenny
1 yellow watchman goby
1 Banded Possum Wrasse
is this a doable list

That list should be fine..

 

[Patrick Cox]

hey Patrick Cox I have a yellow watchman goby and they will eat dry. I also have 6 blue/green reef chromis and they are great fish also they will eat dry food. the only fish I have that wont eat dry is my algae blenny but here is my 40b stocking list
6 blue/green reef chromis
2 occ clown
1 algae blenny
1 yellow watchman goby
1 Banded Possum Wrasse
is this a doable list

Thanks for your reply! How long have you had the Blue/Green Chromis. I like those fish but I have read that they fight and you often end up with only one. Is that a worry? Thanks!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks for your reply! How long have you had the Blue/Green Chromis. I like those fish but I have read that they fight and you often end up with only one. Is that a worry? Thanks!

Sometimes chromis fight and sometimes they don't. High flow and frequent feedings seem to help.

 

[bandit1994]

I have had mine almost a month and they don't seem to want to fight

 

[bandit1994]

where is my fish I have in my 40b
6 chromis
a pair of occ clownfish
1 yellow watchman goby
1 algae blenny
and I want to add a banded possum wrasse
the reef is going to be a lps mixed reef

 

[eatbreakfast]

where is my fish I have in my 40b
6 chromis
a pair of occ clownfish
1 yellow watchman goby
1 algae blenny
and I want to add a banded possum wrasse
the reef is going to be a lps mixed reef

The algae blenny may be territorial towards the rockwork, but nothing prohibitive. That list should work.

 

[Reef kid]

I have a feeling I'm going to get somewhat policed for asking this because I have quite a bit of fish for a 75 gallon tank. But I run .02 phos and 2-5 on nitrate thanks to a turf scrubber I run so my water is pretty good. For stock currently I have:

A medium sized yellow tang who eats voraciously
A Leapord wrasse who eats anything from nori to flake
Two percula clowns
A very fat scooter blennie
A lawnmower blennie
A yellow eye Kole in quarintine
I feel like I'm missing something but if I am it is a very small nano fish
A single turbo snail
To many hermits to count

I run bioballs with a turf scrubber and phosguard to keep nitrates and phosphates in check. I have a skimmer that doesn't work real wll either.

So my question is that down the road once my Kole tang settles in do you think it would be possible to get another Leapord wrasse? Mine is by far my favorite fish and eats like a pig so my theory is that the new one is more likely to eat prepared foods around my fish. I would make it sure it was healthy and watch my parameters like a hawk