Third fish for a 20H gallons

[CaptNemo]

Hello everyone,

I need some suggestions for a third fish for my 20H tank. It has been up and running for awhile now. Corals and clean up crews are doing great. My pair of mated Perc are doing good too. I really like it the way it is BUT kind of like to add a third fish to it. What would you guys and gals suggest?

Here are some of the fishes that i really like to keep with my two clowns:

1) some kind of a blue damsel (really tiny one, keep it for a while and return it to the pet store and buy another tiny one)

2) Six-line wrasse (i like this one but afraid that it will bully my clowns)

3) Cherub angel (afraid that it would nip my corals and the tank is too small )

4) Royal gramma (afraid that it will bully my clowns)

i know most of the gobies are ideal for this small tank but they are so small and jumping out most of the time (my tank isn't covered)


Thanks.

[moonyguy]

I have a 20gal H like you with a pair of clowns and I went with a diamond goby. Yes they are jumpers but I got a small piece of egg crate and it is just doing great in the tank. I unsucessfully tried to keep a six line. I am pretty happy with my choice. Keeps my sand very clean and also eats flake and frozen food.

[Illuminati]

The Royal Gramma would be a good choice as would a Yellow Assesor (If you can find one and want to spend the $$$) or a Chalk Bass which is a cave dweller.

[sir_dudeguy]

1) some kind of a blue damsel (really tiny one, keep it for a while and return it to the pet store and buy another tiny one)

i HIGHLY discourage doing so lol. I dont think there would be any aggression problems (since all 3 would still be damsels...they can hold their own). But when you need to take it back in, you're gonna end up having to tear down the whole tank just to get a freakin damsel. I assure you it is NOT fun. I only had 4 in a 55 and it was a pain in the butt. Dont even bother ;)

2) Six-line wrasse (i like this one but afraid that it will bully my clowns)

again, i dont think there would be any aggression problems...they can all hold their own. But sixlines are too big/active for a 20g tank. I would not feal comfortable w/one in anything less than 30 and thats pushing it really imo. I've had 2 (one in my 40 breeder and one in my old 55) and they are/were both VERY active. Not a 20g fish imo.

3) Cherub angel (afraid that it would nip my corals and the tank is too small )

Again i'd say not enough room :(

4) Royal gramma (afraid that it will bully my clowns)

This one is possible....personally i think it would be better in a 30g tank too, but the one i had a while ago stayed more in the water column and not so much in the rock by the rest of the fish. Or at least it left the rock more than the other fish...most fish tend to stay lower near the rockwork but mine would go higher a lot. So i dont think there would be any territorial problems, and the fact that the 20 is taller would be a bit better since these guys go higher too. And again, clowns can hold their own and wont get killed by a gramma most likely.

As much as people say that gobies are jumpers, i've yet to have one jump. I've had 4 gobies that are supposedly "the worst" as far as jumping out a lot...never had a top on the tank and they never jumped. Normally there has to be either bad water or aggression to force them out for them to jump.

I'd say get a shrimp gobie along w/a pistol shrimp. That should be nice.

[Xandernfs]

I'd suggest some sort of blenny...maybe a bicolor, tail spot, or midas

[sir_dudeguy]

bicolor would be great. I've got one in my 40 and i think he'd be fine in a 20 as long as he's got a good amount of rock.

But dont midas blennies get bigger?

[kkyyllee]

i have a bicolor in my 12 gal. AP just got him saturday hes about an inch and a half and loves to come out when your not looking :]
but hes geting braver

its a cool fish hard to cath tho idk if that matters

[Spartan9576]

I got a Neon Dottybach in my 20H along with a small clown. He keeps to himself and darts in and out of rocks. My favorite for sure in small tanks.



Spartan

[CaptNemo]

OH yeah i forget to put down Dottyback. I love those fishes but just afraid that they might bully my clowns. I really like Neon Dottyback or Frid dottyback. Such a tough choice.

1) Yellow tail damsel or blue devil damsel
2) Six line wrasse
3) Neon dottyback or Frid dottyback.

Which one you guys think are most likely to live in harmony with my clowns.

Thanks.

[sir_dudeguy]

well definitely not the sixline wrasse because like i said earlier, the're too big and even more so active.

And you seem to be worrying about the clowns getting bullied. But like i said before...clowns are damselfish. If anything, THEY would do the bullying, but they dont normally (unless you count my clowns biting me when i stick my hand in the tank ;) ). They dont normally go for other fish, but if another fish comes after it, they can stand their ground. They will not run away usually.

They are a damsel...its what they do :)