New Reefer ?'s

[Stirfry001]

Hey guys, My name is Cory and I just got a new 12g Nano. My tank has cycled for 3 weeks and i had my water tested and it is good for fish. I have live rock/sand 2 damsels and 2 hermits. I was wondering what kind of cleaner fish i should get. Thanks!

[aztbs]

Welcome Cory!

Good for fish? What do you call damsels? :)
Take the damsels back unless that is all you plan to keep. There are a lot of fish appropriate for a nano tank. Will you be keeping corals at all?

[AZDesertRat]

Damsels can be very agressive and they can also live right next to forever. I had a three stripe humbug damsel live to be 13 in a 20G reef tank and he was almost impossible to catch so I left him there. If possible return the damsels now and look for something like gobies, a wrasse, firefish or a percula clown. I would limit it to 2 or 3 small fish that do not grow large so you don't overload things.

[truthdesigns]

Very true, Learned my lesson about fish always research before you buy fish!

[sir_dudeguy]

we should really make a damsel sticky lol. but as far as cleaner fish, there are some that clean the sand...like blennies, but i dont know any that are small enough...usually tho we go w/inverts...like shrimp and crabs/snails for cleanup.

[ZoeReef]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

We don't see too many #1 posts here so I guess we should make it official.

My damsel is named 'Officer Blue' because it believes it's his job to maintain law and order in my nano. It will attack what it doesn't like, my clark clown used to be a fairly dominated fish until it outgrew blue. I've seen it just take a dislike to two peppermint shrimp who mysteriously disappeared. I suppose it's time is coming. If you keep the damels, that's pretty much what you're going to have. Most clowns are far more social and 'other tank critter' tolerant. I have no experience catching them but from those who have, the options appear to be 1) remove all the rock or 2) use a fish trap. Pets Inc rents a trap by the day.

Very true, Learned my lesson about fish always research before you buy fish!

How true, how true. I am still surprised and disappointed that some of our LFS sell certain species which simply cannot survive in a home aquarium. I'm not talking about 'difficult to care for' species, I'm talking about species which are 99% guaranteed to die. I'm still surprised they stock equipment they know can't work (fission skimmer). Somehow, I had expected better. So I suppose it's 'let the buyer beware' and as posted here, research before you buy.

[blas]

Welcome aboard, one positive note here if you do decide to return the damsels your tank is not that large and it won't be to hard, I had a Seagant major pain in the... in a 90 Gallon reef and talk about one fun afternoon of bad language and near misses, but I got him : ) Good luck. Blas

[Doglover_50]

Corey, I've had a 12 gallon nano for about 6 weeks with a false perc clown. He seems happy in there and eats out of my hand. he's also trying to make a home in my small frogspawn, which doesn't seem to be objecting. I've not yet put in more fish yet, but am about ready to do so now. I'm investigating nano fish like crazy before I make my buys. Check with others on the listserv/the net/books because since you can only put in a few fish in the 12, so make sure they match this tank size well, AND that they are fish you'll want to keep for years!

[DjScibbity]

I have a firefish (named Halon) and a pearly jawfish (Bruce) in my Nano24. I would recommend those two. They get along well, are colorful, and both have unique personalities. Beware...the jawfish will dig up the sand and make "burrows" or as I like to call them...BAT CAVES (hence the name Bruce...Bruce Wayne) :) Good Luck

-JP

[AZDesertRat]

Here is a picture of my 15 gallon Via Aqua nano. It has a 96w Powerquad light fixture, Prizm skimmer and 2 very small powerheads. The inhabitants are a false perc clown, a peppermint shrimp, various snails and several small hermits. The clown has his own sebae anemone that I have had for years and years.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f369/AJOIII/6-1026.jpg

[rljlll]

wow that tank looks really nice

[Musicbabe]

Hey Cory! Neon gobies are nice in a nano along with citron gobies and canary gobies. Also, at At the Reef they have a blue spot jawfish in their nano so you can see what it might be like to have one of the jawfish in your tank.