too many choices

[Moonstream]

please help me decide on fish for my 29 gallon reef w/ a 20 gallon fuge! There are so many choices!! here is my wish list-
-pajama cardinal
-banner cardinal
-tailspot blenny
-clakii clown
-ocellaris clown
-percula clown
-firefish (all kinds)
-chromis
-yellow tailed damsel
-flasher wrasse
-fairy wrasse
-six line wrasse
-neon gobie
-shrimp/goby pair
-high fin shrimp goby
-hectors goby
-royal gramma
-cherub angel
-coral beauty angel
I know that having every one of these fish is impossible in the same 29 gallon tank, however, I need help deciding who should come into my tank and who should stay out. the only fish that are manditory are the tail spot blenny, and a pair of clowns. There are The tank will have various corals, inverts, and a BTA for the clowns. The tank has tons of LR, and 2" of sand on the bottom. the tank is also hooked up to a 20 gallon long sump/fuge, and has a 65 gallon protein skimmer as well as 30-50 pounds of LR.

[emerald chondro]

Personally I'd like a black ocellaris with like a royal gramma or a firefish but thats just me

[capn_hylinur]

Clarkie clowns are terrible---they are very agressive esp towards smaller other clowns---they dig up the substrate etc.

Stick away from damsels---they grow up to be "dam'sels
Only one dwarf angel--they don't like company.
Wrasses are ok--you can have a few--they don't care
Cardinals are ok too
That should limit your list a little :)

[Rue]

I have to commend you on doing your research...excellent! I have a son going into Grade 7 and he wouldn't come even close to doing the research you're doing...

I'm also in the same boat as you are...researching livestock for my new SW tank...:lol:

...oh yeah...I ride horses and train my dogs too...:rollface:

[Moonstream]

I was thinking

I have narrowed down the list and included the # that species woud be in if I kept them in the tank.
-pajama cardinal 1
-banner cardinal 1-3
-tailspot blenny 1
-ocellaris clown 2
-percula clown 2
-chromis 3
-flasher wrasse 1
-fairy wrasse 1
-six line wrasse 1
-high fin shrimp goby 1-2
-royal gramma 1

[Moonstream]

Okay, I have a plan,

3 blue-green chromis
1 tail spot blenny
2 clowns (what ever the LFS has in stock)
1 pajama cardinal

[Travis L. Stevens]

pajama cardinal: Good, peaceful
banner cardinal: Good, but single or known mated pair
tailspot blenny: Decent. A little bigger tank would be nicer
clakii clown: Rather aggressive. No other clownfish.
ocellaris clown: Better choice, No other clownfish
percula clown: Better choice, no other clownfish
firefish (all kinds): Good, but can be jumpers
chromis: Even though they stay small, they need lots of open swimming area that a 29g can't really offer.
yellow tailed damsel: while one of the most peaceful damsels, I would trust any damsel as far as I could throw it. The aggression in a smaller tank is only likely to be heightened with a damsel.
flasher wrasse: Good, but can be skiddish and jumpers
fairy wrasse: Good, but can be skiddish and jumpers. Some grow a little larger than a 29g could hold
six line wrasse: Good, but can be a little aggressive at times
neon goby: Great. Not much of a problem here at all.
shrimp/goby pair: Great choice. Not much room is needed for them, and there are a wide variety of pistol shrimps and gobies available to aquarists to please any pallete
high fin shrimp goby: Good choice. Part of the Shrimp/Goby persuasion
hectors goby: Good. Better to have a tank set up for a while before introducing it.
royal gramma: Good. Can be a little aggressive or predate on tiny, preferred stock, but not often.
cherub angel: Good for 29g, not good for reefs (generally safe, but the risk isn't worth it)
coral beauty angel: Could use a tank larger than a 29g, not good for reefs (generally safe, but not worth the risk)

[samherston]

Here is what I Like

perc clowns--2
sixline wrasse--1
green chromis--4
royal gramma--1
tial spot blenny-1

[Moonstream]

hmmm... I will be going to a much larger LFS soon, and will have to see what they have there. I would also like to add a mandarin to that list, as I do have plans of getting a fuge set up very soon, along w/ the sump.

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10277705#post10277705 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Moonstream
hmmm... I will be going to a much larger LFS soon, and will have to see what they have there. I would also like to add a mandarin to that list, as I do have plans of getting a fuge set up very soon, along w/ the sump.

Even with a refugium a 29 will be too small to support enough pods for a Mandarin.

[Moonstream]

aww darn. okay, well no mandy then :(

[capn_hylinur]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10277167#post10277167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Moonstream
Okay, I have a plan,

3 blue-green chromis
1 tail spot blenny
2 clowns (what ever the LFS has in stock)
1 pajama cardinal

A good starting list--IMO

You could add a wrasse to---but the 6 line might be a little too problematic in that size of a tank.

[capn_hylinur]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10277183#post10277183 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis L. Stevens
pajama cardinal: Good, peaceful
banner cardinal: Good, but single or known mated pair
tailspot blenny: Decent. A little bigger tank would be nicer
clakii clown: Rather aggressive. No other clownfish.
ocellaris clown: Better choice, No other clownfish
percula clown: Better choice, no other clownfish
firefish (all kinds): Good, but can be jumpers
chromis: Even though they stay small, they need lots of open swimming area that a 29g can't really offer.
yellow tailed damsel: while one of the most peaceful damsels, I would trust any damsel as far as I could throw it. The aggression in a smaller tank is only likely to be heightened with a damsel.
flasher wrasse: Good, but can be skiddish and jumpers
fairy wrasse: Good, but can be skiddish and jumpers. Some grow a little larger than a 29g could hold
six line wrasse: Good, but can be a little aggressive at times
neon goby: Great. Not much of a problem here at all.
shrimp/goby pair: Great choice. Not much room is needed for them, and there are a wide variety of pistol shrimps and gobies available to aquarists to please any pallete
high fin shrimp goby: Good choice. Part of the Shrimp/Goby persuasion
hectors goby: Good. Better to have a tank set up for a while before introducing it.
royal gramma: Good. Can be a little aggressive or predate on tiny, preferred stock, but not often.
cherub angel: Good for 29g, not good for reefs (generally safe, but the risk isn't worth it)
coral beauty angel: Could use a tank larger than a 29g, not good for reefs (generally safe, but not worth the risk)


Nice summary list---this is what I like about this site--when experts take the time to type posts like these.

[Moonstream]

I think I may keep a small snow flake eel in here. I know how large they get and that they need larger tanks, but for a year or so, I can give extra maintnence tot he tank for I what I want.

check out this thread
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1155099

I also may keep a harlequen shrimp. will the snowflakes eat cleaner shrimps?

[reefworm]

I'll second the capn's advice from my own 29

the perculas did fine with other fish
the gramma loreto [royal gramma] did fine as well - just some threat displays if others went near "his" cave
green chromis didn't last long - just not enough room and difficult to put enough food in the water column for them without it being more than the system could handle
coral beauty is a lovely fish, but cap'n is right - not worth the risk. my CB did fine for months, thought I'd found the "perfect" dwarf angel, then out of the blue he started nipping polyps. he took a real shine to the open brain which didn't survive before I managed to get the fish out.

Cap'n thanks for the input - especially on tendency to jump as I'm changing to an open top [hanging MH/T5 fixture]

[capn_hylinur]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10284195#post10284195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefworm
I'll second the capn's advice from my own 29

the perculas did fine with other fish
the gramma loreto [royal gramma] did fine as well - just some threat displays if others went near "his" cave
green chromis didn't last long - just not enough room and difficult to put enough food in the water column for them without it being more than the system could handle
coral beauty is a lovely fish, but cap'n is right - not worth the risk. my CB did fine for months, thought I'd found the "perfect" dwarf angel, then out of the blue he started nipping polyps. he took a real shine to the open brain which didn't survive before I managed to get the fish out.

Cap'n thanks for the input - especially on tendency to jump as I'm changing to an open top [hanging MH/T5 fixture]


In all fairness I think the credit goes to Travis :)

[Moonstream]

I have taken a liking to the small gobies listed on LAs page, I especially like the black barred convict, the trimma, the red stripe, the red head, the green goby, and the golden neon eviota gobys. apparently all but the red head and convict prefer to live in groups so I was thinking about replacing the chromis school w/a goby school.
here is an even more revised list
-tailspot blenny
-ocellaris clown
-percula clown
-high fin shrimp goby
-royal gramma
-trimma goby
-red stripe goby
- red head goby
-black barred convict goby

[reefworm]

Oops! You're right Cap'n. Many thanks, Travis! ;)

Also, I'm having further thoughts about the bioload of your last revised - revised list for a 29 gal. I'd always thought 3-4 fish in that size range was plenty, or am I mistaken, old school, or maybe just old? ;)

[Moonstream]

the list is just a well,list of fish I am thinking about getting. I sort of have a 49 gallon tank, because their will be a 20 gallon sump/fuge hooked up to the display tank. I plan to have the bio load of a 49 gallon, with many small, non teritorial fish. Think of it as a 49 gallon tank w/ the dimensions of a 29 gallon tank.

[Toddrtrex]

In my 29 I have a pair of ocellaris clowns and a tailspot blenny.
Thinking about adding a flameback angel at some point, but we will see.

But, like others have said --- great job of planning before you get anything.

Here is a picture of the current three.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/bleenieandfriends.jpg

[capn_hylinur]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10286222#post10286222 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefworm
Oops! You're right Cap'n. Many thanks, Travis! ;)

Also, I'm having further thoughts about the bioload of your last revised - revised list for a 29 gal. I'd always thought 3-4 fish in that size range was plenty, or am I mistaken, old school, or maybe just old? ;)

Yes this is becoming old school(no pun intended).

Many factors attiubute to keeping a larger bioload:
Increase flow rates
Sumps and refugiums
Live rock and sand
Protein skimmers

[dc]

Well I'd have a shrimp/goby (no hifin, they hide all the time. And a pair of ocellaris, or percs. Maybe a gramma.

[Moonstream]

well, here is what I was wanting
many shrimp (skunk cleaner, sexy, prepermint, maybe blood, maybe pistol)
porcelin (sp?) crab
many snails and hermits
starfish (serpent or brittle)
1 small shcool of fish (either cardinals, chromis, or small gobies)
1 clown pair (pink skunk, oc, perc)
1-2 small pipefish (banded, african bluestripe, dragon face, or multibanded)
1-2 small gobies
various corals
maybe a BTA (maybe not if I DO end up getting a pipe)

is this okay? I know its a little heavy on stocking but I have a good skimmer (Turboflotor Skimmer 1000), a large fuge (a little under 20 gallons), and lots of rock and sand (2" of sand, and 40-50 pounds of rock).

[Moonstream]

oh, and I have decent flow (not as strong as I like because of the pipes).

[AquaKnight407]

Looks like you have a solid idea of what you want. Inconsequently, you last list is pretty much what I hope to turn my 29 into lol. (After I get the big guy out, click my red house to see my 29).

You really can only do one goby/blenny in a 29. I'm looking at a Canary Blenny, a couple pipefish, and maybe pseudo (Hopefully a Splendid, if I can find one) with my clown pair.

[Moonstream]

You really can only do one goby/blenny in a 29. I'm looking at a Canary Blenny, a couple pipefish, and maybe pseudo (Hopefully a Splendid, if I can find one) with my clown pair.

I said OR tho, yeah only one blenny, I will be getting the twospot if I can find one in local stores (if I order other fish online I will get one from LA), if I dont order online or cant find one, I will get a lawnmower.

the non schooling gobies I was planning to do a clown goby (either a yellow, or a black barred convict) and if I use gobies for the school then only ones that can live in groups AKA trimma, eviota, Elacatinus (either pair of neons, or trio of green banded gobies.

and I think I may do a trio of the pipes, most likely in my fuge. are they really hard to care for? also, how big do they get. I do know they all dont get the same size by the way:lol:

[AquaKnight407]

Do some reading on the clown gobies. If I'm not mistaken, I read that sometimes they munch on coral? It might have been SPS, but shocking none the less...

[Moonstream]

okay, I have decided on stocking. I will also be adding a 15g frag tank, along w/ the 29g display and the 20g fuge. here is the FISH stocking, many inverts will be included as well.
1 yellow fin fairy wrasse
1 mandarin (added after tank has been set up for awhile)
2-4 small gobies
1-2 percula clowns

will this be okay? will teritory be an issue?

[kmf507]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10288729#post10288729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Moonstream
the list is just a well,list of fish I am thinking about getting. I sort of have a 49 gallon tank, because their will be a 20 gallon sump/fuge hooked up to the display tank. I plan to have the bio load of a 49 gallon, with many small, non teritorial fish. Think of it as a 49 gallon tank w/ the dimensions of a 29 gallon tank.

That's not really correct. It is good to have the 20 gallons to increase water volume. It does very good things. However, when you are stocking your tank, you only have a 29 gallon tank. The fish might appreciate the benefits of an extra 20 gallons (cleaner water), but the are still all swimming in the space of a 29 gallon tank. When stocking, it is as more about swimming room and space from other fish than water volume.

I think your list looks good and you seem to be on the right track.