You guys advised against a Hippo Tang in a 20g nano... what DO you recommend ?!?

[Fasciatus]

This is for the child of a friend's ongoing science project. After almost a year, her nano is pretty successful. Although I keep her benthic organisms seeded with critters from my 90g reef, she manages to keep her nitrates MUCH lower!

But I'm really bad with fish. The only strategy that's worked for me is to keep as few as possible, so I don't know how to advise her.

She started with a small blue yellow-tail damsel. Later she got a banggai cardinal, and the damsel kept threatening him, herding him into one of the top corners of the tank, where he stayed. So we removed the damsel, and the cardinal hovers around the middle of the water column.

Then we got a small clownfish, which jumped. Because of the design of the acrylic tank, there's not much that I can do about jumpers, save taking it down entirely and reworking it myself (the design is way obsolete, and it even had bio-balls, which we just ditched in favour of a 5" sandbed!)

She was very attached to the clownfish, and doesn't want a jumper, and so we're looking for something that will probably not jump, will probably not menace this big coward of a banggai cardinal, and will be OK in the small territory of a nano.

Suggestions?

Thanks!!!

[gregt]

I assume the damsel is still in there? I've never heard of a clownfish jumping unless being threatened. Get rid of the damsel and the nano would be an excellent environment for the clownfish. (BTW, a clownfish would be the best fit, IMO)

[chewie]

get a pair or perculas, true or false!!!

[3_high_low]

Gregt, I think he said they canned the damnselfish.

Ah....let's see...hmmmm. How bout a Purple firefish? Colorful, peaceful....reefsafe. Yeah, that sounds good. Wadaya think?

oh hold on...those jump a bit:(

Clownfish really aren't known to jump much. Maybe try those again?

[slimytadpole]

Unfortunately, the "no jumpers" rule is going to limit you about as much as the tank size. I wouldn't consider clowns to be problem jumpers, so if they jump, then just about any fish has that risk. I suggest solving the problem by placing eggcrate over the holes that the fish can jump out of.

[Fasciatus]

Eggcrate, perculas, Purple Firefish, got it. The eggcrate is a great idea, thanks!

Fishbase.org doesn't show a "purple" firefish, but it does show a red firefish, Pterois volitans... that can't be it, this is a big guy. Other firefishes that they have are blackfoot, broadbarred, deepwater, devil, elegant, plaintale, radial, ragged-finned, rough-scaled, shortfin, spotless, and zebra. Can you or anyone else tell me which species?

Greg, I didn't can the damsel, nor bring her to a cannery ;) She's now in a huge reef tank in a local LFS; good home I hope. She's uncatchable there, unless they take every rock and coral out of the tank. At least they didn't put her in the other tank with the triggerfish.

[Fasciatus]

Seems to me that you mean Nemateleotris decora, that seems like the best match!

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Nemateleotris&speciesname=decora

I checked, and many of the others are venomous and generally nasty.

[Lurchin]

You might want to try a clown goby or citron goby. They stay small, maybe 1-1.5", lots of character and come in different colors, yellow, green, brownish-red, and some have stripes. I have a green one with 2 false percs and a fire goby and they all get along. He hops around the rocks and once he's acclimated, its not shy at all. Good luck!

[mr294]

the purple firefish (Nemateleotris decora)


http://www.fishbase.org/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Nedec_u0.jpg

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=6616&genusname=Nemateleotris&speciesname=decora

[richw]

I like the royal gramma for a nano -- great color and good disposition.

[Circa]

Actually to be honest with you I would prefer the royal dottyback, imo a better looking fish than the royal gramma.

[Court_Jester]

How about a Court Jester Goby?

Here's some others that I've had experience with:

4-line wrasse... colorful and active
scooter blenny... as long as you have the copepods

[Frick-n-Frags]

Fasciatus, I think you should advise her as you do, less fish. She still has one fish in there, done.

[Breef]

I don't believe anyone has mentioned the yellow clown goby,which reachs about 1.4inch. They are pretty and a very deminitive fish that can form pair bonds in a small aquarium. They can be spawned too.The sharknose goby is another one that is very small and although they are a cleaner which can clean the parisites off other fish,they are not as dependent on these as the cleaner wrasses,and will eat many offered foods. These reach 1.6 inches and can pair off and will possibly also spawn in captivity. There is also the neon goby that reaches 2 inches. There is also the blackray or whiteray shimp gobies. that reach 2 inches. Also it could be worth considering to trade out the cardinal fish and try seahorses,although they need live food all the time.