Good 1st fish?

[Gdbyrd]

So, just planning ahead. Won't be getting a fish for a week or so(just added 25lbs of live rock and want to make sure it's not going to cycle).

My tank is a 47g tall(20x18x33), the way it is setup now:

What should be my first pickup/starters?

While I'm posting..with the odd shape of my tank, what would be ideal to keep in it? It's obvious to me I won't be able to keep a lot of fish in it, so what would you recommend? Like to have goals and a plan formulated.

 

[yote]

Stick with something small.
Maybe a pair of clowns to start with,if you like clowns.

 

[Bifferwine]

I think you should get a pair of firefish.

 

[Gdbyrd]

I <3 the clowns. I wanted to add them last though because I was worried about territory issues. Is this something I should be concerned over or not really worry about it?

The firefish look great!

 

[dcantucson]

What about a Dwarf Angelfish?

 

[ckckck]

imo dont add 3 clowns as if 2 pair up the will bully the other one and you will have a nightmare getting it out also from what i can see you need more water movment in your tank

 

[biodarwin]

What about a Dwarf Angelfish?

Dwarf angels are pretty aggressive and should be added last in a tank this size.

 

[biodarwin]

I <3 the clowns. I wanted to add them last though because I was worried about territory issues. Is this something I should be concerned over or not really worry about it?

Depends on the species. If you stay away from the maroons and Clarkii complex the aggression will be a lot less.

 

[messiah023]

I'm always intrigued by tall tanks. They are very difficult to plan/build for due to the shape. Your length & width dimensions don't really add for larger fish, even though your overall volume may be. So far, it looks like your off to a good start.

There were a few people on this site with tanks this shape / size. I believe you may need some more powerheads at varied depths throughout this tank for proper flow. You should ask about that and look into it.

I would suggest maybe a small school of chromis in this tank. Also, cardinals could be a nice addition....
You could also try what everyone else is suggesting, including clown gobies.

I have seen some cool "small" fish out there. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[daugherty]

right here if i can ever git rid of my clown i am going to get a pair of these

Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den - Nemateleotris helfrichi

 

[biodarwin]

right here if i can ever git rid of my clown i am going to get a pair of these

Drs. Foster and Smith Diver's Den - Nemateleotris helfrichi

Those are beautiful fish.

 

[daugherty]

i want them so bad but ia am not tearing my tank apart to catch my clown and the kids love the clown so i will have to wait

 

[Bifferwine]

You would actually pay that much for Helfrichi firefish?

Are you joking? They are $130 each.

 

[daugherty]

i can get them for 59 dollars i have a wholesale account that i never use

 

[daugherty]

Goby, Firefish Helfrichi *$55 Snail, Nassarius/ Lg-XLg (Tonga) 200/Lot *.70cents
Goby, Firefish Helfrichi 2/Lot *$49 Snail, Spiral/ Ninja Stars 50/Lot *.75cents​

Damsel, Neon Velvet 12/Lot *$1.65

 

[dcantucson]

All right James, How do WE get a wholesale account?

 

[daugherty]

All right James, How do WE get a wholesale account?

you have to have a business licnese to get one. i have one but i only used this accoumt once to special order some things for a person when i was running my little business. if you dont order a lot of things it is cheaper to get it from the lfs. you can get these animals cheap but the airplane freight is not cheap it was about 100 dollars for the 100pounds and so much more after that may be 50 dollars for another 100 pounds.

 

[Gdbyrd]

Thank you all for the suggestions.

I have several powerheads on the back side of the rock that you can't see. I have 2 1200's back there and another one in the front pointed down. Not sure if that's enough or not, but I'd be happy to add more.

OK. Now....to my next question. Do I have to keep in pairs? I don't have a TON of options, so instead of adding a handful of pairs of fish, could I add just a single of each to increase my variety? I know that's not always a good thing, so what do you suggest?

What's a total picture you guys see for this tank in terms of livestock(stick with fish for now). Like 2 clowns, 2 firefish, dwarf angel, etc. What's your suggestion for where I should be in 6-8 months with fishies?

Had to bold it because that's the biggest question I have for now. Thanks again guys. Hopefully I can get this height to work out for me :D

 

[messiah023]

You can do pairs of clowns.
Chromis can be anywhere from single to small schools of 3-5.
Firefish can be single.
Gobies should be single.
Blennies should be single.
Dwarf angel may be tough for your tank...they are big swimmers, but can be single.
Wrasses should be single.

You should plan your fish according to their compatibility.
You can find compatibility charts online.

If this was my tank :

(2) paired "exotic" clowns - naked, misbar, onyx, picasso - or regular percs.
(1) fairy or flasher wrasse
(1) blenny or gobie - watchmen gobies are cool
(1) firefish, cardinal or gramma

I would hold off there. You could possibly add more to your 46, but you may be pushing it. 5-6 would be ideal.

 

[Gdbyrd]

If this was my tank :

(2) paired "exotic" clowns - naked, misbar, onyx, picasso - or regular percs.
(1) fairy or flasher wrasse
(1) blenny or gobie - watchmen gobies are cool
(1) firefish, cardinal or gramma

I would hold off there. You could possibly add more to your 46, but you may be pushing it. 5-6 would be ideal.

Awesome. Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else want to chime in on what they'd do in my situation? This is exactly the kind of opinion I'm looking for.

Do I have enough flow with what I have? I was going to go with sureflow/ecomods, but decided against it because I thought it'd just be too much in the tank.