what fish to add/ start with

[andrew pougnet]

ive set up a 20 gal tank and am waiting for the cycle to be finished, what type of fish would be good to add to my tank? how many? thanks

 

[BL1]

Here are some great choices for fish Nano Fish

For a 20 gallon you can fit 2 smaller fish.

 

[andrew pougnet]

thanks, i was hoping to add two clownfish after the cycle
does this mean those are the only fish i can keep, two?

 

[little_fish]

Yep. In saltwater you can only have one small fish per 10 gallons.

 

[Rufio808]

I've been using this pretty often with stocking: lgreen's Ultimate Guide To Nano Fish - Nano-Reef.com Forums

Remember a lot of things factor in into how many fish your system can handle. Some of these are how much live rock you have, if your running a protein skimmer, the rate of your water changes, ect.

I say a pair of clowns and maybe a bottom dwelling fish would be awesome.

 

[carter]

start small your tanks gonna teach you alot with just a pair of clowns
BUT stay away from blenny's mandarins, tangs, triggers, pipes, butterflys, and angels either hard to feed or just too big
but damsels, dottybacks, chromis, and clowns are good starter fish normally
damsels and dotty get aggressive and clowns get territorial if you do get a pair of clowns wait a few months before looking at anemones they are hard too keep

 

[little_fish]

I would totally cross damsels off the list. They are so territorial and mean they have nasty habit of harassing new fish to death. Check out the nano fish as suggested.

I personally would not add a nem to a tank that small, even after it has been set up for a year. They are so sensitive to any parameter swing, such as temp, salinity, and any amount of nitrates are fatal to them, and in such a small water volume you are going to experience some swings in parameter. Those will often stress out the nem till they die, and when they die they release their toxins and kill everything.

 

[andrew pougnet]

thanks for all the info,when i bought the tank it came with a filter and light fixture. for when i buy my clownfish will i require the t5 ho bulbs or can i use the reqular bulbs that came with the fixture

 

[little_fish]

Fish dont need any sort of light, but corals are probably going to need the upgraded bulbs.

 

[carter]

dont hate on damsels they really arent that bad as long as you dont keep they singley and they have places too hide
ive got a nem in a 3 gallon and ive had the bugger for about 3 months now no problems i just set up a fug today on the nems tank too and hes still alive
and the lighting really dosent effect most fish other than kinda makeing their colors pop a bit, some fish like mandarins actually look amazing under different spectrum lighting, but mostly lighting is for coral growth

 

[little_fish]

No, they really are little terrors. And i think they are even worse in a group. Clearly you have had a different experience with them than 99% of us.

And im absolutely flabbergasted that you can keep a nem in such a small tank that like with that light. But good for you!

 

[carter]

well i guess i have, theyve been with mandarins since they where tiny and a neon dottyback for about 7 months so i think i scared the agression out of them

10 watt bulb i had some zoas growing in there before i set up my 10 gallon lol and they did better in the 3 gallon

im planning on actually putting another one on too and make a hood for it all check out my new fug in the diy section

 

[andrew pougnet]

thanks guys, i will leave thje lights i have until i get myself some coral. any ideas?

 

[little_fish]

Coral, fish or lights :)

 

[carter]

depends how much live rock you got in there? 1.5-2 lbs per gallon but you can probably add a fish and just wait for the mini cycle to end