contemplating SW

[Fishckabibble]

i have a 25g tall with goldfish in it right now, but everytime i look at i keep thinking how much better it would look as a sw setup.. so how much would it cost (average) to convert the goldy tank to a S/W fowler tank? i dont want to do corals just yet because i cant afford the lighting. so heres what i want to do...

25g tall

30-35 lbs live rock (dr foster/smith figi)
black sand
possibly fake coral/anemone

inhabitants
1 maroon clown
1 coral beauty or 1 flame angel
1-2 royal gramma
1 yellow damsel fish
1 zebra catalina goby
3 dwarf blue leg hermits
2 pepermint shrimp
1 pacific conch

would this be overstocked? i know im gonna need a clueanup crew so i added in the shrimp, hermits, and conch.

so tell me what you all think.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Your overall plan for the tank itself sounds good. Inhabitant list could use some work. I think you'll get a max of four fish in there, although if someone on here who knows better than me says otherwise I'd agree with them.

You've got time to plan out your stock list, but here's what I would think. Definitely only one royal gramma, they're really territorial. Add it last (unless you get a damsel, damsels always come last). Maroon clowns get pretty big for 25g (I think they get to 6", correct me if I'm wrong), and those angels are also pretty big/active for a 25g long. You could do a pygmy (cherub) angel or a flameback or one of the others that stays really small. Most other clowns would also work, maroons are kind of the exception among clowns since they aren't good for small tanks. Regular catalina gobies need/prefer cooler water than most SW fish, I don't remember if the zebras do as well. Personally I would forget the damsel in favor of the other fish, but that's just me. I'm not sure if that is one of the more aggressive damsels, but if it's a more aggressive one you might well have problems with it and a shy goby or a shy clown in that small of a tank. You'll probably want some other types of snails in addition to the conch, that will stay smaller and can get into the little crevices of the rocks (ie nassarius, bumblebees, margaritas).

 

[Fishckabibble]

cool i didnt know the grammas were agressive toward each other, and i could do without the damsel, i just liked the yellow color it had, hubby really likes the maroon clown, but if it is going to get to big he will have to deal with a percula clown. i have read that the coral beauty and flame angels were good for a 30 gallon, but was going to ask on here first, both have the colors i want, and both are somewhat peaceful, i was thinking i might need more snails but wasnt sure how many would be enough, i figured 3 would be good, but i can add more if need be. fosters and smith have a great deal on lr, it was figi foundation rock i think and it was 60$ for 35 lbs, i think thats a pretty good deal.

edit, if the catalina goby isnt going to work in this setup then i might just go with a green clown goby, they have awsome coloring and are small.

 

[angelsj247]

what is black sand?? never heard of it so i dont think its safe for saltwater. Sounds like a little to many fish in there. the angels get a bit big bout 4-5 inches.. the rule of thumb is about 2" of fish per gallon. so total adult size of the fish would be about 12". I just got my saltwater tank 3 months ago.. 20 gal.. with everything you need ive spent about 600$ so far.. its very expensive.. and didnt believe how much everyone was telling me it was going to be.. but it really is expensive. lots of work.. lots of water changes and keeping up. get a good book and read lots! before you do anything.

 

[JAWS69]

I have been thinking about this also, but it just sounds to involved, and to $$$. I would rather get a big 100/150g tank for the money I would be out on SW. In fact, for my birthday thats what I am going to do

 

[Fishckabibble]

the black sand is saltwater safe, it is tahitian moon sand , i think thats what it is called, but i like dark bottoms better than light or white. it makes everything else in the tank stand out.

this is the angel i was looking to get, it says it gets 4 inches max.. so i dont see the problem with it getting to big for this tank.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=444

 

[CAPSLOCK]

What are the dimensions of the tank? You said it was a tall, that's the main reason I don't think you've got room for one of those angels. They're supposed to get more aggressive in smaller tanks, too.

 

[Fishckabibble]

it is the same footprint as a 20g only taller.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

A 20g long or tall?

 

[Fishckabibble]

lol let me go find my measuring tape, i dont know the measurements of the top of my head....

i have also been browsing through some more sw fish and have some more options i was looking into
green clown goby
yellow head jawfish
percula clown
6 line wrasse
flame cardinal
firefish

are any of these good for a tank this size?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Those are all fine in that tank size, although I'm not sure if the cardinal would work alone or if they really need to be in groups. The sixline wrasse... I've heard that they can be aggressive towards other fish or inverts, but it depends on the individual wrasse and the other fish. I'm pretty sure Jawfish need a deep sand bed, so if you don't plan on having really deep sand they aren't the best choice.

Firefish are awesome little fish, they are so quick. Percula clowns will eat out of your hand, and are generally tank bred so I highly recommend them (I think that most clowns are tank bred).

 

[dbacksrat]

Before you buy anything check out the stickies at the top of the forum--especially "What's in your SW tank" and the equipment list.

 

[wayne]

Effectively a 25 tall is the same as a 20 - fish don't really care about gallons, or 'up/down' - swimming lengh rules.
A maroon clown is going to be too big , too aggressive. I think you would be better off with one of the small angels like an argi or acanthops, although a flame might work with only one other fish in there.
I would carefully research my fish. A lot of the stuff you're listing is pretty aggressive. My 6line would rate, for comparism, against a convict in freshwater aggression terms

 

[Fishckabibble]

im thinking i might just buy another tank if i can find one, just the tank itself and get the accesories seperate, im thinking a 35-40 gallon may look better in the long run anyhow. im kind of on a budget so i may do a lot of diy stuff loke hood, stand, lighting ect. from what all of you are saying i just cant get the fish i want in the tank i have.