first fish
- Thread starter drewby9
- Start date
The ideal thing to do is to decide your entire stocking before you get the first fish, then add in order, with the shyest/least territorial fish first.
Good first fish include most tank-bred fish, gobies, clowns, chromis.
I'm assuming you've already added your cleanup crew. If not, start with the snails and crabs, etc. eTropicals.com has a nice build-your-own package where you get free shipping if you spend over $60. If yours is a nano tank, that probably won't be practical.
Good first fish include most tank-bred fish, gobies, clowns, chromis.
I'm assuming you've already added your cleanup crew. If not, start with the snails and crabs, etc. eTropicals.com has a nice build-your-own package where you get free shipping if you spend over $60. If yours is a nano tank, that probably won't be practical.
the clean up crew is in process right now i have 13 blue legged hermits in there and i plan on getin some snails this week...my tank is a 55 gallon tank...me and my girlfriend have been looking and trying to decide on what we want...the one thing we know for sure is a pair of clowns...about how many fish could we have total when were done...we will have to look and come up with a better list and then ill post it.
ok so we came up with a list of the fish we like and would like to have...wich ones should we get first..can they all live together...is this too many?
spotted cardinalfish
bicolor pseudochromis
green clown goby
purple firefish
yellow watchman goby
six line wrasse
ocellaris clown
black and white ocellaris clown
royal gramma basslet
longnose hawkfish
blue green reef chromis
spotted cardinalfish
bicolor pseudochromis
green clown goby
purple firefish
yellow watchman goby
six line wrasse
ocellaris clown
black and white ocellaris clown
royal gramma basslet
longnose hawkfish
blue green reef chromis
comments:
spotted cardinalfish - great community fish that does well in pairs or groups. A great beginner fish
bicolor pseudochromis - mean little beggar, I would opt for the royal gramma instead they are almost identical with the royal gramma being the most amiable and better inhabitant in a community tank
green clown goby - great little fish, and I mean little. Docile and great personality. I have a citron goby and he is a a real character, not swimmers but perching fish....he perches on everything including the tank side.
purple firefish - another great choice for a community, somewhat shy and will hide until he is accustomed to his new surroundings. Easily bullied by other more aggressive fish. Would be constantly harrassed by a pseudochromis
yellow watchman goby - great little fish, should be paired with a pistol shrimp and they will pair up. Needs a good sandbed to burrow into with his shrimp. Will hide at first but will be come more open as he gets used to his surroundings.
six line wrasse - very active fish that will clean out your pod population and can be known to harass newcomers. I would rather have a pygmy angel than my 6 line. though they are very active swimmers in and out and everywhere
ocellaris clown - best in a pair provided you get both when very small and let them sort out who is going to be the female ...... characters and funny to watch. Do not need an anemone and would suggest that you DON"T get an anemone they don't need it. They will host anything.
black and white ocellaris clown - get either the above or these but not both types. one pair of the same species only per tank
royal gramma basslet - shy at first, great community fish.....pick this over the pseudochromis......
longnose hawkfish - not safe with inverts....will eat anything it can fit into it's mouth and that mouth is deceptive.....not reef safe,
blue green reef chromis - nice in groups of 3 or more odd number. active swimmers, add last as these are members of the damsel family and can be aggressive to newcomers so.......if adding them wait and add them after the clowns last.....
spotted cardinalfish - great community fish that does well in pairs or groups. A great beginner fish
bicolor pseudochromis - mean little beggar, I would opt for the royal gramma instead they are almost identical with the royal gramma being the most amiable and better inhabitant in a community tank
green clown goby - great little fish, and I mean little. Docile and great personality. I have a citron goby and he is a a real character, not swimmers but perching fish....he perches on everything including the tank side.
purple firefish - another great choice for a community, somewhat shy and will hide until he is accustomed to his new surroundings. Easily bullied by other more aggressive fish. Would be constantly harrassed by a pseudochromis
yellow watchman goby - great little fish, should be paired with a pistol shrimp and they will pair up. Needs a good sandbed to burrow into with his shrimp. Will hide at first but will be come more open as he gets used to his surroundings.
six line wrasse - very active fish that will clean out your pod population and can be known to harass newcomers. I would rather have a pygmy angel than my 6 line. though they are very active swimmers in and out and everywhere
ocellaris clown - best in a pair provided you get both when very small and let them sort out who is going to be the female ...... characters and funny to watch. Do not need an anemone and would suggest that you DON"T get an anemone they don't need it. They will host anything.
black and white ocellaris clown - get either the above or these but not both types. one pair of the same species only per tank
royal gramma basslet - shy at first, great community fish.....pick this over the pseudochromis......
longnose hawkfish - not safe with inverts....will eat anything it can fit into it's mouth and that mouth is deceptive.....not reef safe,
blue green reef chromis - nice in groups of 3 or more odd number. active swimmers, add last as these are members of the damsel family and can be aggressive to newcomers so.......if adding them wait and add them after the clowns last.....
I would add the clownfish and the six line last I would decide between the pj cardinals and the blue/green chromis as both should be in groups of 3 or more. The gobie, purple firefish, royal gramma and watchman gobie can be added first as they are all pretty docile.
here is what I would do
firefish
green gobie
watchman gobie
royal gramma
I would add these all at the same time.....and watch for any spike in ammonia and be prepared to do a water change if it registers.....
wait a week or so then buy
pair clowns (either ocellaris or perculas, preferably percs, and tank bred if possible as they are more hardy and less likely to have brooklynella)
These should go into a quarantine for 4 weeks, then can be added to the display
then a pair of pj cardinals that have been in quarantine for 4 weeks.
With these fish you will be maxed out for fish......
here is what I would do
firefish
green gobie
watchman gobie
royal gramma
I would add these all at the same time.....and watch for any spike in ammonia and be prepared to do a water change if it registers.....
wait a week or so then buy
pair clowns (either ocellaris or perculas, preferably percs, and tank bred if possible as they are more hardy and less likely to have brooklynella)
These should go into a quarantine for 4 weeks, then can be added to the display
then a pair of pj cardinals that have been in quarantine for 4 weeks.
With these fish you will be maxed out for fish......