Fish selection for 26 gal, newbie needs advice.

[Blazer88]

I just want to say this forum has been most helpful. I am an avid user of the search button and have had most my questions answered. Anyways, I just got my first saltwater tank a few days ago. It's a 26 gal. with tons of LR, few pieces of coral, and a 3" sandbed. It has been established for a while so it was pretty much set when I got it. It now has a Clarkii Clown and a white-spotted grouper, though I don't know his exact name. The grouper is only 2"-3" right now but is seemingly aggressive towards anything in the tank he thinks he can eat. I am wondering what would be good to replace these fish with. My wife and I would like a pair of Ocellaris Clowns and maybe a Bi-color Blenny or two for Alge control. Anything else you can recommend? We want a nice peaceful community tank wish fish that are easy for beginners to take care of. We plan on keeping the tank the same for a few more weeks before we add anything else in there, we want to make sure we can actually keep something alive Thanks for your help.

 

[wrightme43]

yes, out with the grouper. If you take out the clown you can replace it with a pair of Occe. One blenny. Firefish, Yellow watchman goby, and a royal gramma, and a pajama cardinalfish, would be what I would do. Just a thought. Steve

 

[Blazer88]

Both the Firefish and Watchman Goby look pretty cool. Would they get along with the clowns well? I need to keep stuff that is reef safe as well. And I measured out my tank and found that it is a 30 gal, and not a 26 as I was told, if that matters much. What about some type of pygmy or dward angel? Would that get along with the Clowns, Firefish, and Goby? I keep getting mixed reviews about the small angels. Thanks again for the help.

 

[NaH2O]

Blazer88 - Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!! I'm so glad you find the board helpful

I think your set-up might be a little small for a pygmy angel with other fish. You might find the angel being aggressive due to the size of the tank. What types of corals are you going to keep? I really enjoyed my bicolor blenny....until it ate my SPS. Now it is in a softies nano tank all by itself. I would avoid 2 blennies in a 30 gallon. Depending on species of blenny - some may not get along with firefish or gobies. The bicolor may possibly pick on both of those fish, and Scott Michael sites the Midas Blenny as biting and tearing the fins on a firefish and goby. He also indicates this is more likely to happen in a smaller aquarium.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Blazer88]

I figured the Angel wouldn't be ideal for this tank, I'll save that one for when I get a larger tank in a house. I've been hearing the personality on the Bi-color Blenny is really good and entertaining to watch. I wouldn't mind keeping the tank to 4-5 small fish; 2 clowns, 1 firefish, and the Bi-Color Blenny. Would adding the yellow watchman be too much this this tank? I should have specified, but I do have a sump under the tank w/an in-sump Sealife Skimmer (if that helps the situation).
As for the corals, I'm still trying to learn the difference between all of the corals. But currently in the tank two few small Kenya trees, one medium size and one tiny featherduster, a Zoanthid that doesn't seem to be opening up, 4 or 5 small mushrooms, and one or two other things that I can't yet identify that are small. I plan on keeping my tank as-is for a few weeks to make sure everything is nice and stabilized before I start adding much. But the Grouper is going to have to go soon. I added some Nassarius snails and he decided to try and eat a few of them. I can see he is looking at the clown with a gleam in his eye.....and his mouth open.
Thanks again, this site has been extremely helpful!

 

[Sparks]

I'd get the bi-color blenny OR the yellowwatchmen OR royal gramma. I've had'em all and while yeah, they're pretty mellow but fun to watch fish, they are a bit territorial when put together, always flashing they're mouth open theateningly on anything that invades their space(which will be on the bottom, and along rockwork), and in a 29 gallon that you're goning to try and keep other peaceful gobies and such too, more than 1 of the above would just take up opposite ends and harass any littler fish that comes by them. Overall I'd choose the blenny or royal gramma (supposedly the mellower ones have thin yellow stripes thro the head, not black ones...). & much better attitude. y.watchmens at 3" are onry and alot more territorial.

i'd probably get that blennie, 2 or 3 green or yellow(not the larger citron) clown gobies, maybe a neon cleaner goby, firefish, and a pair of clowns. a couple of peppermint shrimp

if you're too tempted by a dwarf angel, get a coral beauty or flame...bicolor angels get too big and terriotrial, and suprisingly the littler cherub angels are mean little guys in no time(I had one in a 29 for a while too.) I've yet to have a pygmy flameback, maybe they're nicer?

cardinalfish I feel really should be in a little group. I've seen alot of loners die quickly for no reason.

if you're sure you're tank is nice and cycled, i'd atleast see about getting 2 black percs instead (watch out for often mislabeled saddleback clowns), in our area 35-40 a piece, if you can find them or get someone to order them.

 

[Trenchsoul]

Sparks I agree with you almost 100%, but I would steer away from a Royal Gramma if you want to have any other fish in the tank. While he may be alright in there, chances are probably better that he'd just end up rippin' on everyone else. Better choices would be, as you suggested, smaller clown gobies, neon gobies, and cardinals. Eyelash blennies, who stay very small, recently caught my eye, however I've yet to of hear any firsthand expirience with them.

Recently my faith in dwarf angels, particularly flames, has been shaken. A co-worker of mine who does maintenence for dozens of tanks couldn't figure out why his xenias wouldn't live, until he witnessed flame angels in several of the tanks gobbling his xenias.

Something to take into account is that you're obviously adding corals to that tank. Since you guys are new I'd try to stay with a max of 3 or so fish in the tank, depending on their size. The less fish you have in there the easier it will be to keep corals since the enviroment should be cleaner.