Looking for Suggestions on Stocking my 29 Gallon Biocube

[Braden8558]

Hello everyone!

So right now I have a 29 gallon biocube tank. This is my first saltwater reef tank besides my original biocube, which I only had up for a short period of time. So I am trying to figure out what other kinds of fish I can add to this tank. Right now I have.....

-1 Maroon Clownfish (believed to be goldstripe variety)

-1 Six Line Wrasse

-1 Yellow Watchman Goby

I had a pair of maroons, but the smaller one passed away. My water has good parameters, however my pH is low, and I am trying to solve that problem. I will not be adding any new fish until I raise my pH up to the correct level. I know that the maroon will eventually outgrow this tank and I believe that I will give her to someone or sell her to the LFS once she gets to big or mean. The yellow watchman goby is nice, but he hides most of the day in the rockwork, and I will probably keep him depending on what my other options are. I would like to know what other fish would do well in there. Based on the fish right now, I am looking mainly towards semi-aggressive fish. I like dottybacks, and damsels are alright, but I would like something a little bit more, interesting or unique. I prefer fish that are not super boring and have enough activity that they are not boring. I have a wide range of coral and multiple anenomes, so I wouldn't want anything that has the possibility of nipping at corals. Only reef safe fish.

So what do you guys think? What are some unique fish that would fit my bill. I would also not like to spend too much, but please give me your opinions and suggestions!

Thank you very much,

Braden

Here is the tank...

 

[frankdontsurf]

You have fiesty fishies in there. I'd drop an adult Royal Grama in there since they are pretty quick, but that sixline and it might get into scuffles in the rocks. Don't take my advice - i'm new to this.

[Braden8558]

Thanks for the reply. I was looking at the Royal Gramma or bicolor dottyback. I like the look of the gramma over the dottyback, but from what I have read, the grammas are fairly peaceful while the dottyback is more aggressive. Would the Royal Gramma be aggressive enough with the other fish?

 

I love the look of the Swales Swissguard Basslet, however, they demand a very high price from what I have seen.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+21+1436&pcatid=1436

 

I was suggested A Yellow Candy/Two Spot Hogfish and a mandarin, but my tanks probably to young for a mandarin and little pods and aggressive fish may not be good for it. Even if I could get one accepting frozen I believe that the maroon and sixline might kill it.

 

Anyone else have some input? I am trying to find some more unique fish that still have a fairly low price tag and have interesting behavior and preferably decent color or general appearance.

[PiscesFish]

I love blennies. They do perch on rocks, but they also swim. I've kept a Midas Blenny (Personal Favorite) and he always knew when food was coming because of the sound of my lid opening, and he would also swim infront of the tank whenever I passed by. Too bad he passed. . . But I'm still looking for another one . Though, there are other options like the barnacle blenny (looks kinda boring to me), bicolor blenny, tail-spot, etc.

 

For a mandarin, you might not even want to get one with the six-lined wrasse unless you're able to dose copepods often. The six-lined wrasse and mandarin both eat the copepods, but six-lined will eat frozen as well.

 

If you're willing to spend up to about 30+ on a dwarf angel fish, I would go for one of those too. But also read reviews on whichever you pick. I got a Flame Angelfish, but I never knew that I needed to clean out the return pump pipes, and my dad cleaned them out with tap water and the Flame Angel probably died from all that nutrients in just one dose. Which kinda sucks because he was one of my active swimmers with my Six-Lined.

 

Though, I have to ask, what kind of fish are you looking for? Because there's a lot of fish with interesting behavior and a decent appearance, but what are you looking for? As in, do you want a swimmer? A percher? A fish that has any special abilities in a 29 biocube? As in, the Six-lined eats any flatworms, clam-eating snails, shrimps, and copepods.

[lil0618]

Maybe a small (3) school of bangaii cardinals or chromis?

 

I would love to see someone raise a Chalk Bass, they look so pretty

 

A Dwarf Angel might be a bit risky though, I can't say because I've only had one in my 90.

 

Best of luck

[Braden8558]

I love blennies. They do perch on rocks, but they also swim. I've kept a Midas Blenny (Personal Favorite) and he always knew when food was coming because of the sound of my lid opening, and he would also swim infront of the tank whenever I passed by. Too bad he passed. . . But I'm still looking for another one . Though, there are other options like the barnacle blenny (looks kinda boring to me), bicolor blenny, tail-spot, etc.

 

For a mandarin, you might not even want to get one with the six-lined wrasse unless you're able to dose copepods often. The six-lined wrasse and mandarin both eat the copepods, but six-lined will eat frozen as well.

 

If you're willing to spend up to about 30+ on a dwarf angel fish, I would go for one of those too. But also read reviews on whichever you pick. I got a Flame Angelfish, but I never knew that I needed to clean out the return pump pipes, and my dad cleaned them out with tap water and the Flame Angel probably died from all that nutrients in just one dose. Which kinda sucks because he was one of my active swimmers with my Six-Lined.

 

Though, I have to ask, what kind of fish are you looking for? Because there's a lot of fish with interesting behavior and a decent appearance, but what are you looking for? As in, do you want a swimmer? A percher? A fish that has any special abilities in a 29 biocube? As in, the Six-lined eats any flatworms, clam-eating snails, shrimps, and copepods.

Hello and thanks for the detailed response! I appreciate the feedback. I didn't know that the six lines eat the copepods as well. I think that my other fish would be to aggressive with a mandrain anyway though. Do you agree? Sure they are beautiful fish and I would love to keep one, but they seem fairly peaceful, and I am afraid the maroon or six line would beat him up and possibly kill him. I also think that smaller blennies like the tailspot may become a target for violence (depending how active he is).

 

I would love a flame angelfish. I really like their colors, they bring good action to the tank. The problem is that I have heard they can nip at corals, and the main thing is that many people have told me that they need more swimming space, and I don't want to be putting a fish in a tank that it won't be comfortable in.

 

I think that I would like something with more activity. My goby is rather boring as he doesn't do much and while it is cool to see him, his behavior has not been very interesting for me. I know some people love their gobies it's just I don't get that much entertainment from my goby and maybe it's the fact that the makes him hide easily, or maybe his pistol shrimp was eaten (haven't seen him since the 2nd day I got him). So I would like something with activity, maybe not super active, but more so than a goby. I also would prefer something colorful that has something unique or interesting about them. Special characteristics in personality and uniqueness are also positives. I was planning on trying to introduce 2 more fish, but maybe I will just go with one. I might try to introduce another pistol (larger this time) in hopes that he will pair up with the goby and not disappear.

 

Thanks for the help! It is greatly appreciated

 

Braden

 

 

Maybe a small (3) school of bangaii cardinals or chromis?

 

I would love to see someone raise a Chalk Bass, they look so pretty

 

A Dwarf Angel might be a bit risky though, I can't say because I've only had one in my 90.

 

Best of luck

 

 

Thanks for the opinions. I do feel that 3 cardinals or chromis would definitely be to much for that tank. Chromis can get very large, and the bioload and swimming area would be impacted greatly. I agree about the dwarf angel. I would love to try it out, but afraid that he will want more room and I will get hated for what I have done!

 

Braden

[1.0reef]

JMO I'd add nothing or maybe a small rockdweller.

[Braden8558]

JMO I'd add nothing or maybe a small rockdweller.

 

I would like to add more fish and believe I have room for one or two more. What kind of rockdweller do you recommend?

[1.0reef]

Very small gobies and blennies, ones that will likely be ignored.

[Tamberav]

I would like to add more fish and believe I have room for one or two more. What kind of rockdweller do you recommend?

Bioload wise, probably. Maybe not space wise since you have some fish known to be territorial and not much territory and you added them 1st

 

I would get rid of the watchman and try a... hawkfish

 

Otherwise maybe a Lantern Bass or a Yellowtail Reef Basslet may be able to hold its own.

[Braden8558]

Bioload wise, probably. Maybe not space wise since you have some fish known to be territorial and not much territory and you added them 1st

 

I would get rid of the watchman and try a... hawkfish

 

Otherwise maybe a Lantern Bass or a Yellowtail Reef Basslet may be able to hold its own.

 

I was suggested a fishers or cherub angelfish. What do you think about these? I was also suggested a Falco hawkfish or royal gramma or dottbacks. The hawkfish and the grammas seem cool but so do the angels!

 

Also I inherited the tank with the maroons so I couldn't change the fact that I got them first. With the six line I thought I was almost done stocking because I had two maroons at that time but not anymore.

[Tamberav]

The hawkfish may pick on the goby which is why I'd ditch the goby. A dottyback might be okay. My experience with gramma's is they are shy and easily spooked into hiding by aggressive fish.

 

Cherub's are mean little butts but no angelfish may one day destroy corals.

[Braden8558]

The hawkfish may pick on the goby which is why I'd ditch the goby. A dottyback might be okay. My experience with gramma's is they are shy and easily spooked into hiding by aggressive fish.

 

Cherub's are mean little butts but no angelfish may one day destroy corals.

 

Well if I got rid of the goby I would probably try another one like the aurora goby. They are very nice looking! What do you mean when your said "no angelfish may one day destroy corals"? Doesn't make sense...

 

Thanks again, Braden

[Tamberav]

Well if I got rid of the goby I would probably try another one like the aurora goby. They are very nice looking! What do you mean when your said "no angelfish may one day destroy corals"? Doesn't make sense...

 

Thanks again, Braden

 

oops typo. I meant they are all a risk for nipping corals.

[Braden8558]

oops typo. I meant they are all a risk for nipping corals.

Yup I know! I think I am willing and if it gets really bad I will just remove the fish. Anybody else have some ideas?

[joy13]

I would leave the fish you have. Aggression will be your main problem with the six line and the clown. If you don't mind taking apart all your rock work and corals you can try most any fish. Just have a backup plan. Even overnight can be to much for a fish to make it with aggressive tank mates. I have had to rescue fish more than once from a tank mate that from all appearances it should have been alright.

[Tamberav]

Just remember, you may have remove the rocks to get the fish.

[PiscesFish]

I agree with Tamberav with getting a hawkfish to replace your goby. Especially if you do eventually want a blenny. My Midas attacked my Stientz Goby whenever my Midas saw him. But I dont really know how the other blennys will react to gobies.

 

With the pistol shrimp thing, I wouldn't get another one. I mean like the symbiosis is really cool to watch and everything, but when the shrimp gets hungry, it will start taking out your fish and you will hear little clicking sounds from the tank. My Stientz Goby had a Pistol Shrimp, and I thought he disappeared and my LFS ran out of Pistol Shrimps, so she told me to just get a cleaner shrimp. But that's when the Pistol Shrimp wanted to come out and took out my Cleaner Shrimp. Then, I got a Bangaii Cardinal (very pretty btw), Railroad Goby (they are sand sifters), and a Fairy Wrasse. The next few days they disappeared cause my shrimp was hungry. . . Probably didnt feed enough. . .

 

But, if you only want one or two more fish, I would replace the goby with the Hawkfish, or replace the goby still, with a blenny.

[haynesn12]

My pistol shrimp goby pair was cool for about the first three days now I wish I didn't have them. They are constantly clouding up the tank water and the goby just hates every fish in there. I will say though that my royal gramma seems to do really well with my two clowns and doesn't hide very much at all.

[Tamberav]

Probably depends on the substrate. My pistol does not create clouds but I have 1-2mm grain sand and not sugar sand.

[Braden8558]

Thanks for the opinions guys. I'm still not sure with what to go with. The goby is rather boring though and I barely see him. I want to possibly get rid of him and either get a more active goby, or just 1 or 2 other fish. How do you guys think a mandarin would do? I know about their feeding requirements but I will be able to get one that eats frozen. I have a small refugium in the back. I need more chaeto though and need to get it to start growing. I know the small fuge probably won't do much, I just like having it in my tank to give me something to absorb nitrates and nutrients, even in small amounts. I think he would be cool, but how do you think he would do with the other fish in my tank? I know people might recommend against it, but if so why? If my other fish get along with him, my water quality is good, and he accepts frozen, then I think that he will be okay.

 

Thanks for the opinions guys!

 

Braden