Fish Pairing, Will these fish go together? Assistance Needed!

[Michael_Price]

I have a 30L Gallon tank, I do weekly water changes, and only want nano fish in my reef tank. (Of course smaller fish will have a lesser bio load) so this means the smaller the fish, the more I should be able to have happily in the tank as far as Water Parametors go

 

Right now I have Three Fish.

1 Clown Fish that is happily hosting a nem.
1 Purple Firefish.
1 Lawnmower Blenny.

And I would like a few more I am wanting fish that are pretty to look at, and fun to watch. Here is my considerations. Of course I know I can't have all of these in my tank, it would be too much. so I am asking for your help to determine what would be a good fit with what I have, and what I'm after! I want fish that do neat stuff like the goby/pistol shrimp pair. But I also want some fish that are open water swimmers so that there is some movement in the tank. Also easy fish... fish that eat frozen food is a plus.

 

Here we go,

Firstly, a Yellow Watchman Goby and Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp. From what I have read, and researched this is a reef safe/ non aggressive pair that will most likely live its life at the base of one of my live rocks. Happily digging burrows. I think this would be an entertaining combo to watch! On the top of my "To add list"
(Just one Yellow Goby and One Shrimp)

 

I also have these fish on my Possibilities List.

Royal Gramma - Very Beautiful fish.

 

A Neon Goby Pair? Would these be open/active swimmers? And do they pair well? I feel like this would add some character to the tank.

 

Tail spot blenny, Looks awesome. A top pick for me as well, but... (will this be a problem with my lawnmower blenny)

 

Rainford goby, Probably my favorite looking fish on the list, and would most likely be my favorite in the tank as it looks awesome, but I have heard they are hard to keep alive and to get to eat frozen foods. Any one have any experience with this guys?

[RIP Sebastian]

Honestly, I would add another clown and call it a day. I love my pair. They're so fun to watch! But that's just me.

 

Shrimp/Goby pairs are nice. How deep is your sand bed? It should be around two inches. Be aware that the shrimp will rearrange sand and might even steal some frags. I would be wary of small fish around pistol shrimp.

 

Royal Grammas are pretty and peaceful fish. They are larger, so if you added one, I wouldn't add any more fish.

 

Neon Gobies are very cute. They are available as pairs on the Live Aquaria Diver's Den from time to time.

 

Tailspot Blennies have amazing personalities and are adorable. SInce you already have a blenny, I advise against it.

 

Rainford Gobies are available captive-bred and should eat readily.

 

Check this LiveAquaria Chart First:http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm

 

Here Are Your Options:

 

Shrimp/Goby (Sand Bed Permitting) and Neon Gobies

Rainford and Neon Gobies

Royal Gramma Only

Another Clown Only

 

 

 

Nick

[Groot]

I like the rainsford goby it's neat to see them shift through sand.

[Clown79]

Lawnmower blennies grow quite big, I'd say no to the tailspot blenny with it.

 

The tailspot is small, tends to hide more, and not easy to feed. Its mouth is very small. Its like eating algae, with the lawnmower blenny there may not be enough in the tank for both.

 

 

I like watchman gobies, they are cool. I never had one paired with a pistol.

 

 

The royal gramma is pretty, swims around.

 

Rainsford goby is nice, different looking and swims around.

 

If it were me, i'd do the rainsford goby and gramma as long as all is compatible.

[Michael_Price]

Thanks for the feed back, my sandbed is about 2 inches, in the back a bit deeper. And I have glued most my frags down, so I should be good there ha ha.

 

I'm thinking the goby/shrimp pair for sure since I don't really have anything running around on the sand bed. And maybe the neon goby pair. And then at least that way I could feed everything in my take the same type of frozen foods for the most part.

 

I know the blenny I have, has never eaten anything I put in for the other fish (they eat anything) but he is always fat and happy so I guess he has all the algae he needs. So I'll take the tail spot off the list, I don't want him cutting into the only food supple for him and starve them out.

 

Do you think the shrimp/watchman goby pair, rainford goby, and royal gramma would be too much? Or should I just go with the first option?

[ajmckay]

Agree with some of the specific info mentioned... The goby/pistol pair would be cool but you must have a decent depth to your sand bed and very stable rock work as they will burrow under rocks. Also you should be willing to wake up to an occasional redecorated tank!

 

I'm not convinced the neon gobies would be a good addition... You have a pretty good sized tank and they are usually around an inch so you may not see them very often... They're not open swimmers but rather spend time perching

 

What do you feed your lawnmower blenny? Lawnmowers are pretty heavy eaters - make sure they're getting plenty of green in their diet or they're likely to waste away over time (say 6-8 months) - even if it appears that they are eating the frozen foods you're giving (unless you also include an herbivore blend in your frozen routine). Note that the rainsford will also have some dietary overlap with the lawnmower as it also eats agae/detritus from the sand/rocks as well. Ultimately the rainsford may not be the best choice unless you're willing to feed enough to support these guys which would likely result in excess nutrients in the system.

 

The gramma I don't see as an issue, and another clown (assuming you have ocellaris) would be fine. Cardinal fish would also be a decent candidate, possibly a fairy wrasse, another firefish, etc...

 

How many fish you end up adding is dependent on the amount of risk you're willing to take and time spent with maintenance. Honestly I would stick with just the gramma or the goby/shimp pair for now. Adding too many fish could have the effect of increasing aggression which would probably end up taking a toll on the firefish.

[lobster876]

lawnmower blennies do starve fast so I have a 20 gallon tank to grow algae for him. Algae is easy to grow so long as you add tap water instead of rodi by the way the main tank is 60 gallons

[Clown79]

I had a lawnmower once in a 20g. Algae growth couldn't keep up with his diet. He didn't make it.

 

You can always add nori on a clip to feed him.

 

Unfortunately not all fish eat the same food and a variety is best. Alternating foods through the week offers everything they need.

 

I agree the neon gobies will get lost in the tank.

 

The gramma and 1 other would be best to stick with.

[Michael_Price]

Im thinking ill just keep it simple and go with the Watchman/shrimp pair and the Gramma to keep it simple, and all on meaty foods (Besides my Lawnmower Blenny) I told my LFS store today when I picked up some water. They are going to order a few candy cane pistol shrimp for next weeks order since I asked. (Pretty great customer service at my local LFS) the CandyCane pistol shrimp is what the recommended as they have had the least customer complaints with aggression from them and they stay the smallest. and I'm fine with that, they look cool They said it will pair with many different goby options, the yellow watchmen is a good one he said. And I think thats what I want just so I can have some more color in my tank.

 

As far as my Blenny, he stays fat on his own at the moment. And eats nothing I put in the tank. But i also have plenty of algae at the moment. But I have no problem with picking food up for him, What should I get?

 

Maybe someday ill get a Rainford, or a wrasse so ill have something that free swims besides the Gramma. But for now these few will be a good addition and ill look at maybe one more fish 6 months down the line depending on how these all fair out.

 

As far as my live rock build and rearranging go, all my rocks were built on the glass and glued together (Not to the glass but in a self standing position) then I added the sand. So I'm good there! And all my coral is Glued in place. So I'm set there

 

P.S. Good to know about the Neon Gobys, they look nice and bright! But if they dont swim much then they won't really stand out hiding or perching in my rock work. Thanks for all the info!

[Clown79]

Adding nori on a clip is a good option for the lawnmower.

[Muraki]

I vote for the Neon Goby pair. Possibly get a blue and yellow pair?

 

I know many are saying they may get lost in the 30 Long, I have pushed the limit of my tank a little and have found that my favorite fish in the tank is my Molly Miller Blenny, he is by far the most social fish in the tank when people are nearby. But I also enjoy my Neon Goby because he has picked up after the Blenny and became just as social. What surprised me even more is that he has bonded with the purple Dottyback. So in the evenings they can be found in the same hole under a rock, but during the day if I watch the tank from a distance, I have seen my little Goby cleaning the Dottyback, but when I am near the tank, he is way to social to pay attention to the other fish. Below is my current stocking list of fish, I have hit a limit to what I can safely add without my Dottyback becoming overly aggressive and bullying any new fish. I absolutely love the Neon Goby, I never thought I would.

 

 

Tank details (fish)

22 Long display (Huge sump) (I feed daily)

Nitrates remain 0 without water changes (I dose to maintain KH, Ca, and Mg)

I have had 1 clown for 3 years, Mandarin for 6ish months and everything else little over a year.

 

2x Clowns <------ The male is an @#$ when I clean the glass
Molly Miller Blenny <------ Huge fatty and eats non stop.
Green Mandarin <------ Wifes favorite fish. With patients, he now eats anything
Purple Dottyback <------ Horribly aggressive towards anything new added to the tank
Neon Goby <------ Eats so much I fear he may pop someday

 

A Neon Goby Pair? Would these be open/active swimmers? And do they pair well? I feel like this would add some character to the tank.

 

[Michael_Price]

 

I vote for the Neon Goby pair. Possibly get a blue and yellow pair?

 

I know many are saying they may get lost in the 30 Long, I have pushed the limit of my tank a little and have found that my favorite fish in the tank is my Molly Miller Blenny, he is by far the most social fish in the tank when people are nearby. But I also enjoy my Neon Goby because he has picked up after the Blenny and became just as social. What surprised me even more is that he has bonded with the purple Dottyback. So in the evenings they can be found in the same hole under a rock, but during the day if I watch the tank from a distance, I have seen my little Goby cleaning the Dottyback, but when I am near the tank, he is way to social to pay attention to the other fish. Below is my current stocking list of fish, I have hit a limit to what I can safely add without my Dottyback becoming overly aggressive and bullying any new fish. I absolutely love the Neon Goby, I never thought I would.

 

 

Tank details (fish)

22 Long display (Huge sump) (I feed daily)

Nitrates remain 0 without water changes (I dose to maintain KH, Ca, and Mg)

I have had 1 clown for 3 years, Mandarin for 6ish months and everything else little over a year.

 

2x Clowns <------ The male is an @#$ when I clean the glass

Molly Miller Blenny <------ Huge fatty and eats non stop.

Green Mandarin <------ Wifes favorite fish. With patients, he now eats anything

Purple Dottyback <------ Horribly aggressive towards anything new added to the tank

Neon Goby <------ Eats so much I fear he may pop someday

 

A Neon Goby Pair? Would these be open/active swimmers? And do they pair well? I feel like this would add some character to the tank.

 

 

 

 

Very good to know! And impressive you got your Mandarin eating, what did you do to get him to adjust to regular food? My wife really wants one... but i told her they are too hard to keep from what I've read.

[Muraki]

 

 

Very good to know! And impressive you got your Mandarin eating, what did you do to get him to adjust to regular food? My wife really wants one... but i told her they are too hard to keep from what I've read.

 

I started with what appeared to be a skinny starving mandarin from my LFS. Had them attempt to feed it to see if it would eat, but it showed zero interest. I have seen many die at their store sadly. So I figured I would take a chance.

 

I began by target feeding him live food to ensure he was eating steadily, so hatching baby brine shrimp daily. This continued but I started mixing frozen blood worms or black worms with the food. Took him some time to get used to the idea. Ignored them at first, than over time he would test them and spit them out to eventually eating them completely. Once eating frozen worms, I switched to frozen Mysis. Was another slow progression to the new food. So at that point it was a mix of live baby brine, frozen blood or black worms and frozen Mysis. I basically kept adding a new food until he became accustomed to it and I can visually see him eating the newer food. He now eats Reef Frenzy like everyone else. So I stopped feeding frozen worms and Mysis daily. I don't supplement any live foods other than what my sump produces. Also gave him a hunting ground of Wire like Chaeto in the back corner of the tank (Can always be found in this area during the day).

 

 

I can see this method potentially being problematic for many people, since I was overfeeding my tank daily for weeks since the mandarin had to compete with 5 other fish for food. I now have a bristle worm population that is scary, but my sump was able to handle all the waste and my nitrates remained 0-1 according to 2 API test kits and 1 Salifert.

[RIP Sebastian]

 

 

Very good to know! And impressive you got your Mandarin eating, what did you do to get him to adjust to regular food? My wife really wants one... but i told her they are too hard to keep from what I've read.

 

There is a thread about training mandarins. Another option is to order the captive bred ones from Algae Barn. They are already weaned on to pellets/ frozen food and are shipped with sixty dollars worth of pods. They are expensive, but you are not plucking them from the ocean and they have a much higher rate of survival. I have been looking into them recently.