Stocking options?

[sdunkin]

I have a 12 gallon eclipse system that has been up and running for a week and a half. It has 20 lbs of live sand and about 12 lbs of live rock. All of the parameters have been stable for the last week. The pH is 8.2, the specific gravity is 1.023, the temp stays at 78, the ammonia is 0, the nitrites are 0, and the nitrates are 5. It is just starting to get algae growing on some of the rocks.

 

In the next couple weeks, I would like to start stocking the tank. I am planning on having a few zoas and mushrooms in the tank, so I want reef safe fish. Also, I would like to have fish that can been seen swimming most of the time, and since I am a noob they need to be fairly easy to care for. Any recommendations?

[Toomin]

for a 12g, some wont recommend wrasses.

but i must say a six-line is pretty popular among here.

 

Swimmers imo are damsels, chromis and wrasses and of course, tangs.

[fourtanks]

Did you upgrade the lights in the eclipse? Hopefully you did. The standard lights will not support corals. There is simply not enough light. You could have LR and fish but corals won't live under the standard eclipse lighting.

 

My clowns swim around all of the time.

[Hekim]

One damsels, chromis or wrasses would be fine. Don't even think about a Tang, they get way to big. I also agree you will need to upgrade the lights to keep corals. And removing the biowheel is advisable.

 

Good luck, have fun but go slow.

[sdunkin]

Thanks for all of the help.

 

I haven't upgraded the light yet since I am not completely positive that I want corals yet, but if I do decide to I am going to upgrade it. I am also in no big hurry to get any fish, but since the tank is so small and my options are fairly limited I thought that it would be best for me to make up my mind before the time came to start adding fish. Would it be to much to get a pair of false percs?

 

I do have a 75 gallon that I plan on setting up this fall, so I will move the fish into there, but I really don't want anything that needs to be in bigger tank just in case the plans for the larger tank don't quite work out like I hope.

[kkyyllee]

you could do a pair of false percs, they'd be fine, clowns arent swimming fish

[groyurown]

they are swimming fish, just not long distance (clowns), but they move around, there is a reason why they are a staple in this hobby.

[kkyyllee]

yes they move around, but clowns don't need the as much space as "swimming fish" like wrasses and tangs do

[sdunkin]

Could I keep a small flame hawkfish in the tank? My local LFS has been getting some in that are only about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, but I don't know if it would be okay in a 12 gallon tank. Like I said earlier, I am not really in a hurry to get any fish in the tank, but I would like to have my mind made up by the time that I can start stocking since my options are somewhat limited. I mainly want active fish that can be seen most of the time, that are easy to care for, and have a lot of color.

[sdunkin]

What about a false perc and a flame hawk? Would that be too much?

[avalanche1201]

check out this thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=74703

 

good start for what fish can be kept in what size tanks...there are always exceptions depending on the experience of the reefer and if they want to push limits if they have other tanks for the fish to move into if they get to big etc etc...but thats a good place to start

[sdunkin]

Okay, I have another noob question. Do feather dusters add to the bio-load?