fish first or inverts first

[agoerl]

I am currentsly starting a 5.5 gallon tank. After it is cycled I would like to start it out as a fish and invert only tank for a few months or so befor moveing into the coral relm. I was wondering if it is better to add your inverts first or add your fish first. Since the tank is so small I know I can olny have one fish so I think I am going too go with a yellow tail damsel, I think their a cool fish and some one at this site told me thay would work good in my tank and were a good starter fish. For Inverts I am thinking about getting 1 pepermint shrimp, a few blue legg crabs, 1 red legg crab, an asortment of snails, and maybe 1 small starfish. I would just like to know what to add first

[Jennifer]

Add your inverts first. Make sure the tank is cycled, ammonia is at zero, nitrites zero, and nitrates way down there. If you think there's enough for them to eat, add a handful of snails. I would not do more than five, less if you plan on having hermits. Also, hermits may be prey on the snails for their shells. Carefully research snails and hermits to decide what you're risking. I have scarlet hermits that have never hurt a single snail...although I would never dare to have cerith snails...all my hermits prefer cerith shells.

 

Also, that damsel, when you add him, will become quite aggressive. I would choose between the shrimp and the damsel. Even if you add the shrimp first, the damsel may pester the thing to death eventually in such a small tank. And skip the starfish, for countless reasons, including that they get too big.

[agoerl]

Thanks for the info. I never thought about hermits praying on the snails for their shells, I suppose they have to get them from some ware as they grow, dont know why I never thought about that befor. I was also told by other members that yellow tailed damsels were a good choice because they are less aggresseve than other damsels and wont pick on shrimp and other inverts, and I did find one other web site that said yellow tails wont harm shrimp or other inverts, but thanks for the worning and I will resurch this some more befor I make a final desistion.

[agoerl]

I was also wondering if you had any other suggestions for a fish other than the yellow tail damsel. Something less aggresive maybe.

[sukeband]

I hav a straight Blue Damsel (which is more aggressive than the yellowtailed) and a cleaner shrimp.

 

The Blue damsel is very well behaved and has yet to even touch the shrimp. I think its becasue the shrimp was added 1st, and the fish was added a few weeks later.

 

Also the shrimp is bigger than the damsel. that might be a reason for the togetherness in my tank as well.

[Jennifer]

What fish for a 5.5 gallon...well, that's a somewhat loaded question. There are some that say 5 gallons is too small of a tank for a fish. Others say one small fish is good, etc. If you're going to go ahead try keeping a fish, maybe a falsie (false percula clownfish), they have lots of personality, and IME they don't need a large space to be happy (mine never went much further than 5 or 6 inches from his "host"...a powerhead). Another possability may be a firefish, or a purple firefish, although I'd rethink hermits if keeping a firefish because they "bolt" themselves into a rock space at night, and a hermit may not be able to resist! There are also some types of gobies, such as a clown gobies, that stay very small.

 

Try searching around the board for others that have 5's, and see what they're doing. They will also be able to tell you about the successes and challenges they've experienced.

[onthefly]

Look at a green chromis....cheap, colorful, hardy, and they swim in the open (instead of hiding!). In terms of gobies, look at the clown and yellow watchmen. Also, you might be able to put a cardinal in there.

 

As for your critters.....add the inverts first. Snails and Crabs....I used astreas (3) and nassarius (6).....their always busy! then add a couple of small hemits...I have 3...2x baja red leg and 1x blue leg varitey. Give them a handful of empty shells (of all sizes) behind your LR.....they'll never bother your snails!

 

As for a shrimp, I had a pep and ditched him because he hid all the time and started to munch on my Zoo's......Got a cleaner and he's a total riot sometimes!

 

HTH