Planning to start a Biocube 32, advice on stocking

[antigonus]

Hello, having kept freshwater aquariums for around a decade, I have decided it is time to try my hand with saltwater, and despite being extremely nervous, I am very excited to get into the hobby.

My tentative plan is to have a 32 gallon tank with a few small to medium fish, some peaceful invertebrates as a clean up crew, and eventually some easier soft, and possibly LPS corals. 

So far this was the combination of fish I had thought of, i'm curious if it would work for a tank this size, and that the animals would be compatible with one another. 

 

1. x1 purple firefish

2. x1 Banngai cardinalfish

3. X1 starry blenny

4. x1 Ocellaris clownfish 

In addition to these, I was planning on a clean up crew of several snails and possibly a few hermit crabs if they don't get too aggressive, a few skunk cleaner shrimp, and maybe an emerald or porcelain crab, but I don't know enough about them yet to say for sure. 

 

So for those veteran reef tankers out there, does this seem like a tenable plan? if not, what on the list should be removed or swapped out for something different? 

[Clown79]

Very manageable. The only thing is the firefish. They can be skittish and slow to go after food, clowns and blennies are the opposite. Lol. They are piggy's.

 

I would add the firefish first and then later on try feeding in 2 spots of the tank so that everyone gets food.

[antigonus]

Yeah, I've heard about that, so if I added the fire fish first, then the Banggai, then the blenny and the clownfish, would that be a good order?

 

Also, do you think the invertebrates I want would work? 

[Clown79]

Snails are great. I personally love hermits. I've only had issues with zebra hermits.

 

Blue legged and scarlets have been great.

 

Cleaner shrimp don't really clean. They eat food and clean fish but are cool. I wouldn't add too many. 2 would be fine.

 

Porcelain crabs are cool but hide in the rockwork alot. They are filter feeders, they aren't a clean up crew.

 

Emeralds are hit and miss. Some love them and others won't have them in their tanks. They may eat gha and bubble algae.

[antigonus]

I was thinking on getting a few blue legged or scarlet hermit crabs, how many do you think would be good for a tank this size? 

 

I know shrimp don't really clean the tank, I still wanted one or two though because they look really cool and clean fish. Same with porcelain crabs,  they're filter feeders and rather secretive, but they seem very interesting and unique.