Ideas for 2nd fish

[headonkey1]

So a week and a half ago I started up a JBJ 12g NC for my daughter. This is my first tank in 12 years after being super into the hobby in college. 

 

Everything with the tank is going great. Added Life Rock, Carib-Sea sand, Dr Tim's One & Only and some rubble from our LFS. A couple days later we added a black percula named Goldie who's doing great.

 

Checking the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate every other day and it seems like things are progressing well. The first two have returned to zero and nitrates were rising before the water change today. 

 

All that to say we'll be looking at a second fish in the next couple weeks. What are your favorites in a tank this size? I was leaning towards a firefish but didn't know if people liked certain other ones better. 

[Clown79]

I like blennies a lot. They have great personality and not skittish.

 

I preferred the purple fire fish its less skittish than the red one but both are beautiful.  

 

Another clown, bangaii cardinals are cool. 

[Mrod1!]

Like your aquascape.  In smaller tanks I always like a 6 line wrasse with clowns. Can each hold their own, hardy and long life span and the wrasse will go in and out between the rocks.  
 

 

[Gravity]

I would recommend a shrimp and goby pair. They are fun to watch, the shrimp builds the burrow and the fish looks out for danger. 

[cody6766]

You don't have a ton of room in that tank, so stock carefully. 

 

I'd work my way up to:

Clown(s)

yellow watchman goby (with or without pistol shrimp)

firefish or flasher wrasse

yellow-tail damsel or green chromis (I prefer the damsel)

 

You could always make that a pair of clownfish if you want, but you'll have to be careful adding since you have a single one in there now.  Because it's new/small, it's probably still an it, but you still should be careful. If you add another, pick one of the smallest you can find from a tank with a bunch in it. That will pretty much guarantee that you'll get an undifferentiated fish instead of one in transition, or that has transitioned. I've never had that technique fail me. 

Some people are scared of damsels, and rightfully so. Most become territorial and aggressive. I've never had a yellow-tail blue damsel cause an issue in any size tank (between 12 and 120). They're pretty fish, fill the 'Dory' niche for kids who have seen the movie, and are hardy fish. 

[Clown79]

I've added clowns 7 mnths apart. They bonded immediately.

 

There is no guarantee to clown pairing. Its nature, just like us each fish personality is different.

 

[Gravity]

4 hours ago, Clown79 said:

I've added clowns 7 mnths apart. They bonded immediately.

 

There is no guarantee to clown pairing. Its nature, just like us each fish personality is different.

 

On the other hand I’ve tried this myself on two separate occasion with the new fish either disappearing or found dead.  It’s possible my one Clown is more aggressive or perhaps something I’m doing wrong is messing things up. 

[Clown79]

8 hours ago, Gravity said:

On the other hand I’ve tried this myself on two separate occasion with the new fish either disappearing or found dead.  It’s possible my one Clown is more aggressive or perhaps something I’m doing wrong is messing things up. 

This can be experienced even when adding at the same time.

 

I've had to return clowns that were too aggressive. Its the reason why I added one 7 mnths later. My first pair, the one was a jerk and they wouldn't bond.

I returned it. 7 mnths later I added a little guy and the immediately bonded. 

 

[mcarroll]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:50 PM, headonkey1 said:

So a week and a half ago I started up a JBJ 12g NC

On 4/1/2020 at 11:50 PM, headonkey1 said:

A couple days later we added a black percula named Goldie who's doing great.

On 4/1/2020 at 11:50 PM, headonkey1 said:

we'll be looking at a second fish in the next couple weeks

It all seems rather sudden, so I'm glad everyone in the tank seems un-stressed and happy.  

 

I would give it a few weeks (like a month) in between livestock additions for things to develop and you to observe them.  Sometimes a correction is necessary and better to catch those things sooner than later.  (And of course it's better for the mistake to affect less livestock instead of more....taking your time is a bulletproof strategy.)

 

Instead of fish, consider adding coral or cleanup crew in a week or two.  

 

Wait another couple weeks and if all seems good, then add your next fish.  Even at that I would try not to be in a rush for the fish.  

 

As a rule of thumb, try to alternate every few weeks between adding fish OR coral OR cleanup crew, as needed.  Less frequent additions would be even better.  That way it's a month or so in between each fish (and each coral, etc) so the tank has a chance to adapt.  At the same time you still have an opportunity to add something to the tank every couple of weeks or so...just not the same thing (especially not fish) every time.

 

Try not to be in a rush for any of it, if possible.   😉👍.  The beginning of a tank is when it gives the most learning opportunities....rushing just misses opportunities.

 

 

[headonkey1]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm leaning towards the goby/pistol shrimp pair. Due to the coronavirus, who knows when that will be. 

 

I've added an Aquamaxx HOB-1 and will be adding an AI Prime this week (just waiting on the mount). I haven't really been running the lights to keep the algae down. Thus the reason I haven't started looking at corals yet. When I do I'll start with some nice zoas. 

[Zionas]

I love BG Chromis but their susceptibility to uronema concerns me.

[mcarroll]

There are other Chromis and small Damselfish you can look at if the blue-green seem too scary.

 

If you do pick Chromis, buy them locally so you can observe them for some time before buying.  BE PICKY.

[headonkey1]

Honestly man I hate chromis. Always have.

 

The pistol shrimp and goby seems like a fun pair. I'm gonna read up on iodine dosing and levels to make sure all that is fine before going any further.