3 Weeks Into It

[Darth_NANO]

HI EVERYONE,

 

JUST STARTED A 20 GALLON HIGH. (24X12X16). HAVE 23.5LBS OF FIGI MIXED WITH FLORIDA LIVE ROCK. I HAVE COMPENSATED THE 2 LBS PER GALLON RULE FOR THE FLORIDA LIVE ROCK SO 23.5LBS IT IS. ANYWAY, MY QUESTION IS, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO STOCK MY TANK WITH FISH, I AM CONFUSED AS TO HOW MANY IS TOO MANY. THERE ARE SO MANY INCONSISTENT FORMULAS IN BOOKS AND ON THE WEB SO I FIGURE I'LL ASK MY FELLOW NANO REEFERS. EVETUALLY MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, I WILL DO CORALS. I HAVE 2 100WATT POWER COMPACT LIGHTS. ONE ACTINIC AND ONE FLOURECENT.

 

I'D LIKE TO GET THE FOLLOWING. ONE CLOWN FISH

ONE ROYAL BASSELET

AND IF SOMEONE COULD ALSO TELL ME, A DECENT CLEAN UP CREW.

 

THANKS GUYS!

[SaltyDawg]

Not sure of the size of the basselett but your fine with the clown.

100w power compacts? you sure there not 96watters?

for a clean up crew in a reef...... I like margarita snails, cerith snails, fighting conchs, astrea snails, turbos as long as they are small. Blue legged hermits, scarlet hermits, Emerald crabs, sally lightfoot crabs, nasar-what ever snails ( LATE!!!!!!) if they are very small sand sifting stars. ( they get huge though and WILL destroy your rock work if it isnt basicaly glued together when they get big!!) Hawk fish if you get an over population of bristle worms. Sea hairs are great for hair algae as well as lettuce nudi branchs. the list is endless. I say 1 margarita per 5 gallons, 1 astrea per 2g, 2 lettuce nudi branchs if you get a bad hair algae infestation, probably gonna want around 10- 15 small blue legged hermits. some will die or be killed by the larger ones so I say buy 10- 15 then your covered with algae controll as well as survival of the fitest combat, definately get about 4 -5 cerith snails ( large ones or the hermits will take their shells and kill them). Their are many combinations and many conflicting numbers. The best way is to take what you want from everything you hear and formulate your own theory on what will best sute your needs.

As for fish. if they get say 3 inches - 4 inches as an adult I wouldnt get any more than two in a 20 gallon.