45g fish plan suggestions...

[Footbag]

I've got a 45g cube that I'm beginning to stock with corals. I'm mostly a coral guy, but I do want a few fish. I have no fish ion there yet, but my plan so far is for a pair of picasso clowns and a Yasha Goby paired with a pistol shrimp.
I feel like I will need one more colorful show fish. But I'm not sure what to look for. I was thinking a flame angel, but I think the tank is too small. But possible something along that line.
The tank will be mostly LPS and SPS with a some zoanthids. Any suggestions?

And, considering the clowns are juvi's, should I put them in first, then the Yasha? Like I said, I haven't purchased anything yet, just want to keep the best practices.

 

[snorvich]

I've got a 45g cube that I'm beginning to stock with corals. I'm mostly a coral guy, but I do want a few fish. I have no fish ion there yet, but my plan so far is for a pair of picasso clowns and a Yasha Goby paired with a pistol shrimp.
I feel like I will need one more colorful show fish. But I'm not sure what to look for. I was thinking a flame angel, but I think the tank is too small. But possible something along that line.
The tank will be mostly LPS and SPS with a some zoanthids. Any suggestions?

And, considering the clowns are juvi's, should I put them in first, then the Yasha? Like I said, I haven't purchased anything yet, just want to keep the best practices.

Well clown fish are likely to associate with something, usually a coral, but sometimes a physicality such as a pump. If you are mainly a coral guy, I would suggest not getting a pair of clown fish, which, when mature, are going to be somewhat aggressive. In addition to precluding certain other fish, they may damage the coral that they associate with. The goby/shrimp combo needs sand to be effectively happy.

 

[Footbag]

Well clown fish are likely to associate with something, usually a coral, but sometimes a physicality such as a pump. If you are mainly a coral guy, I would suggest not getting a pair of clown fish, which, when mature, are going to be somewhat aggressive. In addition to precluding certain other fish, they may damage the coral that they associate with. The goby/shrimp combo needs sand to be effectively happy.

Hmmm. I hadn't considered that the clowns could do damage to corals. I would almost consider cutting out the other fish to do the clowns, but it seems the concern is the corals.

I do have a 2-3.5" sandbed as well as a 15g fuge to hopefully keep the pod and shrimp population up for the goby. I was actually concerned that the goby and shrimp may cover some of the corals in sand. Now I have something to think about.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Footbag]

May I ask what type of corals they can be aggressive towards? I am planning mostly SPS with some Chalice and Acans. A few zoas as well. I may not mind the clowns precluding other fish, or certain LPS like plates, gonis, elegances, or frogspawns, but I'd hate to watch them take a nosedive into an Acan.
I am committed to no anemone's. And I could be fine with just a pair of clowns.

 

[snorvich]

May I ask what type of corals they can be aggressive towards? I am planning mostly SPS with some Chalice and Acans. A few zoas as well. I may not mind the clowns precluding other fish, or certain LPS like plates, gonis, elegances, or frogspawns, but I'd hate to watch them take a nosedive into an Acan.
I am committed to no anemone's. And I could be fine with just a pair of clowns.

Unpredictable. It is not that they are aggressive towards them, it is that they want to "associate" (what people incorrectly call hosting) with something, and what they choose is unpredictable. When they do this, they can damage or kill a coral e.g. goniopora.

 

[gavij012379]

I myself would not consider the clowns to be a threat to any corals.

 

[Romewhip]

A Flame Angel is not coral safe, they can be coral nippers. There are flames around who never touch corals, but it's a big chance with one.

I wouldn't hesitate putting clowns in, it's possible they could associate with something you'd prefer they didn't but that kind of event is fairly rare.

 

[ocellaris123]

I would also not hesitate to add clowns to your reef system. Every reef system I have come across always sports the pair of mandatory clownfish in them. It is true that they can cause tissue damage to certain LPS species which may be something to look out for. An annoying problem I have come across with my pair of clowns is sand stirring which is quite irritating.

 

[snorvich]

I would also not hesitate to add clowns to your reef system. Every reef system I have come across always sports the pair of mandatory clownfish in them.

Well, I have several and there are no clowns.

 

[ocellaris123]

Well, I have several and there are no clowns.

Hence, why I said the ones I have come across/ personally seen. Every reef tank I have kept I have always made it a point to keep a pair of clownfish in the system and the most annoying habit I have come across is sand stirring. However I have always made it a point to keep a host anemone species in their tank, which is why they didn't seek the need to associate with my corals.