Mmm, can't possibly answer all of them at once, but corals and inverts first is a real good answer to a tiny tank: corals will TELL you instantly when you've messed up the water quality. Fish tough it out giving no clues till they turn up dead. Since the gobies and blennies that work well in the nano are fragile, best start with the corals and perfect your tank water til they're happy and THEN move in the fragile fish. The larger you go, the less delicate the water balance is to maintain, and the larger (and hardier) the fish can be.
Understand a few things, however: the more fish of the same species you put into a limited space, the possibility of aggression goes sky high. PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE LATIN NAMES! Eg, a chrysiptera damsel is a bit smaller and fairly mild mannered. A dascyllus damsel gets big and is real, real pushy, with an absolute hatred of chromis. When you get into a 'type' of fish, those Latin names are a guide to who's really like whom. WHile you only want one of a kind, mixing some 'ones' can create some problems, so ask around of people who may have tried certain combinations. Eg, lawnmower blennies can get cranky with other blennies, but I happen to know that the starry blenny and the tailspot get along quite well.
One of a kind is a very good rule. Fish don't want friends. They want undisputed territory, all theirs. If you have a big tank, you can work on mated pairs---but understand that mated pairs of red clowns and other fishes can be meaner than the proverbial junkyard dog, and demand a lot of room. Percs are a bit milder, but you really need a hundred gallons before getting more than one damselfish other than clowns; before getting a mate for your [whatever fish you think of.] Pairs are just problematic without enough room. There are probably some exceptions, but do some reading about size and multiples of whatever species you think you might want two of, if your tank is under 100 gallons.
zoas, mushrooms, buttons of whatever sort, all good starters in the softie dept; hammer, acan, candycane good starters for stony---
For a nano, you're probably best with the softies, because the stonies tend to get real big, and multiply, and require a lot of flow, generally. some of the littler zoas make a real nice texture, and you can always trade off a small mushroom rock.
Understand a few things, however: the more fish of the same species you put into a limited space, the possibility of aggression goes sky high. PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE LATIN NAMES! Eg, a chrysiptera damsel is a bit smaller and fairly mild mannered. A dascyllus damsel gets big and is real, real pushy, with an absolute hatred of chromis. When you get into a 'type' of fish, those Latin names are a guide to who's really like whom. WHile you only want one of a kind, mixing some 'ones' can create some problems, so ask around of people who may have tried certain combinations. Eg, lawnmower blennies can get cranky with other blennies, but I happen to know that the starry blenny and the tailspot get along quite well.
One of a kind is a very good rule. Fish don't want friends. They want undisputed territory, all theirs. If you have a big tank, you can work on mated pairs---but understand that mated pairs of red clowns and other fishes can be meaner than the proverbial junkyard dog, and demand a lot of room. Percs are a bit milder, but you really need a hundred gallons before getting more than one damselfish other than clowns; before getting a mate for your [whatever fish you think of.] Pairs are just problematic without enough room. There are probably some exceptions, but do some reading about size and multiples of whatever species you think you might want two of, if your tank is under 100 gallons.
zoas, mushrooms, buttons of whatever sort, all good starters in the softie dept; hammer, acan, candycane good starters for stony---
For a nano, you're probably best with the softies, because the stonies tend to get real big, and multiply, and require a lot of flow, generally. some of the littler zoas make a real nice texture, and you can always trade off a small mushroom rock.
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