Fish recs for RS-170 w/minimal rock scape?

[Spencer7]

I would say this is an acro tank, not a fish tank...

There's one talbot's damsel. I had a sixline jump recently. Always kept to a small fish population (which could eat dry food) and then dosed nutrients to keep PO4 and NO3 off zero.

I would consider having more fish but I my rockwork doesn't allow for too many hiding spaces to diffuse tension and my sand bed is borderline too shallow for some burrowing wrasses. I can put a mesh top on the tank.

I prefer to be able to use dry food so I can auto-feed (and make it simpler when I'm out of town).

Do you guys have any recommendations? I think five cardinals is an option. I'm 'eh' on clownfish.
Chromis and damsels will probably kill their way down to 1-2.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I like the pink skunk clowns.

 

[Misled]

On the cardinals, it really depends on the sex of them. If you start with 5, and you have a male and female, they will wittle themselves down over a few years. All female, fine, all male fine. A pair will end up being a pair. In my blog, it shows how to sex them, but in most stores, they are a bit too small to sex.