Fish Tank Mates?

[pledosophy]

Hello,

As many of you know I am new to the LPS world, but so far pretty obsessed. 7 Frags in two weeks. Now I'm saving for the ultra nice LPS.

While I love the LPS I would like a fish or two. Also a shrimp.

I have a 20g long tank (40 gallon sump). Any good recommendations for fish that are LPS friendly or even benificial to the LPS in some way?

I'm thinking of a manderin down the line after the 2nd refugium is setup so manderin freindly would be a plus. There will also be a clam going in this tank in a couple months.

Thanks so much.

 

[Illuminati]

The tank size limits you more than LPS friendly does.
You can go with Gobies, Dartfish, Clowns, some Dottybacks, Basslets & reef safe wrasses (Fairy or Flasher Wrasses would look nice).

Stay away from just about all angles (especially the flame angels, they will nip corals).

Is there a specific fish you like?

 

[pledosophy]

Are there no fish that benifit the corals?

Should I even keep fish or is it better without?

I know the options for fish in a tank my size, IME some fish do well with other fish for various reasons (i.e. seahorses and peppermint shrimp, the peppermints act to eat aiptasia which are a danger to the seahorse). Was curious if anything like this exists with LPS.

Also what clean up crew do you suggest? I was thinking some shrimp and snails.

 

[bobafett]

With the exception of clown fish which can host certain corals, most reef fish are just ornamental. Seahorses are pretty but if you don't have experience with them they can be a real pain. If you decide to go with them then forget about adding any other fish other than pipe fish (other fish will eat all the food before the seahorses get any). Snails, hermit crabs and shrimp make great clean up crews. If you don't have aiptasia then forget about peppermint shrimp and try cleaner (skunk) shrimp or banded shrimp. In a 20gal I would put 2 shrimp, 20 snails, and 20 hermits. As for fish I would stick to small fish such as the ones colinadam suggested.

 

[blange3]

Look at colinadam's avatar and look at mine and take a guess!

I would skip the clowns as they can sometimes annoy the LPS that they like to host in to the point of not opening. If you want clowns, add them after your corals have been established a while.

I would also skip shrimp and hermits except maybe scarlet reef hermits as they like to steal the food from your LPS when you feed them.

And I do recommend feeding them.

I have 2 chalk bass and a royal gramma now. A purple firefish and 2 PJ Cardinals in QT. I'm planning on some fairy wrasses in the future.

I imagine the mandarin police will be stopping by soon as well!

 

[Illuminati]

I didn't even think about cardinalfish but they would make a good addition. I like the black & silver ones, can't remember the name off the top of my head though, Banji something.

If I could go back I would not get a clown again. To aggressive.

If you really want to keep a shrimp I'd skip the pseudochromis as well, they might think the shrimp is a snack

 

[pledosophy]

The manderin police have no worries. 20g tani, 40g sump, 20g gravity fed refuguim, over 100 lbs of lr and a descent amount of macro alage, I got no worries keeping a manderin. i have kept one in the past for 3+ years.

I'm not a fan of clowns, just not my thing.

Do you think two fairy wrasses and a CBS shrimp would be cool? Was also thining about some type of sand sifting goby, maybe a mated pair of twin spots (I would like to raise the fry).

 

[jessp]

dang 100 lbs or live rock in a twenty long, got any pics?

 

[pledosophy]

The rock is divided between the sump, refugium, and the display. There is no way that much rock would have fit in the 20g itself, I meant there was 100 lbs of LR in the entire system.

No pics yet, tank isn't much to look at. Just a couple of frags for now. Waiting until i get some funds to get some nicer corals, probably next weeek.