Help me pick my stocking list? :D

[JaneG]

Hi,
I'm having trouble deciding what fish I want for my 17.4g ada tank but I have limited it down to a few choices! I'm looking for really pretty fish that are reef safe and have awesome personality. In the end, I want about 3-4 (5? I think that would be overstocked, right? :hmm5 or so fish. I'm going to have a 20g sump w/ chaeto and a skimmer rated for 150g (down the road) so I think I am prepared for the bioload. Here is what I have so far as choices:

Pair of Pink Skunk Clownfish
Pair of Picasso Clownfish
Pair of Snowflake Clownfish
(Pair?) ORA Green Mandarin or Spotted Dragonet
Falco Hawkfish
Mated Pair of Yellowhead Jawfish
Sixline Wrasse
Hawaiian Golden Dwarf Moray Eel (only grow to 12'' compared to 24'' of Snowflake Eel, too small to eat fish)

If you were in my shoes, from those choices, what fish would you pick for your stocking list? I am leaning towards the jawfish as 2 of the fish but I am not 100% set on them - I am biased because I had a jawfish and loved it :love1: (yes I know their special requirements). I don't have room for any more tanks so this has to be my final stocking list and I want really awesome fish I'm open to suggestions as well. Thank you for any help/opinions!

 

[mahogue]

I am not the fish expert but I know 17g can not support nearly enough copepods to keep a mandarin or dragonet fed and a moray eel is a messy eater that will rapidly pollute a 17g.

 

[JaneG]

I am not the fish expert but I know 17g can not support nearly enough copepods to keep a mandarin or dragonet fed and a moray eel is a messy eater that will rapidly pollute a 17g.

Hello,
I'm talking about the ORA captive bred mandarins, which are trained onto pellet and frozen food. The 20g refugium should provide an occasional snack if need be. :spin2: From what I have read about the eels, they are not as high on the bioload as most other eels, but that's just from what I have read. They are the smallest eel and I *think* Scott Michael suggested 15g minimum. My total system ends up being almost 40g.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Read the thread on those Mandarins, their track record isn't all that much better. For a 17 gallon tank I would stay away from any eel.

Honestly, if you want clowns, pick either the "Picasso" or "snowflakes", and that would be it. The pink skunks, IMO/E, will get too big. One pair of clowns will take over a 17 gallon tank, so those would be it.

 

[JaneG]

Read the thread on those Mandarins, their track record isn't all that much better. For a 17 gallon tank I would stay away from any eel.

Honestly, if you want clowns, pick either the "Picasso" or "snowflakes", and that would be it. The pink skunks, IMO/E, will get too big. One pair of clowns will take over a 17 gallon tank, so those would be it.

I think you're probably right about the Mandarins/eel. Would I have issues with a pair of clowns and a pair of jawfish? The jawfish share one burrow and don't really move from it- would the clowns even take that little area as territory? Additionally, is there a difference in size between captive bred and wild caught pink skunks? I've heard captive bred ones get considerably smaller. Thanks! :wave:

 

[Toddrtrex]

Yes, a mated/spawning pair of clowns will take over that whole tank, I have watched a spawning pair of pink skunks take over a 58 gallon tank -- to the point where I had to sell them.

I don't think there is going to be any size difference (( when full grown )) between wild caught and tank raised.

 

[JaneG]

Yes, a mated/spawning pair of clowns will take over that whole tank, I have watched a spawning pair of pink skunks take over a 58 gallon tank -- to the point where I had to sell them.

I don't think there is going to be any size difference (( when full grown )) between wild caught and tank raised.

Hm... I might have to pass on a pair of clowns then, since I would somewhat rather a mated pair of jawfish. If I kept clownfish, I would definitely want them in a pair... I'm assuming that the Ocellaris are the same? I'm also assuming that they'd be just as aggressive, even when added last? Darn!- oh well. Thanks for your help.

 

[reefjunkie42]

ditch the sixline wrasse, decide on 1 pair of clowns and oh yea get more fairy wrasses! lol jkjk to each is own

 

[JaneG]

ditch the sixline wrasse, decide on 1 pair of clowns and oh yea get more fairy wrasses! lol jkjk to each is own

What do you think about Hawaiian fourline wrasse? I've heard they can be less aggressive. Obviously I would add the sixline last, but I've heard that after they become really comfortable (~1-2 years), they can become little devils so I might avoid them. :hmm3: Also, I think my tank might be a little too small for any fairy wrasse, including Lubbocki's, right? I'd love a flasher wrasse as well, but I would feel guilty having one alone in a smaller tank, and I've heard that they do much better when kept in groups. Having 2 clowns alone is a consideration, but it's not really appealing to me- a lot of people do it, so it must be good enough, but I would like some variety, and yellowheads are my favorite of all fish (plus having a pair would make my reef "unique" :spin2. So many decisions! Thanks for your help.

I also have an idea for another fish: a Floridian Cherub Angelfish. They only get to 2", although the Carribean ones get to 3". I'm not sure if my tank is too small though (24" long). Additionally, I'm worried it would nip my SPS corals (although SPS and angelfish are a classic!) or even attack the jawfish.

 

[snorvich]

Lined wrasses are highly aggressive. I would go with the pair of jawfish. I also endorse Todd's advice above.

 

[small alien]

A pair of jawfish would make a very engaging little display. You could sneak in a tiny goby or two. I like the green bandeds and the Trimma spp for small gobies. Good luck.

 

[small alien]

Or perhaps a single fire fish with the pair of jaws. That would give you something in the water column which would be more interesting I think. That's what I would do I think.

 

[zoa mania]

its up to you personally, and also whats available. U need not get ora mandarins or whatever stuff...just get a fuge or culture pods in a seperate tank like me.

 

[SecretiveFish]

Mandarins while quite cool do not seem to be the most engaging fish, meaning at least the ones we have seem to exist in their own little world unaware of the things around them. They gust spend all of their days searching the liverock meticulously for their treasured food...

In that size tank, I personally would want very engaging fish. I would try the pair of jawfish, a tail spot blenny (my bias is showing, I really enjoy blennies), and maybe one firefish (although this may fish is probably pushing it).

 

[JaneG]

I didn't know that about mandarins- they don't seem very personable, but that makes sense I guess since they're constantly hunting. Are firefish good for personality? I was told that they're very boring to watch...however, they're very pretty. My tank has a turnover rate of ~80-100x as well (very high flow for sps corals), so I think that could cause issues? I've heard they can't tolerate high flow. I used to have a tailspot blenny for a very short period of time. It was cute but introduced a disease that killed my jawfish, itself, and my possum wrasse so I guess I am a little "biased" against getting another as it was pretty shy (yes I'll QT next time). What does everybody think about a cherub angelfish? Do they need a larger tank, would they get too aggressive, and would they nip my sps corals? Or, I could make my only tank inhabitants a harem of dot-and-dash flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus lineopunctatus - 2 females and 1 male)... is my tank too small for them? It's 24", but I'm guessing that's going to be too little- they're the smallest and least active of all flasher wrasse, I have read (although tracking down 2 females would be really hard).

 

[snorvich]

Flasher wrasses and dwarf angels need larger tanks. A possum wrasse (various kinds available) would do well. Firefish would do well also.

 

[SecretiveFish]

A cherub angel would probably need more room, and whether it would sample you coral is totally up in the air. Some pygmy angels do, some don't. Depends on the individual fish.

Firefish I guess could be considered "boring." Once settled in they will usually come out when they see you, but they are not one of the fish I might call inquisitive/engaging like wrasses and some blennies. Sorry to hear about your tailspot, that is really lame! I did not realize that they are soo timid (we got a yellow streak dusky blenny that acts like you described your tailspot). The active blennies I have include a lawnmower blenny and a starry blenny, and I believe that the bi-color and midas are also active.

I have not had flasher wrasses before so you will have to wait for someone more knowledgeable to pipe in.

 

[JaneG]

Flasher wrasses and dwarf angels need larger tanks. A possum wrasse (various kinds available) would do well. Firefish would do well also.

Hm, I guess that's understandable- but even if the fish is only 2"? I guess the size doesn't matter though (ex. frogfish are huge but are fine in small tanks). What about bangaii cardinals? Are they really all that boring? I had a possum wrasse that was really cute - he was in the tank with the tailspot and jawfish. However, he was also very cryptic, as most of them are.