How big a fish in a 20g?

[pledosophy]

Just curious how big of a fish you have kept succsessfully in a 20g. I know of one member who is keeping a slafin tang and all is well.

I have a 20g long with plenty of sump and refugium filtration and rock and am planning stocing for the future.

I'm not trying to flame you, just wonderin what you got.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

DO NOT PUT A SAILFIN TANG IN A 20 GALLON TANK!!!!

That is rediculous beond reason. The ONLY time that could be done is if the thing is like a baby, and even for that...20 gallons isnt much room to swim. NO tang should be kept in a 20 gallon tank, unless they're a baby like i said for the sailfin. Tangs are much too large and much too active.

Anyways...go to liveaquaria.com and look at theire nano fish section under marine fish...pretty much any of those you can keep.

For your tank you're not going to have ANY bioload issues lol...like where the rock cant handle the amount of fish. You went way above and beyond for that, so imo you'll never have a problem w/that.

But a clown pair is always nice (dont get maroons tho...mean punks, and they get too big imo), all those little gobies are cool. But the "biggest" fish i'd put in is MAYBE a coral beauty angel...but even thats kinda pushin it imo.

 

[pledosophy]

Right now I have a Potter's Leaporad wrasse. (geoffroy) He is just a juvie, under an inch long. I plan to keep him alone at least for a couple of months but am trying to plan ahead for the future of the system.

I am going to keep a manderin eventually (might even add a 20g gravity fed refugium just for extra pod production since the sump is so . . . small, it's a 40g with 80lbs of rock and macro if you missed the other thread ) I would also like to add a couple of clams. Looking for fish to compliment. Might o for some of the more exotic gobies but wanted to get some opinions first.


For the record, I did not say I was keeping the tang, although I do lan on a kole for my 65g in a few months.

I have also heard of people keeping flasher wrasses. Just wanting to know who has kept what long term in a smaller tank.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

lol ya i saw your other thread, which is why i say you're not gonna have ANY bioload issues

if you want a manderin...definately get that fuge goin asap. The manderins need tons of pods to survive. Some can get them to take other meaty foods, but i dont think too many people have luck with that..could be wrong tho. Your amount of live rock will probably help w/the pods...but i'd still do a fuge. That'd be an amazingly well set up tank haha.

For the clams, i guess they could do ok in a 20 gallon, but i think they've gotta be in the sand, and they get huge, so your tank may be a bit small, unless you were to get rid of them whenever they get big. And if you want those, def. go for metal halides (if you havent already got that) or maybe some t5's.

Oh, and i didnt think you personally were going to put that tang in a 20 lol. I was just makin sure that you didnt copy that guy. Replies on here are mis-inturpreted MUCH too often, because its kinda hard to type in the right tone of voice, you know? (and it always seems that mine are the ones missread ) Its all good tho.

I have a sixline in my 55. I dont know if those are considered flashers, (i dont think so) but its an awsome fish...only i wouldnt put one in a 20 because they're really active fish. Mine is constantly weaving in my rockwork going back and fourth in the tank, so i'd say 30 would have to be the min for them....unless your tank is like 3 ft. long and 20 gallons haha.

hth
mike

 

[Sk8r]

I'd suggest the blennies and gobies, some of which max out at 2". That gives them room to move and be natural, which is more fun to watch than a fish obsessively pacing.

 

[pledosophy]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I appreciate your input. Thank you very much.

I just wanted to ask you pro's since you have actual experience.

For the last few years I have kept a ton of gobies in my seahorse systems. There are definetly some cool ones out there that I have not kept yet. I think I am going to go that route. I am also thinking of some sexy shrimp, just because there cute and I have never been able to keep them in my previous systems because they would have been food.

I think the trickle filter over the rocks and the refugium area of the sump will produce enouh pods, but you can never have too many pods right.

I have all the equipment sitting in my garage so I wouldn't even have to buy anything to setup the 20g refugium, but I am thinking I am getting a little ridiculous with an 80 gallon system which only has 20g's of display. But we'll see.

I got the HQI setup on the 20g. It is a 150w. I have a 55w atnic on there as well. Light is not a issue. Even more so since it's a 20g long and not very deep. I am in the process of setting up a 65g also so when te clams get big, they will have a home.

Thanks again for all of your help. You guys are great.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

I am thinking I am getting a little ridiculous with an 80 gallon system which only has 20g's of display

no way! if you've got the equipment and the room, go for it

i agree tho...the gobies would be the best bet.

like you say, your light is gonna be perfectly fine. I also like the actinic on ther as well.

 

[pledosophy]

I like the atnics too. the bulb is a 14k so it was not too yellow but the atnic just makes it look a bit more crisp.

If you can come over and explain to my wife why we need to turn the walkin closet (right on the other side of the tank) into a 240g sump/refugium/frag tank and keep our clothes in the garage then I'll give you all the free frags you can take. We'll see if we can talk her into the 0g gravity fed refugium for now.

What do you think about a blue spotted jawfish? I think the fish are gorgeous, but not sure about it in a 20g long. Also looking at some pipefish, but it is going to have to be a pipefish or a manderin I don't want to try to keep up the pod count to support both, even though i just poured a few bottles of Tiger pods in the system.

 

[jbrown11352]

Your recommending a mandarin in a 20g w/fuge sir_dudeguy?
Don't do it that mandarin will starve and DIE!

 

[Sk8r]

Be sure any mandarin is eating frozen food. Otherwise you'll spend 60.00 a month on imported live food. Can be done, but that's 700.00 a year for the privilege, unless you set up a killer 'fuge.

 

[mister crabs]

search for a product called arctic pods or ask for it at your LFS....works amazing for pod only eaters such as mandarins

 

[pledosophy]

I think I could do a manderin just fine if I choose. With a 20g display, 40g sump with refugium, an external 20g gravity fed refugium, over 100 lbs of LR . . . I am not really worried about pod production. The tank was already seeded with three pod cultures.

FWIW you shoul dcheck out LFScultures.com if you are paying that much for cultures. You can get them much less expensive.

In the past I have also found that pods are quite easy to culture, JME.

Also IME manderins are not that hard to train to frozen. Much easier then other fish I have dealt with. JME

I do have Artic Pods. The product is great. I am using it to feed my Potter Leapord Wrasse which are notorious picky eaters.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

Your recommending a mandarin in a 20g w/fuge sir_dudeguy?
Don't do it that mandarin will starve and DIE!

i never once recomended it...i was just saying that if he wants one...he's going to have to get a good fuge going.

 

[Drewpdog]

you can also hatch copepods in the fuge i know a few sites sell bottles but you should have a MINIMUM of 45lbs total of live rock

 

[sir_dudeguy]

since the sump is so . . . small, it's a 40g with 80lbs of rock and macro if you missed the other thread

i'd say he's got that minimum of 45 lbs of rock lol.

 

[pledosophy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8073840#post8073840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Drewpdog
you can also hatch copepods in the fuge i know a few sites sell bottles but you should have a MINIMUM of 45lbs total of live rock

I have seeded the refugium sump area with 2 bottles of tiger pods and with a couple of other portions of different pods from LFS cultures.

The initial pod population is not of concern.

Normally I would have just let the pods grow on there own, but since I have a juvie potters wrasse in there now I wanted to be sure he could eat without worry. I have a couple more bottles of pods if I notice the population getting low.

I am huge believer that pods are one of the most underated elements in a reef system. They are good for everything, the eggs make the best coral food. JMO.

I am also feeding artic pods which is goig well so far.