How many fish can I put?

[Austrarhyncus]

I have a 15 gallon tank (standard 2 foot tank), but the rescape I have in mind requires the tank to only be filled up around 40%-45%, so I'd be working with around 6 to 7 gallons of water. The tank is currently filled up all the way and houses 2 shrimp, a crab, and four grubfish (similar to gobies, small and slim, around an 1 inch long, though one is around 1.5 inches long). The tank's currently run on just a powerhead, though I intend to install a refugium, with live rock rubble and macro. How many more fish will I be able to add?

 

[Rover88]

Sounds like you are pretty full up. Thats a very small amount of water.

What fish were you thinking of adding?

 

[krs1102]

I think you're full.

 

[Austrarhyncus]

Well I had a pair of mudskippers and a pair of clowns in mind. The grub fish were impulse purchases (technically impulse catches, I got them while I was collecting natural sea water), so in hindsight, it wasn't the best idea to bring them home. If I truly can't keep any more fishes (even with the aid of a protein skimmer and refugium), I'll sell the grubfish and make room for other fishes.

 

[krs1102]

What sort of aquascape are you planning? If you fill the tank more, and get rid of the other fish, you could probably do a pair of clowns. LA says the minimum tank size is 20 gal though. I had a pair in a 10 for QT and they didn't seem to mind, but that was pretty short term.

 

[Austrarhyncus]

The aquascape is another issue I need to decide on. I was thinking of providing the skippers (or skipper, if two can't be supported but one can) with a raised area of sand but this would mean a DSB, which isn't easy to maintain. Other than that, I was thinking of the rocks sticking out of the water for the skippers (now that I realise it, the mudskippers are the primary reason for many things about the tank's design).

I'd really like a pair of clowns. But I'd also like a mudskipper :sad2:

 

[lapin]

Simple. Get a second tank.

 

[mcgyvr]

Absolutely not on the clownfish..
You could keep a mudskipper or 2 in there though..

Its unlikely to be the best environment though for their continued growth/success..

 

[Austrarhyncus]

Yikes, okay.

I'm now considering taking down the tank and moving its contents (minus the fish, and some of the live rock and sand) to a 10g tank, which'll be easier to manage.

In said 10g tank, I should be able to add clownfish pair (no mudskippers :sad2 and a single grubfish, while I can use the 15g as that freshwater community tank I was initially gonna use the 10g for.

 

[mcgyvr]

As stated above..
Typically a clownfish has a recommended tank size of 20-30G..
They can easily get up to 3" or more..

I personally would NOT keep a pair in anything less than a 30G tank..

But of course you can always keep a fish in whatever tank size you want..Some people just feel that commonly recommended min tank sizes hold some weight and should be followed to attempt to give the fish a "decent" life.. Yes.. all relative/speculative..

 

[Austrarhyncus]

I thought it was common practice to keep clowns in a 10g? Or is this usually just a short-term thing? Do all clowns get up to 3"?

 

[shrimpinator123]

I thought it was common practice to keep clowns in a 10g? Or is this usually just a short-term thing? Do all clowns get up to 3"?

Usually short term. I have a pair in a ten, and they are an inch and I can see the upgrade is needed. I am upgrading to a 40b, if you want the clowns just pick up a 30 gal when petco has their $1 a gallon sale. That way you dont have to worry about moving tanks.

 

[Rover88]

Much the same as it was common practice to keep a Betta in a vase on a counter at one point in time, its not really what people... recommend.

Personally I wouldn't say a 30 gallon. I have seen a beautiful pair of ocellaris clowns (Smaller clowns) in a 15 gallon tank with anemone, but it was full of water with nothing else in it.

I just quarantined my entire tank in a 30 gallon tank. My two clownfish spent pretty much the entirety of the 2 and a half month period in the same corner of the tank, never leaving a space that was probably less then 5 gallons unless they were chasing food. They seemed REALLY interested in the thermometer that was there. But that doesn't mean they are happy being confined to only a 5 gallon or 10 gallon tank.

In the end it is your choice. Many people have kept a pair of clowns in small tanks. I have been looking at a 14 gallon innovative marine nuvo all in one tank that I was thinking of having a pair of ocellaris in.

One of my clowns is larger (The female) and the male is about half her size. They are about the smallest species of clownfish you will find, and the female is around 3-4 inches. There are other species of clownfish (maroon) get bigger.

 

[Austrarhyncus]

In that case, would I be able to keep the clownfish pair in the 2 foot 15g (filled to the top, of course), or perhaps, my 12 gallon tall tank?

 

[Rover88]

The short answer is yes. You certainly can.

You just need to decide where you feel they will be most comfortable. I personally wouldn't have any problem keeping a pair of clowns in the 14 gallon tank I had looked at based on its dimensions, and based on what I've seen of my specific clownfish' behavior.

But as was said elsewhere in this thread, someone else feels it best at 30 gallons. Its an individuals choice.

But I don't know anyone that would say its okay to keep them in 5 gallon tanks.

 

[Austrarhyncus]

Of course it would be unwise to keep a clown in a 5g, they’d outgrow the tank quite quickly, provided that the filter could handle the bioload in the first place.

I think it would be wise to examine the individual fishes at the LFS and understand their individual behaviours and mannerisms, to determine if the tank I provide for them is suitable. For example, I would rather keep a clown that sticks to one corner of the tank (thus needing less space), than a clown that swims laps of the tank (thus needing more space)

Correct me if I’m wrong.