Looking for suggestions to stock 12 gal open top

[JennaH]

so i have a 3ft 12 gallon rimless that is in cycling phase. i have some time until i make any cuc/fish purchase but i want to make sure i'm making wise choices because this is my 1st reef AND 1st saltwater tank nonetheless. i've been reading and reading and reading and etc.. for a few weeks now about everything

on to the point. this tank is open top and i started to look into small fish i could keep...it seems they all like to jump. i really like firefish and 6 line wrasse but then discovered they are jumpers. i'm looking for some help and a point in the right direction.
thx guys :beer:
-jenna

 

[jbud2418]

Get a cool little clown goby.

 

[snorvich]

A goby/shrimp commensal pair would be perfect

 

[JennaH]

i thought about the goby/shrimp pair as well.. would this be the only thing i could put in here? i don't want to crowd anyone out of course..

 

[velvetelvis]

In such a small tank, I would stick to one or two tiny gobies. There's the aforementioned shrimp goby with a commensal "candy cane" pistol shrimp. Alternatively, you might consider a pair of tiny cleaner gobies (I've seen nice CB pairs of neon, yellow-line, sharknose, and tiger gobies on DD, as well as TR pairs of green clown gobies). They're some of my favorite fishes, and perfect for a nano: totally reef-safe, lots of personality, and (with the exception of the tiger gobies), brightly colored.

One advantage to the cleaner or clown gobies is that you wouldn't have a shrimp burrowing in your sand and possibly upsetting rockwork, although the candy pistol is so tiny that it might not be an issue.

 

[JennaH]

ok cool , thx for the suggestions guys. how does a Trimma goby and tiger pistol shrimp sound together? since this tank is pretty long, could i have a pair of false percs? OR.. a pair of pajama cardinals as well? i've seen pairs of clownfish in 10 gallons quite frequently, just curious about this, especially since my tank has the 3' length i am wondering if that makes a difference..

 

[velvetelvis]

It's too small for cardinalfish or clowns. Don't forget you have the bioload and the fishes' activity levels to consider, as well as their adult size. Both ocellaris clownfish and cardinals get to be about 3" long. I have a pair of ocellaris in a 34G, and they cover every inch of it--they're actually pretty active. Cardinalfish don't move a lot, but their size still means they'd be cramped in such a small tank. Even if your tank is fairly long, it's probably pretty narrow, if it's 3' long and only 12 gallons.

If you want to keep a pistol shrimp, you should keep a shrimp goby with it; they do better together. Trimma gobies don't live with pistol shrimp in the wild. I would also recommend a candy-cane pistol shrimp instead of a tiger. They're prettier, IMO, and much smaller, which means that their digging would be less disruptive. A pair of yasha gobies with a candy-cane pistol shrimp, or a pair of long-rayed shrimp gobies with a candy-cane, could be very pretty and interesting to watch, without overcrowding your tank.

 

[ssavader]

Consider a small pair of chalk basslets.

 

[velvetelvis]

If your budget can support it, you might even want to size up to a 20G or, better yet, a 30. It gives you so many more options (and more room for corals!).

 

[cubsFAN]

the dimensions are a little weird, but i have kept a pair of clowns in a 12 gallon and know others who have done so with a lot of success. a pair of percs or false percs would be my choice. Of course clowns can be jumpers 2. lets see some pics. is this one of the mr aqua tanks?
I'd take this question to the nano section, though it looks like there are a lot of good suggestions here.

 

[JennaH]

If your budget can support it, you might even want to size up to a 20G or, better yet, a 30. It gives you so many more options (and more room for corals!).

well, i got this tank specifically because i love the look/dimensions of it so much, and it's already cycling i want to try a small tank for my 1st reef. i have a 40gal planted i can convert later if i feel i need a bigger tank.

the dimensions are a little weird, but i have kept a pair of clowns in a 12 gallon and know others who have done so with a lot of success. a pair of percs or false percs would be my choice. Of course clowns can be jumpers 2. lets see some pics. is this one of the mr aqua tanks?

yea this is the 12gal mr aqua, it's just like the GLA 91-B. unfourtunately i lost my camera after too many drinks at the bar on tuesday haha so i can't post any current pics but here are some from when it 1st arrived

ok, maybe i'll ask again in the nano forum. i mean, im not looking to stock this thing full of fish haha just a couple, seems like it should be plenty of room for more than a shrimp and a goby right? or am i being delusional?
actual dimensions are 35.4" x 8.3" x 9.4" = about 12.2 gal

 

[cubsFAN]

i really like that tank. i have had clowns makin babies in a regular 10 gallon so... what lighting are you using? filtration? water flow? the flow's prob the trickiest part with those dimensions. 2t5s would probably be adequate for any kind of coral. ive been kicking around going with this tank.

 

[JennaH]

2x39w t5HO 1 actinic/1 10k . well i have 1 koralia nano on the right side and it looks like im going to have to put one on the left as well because it only reaches halfway across. it covers all areas of that half nicely though. i still need to get a filter, i just have a small HOB in right now to clear up the water, prob just going to go with an AC 70 right in the middle.