New 32 gal tank stocking advise

[Rafa Reef]

New saltwater stocking question

Hi all,

I’m new to reefing and have just bought a 123L / 33 gallon tank I am cycling!

Was hoping to get some advise as to whether my fish would work together and would coexist happily in a tank this size

phase one:
To start I was planning on a black and white clownfish ocellaris, a regular orange and white clownfish ocellaris and a royal gramma

phase two:
once they’ve settled in I was planning on introducing a red firefish and cardinal fish

phase three:
and finally I was hoping to add a mandarin goby when the tank was very well established , after I was told in the local fish shop they would be fine in this size tank if I was dosing with pods so to speak… although having done more research sounds like it might struggle with pod population, so some advise would be great

in terms of clean up crew, what would people suggest?

And also wouldn’t mind some advise in which order to add everything!

Thanks !

 

[kfisc]

Hello and welcome! I'd avoid the lovely little mandarins altogether. It's just too heart-breaking to watch them starve, and aside from a very few individuals I've ever heard of who can reliably report keeping them, they all die. Of course the local fish shop wants to sell you one. For a 33, I'd pick three or four of your smaller favorites, and maybe leave the clownfish for a year or so from now.

My favorite clean-up crews are snails of various kinds, and hopefully the tiny copepods that often enough just emerge with any well-cycle tank. Good luck!

 

[born2lovefish]

Hello and welcome! I'd avoid the lovely little mandarins altogether. It's just too heart-breaking to watch them starve, and aside from a very few individuals I've ever heard of who can reliably report keeping them, they all die. Of course the local fish shop wants to sell you one. For a 33, I'd pick three or four of your smaller favorites, and maybe leave the clownfish for a year or so from now.

My favorite clean-up crews are snails of various kinds, and hopefully the tiny copepods that often enough just emerge with any well-cycle tank. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply, I’m setting up a 37 cube/column and this advice is helpful.