new tank stocking question

[colourmop]

hello ^^
my 12gal nano done it's cycle a week ago, i got my cleanup crews ready and everything seems stable, so im looking on opinions on what should i get for my tank over a period of 2-3 months.
here are some informations about my tank:
12gal nano, 3inch of LS, 20 lb of LR, 27W dual PC.
clean up crews (already in the tank):
10x hermit crabs, 5 scarlet 5 mixed
6 nassarius snails
4 mexican turbo
1 cleaning shrimp
1 anemones crab

corals: (dont have those yet)
im not sure how much of each i should get because the bioload, but for now i will get 2 of each kind (5 polyps for each kind of zoos)

so 2-3 kind of mushrooms, 2 mushrooms for each kind
2 xenia
2-3 kind of zoos, 5-6 polyps for each kind of zoo (or they are too light intense for my tank)
maybe hammer coral, im not sure if my light are good enough for them

lifestocks (other than cleaning up crews)
2 false clown (a pair)
1 yellow watchman
1 pistol shrimp
im not sure if the pistol shrimp will survive in my tank, or if it will kill my hermits/cleaning shrimps

anyone think im overstocking for a 12 gal nano? if so, should i drop the pistol shrimp or both pistol shrimp and yellow watchman?
thanks very much

 

[sir_dudeguy]

sounds pretty good. I dont know anything about that crab tho. I've seen them at the lfs store only, but they're pretty cool lookin.

mushrooms will be fine, same with zoo's imo, and the xenia will grow, but they get big and grow fast, so start w/a really small one(s) and in no time it will need to be cut back. And i'm not possitive, but i think you need more light for a hammer and stuff like that.

The livestock seems fine to me. The pistols are perfectly fine, no worries there imo. I dont think you're overstocking it at all. You've got plenty of rock for that size tank so bioload isnt going to be an issue.

I'd just get rid of the hermits and replace them with cerith snails. My hermits never clean anything, but my cerith snails are the best cleaners in the tank. Slow, so you need a fair few of them, but they seem to be the most thurough (spelling?)

Just remember to take it slow like you say. IMO, you could add all the mushrooms first, then a couple weeks later go with all the zoo's, and then last go with the xenias a week or 2 later. Then i'd get the pistol and watchman gobie at the same time and first (before the clowns) because clowns arent agressive, but they do get territorial it seems, and they'd easily fight off a goby...just put him in first so he'll have first dibs on a hiding hole. Hopefully you get lucky and the shrmp and goby pair up.

and WELCOME TO REEFCENTRAL!

 

[colourmop]

thanks for the welcome ^^
another question, what type of clowns should i get for this tank? a pair of true percs or a pair of false percs?
someone told me true percs are smaller and better for my small tank
also should i get a ball of macro algeas just to help with nitrate/CO2 during the day?

 

[affan]

NoOoOoO ... That's not how you do the welcome sir dude!

Let me show you [welcome] :lol: :lol: