Reef Fish for a 45 Cube

[sjkarrow87]

As the title says I am tearing down my old tank and moving things into a new 45 cube. My main goal is all LPS/Softies no SPS ever...

6 T5's
35lbs live sand
40lbs live rock
Eshopps HOB Skimmer

I am curious about what some other "fun" fish I could add to the mix.

My Plan:

Pair of Occy Clowns
Royal Gamma
Diamond Goby/Pistol Shrimp
Fairy Wrasse

any other good choices? no chromis/firefish/cardinals please
anthias seem nice but i know they will eventually require a bigger tank and that will not ever happen.

TIA.

Steve

 

[Moonstream]

if the goby your thinking of is Valenciennea puellaris, it wont have much to do with the pistol, and will probably starve quickly with such a small sandbed unless it is one of te few who take frozen fare. they're a sand-sifting species, part of the 'sleeper goby' crowd. there are a few similar looking watchman goby species who will associate with pistols, though. pink-spotted and orange spotted gobies are both somewhat similar.

personally, I'd substitute the fairy wrasse with mccosker's flasher; fairy wrasses are fairly large as a whole, and very active. flashers are too, but mccosker's are very small, so would probably be better suited to a cube.

as for additional fish, blennies are always charming. midas and tailspots are very nice. fang blennies too, though they will swim in the water column, while the former two will perch on rocks.

have you given thought to peaceful damsel species? yellowtails would be wonderful, talbot's also seem to have a more mild disposition, and I've never heard a bad word about starki damsels.

small goby species are cool too, like greenbanded, and since you say you'll never have SPS you could look into the clown goby species.