23 Gallon Tank

[Cooper Gaunt]

Hey everyone was looking for some stocking ideas for my 23 gallon reef tank, this will be my first reef tank but I've kept and am keeping fresh water. I'm set on getting a pair of Ocellaris clowns but would love to hear some other fish ideas. coral is also something I'd love to hear ideas for I'm a bit iffy with getting an anemone and maybe get a hammer coral and or more stuff like that. I was wondering what kind of clean up crew to get like hermit crabs, starfish, shrimp ect. Thank you

 

[Sharkbait19]

Brittle stars are the only stars really suitable for that small a tank. Other good cuc are pistol shrimps, hermit crabs, emerald crabs, and snails.
Good fish are shrimp gobies (lives with pistol shrimp), royal gramma, firefish, clown gobies, neon gobies, mollies, small blennies, and the peaceful damsels.

 

[Jekyl]

Both the anemone and hammers will need a mature tank. I wouldn't try either one until the tank is 6 months old or more. Gives you plenty of time to research and get accustomed to testing parameters.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Both the anemone and hammers will need a mature tank. I wouldn't try either one until the tank is 6 months old or more. Gives you plenty of time to research and get accustomed to testing parameters.

+1
For early corals leathers, Xenia, zoas, and green star are all very forgiving.
Frogspawn are very forgiving as well for a euphillia but I wouldn’t get one till at least 3-4 months.

 

[Cooper Gaunt]

Brittle stars are the only stars really suitable for that small a tank. Other good cuc are pistol shrimps, hermit crabs, emerald crabs, and snails.
Good fish are shrimp gobies (lives with pistol shrimp), royal gramma, firefish, clown gobies, neon gobies, mollies, small blennies, and the peaceful damsels.

Yeah I was more so just curious with stars and wasn’t sure what tank size needed, I am definitely looking into gobies and royal gramma, how many fish would you recommend in that size tank?

 

[Cooper Gaunt]

+1
For early corals leathers, Xenia, zoas, and green star are all very forgiving.
Frogspawn are very forgiving as well for a euphillia but I wouldn’t get one till at least 3-4 months.

thanks there’s just so many corals that it gets overwhelming and definitely think I will get some zoas but I was wondering if there are any corals like hammers or that sorta mimick an anemone where the clowns might host that I don’t have to wait as long to put into the tank

 

[fish farmer]

Yeah I was more so just curious with stars and wasn’t sure what tank size needed, I am definitely looking into gobies and royal gramma, how many fish would you recommend in that size tank?

I wouldn't do more than four fish in that size tank. In my 29 gallon I have a mature pair of perc clowns and a sixline wrasse. I've usually had only three or four fish at any given time. Before the sixline I had a royal gramma in there with the clowns and they did fine together.

 

[Sharkbait19]

You could probably squeeze 5 if most were gobies, but yeah 4 is a good number.
Look into weeping willow leathers. Expensive but very hardy and look a lot like nems.
Everything else is all part of the long waiting game that is saltwater.

 

[Jekyl]

thanks there’s just so many corals that it gets overwhelming and definitely think I will get some zoas but I was wondering if there are any corals like hammers or that sorta mimick an anemone where the clowns might host that I don’t have to wait as long to put into the tank

I had clowns and anemone and it took years before the anemone hosted the clowns. They may never at all. Don't base the tank around it.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I had clowns and anemone and it took years before the anemone hosted the clowns. They may never at all. Don't base the tank around it.

Good advice here. Clowns will never cooperate. If you give them a BTA, they will host a torch, if you give them a frogspawn, they host the powerhead.
Mine tried hosting my torch, got stung to many times, and now have no host. Very annoying little guys.

 

[blaxsun]

Good advice here. Clowns will never cooperate. If you give them a BTA, they will host a torch, if you give them a frogspawn, they host the powerhead.
Mine tried hosting my torch, got stung to many times, and now have no host. Very annoying little guys.

And don’t forget that the little jerks bite and become really aggressive around the corals they home (it doesn really hurt, but it will spook you the first time).

 

[dedragon]

And don’t forget that the little jerks bite and become really aggressive around the corals they home (it doesn really hurt, but it will spook you the first time).

depends on the clownfish, my percula and ocellaris have yet to bite me it 5 years (knocking on wood).
Maroons and clarkiis on the otherhand... i have yet to see one of those that doesnt bite. I dont keep em anymore because i freaked out everytime and splashed water of hit corals in the process, lol.
All the advice above is perfect though, curious if you will be doing natural sea water (NSW) straight from the ocean or artificial saltwater.

 

[Sharkbait19]

And don’t forget that the little jerks bite and become really aggressive around the corals they home (it doesn really hurt, but it will spook you the first time).

Without any other fish in the tank, the whole thing is my clowns’ territory. And they bite. They also swim into the net and pitcher as I drain the tank...stupid guys.
The bite isn’t bad (small red mark but nothing bad...they are still small), it’s when you jolt back and hit your hand on a rock or skeleton that hurts lol.

 

[Cooper Gaunt]

I had clowns and anemone and it took years before the anemone hosted the clowns. They may never at all. Don't base the tank around it.

Oh yeah I know that they sorta host whatever they want including pumps and stuff but I kind of like those corals anyway and would like to give them that option

 

[Cooper Gaunt]

depends on the clownfish, my percula and ocellaris have yet to bite me it 5 years (knocking on wood).
Maroons and clarkiis on the otherhand... i have yet to see one of those that doesnt bite. I dont keep em anymore because i freaked out everytime and splashed water of hit corals in the process, lol.
All the advice above is perfect though, curious if you will be doing natural sea water (NSW) straight from the ocean or artificial saltwater.

I will be doing artificial sea water

 

[Jekyl]

Oh yeah I know that they sorta host whatever they want including pumps and stuff but I kind of like those corals anyway and would like to give them that option

Just do your research and you'll be fine. Anemone have different requirements than coral and every anemone species is different than the others also.