29G Stocking

[DaFeesh]

I'm starting a 29 gallon saltwater tank and I would like advice for stocking the tank. Here are my ideas in a timeline, the first being the first fish I put in, the last being the last planned fish:

1 Clownfish + 3 Trochus
1 Firefish
1 Blue Green Chromis + Serpent Star
1 Royal Gramma + Blue Tuxedo Urchin
1 Midas Blenny (or another Ecsenius type blenny) + Cleaner Shrimp
1 Yellow Watchman/Shrimp Goby + Pistol Shrimp

I've got about 60 gallons worth on filtration and am willing to do weekly water changes if necessary.

 

[The guppy guru]

This is some solid stocking choices but I am concerned that the fish might not get enough space for example the blue chromis, midas blenny, and the Royale gramma all need tanks larger than 29 gallons. But that seems to be the only problem in your tank.

 

[DaFeesh]

Okay, thanks. How for some replacements is a starky damsel, long nose hawkfish (is the mouth of it big enough for it to attack my inverts?), and lawnmower blenny.

 

[kyleinpdx]

Everyone's tastes are different but if it were me I'd skip the chromis, they're known to carry lots of gnarly pathogens and they will fight each other until there is only one left.

Get two ocellaris, personally I think they are more enjoyable in pairs as you can watch them interact.

The serpent start may be a disappointment, if you are cool with seeing the tip of an arm or two sticking out of the sand then cool, but they tend to stay hidden and don't move all that often unless they're hungry.

Tuxedo urchins are pretty cool but I got tired of my frags ending up dropped behind rock work and in other hard to reach places.

I also am looking for color and movement so the next fish I'll be adding to my system will be:

A melanurus wrasse
A pearly jawfish
maybe a banggai cardinalfish pair

 

[DaFeesh]

Everyone's tastes are different but if it were me I'd skip the chromis, they're known to carry lots of gnarly pathogens and they will fight each other until there is only one left.

Get two ocellaris, personally I think they are more enjoyable in pairs as you can watch them interact.

The serpent start may be a disappointment, if you are cool with seeing the tip of an arm or two sticking out of the sand then cool, but they tend to stay hidden and don't move all that often unless they're hungry.

Tuxedo urchins are pretty cool but I got tired of my frags ending up dropped behind rock work and in other hard to reach places.

I also am looking for color and movement so the next fish I'll be adding to my system will be:

A melanurus wrasse
A pearly jawfish
maybe a banggai cardinalfish pair

I'm not planning to have corals for a while so the urchin problem is of no concern to me. I'll skip the chromis and serpent star.

For the jawfish, do you need really deep sand? My sanded is 1.5-2 inches deep. I'd love to get one though.

 

[kyleinpdx]

I'm not planning to have corals for a while so the urchin problem is of no concern to me. I'll skip the chromis and serpent star.

For the jawfish, do you need really deep sand? My sanded is 1.5-2 inches deep. I'd love to get one though.

Going fish only, at least in the beginning is going to make things easier, and cheaper. In terms of the jawfish, I've been told both ways:1-2" is fine & you need something deep (3-4"). I don't believe it needs to be able to completely cover itself when its upright,most sand sleeping fish enter the sand bed at an angle. My DT is between 1-3" (the powerheads) create some variation. If you can make an area that is deeper, perhaps one of the back corners you'll probably be fine.