Best beginner fish for a 35g?

[Patrick M Bodega Aquatics]

Hello everyone!
My name is Patrick and I am new to this forum. I have been keeping freshwater for about 10 years and am apart of 4 other forums. I am interested in starting saltwater but I have no experience. I have a 10g with a betta that I am interested in converting into saltwater. I also have a 35g with the same plans. What tank do you recommend I do? What stocking do you recommend for each tank? The 10g tank has a power filter and the 35g has a fluval 407 canister that is recommended for a 75-100g. Would this work? What other equipment, other than a different light, would I need to convert fresh to salt?
Thanks in advance!

 

[McCarrick]

Hello everyone!
My name is Patrick and I am new to this forum. I have been keeping freshwater for about 10 years and am apart of 4 other forums. I am interested in starting saltwater but I have no experience. I have a 10g with a betta that I am interested in converting into saltwater. I also have a 35g with the same plans. What tank do you recommend I do? What stocking do you recommend for each tank? The 10g tank has a power filter and the 35g has a fluval 407 canister that is recommended for a 75-100g. Would this work? What other equipment, other than a different light, would I need to convert fresh to salt?
Thanks in advance!

Welcome!
Personally, I would start with only one tank to manage, since one tank can already be a handful. Out of the two, I would choose the 35 gallon since larger tanks are more stable.

Other than lights you will need:
Power heads
Heater
Refractometer (measuring salinity)
Test kits - though API is cheap, i am learning they are not the best way to go. Though so far I have not had an issue with the ammonia, nitrate or nitrite test kits. You'll need to also test for calcium, magnesium, phosphate, alk and PH.
Rock- can do either live rock or dry rock.
Sand- live is best in my opinion but dry will work too.
I recommend a thermometer to make sure your tank stays in the 78-82 range.


Not necessary (you can buy distilled but this gets expensive quick) is an RODI system if you dont already have it.


Finally, make sure you read up on cycling the tank and sont add fish until you are sure its cycled. After adding bacteria to help get it started, it will still take awhile. BE PATIENT! this takes awhile.

Good luck! Happy reefing!

 

[McCarrick]

Hello everyone!
My name is Patrick and I am new to this forum. I have been keeping freshwater for about 10 years and am apart of 4 other forums. I am interested in starting saltwater but I have no experience. I have a 10g with a betta that I am interested in converting into saltwater. I also have a 35g with the same plans. What tank do you recommend I do? What stocking do you recommend for each tank? The 10g tank has a power filter and the 35g has a fluval 407 canister that is recommended for a 75-100g. Would this work? What other equipment, other than a different light, would I need to convert fresh to salt?
Thanks in advance!

To answer your question in the thread title, some good fish are
Clowns
Bengaii cardinal
Firefish goby
Royal gramma
Other small damsels (careful about aggression with these so do your research)
Small wrasses (I had a 6 lined and loved him. Model citizen but others havent been so lucky so this one could be a risk and add last)
Others may disagree but I have read that either a coral beauty or flame angel could go into the 35 gallon.

 

[Zionas]

I would not put a CB or Flame in anything under a 4ft 65 gallon. That’s me. OP can consider a pygmy angel like a Cherub or Flameback.

 

[McCarrick]

I would not put a CB or Flame in anything under a 4ft 65 gallon. That’s me. OP can consider a pygmy angel like a Cherub or Flameback.

Ah. I knew there were smaller ones I was missing. I can never seem to find a clear answer on the CB. But that's just how things go in this hobby!

 

[Zionas]

I’d do a Captive Bred Ocellaris pair, Goby and shrimp combo, a Cherub Angel, a Yellowtail / Azure Damsel, and a Royal Gramma or smaller Blenny like a Tailspot, Bicolor.

 

[Zionas]

Yes! Some say they’d be OK in a 4ft 55 but IMO 65 is better!

 

[Zionas]

OP, you could potentially go a fully Captive Bred route (one I wish I could go but then I live in a part of the world that’s relatively new to the saltwater hobby):

2 CB Ocellaris Clowns (I’m not a fan of the artificially bred designer varieties, I’m willing to go as far as designer varieties that originated from a wild strain like the Picasso Percula, but IMO an Orange Ocellaris and a Black and White Ocellaris- strain originated from Coral Sea and Northern Oz would be a great contrast)

1 CB Azure or Yellowtail Damsel (ORA on their site has the Yellowtail, not sure if they do Azures but other members here have CB Azures) (Not sure if they’re Captive Bred but a Talbot’s or even better, a Starcki’s would also be options)

1 CB Cherub or Flameback Angel (ORA)

1 CB Yellow Watchman or Pink Spot Goby (ORA)

1 CB Bangaii or Pajama or Yellow Striped Cardinal (ORA), not sure where you can find CB Royal Grammas or Blennies (correction: ORA does CB Red Sea Mimic Fang Blennies and different Meiacanthus Blennies, both of these are more active than the Bicolor or Tail Spot)

The only “swimmer” would be the pygmy angel. Damsels like to dart in and out of rocks. The rest are either relatively slow / clumsy fish or bottom dwellers. Royal Grammas are shy and not big swimmers either.

Can also consider Assessors, they are part of a family called Roundheads which contain the Marine Betta (awesome fish but not sure about availability in my place). The Yellow, McNeill, and Randall varieties get to 2.5” tops, very shy fish. Not sure where to find them though.

 

[jesspal]

I have a 35 gal tank with azure damsel, yellow Cori wrasse, red fire fish, Bengaii cardinal, and a starry blenny.

I would swap the starry with something else if I had the chance.

 

[Zionas]

Awww any reason? I think they’re cute.

 

[jesspal]

Awww any reason? I think they’re cute.

It will eat any small/nano fish I now introduce.

 

[TomatoClownfish]

It will eat any small/nano fish I now introduce.

Starry Blennies are strictly herbivores, most are only interested in algae. They wont eat other fish.

 

[Patrick M Bodega Aquatics]

I’d do a Captive Bred Ocellaris pair, Goby and shrimp combo, a Cherub Angel, a Yellowtail / Azure Damsel, and a Royal Gramma or smaller Blenny like a Tailspot, Bicolor.

Is a mandarin green goby too hard?

 

[TomatoClownfish]

Is a mandarin green goby too hard?

If you get a wild caught Mandarin, yes.

 

[Patrick M Bodega Aquatics]

Okay, so I am a thinking Pair of clownfish, pair of Bengaii Cardinalfish, a firefish, and a orchid dottyback. Would that work? Too much? Not enough? Not compatible?

 

[TomatoClownfish]

Okay, so I am a thinking Pair of clownfish, pair of Bengaii Cardinalfish, a firefish, and a orchid dottyback. Would that work? Too much? Not enough? Not compatible?

It could, but if you want a more peaceful tank you can swap the dottyback for a royal gramma, very similar fish, but more peaceful.

 

[Patrick M Bodega Aquatics]

It could, but if you want a more peaceful tank you can swap the dottyback for a royal gramma, very similar fish, but more peaceful.

How about adding a cleaner shrimp? Could swapping the firefish with a green mandarine goby be okay?

 

[RobertTheNurse]

It could, but if you want a more peaceful tank you can swap the dottyback for a royal gramma, very similar fish, but more peaceful.

My RG is very territorial (as are most fish) even if its labeled "easy" and "peaceful" they can fool ya lol. She gets along with our 2 clowns now, but can be aggressive

 

[TomatoClownfish]

My RG is very territorial (as are most fish) even if its labeled "easy" and "peaceful" they can fool ya lol. She gets along with our 2 clowns now, but can be aggressive

I have had my royal gramma for a while now, it acts all aggressive, but when a fish holds its ground, it gets scared and flees. It all a show, it wont really hurt any other fish.

 

[RobertTheNurse]

I have had my royal gramma for a while now, it acts all aggressive, but when a fish holds its ground, it gets scared and flees. It all a show, it wont really hurt any other fish.

Lol this is so true!! My watchman goby literally put it in its place and the RG swam straight to its lil cave lol. I have a Bengal Cardinal thats almost dont quarentine...hope my RG and paired Clowns don't destroy it.