I am 14 and have a 36 gallon that has been set up for almost a year and a half now... I have 2 occelaris (I'm not positive if that's how it's spelled) clownfish in the tank. I also have a green star polyp frag that I am trying to bring back to life that apparently fell and got buried in the sand somehow... I have decided to stay with fish and maybe invertebrates besides the GSP. Could I even add anymore fish or inverts? If so, what kinds?
Could I add any more fish?
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Wiz
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As long as your nitrates and phos are low you can add fish SLOWLY and monitor those until your sure your bio can handle it. And the fish have space. Small peacefull types would be best. Chromis, anthia, gobies, blenny etc..
Inverts the same
all my opinion;-)
Inverts the same
all my opinion;-)
Wilkerson.reed
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Would these be safe for a future reef? I am not doing a reef tank right at this moment but probably later... And I read somewhere that you have to dose iodine for shrimp... Is that true? What to skunk cleaner shrimp eat? I had a fish die recently because my LFS told me a sand sifting goby would be fine for my tank and it will eat anything... I got home and it wouldn't eat anything I fed it...
Wilkerson.reed
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Nitrate is a little high right now... Around 20-25 but I won't be adding anything until I get that down to normal... I haven't tested phosphate in a while but I assume they are low because when they are high I usually have cyano bacteria problems but I don't have any right now... What type of inverts would do well in my tank?As long as your nitrates and phos are low you can add fish SLOWLY and monitor those until your sure your bio can handle it. And the fish have space. Small peacefull types would be best. Chromis, anthia, gobies, blenny etc..
Inverts the same
Reef kid
Active Member
All these recommendations are reef safe. The shrimp will be ok without iodine but it's highly recommended. My cleaner went from molting once a month to once a week once I started dosing iodine.
PatW
2500 Club Member
I agree with the others. You can almost certainly add a few fish. How many depends on how small they are. Avoid aggressive fish.
But gobies, blennies, chromis, basslets etc might be good. I think live aquaria has a list of fish suitable for a nano tank. Also avoid adding multiples of fish that might clash such as two blennies.
But gobies, blennies, chromis, basslets etc might be good. I think live aquaria has a list of fish suitable for a nano tank. Also avoid adding multiples of fish that might clash such as two blennies.
Duke4Life
Just a crazy eel guy, LMAS
Hermits and snails. I've had both the shrimp mentioned above and never dose iodine. Shrimp are scavengers and eat almost anything, mines went after mysis and brine, to sinking pellets, to LRS.
Flashy Fins
Active Member
Work on getting your nitrates lower first, but yes, you will be able to add more fish and inverts. Some options:
Pistol shrimp/goby pair - yellow watchman is hardy and inexpensive
Blenny - Midas, forktail, and bicolor are all good options (choose just one)
Wrasse - Lubbock's fairy is very underrated; flasher wrasses are also nice (only if your tank has a screen lid or other cover, or they might not be with you for long)
Basslet - royal gramma is a nice splash of color for very little money; chalk bass is less colorful, but full of personality
Loads more fish that would work, but those are some options to get you thinking. If you want more inverts, a tuxedo urchin is a good one to add once the nitrates are under control, and there are some cool shrimps if you don't get any fish that will eat them, such as hawkfish.
What kind of filtration does the tank have?
Pistol shrimp/goby pair - yellow watchman is hardy and inexpensive
Blenny - Midas, forktail, and bicolor are all good options (choose just one)
Wrasse - Lubbock's fairy is very underrated; flasher wrasses are also nice (only if your tank has a screen lid or other cover, or they might not be with you for long)
Basslet - royal gramma is a nice splash of color for very little money; chalk bass is less colorful, but full of personality
Loads more fish that would work, but those are some options to get you thinking. If you want more inverts, a tuxedo urchin is a good one to add once the nitrates are under control, and there are some cool shrimps if you don't get any fish that will eat them, such as hawkfish.
What kind of filtration does the tank have?
Wilkerson.reed
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I could add a wrasse? I thought they weren't reef safe...
I have a small skimmer, a Refugum with a deep sand bed and about to get some chaetomorpha, and carbon in my sump for filtration... I also have live sand and about 25 pounds of live rock in my display tank... I don't have much filtration...
Duke4Life
Just a crazy eel guy, LMAS
Fairies and flashers are and a few others. There's also a few possum wrasses that fit small tanks even better that are safe.
Flashy Fins
Active Member
You have filtration; all the stuff you listed counts.
There are some reef safe wrasses and some non-reef safe wrasses. The types you should look at are known as flashers and fairies, both reef safe. With the fairies, be sure and check adult sizes, because some stay small enough for your tank and many others get too large. You can also consider possum wrasses, another reef safe group, all of which are small.
Some of my personal favorites to check out are McCosker's flasher, royal flasher, Lubbock's fairy.
There are some reef safe wrasses and some non-reef safe wrasses. The types you should look at are known as flashers and fairies, both reef safe. With the fairies, be sure and check adult sizes, because some stay small enough for your tank and many others get too large. You can also consider possum wrasses, another reef safe group, all of which are small.
Some of my personal favorites to check out are McCosker's flasher, royal flasher, Lubbock's fairy.
Wilkerson.reed
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I did a water change and got it down to 10-15... How long does it take to get it to 0 and get it to stay there? Is that possible to get it to 0? If so, how? I used to have really low nitrates but never at 0 with fish...
Wilkerson.reed
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Would you do the gramma or the wrasse? And what about inverts? Inverts like urchins and anemones can't tolerate nitrates can they?
