first fish and coral after cycling?

[Olefreebe]

While waiting on cycling to complete I was hoping I can get some advice on what fish and coral would be recommended for a new setup. I'm also relatively new to the Hobby and would like to stay away from dosing at this point until I get more seasoned.
Would love to see pictures of your recommendations if possible.

 

[Dmmuir]

I am following this, I am at about the same point and can learn from the answers you get.

I have been told to start with a pair of clowns, that's for a 120 gallon.

 

[Webslinger]

freashwater black mollys

 

[Copingwithpods]

Size of tank? Also a picture of your aqua scape, lighting and filtration/flow will help with recommendations.

 

[El_Guapo13]

What size of tank do you have, can we get a pic?

Also what lighting do you have on your tank?

 

[Olefreebe]

Size of tank? Also a picture of your aqua scape, lighting and filtration/flow will help with recommendations.

Waterbox cube 20
AI prime HD 16
Stock filtration
Jebao SW-4 wave maker

 

[Olefreebe]

Another view.

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

Cycling rock is for fish not coral, coral live off calcium, magnesium, and alkaline. This is why when you look at frag tanks they usually don’t have any rock. So if you’re running fish, you want to cycle the water put fish in, make sure your ammonia is in check, then slowly add coral.

 

[Copingwithpods]

That's a really nice set up. I suggest you make a list of the fish you want and put them in from least to most aggressive.

Clown fish
Royal grammas
Pistol shrim/ yasha goby
Fire fish
Chalk bass
Masked goby

There are tons to pick from

For corals I'd start with a nice zoa or a Duncan

 

[El_Guapo13]

You could get a clownfish. Or a firefish (but get a lid or else IT WILL jump). You could also get a cardinalfish. Or you could get a goby.

Edit: typos lol

 

[Olefreebe]

You could get a clownfish. Or a firefish (but get a lid or else IT WILL jump). Tou could also get a cardnialfish. Or you could get a goby.

Been looking for a good one to fit the tank already.

 

[Olefreebe]

That's a really nice set up. I suggest you make a list of the fish you want and put them in from least to most aggressive.

Clown fish
Royal grammas
Pistol shrim/ yasha goby
Fire fish
Chalk bass
Masked goby

There are tons to pick from

For corals I'd start with a nice zoa or a Duncan

Thank you it took me awhile to get the Aquascape the way I wanted.
I definitely want to start with a nice variation on a clownfish. I have a bunch of small holes from the production in the Rock I used so I would like to have something that utilizes those.

 

[El_Guapo13]

Ooh I forgot to recommend corals. Usual begginner corals include Green Birdsnest, Duncans, Zoas, Green Star Polyps, and Pulsing Xenia.

Personally, my first was an Aussie Lord, and he is still going strong. Second was a Duncan. Started off with two heads, last I counted was 25 (only a year and 3 months since I got it).

Now, there are some other corals which are fairly hardy and can make great first additions. Euphyllias like Hammers, Torches and Frogspawn are very hardy LPS corals.

Here is a nice video from @The Reef Dork on some great alternatives to common begginer corals.

 

[Olefreebe]

I'm trying not to over

Ooh I forgot to recommend corals. Usual begginner corals include Green Birdsnest, Duncans, Zoas, Green Star Polyps, and Pulsing Xenia.

Personally, my first was an Aussie Lord, and he is still going strong. Second was a Duncan. Started off with two heads, last I counted was 25 (only a year and 3 months since I got it).

Now, there are some other corals which are fairly hardy and can make great first additions. Euphyllias like Hammers, Torches and Frogspawn are very hardy LPS corals.

Here is a nice video from @The Reef Dork on some great alternatives to common begginer corals.

Thank you for the suggestions. I have watched video twice recently lol. I feel much more comfortable knowing that you hold some of the same recommendations.
I will look into some of the ones you recommended that he did not.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Thank you it took me awhile to get the Aquascape the way I wanted.
I definitely want to start with a nice variation on a clownfish. I have a bunch of small holes from the production in the Rock I used so I would like to have something that utilizes those.

Grammas, Chalk bass, gobys, firefish and many others all sleep in caves.

 

[Olefreebe]

Grammas, Chalk bass, gobys, firefish and many others all sleep in caves.

That is good information to have. I will keep it in mind when I start to place coral and purchase fish.

 

[Copingwithpods]

If you are in Socal I have some corals you can have

 

[Olefreebe]

If you are in Socal I have some corals you can have

Thank you very much for the offer. I live in Alabama and unfortunately it would be quite a drive.

 

[El_Guapo13]

I'm trying not to over

Thank you for the suggestions. I have watched video twice recently lol. I feel much more comfortable knowing that you hold some of the same recommendations.
I will look into some of the ones you recommended that he did not.

Something I forgot that was also one of my first corals, although I did mention it in the comments of that video, are Blastomussa corals. Specifically Blastomussa Merletti. Very hardy, and usually a pretty shade of red with bluegreen mouth. Like my duncan, mine has grown a lot since I got it. Originally one head, somewhere around 20 now. Was a little higher, but recently lost a few in a battle with Aiptasia. Aiptasia lost thanks to my divine intervention (with Aiptasia X).

Also another I thing I mentioned in the comments was how there are definitely some mushroom corals out there that are actually quite beautiful. Interstellars are really pretty, as are ricordea. Although as I mention in my comment on that video, my experience with ricordea mushroom corals is that they are much more likely to detach themselves from a frag plug, and then get torn apart by your filter, or your powerhead, or land on and get killed by another coral. Yes that last one happend to me. Twice. Once with a ricordea detaching bbn and landing on my hammer, who stung it to death; and once with a tiny (less than 1/4 of an inch in diameter) Interstellar mushroom that floated right into my most murderhappy coral - my Frosted Forest Aussie Lord - which proceeded to EAT IT. Just like it did to those bristleworms, and a spaghetti worm. And tried to eat the sheddings of my Fire Shrimp a few times too. And keep in mind, Aussie Lords are not considered to be even mildly aggressive corals. Yeah, my Frosted Forest Aussie Lord has problems.

 

[Olefreebe]

Something I forgot that was also one of my first corals, although I did mention it in the comments of that video, are Blastomussa corals. Specifically Blastomussa Merletti. Very hardy, and usually a pretty shade of red with bluegreen mouth. Like my duncan, mine has grown a lot since I got it. Originally one head, somewhere around 20 now. Was a little higher, but recently lost a few in a battle with Aiptasia. Aiptasia lost thanks to my divine intervention (with Aiptasia X).

Also another I thing I mentioned in the comments was how there are definitely some mushroom corals out there that are actually quite beautiful. Interstellars are really pretty, as are ricordea. Although as I mention in my comment on that video, my experience with ricordea mushroom corals is that they are much more likely to detach themselves from a frag plug, and then get torn apart by your filter, or your powerhead, or land on and get killed by another coral. Yes that last one happend to me. Twice. Once with a ricordea detaching bbn and landing on my hammer, who stung it to death; and once with a tiny (less than 1/4 of an inch in diameter) Interstellar mushroom that floated right into my most murderhappy coral - my Frosted Forest Aussie Lord - which proceeded to EAT IT. Just like it did to those bristleworms, and a spaghetti worm. And tried to eat the sheddings of my Fire Shrimp a few times too. And keep in mind, Aussie Lords are not considered to be even mildly aggressive corals. Yeah, my Frosted Forest Aussie Lord has problems.

Seems temperamental lol. I saw some nice blasto options.