Fish and Coral best for beginners

[AlyciaMarieee]

I just bought my first tank this morning (Innovative Marine 20 NUVO Fusion). I've been looking at a pair of Black Snowflake Clowns, but I've not made up my mind yet. Any suggestions on great fish for beginners (Other than clownfish). And I really haven't looked at any kind of coral, but I would like some type of anemone, or an anemone like coral, if I decide I want to go ahead and gets some clowns. Anemone too ambitious for a beginner? I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!

 

[chefjpaul]

Congrats!

Anemones are really not difficult, just need to let the the tank get a bit established first and do its thing, balance nutrients, Proper lighting etc..

Remember to enjoy the learning process.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Most anemones that will host clownfish are fragile, too fragile for beginners... I won't touch one, I'm only on 4 months of reefing.

Clowns are pretty tough fish and are great for beginners, but they can be mean. My female clown attacks any new addition to the tank, even a tang twice her size. In a 20g I wouldn't add any other fish with a pair of clowns.

Blue green Chromis are pretty peaceful fish that are good for beginners.

As far as corals, most of your soft corals will be easier. Mushrooms, zoas, pallys, green star polyps, zenia...

 

[cmcoker]

If you are looking for something to host the clowns, mine love their toadstool. Pretty hardy, generally inexpensive coral to start with. They have some nice movement, as well.
Not the best picture, but all I got.

 

[Katrina71]

Get a Tailspot Blenny. So cute. Just put him in before you add clowns. Let him establish territory first.

 

[borrowedlight]

I would wait a few months before you get an anemone, just to make sure you're cycled and your fish are doing good and you're comfortable with your parameters and maintenance routine. Anems can release toxins and nuke your tank if something goes wrong. I haven't even risked getting one for my clowns yet. I recommend looking at euphyllia or similar coral. They have the long tentacled sway-ing look for anems but aren't quite as daunting. Some of my favorites include torches, hammers, and frogspawns.

For fish - I like gobies. There are a lot to choose from. I'm a fan of the yellow watchmen because he does his buddy thing with the pistol shrimp and its neat to watch. I also really like my firefish and my chromis. They were the first two fish I got and have proved to be very active and great eaters.

 

[40B Knasty]

Swalesi, Blackcap, or Swissguard basslet. Dartfish or fire fish. Yasha goby paired with a pistol. They do tend to hide like the dart fish. Spotted Mandarin only if it is eating frozen from the store and you have the time target feeding them with a turkey baster in a low flow area till it grows a little and can hunt down food better.
Easy corals are zoanthids, frogspawns, candy cane, and pulsing xenia. Just know what you are doing with zoanthids and palys. They have a toxin that can cause you to go blind, hospitalized, or fatal.

 

[AlyciaMarieee]

If you are looking for something to host the clowns, mine love their toadstool. Pretty hardy, generally inexpensive coral to start with. They have some nice movement, as well.
Not the best picture, but all I got.

Yeah, my dad had a toadstool that hosted his clowns years ago. It was one of my favorite things in his tank! I completely forgot about these things. Thanks for the reminder haha! I'll probably get one of these! Do they come in different colors?

 

[40B Knasty]

Yeah, my dad had a toadstool that hosted his clowns years ago. It was one of my favorite things in his tank! I completely forgot about these things. Thanks for the reminder haha! I'll probably get one of these! Do they come in different colors?

Yes they do. These are the 3 nicest I have seen.

 

[AlyciaMarieee]

Yes they do. These are the 3 nicest I have seen.

Wow! Just beautiful. Any idea where I might be able to get one? That pink one is amazing!

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Mushroom corals are anemone like and are far easier to care for. Not to mention that even the cheap ones look nice. Zoas and palys are great just make sure to read the palytoxin article on the zoa subforum.

I would seriously not recommend an anemone until you are experienced in reefing. If you try one I have heard mini maxi anemones are not bad to care for.

 

[AlyciaMarieee]

Also, does anyone have tips on how to prevent algae in new tanks? I've heard a lot of horror story's of people's new tanks getting over run with algae. I want to fight it before it even starts. lol

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Yes they do. These are the 3 nicest I have seen.

I want that pink toadstool so bad

 

[Mikedawg]

I just bought my first tank this morning (Innovative Marine 20 NUVO Fusion). I've been looking at a pair of Black Snowflake Clowns, but I've not made up my mind yet. Any suggestions on great fish for beginners (Other than clownfish). And I really haven't looked at any kind of coral, but I would like some type of anemone, or an anemone like coral, if I decide I want to go ahead and gets some clowns. Anemone too ambitious for a beginner? I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions![/QUOT

 

[Mikedawg]

As a complement to your clowns, I'd get some fish that are marked with different colors, swim at different depths and have interesting personalities and am thinking of wrasses (e.g. Christmas), yellow prawn goby, yellow clown goby, and molly miller blenny for the bottom or your tank; royal gramma, black cap basslet for mid-water; your clowns will probably occupy top third of your tank. So many possibilities and many on this forum will be glad to share their experiences about compatibility, etc. Clowns can be aggressive, but you won't have trouble finding many other fish that get along well with them.

And, a few interesting invertebrates such as Halloween, blue and red-legged hermit crabs, snails and even a rose urchin will add even more interest to your tank.

 

[Montu]

Wow that pink Toadstool!

I'm a noob myself on my green hairy mushroom has been doing great and I think it would be hard to make it upset...the rock it was on already got too crowded and some of the heads detached looking for a new spot already.

As for fish I also vote for a firefish, mine actually doesn't hide and is always out.

 

[justingraham]

So wait u just bought the tank?

You know even with a plan in place to remove the cycle you should still at least wait a week to add fish or coral

If your just asking for after the cycle well pretty much all the "hardy" fish are mean. but clowns are the least mean out of them all.

If it was me I would do a pistolshrimp goby pair first let the bateria grow and then add a Clown pair and a pair of firefish at the same time. And call it done for fish

Coral wise stick to things you see that clowns have hosted. I hate anemones with a passion they kill fish in big tanks and there isn't much room in 20 to begin with but it's your tank and maby it's because I have seen anemones kill 200 dollar fish before or kill any corals it touches but to me it's not worth it to add one to a tank leave them in the ocean where they live forever not in a tank where they live for three years and people call it a success. That and they are just weird animals fine one minute the next minute they are eating themselves then ten mins later fine again.

O well but yeah that's what I would stick a 20 with

 

[AlyciaMarieee]

As a complement to your clowns, I'd get some fish that are marked with different colors, swim at different depths and have interesting personalities and am thinking of wrasses (e.g. Christmas), yellow prawn goby, yellow clown goby, and molly miller blenny for the bottom or your tank; royal gramma, black cap basslet for mid-water; your clowns will probably occupy top third of your tank. So many possibilities and many on this forum will be glad to share their experiences about compatibility, etc. Clowns can be aggressive, but you won't have trouble finding many other fish that get along well with them.

And, a few interesting invertebrates such as Halloween, blue and red-legged hermit crabs, snails and even a rose urchin will add even more interest to your tank.

I just went through and looked at your suggestions, and I have to say that I LOVE the yellow pawn goby, yellow clown goby, and the royal gramma basslet. Beautiful fish.

 

[Mikedawg]

I just went through and looked at your suggestions, and I have to say that I LOVE the yellow pawn goby, yellow clown goby, and the royal gramma basslet. Beautiful fish.

And they're easy to take care of as well; good luck.

 

[AlyciaMarieee]

So wait u just bought the tank?

You know even with a plan in place to remove the cycle you should still at least wait a week to add fish or coral

If your just asking for after the cycle well pretty much all the "hardy" fish are mean. but clowns are the least mean out of them all.

If it was me I would do a pistolshrimp goby pair first let the bateria grow and then add a Clown pair and a pair of firefish at the same time. And call it done for fish

Coral wise stick to things you see that clowns have hosted. I hate anemones with a passion they kill fish in big tanks and there isn't much room in 20 to begin with but it's your tank and maby it's because I have seen anemones kill 200 dollar fish before or kill any corals it touches but to me it's not worth it to add one to a tank leave them in the ocean where they live forever not in a tank where they live for three years and people call it a success. That and they are just weird animals fine one minute the next minute they are eating themselves then ten mins later fine again.

O well but yeah that's what I would stick a 20 with

Yeah, I just bought the tank today, but I'm planning! I've got a cycle going and all that jazz, but this post is for when my tank is ready. Thanks for the input! I think I'm going to steer clear of anemones for now. lol. The cons are beginning to out way the pros.