Fish selection question

[John G.]

I have been in and out of the hobby since I was in high school and I still feel like a new comer at times.

I have a 20.5"W x 20.5"D x 21"H 38 gallon tank with a 15 gallon sump. I am running an over the tank oceanview led light system. I am thinking of adding live rock to my sump's refugem but not sure if I need to add lights.

The tank has been cycling since June and I added 2 green chromis in October. I change 6 gallons roughly 15% each month. I have a little algae bloom but I just added a clean up crew which I had not added till now. I no longer have a near by LFS so I seem to forget things. After a few more days in I am thinking of reducing the lighting for a while to hopefully help the cleanup crew attack the algae.

So that is my current set-up and I want to get this right. My son is visually impaired and bright colorful fish are what I want to stock the tank with so he can see them. I have some ideas I am going to list below and would love recommendations for fish and what is the recommended fish size/count for this system. I remember something like 2" of fish per gallon of water or something along those lines.

2 green chromis
1 lawnmower blenny
1 diamond goby
2 clownfish (still not sure subspecies)
2 threadfin butterfly
1 flame angel

Not sure if that is too many or ok or if there are some brightly colored suggestions. I feel like a newbie so please help me like one thanks.

 

[mike werner]

Welcome to r2r!!We would love to see a few pics of your system.
The butterflies and angel may be to much for a 38 gal in my opinion.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

 

[4FordFamily]

I have been in and out of the hobby since I was in high school and I still feel like a new comer at times.

I have a 20.5"W x 20.5"D x 21"H 38 gallon tank with a 15 gallon sump. I am running an over the tank oceanview led light system. I am thinking of adding live rock to my sump's refugem but not sure if I need to add lights.

The tank has been cycling since June and I added 2 green chromis in October. I change 6 gallons roughly 15% each month. I have a little algae bloom but I just added a clean up crew which I had not added till now. I no longer have a near by LFS so I seem to forget things. After a few more days in I am thinking of reducing the lighting for a while to hopefully help the cleanup crew attack the algae.

So that is my current set-up and I want to get this right. My son is visually impaired and bright colorful fish are what I want to stock the tank with so he can see them. I have some ideas I am going to list below and would love recommendations for fish and what is the recommended fish size/count for this system. I remember something like 2" of fish per gallon of water or something along those lines.

2 green chromis
1 lawnmower blenny
1 diamond goby
2 clownfish (still not sure subspecies)
2 threadfin butterfly
1 flame angel

Not sure if that is too many or ok or if there are some brightly colored suggestions. I feel like a newbie so please help me like one thanks.

Welcome home, you will love it here!

The butterfly are too large for your tank, a flame angel is too, unfortunately. The lawnmower blennies grow very large for blennies as well.

I would suggest a flame hawkfish (great temperament and flame red as well), and a Pygmy angel or flameback angelfish. A bicolor Blenny would be a good substitute as well. Other than that it looks good.

We need some tank pics!

 

[cracker]

IMO, I'd hold off on the lawn mower until Ya need one.
The butter flys will get too big.
How about a smaller wrasse ?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Welcome to R2R! Solid advice above

#WelcometoR2R

 

[hdsoftail1065]

It looks like you got some great answers to your questions. Welcome to R2R John.

 

[Billldg]

Welcome to R2R!!! Agree, solid advice was given from other awesome R2R members.

 

[saltyhog]

Welcome to R2R !

Great advice above. How about a Yellow Assessor, Royal Gramma?

 

[John G.]

This was the day my clean up crew arrived. As you can see I have to get this all under control before introducing more fish, other than the lawnmower. Not sure if this bloom happened because the sun change might give more sunlight to the tank or if I am keeping the lights on too long. I know not having the clean up crew in first was a mistake.

One the butterflies I thought 2 of the small ones would be fine for a few years as far as size. That was my thought on them. Plus the contrasting colors are great for my son so any similarly colored suggestions would be great.

Is a flame angel not the same as a flame back.

Thanks for all the quick help. I was thinking I would have to wait till tomorrow. I am posting some more pics

 

[dbl]

Welcome to R2R and thanks for signing up.

 

[JasonK84]

Royal gramma, purple dottyback, orchid dottyback, flasher wrasses.

 

[John G.]

Just took this one

 

[Antics]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[PDR]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Geebs19]

Welcome to R2R!


Even small the butterflies would still be to confined. Flame back angel is yellow and purple while the flame angel is orange with black stripes. I would stay away from a flame in that small of a tank as well. Royal gramma would be great.

 

[John G.]

Welcome to R2R!


Even small the butterflies would still be to confined. Flame back angel is yellow and purple while the flame angel is orange with black stripes. I would stay away from a flame in that small of a tank as well. Royal gramma would be great.

Ok what would be a recommended good size center piece fish with high contrast colors? The royal grammar are small for him to see

 

[Billldg]

I personally am starting to fall in love with wrasses. I currently have a pintail Fairy wrasse, a blue flasher wrasse, and a pink streaked wrasse in QT and they have a ton of personality. I will also buy a crescent Fairy wrasse this weekend. The colors are awesome.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

 

[Muttley000]

Welcome to R2R! Everything I would have suggested is covered above also. I especially like the flame hawk suggestion as a super brightly colored addition. Keep asking questions and you will keep getting help from the great people around here!