Fish Suggestions for a 20 gallon nano

[kzitzman1]

I've been doing a lot of research towards the fish I want for our 32 gal biocube. I've narrowed it down to these 5 or 6:

- 2 clowns (orange and black)
- Starry Blenny (love the personality and look). Also would consider Lawnmower Blenny (very similar to the Starry) or Midas (I love the yellow color and eel like swimming motion. Live aqauria says it can nip at Firefish but I've had multiple seasoned people tell me theirs do not).
- Yellow Watchman/Orange Spotted/or High Finned Red Banded Goby. All of these can form a symbiotic relationship with a pistol shrimp. None are sand shifters, which for smaller tanks can be good as they may run out of food in limited sand.
- Purple Firefish
- Royal Gramma Basset or a McCoskers Flasher Wrasse (live aquaria says it needs a 55 gal tank but I've been told it can do fine in a smaller tank.

 

[LordNecro]

I've been doing a lot of research towards the fish I want for our 32 gal biocube. I've narrowed it down to these 5 or 6:

- 2 clowns (orange and black)
- Starry Blenny (love the personality and look). Also would consider Lawnmower Blenny (very similar to the Starry) or Midas (I love the yellow color and eel like swimming motion. Live aqauria says it can nip at Firefish but I've had multiple seasoned people tell me theirs do not).
- Yellow Watchman/Orange Spotted/or High Finned Red Banded Goby. All of these can form a symbiotic relationship with a pistol shrimp. None are sand shifters, which for smaller tanks can be good as they may run out of food in limited sand.
- Purple Firefish
- Royal Gramma Basset or a McCoskers Flasher Wrasse (live aquaria says it needs a 55 gal tank but I've been told it can do fine in a smaller tank.

Thanks! I also had a planned list in the beginning but had to change a lot based on what my LFS had in store since my family wouldn't pay shipping prices

 

[kzitzman1]

Thanks! I also had a planned list in the beginning but had to change a lot based on what my LFS had in store since my family wouldn't pay shipping prices

I completely understand. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve found 2 LFS’s that have said they will order anything I want and their prices are fair. It’s allowing me to get exactly what I want, which is nice.

 

[Evanbardiel]

I completely understand. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve found 2 LFS’s that have said they will order anything I want and their prices are fair. It’s allowing me to get exactly what I want, which is nice.

Same my lfs is really cool about getting me what i want. I also compromise too cause some fish i want are really hard to get rn lol i wanted a helfrichi firefish but my lfs lady talked me into the purple because its better priced and just as pretty. Love my lfs

 

[Zionas]

Some suggestions:

1. An Assessor (Yellow, McNeill’s, Randall’s - rarest)

2. A Basslet (Royal Gramma, Swissguard, Swales, Blackcap gets a bit bigger)

3. A Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish (actually an Anthias)

4. A shrimp and goby pair, avoid the larger shrimp gobies like the Pink Spotted

5. A Bicolor or Tailspot Blenny

6. A Pink- Streak Wrasse

7. A Possum Wrasse


The basslets and assessors swim but aren’t good swimmers. I’d say they’re about as good as Clowns when it comes to swimming. For a bottom dwelling fish just choose either a shrimp and goby pair, a blenny, or the Geometric Pygmy Hawk.

The small wrasses are more active.

 

[kzitzman1]

I highly recommend a Pygmy angel. I have a 20 gallon peninsula and he’s a great swimming around fish. Here’s a pic of him with my scoly

He’s got a perfect record with my coral (Scolies, gonis, sps, acan, zoas, you name it) Hes a great swimming around fish, very active and out all the time. Also easy to find and still cheap during covid, I paid $16 two months ago.

As for a kind of bottom dwelling or stationary fish, I love hawk fish and recently found a geometric hawk. My father has been in the hobby for a very long time (30+ years) and this is one of his favorite perching fish. Small enough to not bother your cuc or inverts (I currently keep mine with sexy shrimp, no issues). Very cool little fish and nice, bright colors. Also one of the cheapest hawk fish, I found mine during the pandemic and it was still only $26. However, they can be tricky to find, I had my LFS order me one. Here’s a stock picture for now off google, I’ll try to snap a picture of him today but he likes to perch in my GSP.

I really like your pygmy angel fish. I had heard they can be aggressive. Is that only towards their own kind, which they can have a fight to the death with? Or would they be aggressive towards other peaceful fish? I have a yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, starry blenny, purple firefish and a McCocskers flasher wrasse. Will the angel fish get along with all of those fish?

 

[ichthyoid]

So I have a 2 and a half month old tank with a pair of clowns and a fire fish. The tank is a 20 gallon Red Sea Max Nano. I want to add 2 more fish for 5 in total. I’m looking for a bottom dwelling fish and a swimming fish. For the bottom dwelling I tried 2 yellow watchmans and a yasha goby which all died. Now I’m looking into maybe a jawfish or a twin spot (two spot) goby which my LFS currently has one in their store. For the swimming one I wanted a pink streaked wrasse but can not find any in stock at all. Are there any other suggestions for my tank?

One should be a Royal Gramma. Perfect small reef citizen & gorgeous!

 

[kzitzman1]

I love my starry blenny. I just wish he didnt like to knock coral frags off ledges. Learned what glue is strongest

We have a starry blenny and love ours too. We've noticed the same trend with him knocking off corals. What glue do you use for your corals?

 

[LordNecro]

I really like your pygmy angel fish. I had heard they can be aggressive. Is that only towards their own kind, which they can have a fight to the death with? Or would they be aggressive towards other peaceful fish? I have a yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, starry blenny, purple firefish and a McCocskers flasher wrasse. Will the angel fish get along with all of those fish?

Not the person you are quoting but I got a cherub pygmy angel fish like a week ago, not sure if they are aggressive to their own kind but mine seems extremely peaceful. Its really friendly with my fire fish and clownfish. My current stocking is a pair of clowns, fire fish, twin spot goby, and now the pygmy angel

 

[PicassoClown04]

I really like your pygmy angel fish. I had heard they can be aggressive. Is that only towards their own kind, which they can have a fight to the death with? Or would they be aggressive towards other peaceful fish? I have a yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, starry blenny, purple firefish and a McCocskers flasher wrasse. Will the angel fish get along with all of those fish?

Only to other dwarf angels. Mine sleeps With my clowns at night, have had several in the past and they were all model citizens. Make sure he’s fed plenty and he should just pick a little on the algae/sponges on your rocks

 

[kzitzman1]

Thanks! With that info I've just put one of them at the top of our list to add.

 

[kzitzman1]

Not the person you are quoting but I got a cherub pygmy angel fish like a week ago, not sure if they are aggressive to their own kind but mine seems extremely peaceful. Its really friendly with my fire fish and clownfish. My current stocking is a pair of clowns, fire fish, twin spot goby, and now the pygmy angel

Thanks for the feedback. We are looking to add one more fish and I think this is likely my favorite option right now. Are they more of a swimmer or hider or sort of some of both?

 

[PicassoClown04]

Thanks for the feedback. We are looking to add one more fish and I think this is likely my favorite option right now. Are they more of a swimmer or hider or sort of some of both?

Mine is out and about all the time. Always the first one I see when I walk up to the tank. Super cool to see him wiggling through the rocks. He photobombs my frag pics.

 

[LordNecro]

Thanks for the feedback. We are looking to add one more fish and I think this is likely my favorite option right now. Are they more of a swimmer or hider or sort of some of both?

Like I mentioned only had it for a week but I would say both. At first it was really shy and would hide in the rock work but now it’s getting used to me so it swims openly but around the lower section of the tank. It picks on rocks as well for algae and I see mine doing that was well

 

[Evanbardiel]

My cherub is awesome and she loves swimming with the sixline wrasse i have

 

[kzitzman1]

Thanks everyone for the feedback on the Cherub. It is officially on our list to get one!

 

[luv2lopeqhs]

I have a 20 Waterbox Cube and I have a few of the fish on your list in my tank.
I have a pair of Yasha Gobies with a Randall’s Pistol Shrimp
2 Assessors (Yellow & Randall’s)
Pink Streaked Wrasse
4 Red Neon Eviota Gobies
I highly recommend looking at the Eviota gobies.....love love love them!! They are super fun and entertaining to watch. The perch and hide in my corals. They are super easy to care for, aren’t picky about food as long as it’s small enough. I’ve enclosed a few pics of them. They are tiny with a very low bioload, and a small group of them could be added without any issues.

 

[Cantusaurus]

You should maybe think about getting a Ruby Red Dragonet, they don't grow as big as the other Dragonetts. I got one recently, about 3 months into setting up my tank, I've had it for about a month, and it's doing amazing! Just put some pods to start off with, and put garlic on frozen food to convert it over. They are amazing, just the way they move and roam the tank is enough, and on top of that the Ruby Red one is very pretty. But do whatever you want, don't be too influenced by others.

I have had a Yellow Watchman and Pistol Shrimp for almost 2 months, and they look good, the relationship is so amazing to watch. Although, sadly the pistol shrimp recently lost his front large pistol claws. I think a molting issue. I've heard iodine helps with the molts (hopefully they'll grow back soon). But its so cool because the Goby has been being extra protective of the shrimp lately which is so amazing. I have a lawnmower blenny, and they aren't the most vibrant fish, but they do have personality, and graze a lot, and are pretty cool. Starry Blenny's are also very pretty, I would get one of those, or possibly a Bicolor.
I hope your stocking goes well!

 

[LordNecro]

You should maybe think about getting a Ruby Red Dragonet, they don't grow as big as the other Dragonetts. I got one recently, about 3 months into setting up my tank, I've had it for about a month, and it's doing amazing! Just put some pods to start off with, and put garlic on frozen food to convert it over. They are amazing, just the way they move and roam the tank is enough, and on top of that the Ruby Red one is very pretty. But do whatever you want, don't be too influenced by others.

I have had a Yellow Watchman and Pistol Shrimp for almost 2 months, and they look good, the relationship is so amazing to watch. Although, sadly the pistol shrimp recently lost his front large pistol claws. I think a molting issue. I've heard iodine helps with the molts (hopefully they'll grow back soon). But its so cool because the Goby has been being extra protective of the shrimp lately which is so amazing. I have a lawnmower blenny, and they aren't the most vibrant fish, but they do have personality, and graze a lot, and are pretty cool. Starry Blenny's are also very pretty, I would get one of those, or possibly a Bicolor.
I hope your stocking goes well!

Thanks! I was heavily considering a Ruby Red Dragonent, but decided adding pods constantly to my tank would be too much money. Yeah I would have gone with a watchman pistol shrimp pair if I didn't get my two spot goby. My two spot is doing okay, but is really skinny and hasn't opened up to frozen yet. Blenny were also a consideration of mine but my LFS only has the bicolor in stock most of the time and that would cause problems with my fire goby. My stock list right now is a pair of clowns, fire goby, two spot goby, and a cherub angelfish. I consider myself fully stocked but if my two spot does sadly pass away I would do a watchman pistol pair

 

[Cantusaurus]

That does sounds like a good stock list! I really like the Two Spot Goby and still want one but I don't want my dragonet and goby competing for food, and yeah I hope he does well, and eats. I've recently put garlic additive on mysis shrimp to get my dragonet to eat it, and i'm pretty sure he has, its sort of difficult to tell. But yeah, Pods are expensive! It's crazy! I put about half the pods at first, and periodically put in more, but yeah they are way more expensive than I thought they'd be. Hope the Goby does well!