Help me pick out some fish! Wheee!

[gemini9]

So I'm looking for some fish to help stock up my aquarium and looking for some ideas and suggestions. I really liked Lemon Chromis, but after reading about them, I hear they are nasty. Firefish are ok, but i'm looking for something more original. I don't really want fish that are too aggressive, because the fighting bugs me so peaceful or slightly aggressive will work. Well anyway, here are my specs!

30 gallon tank, 36" long
Tank is 6 months old
Sand substrate (switched from CC a month ago)
about 30 pounds LR
HOB filter
HOB Reef Octopus bh100 skimmer
Marineland Maxi-jet 400 with 500gph flow pointed slightly toward the surface
T5 lights with 2 39w 10000k bulbs and 2 Actinics plus moonshade leds


Parameters
Salinity 1.024
Temp 79
Nitrates 20ppm... peaks around 40ppm before water change
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
pH I have to add baking soda to bring it to 8.2, otherwise it always is 7.8

So far I have
1 Yellow Tailed Blue Damsel (slightly aggressive, but friendly for the most part)
2 Percula Clowns (False... I think)
Some assorted hermits, 2 blue legs, a Scarlet and others
1 Emerald Crab
1 Pink Tip Anemone (Condy I think)
Nerites, Dwarf Ceriths, Nassarus snails

Any suggestions? All ideas accepted. Shrimps, fish, plants, anemones, etc

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

I always like possum wrasses, but the are very timid and the damsel might take advantage of that and bully him. Gobies are great, but you have to have a old or he will be gone in no time. Chalk bass maybe. I like they way they look. Pajama cardinals can be interesting.

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

A old should be a lid

 

[Mandrew]

I would suggest a shrimp, they have cool personalities and are fun to watch. Cleaner shrimp or peppermint are the only 2 I've owned and the cleaner shrimp was my favorite.

 

[Sully]

Not all gobies are jumpers.

 

[gemini9]

I have a glass top on my tank, so jumpers are no big deal. My Yellowtail Blue Damsel is surprisingly friendly towards my two clowns. They all get along just fine. I mean, there is the occassional nip, but it's actually not bad at all. Gobies are nice. I have sand substrate, but I'm not sure I have enough for a gobie? I have a 30 gallon tank and 20 pounds of sand. Maybe covers an inch or so of the bottom. I have actually considered ordering another 10 pounds of sand.

 

[WindeyD]

Starry Blenny

 

[arnel0387]

Midas or Tailspot Blenny! They have so much personality
A pair of Yasha goby and pistol shrimp is fun to watch!
Helfrichi Firefish are beautiful!

 

[arnel0387]

I would get rid of the damsel first though! He/she will be a PIA in the future!

 

[LetItReef]

I would get rid of the damsel first though! He/she will be a PIA in the future!

or temporarily put the Damsel in a refugium and add it back once you added your new fish. I suggest Lawnmower Blenny or Cleaner shrimp.

 

[gemini9]

Allot of suggestions for blennies and shrimp lol So far the damsel is ok, but if she gets to be a problem I can take her back to lfs for a trade. I asked before I bought her and was told i can bring it back if there's trouble down the road. I'm looking at some of these blennies. The Chalk Bass does look kinda cool.

 

[gemini9]

Do I need more sand for a blennie? Aren't they sand dwellers?

 

[arnel0387]

Nope. But some gobies need it like the sand-sifting gobies!

 

[gemini9]

was looking at some blennies and gobies and there's one that really stands out called the Orange Stripe Prawn Goby. Wow I really want one! I think I'll grab one of the cleaner shrimp this weekend and see if LFS will order me one of those blennies... I'd REALLY like that Orange Stripe Prawn Goby tho.

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

A goby would work with you sand.

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

The orange stripe prawn goby would work just fine.

 

[Mandrew]

You won't regret the cleaner shrimp, those things are super cool! Every time I put my hand in the tank it would come clean me up lol.

 

[gemini9]

lol okay. Everyone seems to like the cleaner shrimp so I'll get one of those this sunday and ask the lfs if they'll order me one of the gobies. Most likely the orange stripe cuz he's cool looking.

Should I be adding iodine or trace elements to my tank since I have hermits, an emerald and the new cleaner shrimp coming in? If so, how much of it?

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

Do not add anything without testing for it.

 

[gemini9]

I ended up getting the cleaner shrimp and asked the lfs if they could order me a randalls goby, but they didn't seem to have any interest in ordering anything for me so I guess I'll have to order it myself and pay the shipping. Sigh. I don't understand why it would have been so difficult for them to special order me a fish with their regular shipment of livestock.