How many fish can I put in here?

[gemini9]

Hey everyone. Question here.... I have a 7 month old 30 gallon tank with a HOB skimmer and HOB Penguin 350 filter that I use with those blue filter media pads with carbon. Shallow sandbed and about 30 pounds LR. I've been stocking my tank and am now wondering exactly how much is too much? How many fish can I put in there?

So far I've got
2 Percula clowns,
1 Yellowtail Blue Damsel,
1 Firefish,
1 Lawnmower Blenny,
1 Pink Tip Anenome
and a Cleaner Shrimp.
With some snails and hermits, but I hear the CUC doesn't add much at all to the load in the tank.

So, how many fish can I put in here? And same with the CuC, how much is too much? Still trying to figure all this out.... :suspicious: Nitrate levels linger around 10ppm to 20ppm. Getting better compared to the previous 160 ppm lol.

 

[rworegon]

You're about done. The clowns well become very territorial as the get older and can very easily take over the entire 30 gallons.

 

[Jcap74]

they say 1 inch of fish per gallon of water Remember displacement of live rock and sand. You should be fine with what you have just stay up on water changes i do 5 gallon once a week for the last year and my tank is doing really well i have a 16 gallon display and 20 gallon sump

 

[Jc_ellis]

If your nitrate levels cannot be brought down any lower, I'd say your fully stocked on fish. Extra snails and crabs will be negligible. What HoB skimmer do you have? The penguin filter is also probably helping keep the nitrate levels a little higher unless your changing the carbon inserts weekly and vacuuming the bottom of the filter where waste gets trapped.

 

[gemini9]

Which leads me to my next question. Do I really even NEED that HOB filter? I don't have a sump. Sometimes I wonder if the HOB filter does more harm than good. As far as the Clown go, they seem okay with the other tankmates so far. I'm hoping it stays that way. So I guess I'll stop stocking after I get hold of my Goby.

 

[gemini9]

oh, and the skimmer is a Reef Octopus BH100 I change 3-4 gallons of water every weekend.

 

[fishroomlady]

what kind of goby are you thinking about? I think with that, you're probably good to go. I would look into getting some cool inverts - have you looked into a goby/pistol shrimp pair? I love my urchin and I have a couple of sexy shrimp - anemone shrimp are cool also - just some ideas.....I just looked back and saw that you have a cleaner shrimp - I'm not sure if that would be compatible with a pistol - I'd research that first

 

[gemini9]

Yes, the Randal Goby and Pistol shrimp were my next fish... but I can't find them for sale anywhere. eh. Don't wanna do that if he will kill the cleaner tho. Hum.

 

[rworegon]

I had a skunk cleaner shrimp with a target pistol for a long time together. One day the skunk came up missing. Pretty sure it was my fairy wrasse that got it thought. Its getting pretty big.

 

[crayonbreaker]

I would not add anymore fish however you technicallystill could you will just need to keep a close eye on your water parameters.

 

[reefwiser]

As a beginner I would stop now. You need to keep your tank at an even level and with the fish load getting larger it will become to much work for a beginner to keep up with. Enjoy your tank as it is right now. Before you add that one more fish or invert that tips the tank into a downward spial.

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

I think your fully stocked