Stocking 32 Gallon

[EmilyXLC]

Hi everyone!

I have some questions about a stocking plan for my new tank, as it’s been quite a while since I’ve had to stock anything. I don’t want to rush & add anything any sooner than it needs to be. I am mainly setting up the tank for my toddler daughter who is obsessed with fish & my husband who has a fascination with inverts. Here are my current tank’s stats:

- 32 Gallon Biocube LED with Biocube Skimmer
- Approximately 30 pounds of live rock
- Approximately 30 pounds of live sand
- Cycled with live rock & live sand
- Parameters favorable (0 nitrate, nitrite & ammonia) for adding livestock for one week before adding anything
- Added two small Ocellaris clowns, 3 tiny crabs & 1 snail one week ago


What I’m looking for:
- Fun to watch, colorful, peaceful & hardy reef-safe fish that are appropriate for my tank size
- Coral that is good for beginners & that will be appropriate for the stock lighting on my Biocube 32
- Inverts that are not a threat to fish or corals, particularly things that are something other than the average snail or hermit
- A rough idea as to when it is safe to add new tank mates for my clowns, assuming parameters are all favorable.


Please let me know what suggestions & tips you may have! Thank you all in advance.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

The most entertaining addition to my biocube has to be the tiger pistol shrimp and orange striped goby. My shrimp is supper fussy and I love watching him get the entrances to his tunnels just right.

 

[cristata.reef]

Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) is beautifully colored, very personable, and easy to keep
Gobies (really any goby is fine, although clown gobies may nip at SPS a little)
Blennies (stay away from fangblennies since they are predatory but all others are very fun and generally easy to keep)

Easy corals...
- Zoanthids
-GSP
-Xenia (and relatives)
- Leather corals (sarcophyton and lobophytum)
- Discosoma mushrooms (LITERALLY impossible to kill, trust me)

Beginner Corals (A little harder to keep since they require the addition of chemical supplements but still very easy)
- Candy Cane/Trumpet
- Duncan
- Acan
-Hammer (most euphyllia)

Inverts:
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- Scarlet/Blood Cleaner Shrimp
-Pistol/Snapping Shrimp (pair with appropriate goby species)
(not really sure what your husband is interested in. If you could get a general category of stuff that'd help a lot)

Adding stuff depends on what you're adding and the order of which you add stuff (once again, elaborate a little bit more)

Hope that helps!

 

[Mikedawg]

+ 1 on Royal Gramma. Also, yellow or green clown goby, kamahora and forktailed fang blennies (personally I like them and haven't had any problems with aggression - they will defend themselves), aiptasia eating filefish for a different shape and some utility, orchid dottyback, and scooter dragonet. Colorful, interesting and I've kept all of them together in a Biocube 32. In addition to above corals I had lobophyllia and symphilla as well as cabbage leathers do well under stock lighting.
Bristle stars are interesting inverts as are fighting conchs - both good CUC members.
Nice tank, btw, and I would suggest you consider the Intank media basket and a random flow generator to break up the laminar flow from your return pump nozzle.

 

[Zeal]

I must say I keep a Black-ray Goby / pistol shrimp and I can sit there and watch them build their tunnels through the tank it's awesome. The pistol grabs shells and hermit crab shells and used them at the entrance.

I'll forver have a pair in my tank.

 

[JoshH]

Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) is beautifully colored, very personable, and easy to keep
Gobies (really any goby is fine, although clown gobies may nip at SPS a little)
Blennies (stay away from fangblennies since they are predatory but all others are very fun and generally easy to keep)

Easy corals...
- Zoanthids
-GSP
-Xenia (and relatives)
- Leather corals (sarcophyton and lobophytum)
- Discosoma mushrooms (LITERALLY impossible to kill, trust me)

Beginner Corals (A little harder to keep since they require the addition of chemical supplements but still very easy)
- Candy Cane/Trumpet
- Duncan
- Acan
-Hammer (most euphyllia)

Inverts:
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- Scarlet/Blood Cleaner Shrimp
-Pistol/Snapping Shrimp (pair with appropriate goby species)
(not really sure what your husband is interested in. If you could get a general category of stuff that'd help a lot)

Adding stuff depends on what you're adding and the order of which you add stuff (once again, elaborate a little bit more)

Hope that helps!

Excellent advice here, I've been searching for a new addition for my RSM C130 and I'll be looking at gobies. As for corals, I love my acans (some amazing colours), duncans and hammers/frogspawns super easy to keep. I'll be adding a few torches as well, lots of movement and fun watching the clowns play in them. FWIW my clowns developed an obsession with my Duncan's and I had to frequently move them in order to stop the harassment.

 

[Twolabs443]

I have a 30 gallon at my office. I second the goby/ pistol shrimp combo. I keep a pit as well as a pit of full grown clowns in that tank. Just be sure to get a goby that will pit with a shrimp as not all do. With a good maintenance schedule you might be able add another suitable like a royal gramma or clown goby as well.

As far as inverts go cleaner shrimp are a great choice, but can be a bit pushy when it comes to stealing food from corals and such. Skunk or blood red are both beautiful and fun to watch. Full size brittle stars are fun to watch as well.

For corals you should be good to go with most softies and even some LPS. Hard to go wrong with some zoas and Duncan’s and maybe even a photosynthetic gorgonian.