Stocking a Nanocube 28g

[VABullDawg]

I'm new to the hobby and just purchased the JBJ Nanocube 28g. I don't have the tank yet and am going to put in probably 20-30#'s of dry rock and possibly get some coral a little bit later. I really don't care too much about getting bigger fish. I know I'm limited so I would love to stock it with as many smaller fish as possible, to include 2 small clowns. So how many other fish could I put in the tank and what are some of your favorite smalls? Thanks in advance.

 

[Baby Ray]

I personally love
1. yellow clown gobies (they come in many other colors and patterns)
2. Tail spotted blennies (or any blennies in general)
3. shrimp goby pairs
4. dart fish
You could also get a dotty back or royal gramma but they can be territorial.

 

[Baby Ray]

Here is a link to the nano fish tank section in live aquaria
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...fm?c=15+2124&s=ts&count=24&start=1&page_num=1

 

[michellejy]

Plans for mine are:

2 percula clowns
Yasha Goby (should have been a pair, but one was missing from my order)
Midas Blenny
Clown Goby

I am considering a possum wrasse too, but I may stop at 5. (I had 6 fish in a 30 gallon long term before without issues, however.)

 

[Tahoe61]

I have kept the jbj 28 for approx 7 years prior to upgrading. My stocking included a pair of clowns, YWG and a yellow tail damsel. Four smaller fish types are about all this tank can handle ime.

 

[VABullDawg]

Thanks everyone! I greatly appreciate everyone's tips and opinions.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Here are a few fish I would consider: a small group of barnacle blennies, a swales basslet, firefish, sunburst anthias, yellow assessor, stigmatura blenny, neon goby, yellow head jawfish, chalk bass, royal gramma, pink streak wrasse.

 

[LetItReef]

Blue gideon dartfish; Goby- Pink bar, Red stripe, Neon goby and couple Shrimps- Skunk and Fire.

 

[michellejy]

Blue gideon dartfish; Goby- Pink bar, Red stripe, Neon goby and couple Shrimps- Skunk and Fire.

I was going to combine a skunk and fire shrimp in my tank. I had a fire shrimp with some peppermints in my 120 gallon without issue. However, I read they will kill each other in a smaller system. Is that not the case?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I was going to combine a skunk and fire shrimp in my tank. I had a fire shrimp with some peppermints in my 120 gallon without issue. However, I read they will kill each other in a smaller system. Is that not the case?

I haven't witnessed that. I have seen the two species kept in similar sized tanks.

 

[ngvu1]

I like the helfrichi firefish. They are elegant and a bit smaller than the other 2 types of common fire fish. If I had a 28 gallon again, I would just have 2 of them and some waving tentacles soft corals....

 

[LetItReef]

I was going to combine a skunk and fire shrimp in my tank. I had a fire shrimp with some peppermints in my 120 gallon without issue. However, I read they will kill each other in a smaller system. Is that not the case?

I have 2 Skunk, a Fire and a Bandit Coral on a standard 29g. They have their sparing moments but no serious injuries.

 

[trevorspencer94]

I'm a huge fan of purple firefish, I bought a pair of them and they never leave each other's sides, even sleep curved up against an overhang basically on top of each other!

 

[ngvu1]

They all do that, not just the purple one

I'm a huge fan of purple firefish, I bought a pair of them and they never leave each other's sides, even sleep curved up against an overhang basically on top of each other!

 

[eatbreakfast]

They all do that, not just the purple one

Bonded prs of each species do that, but not all specimens of all species.

 

[ngvu1]

; I meant purple, red , helfrichi fire fish are doing that. If you put 2 in a tank, they will act like clown fish...1 turns to male and the other turns to female...They sleep in the same hole/cave/place at night. The only difference is that you can't tell which one is the female (LOL)
The cool thing about these fire fish pair is that they dance (maybe mating dance) at night when the lights are about to go out.... I like the helfrichi pair dance the most!

Bonded prs of each species do that, but not all specimens of all species.

 

[eatbreakfast]

; I meant purple, red , helfrichi fire fish are doing that. If you put 2 in a tank, they will act like clown fish...1 turns to male and the other turns to female...They sleep in the same hole/cave/place at night. The only difference is that you can't tell which one is the female (LOL)

Actually, it's not known whether they are transitional hermaphrodites or they are born as a specific gender, which is why it can be more challenging to get a bonded pr.

 

[trevorspencer94]

I wasn't implying that just purple firefish did it! I was just saying I love mine, and it's a nice interaction to see that they do that also, as an aside or also mentioning