To add or not to add???

[OzMar]

How many fish can i have?

Ok listed below is my modest setup:

30 gallons
2 clownfish
1 yellowtang (small)
1 damsel
2 peppermint shrimp
3 red skunk cleaner shrimp

can I add anymore fish or is that already too many?

If I can add, what kind of fish can I add?


Thanks

 

[Troylee]

Well the tang will have to go very soon fwiw... You could add a nice fairy or corris wrasse and some fire fish...: granted you have sufficient filtration... Tell us about the set up skimmer, reactors, etc..

 

[florida reef]

Can't take credit for this one, but it's the best I've seen so far.

 

[caudill187]

That's one of the greatest cartoons I've ever seen :smile:

You may be able to get away with one more fish and as mentioned, I would stick with smaller species. Blennies, smaller wrasses, the less territorial basslets (blackcap, orchid dottyback, springeris). Those clownfish and the damsel may start kicking butt soon so I stick with some fish on the tough side. My first reef was 37 gallon in which I would lose every 5th fish I added, no matter what it was.

 

[Airplanes]

Now that is funny!

On a serious note gotta get that yellow tang a bigger tank!

 

[Stinger]

I love the cartoon!! lol, i am a newbie and only have 3 dansels in my 110 gallon tank. which i will swapout for 2 hosting clowns and 1 tang. when i get a better test kit and more experience.

 

[returnofsid]

I'm going to have to disagree. Your tank is already way over loaded imo. A 30 should have no more than 2, maybe 3 small fish.

 

[liv2mtb]

I'm going to have to disagree. Your tank is already way over loaded imo. A 30 should have no more than 2, maybe 3 small fish.

Do you have some kind of formula when determining livestock vs. gallon? Just curious b/c I have 2 clown and 2 damsels in my bc29. I don't think it's overstock personally but what do I know, .

 

[Raggamuffin]

my formula is a combination of things:
Full grown size
agressivness
how messy are they?

as an example for messy: I would have no problem putting 15 firefish into a 40B but 1 dwarf puffer which would be about 1/2 the mass of all the firefish would be overloaded unless you have oversized filtration.

an example of agressivness: a cole eyed tang, yellow tang, clowns, chromis, wrasse, maybe a blenny in a 75 would be good to go for a fairly long time, 1 medium sized snowflake eel would be it unless you have something just as agressive like a lionfish.

An example of size: 2 clowns and a buddy fish or 2 (jawfish, blenny, chromis) is fine in a 29 but I wouldn't put a blue hippo tang in there if you paid me even if it was one of the quarter sized guys from my LFS he is going to grow big, FAST!

 

[shimin]

I didn't know that snowflakes were that aggressive mabe mine is just nice cause he doesn't bother any of my other fish and there is 2 seahorses in the tank as well mabe I'm just lucky

my formula is a combination of things:
Full grown size
agressivness
how messy are they?

as an example for messy: I would have no

an example of agressivness: a cole eyed tang, yellow tang, clowns, chromis, wrasse, maybe a blenny in a 75 would be good to go for a fairly long time, 1 medium sized snowflake eel would be it unless you have something just as agressive like a lionfsh

 

[Raggamuffin]

as they get bigger they get worse most the time, then again you could have a gentle one, they are very smart critters. I've had a mantis come in on live rock before and within a week I was hand feeding him and he never hurt anything except for the odd snail or hermit and even that was uncommon because I kept him fed well.

 

[Luisra]

Forget the tang and the damselfish. You should add some Neon gobies or something small like them.

Ex. Greenbanded Gobies (size .5 - 1.5 inch)

 

[fab1971]

Forget the tang and the damselfish. You should add some Neon gobies or something small like them.

Ex. Greenbanded Gobies (size .5 - 1.5 inch)

THat's a cool looking fish! First time I've seen that one and that is super small.

 

[shimin]

as they get bigger they get worse most the time, then again you could have a gentle one, they are very smart critters. I've had a mantis come in on live rock before and within a week I was hand feeding him and he never hurt anything except for the odd snail or hermit and even that was uncommon because I kept him fed well.

mines about 18in long and I try to feed everyday but he only takes food about every 3 days but I do try to keep him full they only problem I have is when I feed the fish he will Chase food over the overflow and into the sump so I have to get him out like once a week