What will my first fish be?!

SallyWho · Jun 11, 2018

eatbreakfast said:
Agreed with goldeneyeret about only one or only a bonded pr of firefish. They also tolerate their close relatives the dartfish quite well. So you could always add a group of zebra or scissortail dartfish.

Foxface is very peaceful, but I have found they can be skittish, which can be a problem with a fish with venomous dorsal spines. I would suggest adding it before the angel and tang, but after the other fish.

Good idea with the foxface. Concerning the firefish- do you think I could get one firefish and 1-3 zebra dartfish and have them get along reasonably well? Will they fit in a 10g QT, or should I cycle my 20L instead?

eatbreakfast · Jun 11, 2018

SallyWho said:
Good idea with the foxface. Concerning the firefish- do you think I could get one firefish and 1-3 zebra dartfish and have them get along reasonably well? Will they fit in a 10g QT, or should I cycle my 20L instead?

The firefish and dartfish will get along and can be qt'd together.

ca1ore · Jun 11, 2018

Generally good advice is to not add an anemone to a tank untill it is at least 6 months mature, with a year even better. Also keep in mind that many of the easier ones common clowns won't see as an acceptable host. BTA, for example is 50:50 with percs or Occelaris. Natural hosts are very tricky, and most definately not for the beginner. FWIW, a maroon clown was my first salt water fish ..... In 1987!

SallyWho · Jun 11, 2018

ca1ore said:
Generally good advice is to not add an anemone to a tank untill it is at least 6 months mature, with a year even better. Also keep in mind that many of the easier ones common clowns won't see as an acceptable host. BTA, for example is 50:50 with percs or Occelaris. Natural hosts are very tricky, and most definately not for the beginner. FWIW, a maroon clown was my first salt water fish ..... In 1987!

Yeah, that's why I'm waiting on the clowns. I'll let the tank mature before I get a BTA. I'm hoping that by introducing clowns straight into an established anemone, I can increase my chances of them being hosted. Otherwise, I'd totally be getting the clowns first! They're, like, the #1 beginner fish! Outside of the damsels that everyone seems to regret, or chromis, it seems.