Yet another nano stocking request thread (no clowns)

[rennjidk]

Boo! Yeah, I know I suck. Sorry.

Now that that's out of the way, I'm trying to do something different and unique to all the other "Blenny, Goby, Clown Pair" nano tanks.

Its a 25g cube and right now it's only inhabitant is a Mandarin (he's captive, he eats prepared, he's fat, lets move on).

First of all, I'm looking for brightly colored free swimming fish. I don't want anything that's going to spend all day burrowing or hiding until feeding time.

More importantly, and this is the part I'm really struggling with, they need to coexist peacefully together.

Miscellaneous basslet, damsel, and wrasse species have all caught my interest.

What are your favorite nanos that fit my bill and what would you pair them with?

 

[Kasrift]

Boo! Yeah, I know I suck. Sorry.

Now that that's out of the way, I'm trying to do something different and unique to all the other "Blenny, Goby, Clown Pair" nano tanks.

Its a 25g cube and right now it's only inhabitant is a Mandarin (he's captive, he eats prepared, he's fat, lets move on).

First of all, I'm looking for brightly colored free swimming fish. I don't want anything that's going to spend all day burrowing or hiding until feeding time.

More importantly, and this is the part I'm really struggling with, they need to coexist peacefully together.

Miscellaneous basslet, damsel, and wrasse species have all caught my interest.

What are your favorite nanos that fit my bill and what would you pair them with?

With a smaller stock, you could do a gold assessor. They swim a lot in weird patterns so I've read, like upside down and sideways.

Blackcap basslet, Tanaka possum Wrasse should be about hunting pods or a pink striped wrasse.

 

[kevgib67]

The above and yellow tailed damsel and a royal gramma.

 

[rennjidk]

The above and yellow tailed damsel and a royal gramma.

What if I did a flasher wrasse instead, and then a royal gramma and whatever chrysiptera damsel? Would that stocking list get along well with each other, and my mandarin, in a 25g?

 

[kevgib67]

What if I did a flasher wrasse instead, and then a royal gramma and whatever chrysiptera damsel? Would that stocking list get along well with each other, and my mandarin, in a 25g?

I have a 6 line wrasse, yellow tailed damsel, 2 clowns, royal gramma and a diamond watchman goby in a 32g with no problems. I did add the damsel last and it has remained on the bottom of the pecking order. Unless you are buying a captive bread mandarin that is eating prepared food, it might be difficult keeping a large enough pod population. Maybe some mandarin owners will chime in.

 

[rennjidk]

I have a 6 line wrasse, yellow tailed damsel, 2 clowns, royal gramma and a diamond watchman goby in a 32g with no problems. I did add the damsel last and it has remained on the bottom of the pecking order. Unless you are buying a captive bread mandarin that is eating prepared food, it might be difficult keeping a large enough pod population. Maybe some mandarin owners will chime in.

I am a mandarin owner and he is captive bred, lol.

 

[rennjidk]

Here's what I settled with. I'm still kind of kicking myself for the clown, but it's hard to find orange/red free swimmers in my tank size. The wrasses were too big for, and possibly too agressive in a 25g. Flamehawk is out due to the mandarin, and a midas blenny is hit or miss on hiding all day. A flame angel would have been great, but i couldnt in good conscience do that.

 

[Kasrift]

Here's what I settled with. I'm still kind of kicking myself for the clown, but it's hard to find orange/red free swimmers in my tank size. The wrasses were too big for, and possibly too agressive in a 25g. Flamehawk is out due to the mandarin, and a midas blenny is hit or miss on hiding all day. A flame angel would have been great, but i couldnt in good conscience do that.

Hahaha thought you weren't going Clownfish.

 

[rennjidk]

Hahaha thought you weren't going Clownfish.

I really didn't want too. I have a pair of bonded clowns in their own nem tank, but it's slim pickings for their color spectrum in a nano.

 

[littlefoxx]

Have you looked at the smaller dottybacks? They are bright, small and active

 

[Kasrift]

Have you looked at the smaller dottybacks? They are bright, small and active

And evil. You forgot evil, dottybacks are more aggressive than damsels.

 

[littlefoxx]

And evil. You forgot evil, dottybacks are more aggressive than damsels.

Lol youve already got a hawk clown and damsel in there, dottyback isnt too far off the res!

 

[littlefoxx]

And evil. You forgot evil, dottybacks are more aggressive than damsels.

Also love me some dottybacks! I do tend to have a knack for fish people say are evil though haha

 

[TCseh]

Here's what I settled with. I'm still kind of kicking myself for the clown, but it's hard to find orange/red free swimmers in my tank size. The wrasses were too big for, and possibly too agressive in a 25g. Flamehawk is out due to the mandarin, and a midas blenny is hit or miss on hiding all day. A flame angel would have been great, but i couldnt in good conscience do that.

Instead of a clown you could do a carpenter or mccosker wrasse.

 

[rennjidk]

Instead of a clown you could do a carpenter or mccosker wrasse.

That was my first thought and I mentioned it above, but after some reading, most people agree that they really need more tank space.

 

[rennjidk]

Lol youve already got a hawk clown and damsel in there, dottyback isnt too far off the res!

I'm hoping it doesn't get too thunderdome in the tank. I've had everything but the hawk and mine were always pretty passive.

 

[littlefoxx]

I'm hoping it doesn't get too thunderdome in the tank. I've had everything but the hawk and mine were always pretty passive.

Yeah tank already looks thunderdome to me as well, “to man enter one man leave!”

 

[rennjidk]

And evil. You forgot evil, dottybacks are more aggressive than damsels.

Dont discount damsels. I added a sixline as a 3rd fish despite everyone warning me it was going to be a terror, and my clown killed it 48hrs later. He was a model citizen for those two days. That's why they have their own tank now.

 

[rennjidk]

Yeah tank already looks thunderdome to me as well, “to man enter one man leave!”

I have a lot of shoals and caves in my rockwork. The mandarin rarely comes out, and the hawk and gramma should duck in and out of their own hiding spaces throughout the day. Clown (or pair) and a lone damsel has always been ok IME. I'm hoping it works out, but "semi-aggressive" and "nano" seem to go hand in hand. Like a tank full of chihuahuas.

 

[littlefoxx]

I have a lot of shoals and caves in my rockwork. The mandarin rarely comes out, and the hawk and gramma should duck in and out of their own hiding spaces throughout the day. Clown (or pair) and a lone damsel has always been ok IME. I'm hoping it works out, but "semi-aggressive" and "nano" seem to go hand in hand. Like a tank full of chihuahuas.

Yeah I agree!