Starter fish

[Ni111]

Finally got my tank together, just waiting for it to cycle. Its a 28 gallon and when its cycled what fish do you advise me to get as im planning on getting 1 fish and 1 small cleaner shrimp. I know a clown fish is good but i plan on getting two and think if i introduce them together they will have a better chance of bonding

 

[jsmith]

Finally got my tank together, just waiting for it to cycle. Its a 28 gallon and when its cycled what fish do you advise me to get as im planning on getting 1 fish and 1 small cleaner shrimp. I know a clown fish is good but i plan on getting two and think if i introduce them together they will have a better chance of bonding

That's a good idea.. that what I've always done and had great success.. you can stock a bunch of differnt invertabrates and shrimp.. u could add up to another 2 types of smaller fish as well watchmen goby . blennys dawrf angels.. just post ur stocking list and im sure poeple will reply.

 

[Ni111]

I really like the dwarf angels but ive read there best introduced last to your tank, because they will get terrotorial against new fish or am i wrong ? Probably thinking on a goby at first

 

[jsmith]

I really like the dwarf angels but ive read there best introduced last to your tank, because they will get terrotorial against new fish or am i wrong ? Probably thinking on a goby at first

I havnt heard of the dwarf angels being that way..if your going goby which u should especially after cycle it will keep that sand clean from ditrus

 

[Ni111]

Yeah think i will and on www.liveaquaria.com the dwarf flame angel fish that i really like it says : "If the Flame Angelfish is to be added to a peaceful community, it should be the last fish introduced." Also a question on puffers... I know about the personality of them and the space needed but is there definatley not a puffer i could have to fit in with a nice community or are they too aggresive. At my lfs they said they had only a small puffer and it attacked most fish it was with and had to be in a tank of its own.

 

[jsmith]

Yeah think i will and on www.liveaquaria.com the dwarf flame angel fish that i really like it says : "If the Flame Angelfish is to be added to a peaceful community, it should be the last fish introduced." Also a question on puffers... I know about the personality of them and the space needed but is there definatley not a puffer i could have to fit in with a nice community or are they too aggresive. At my lfs they said they had only a small puffer and it attacked most fish it was with and had to be in a tank of its own.

I was thinking bi color.. but good job doing research!

 

[jsmith]

I personally wouldn't have any type of puffer in less then. 70 gallon tank

 

[Gregcoyote]

The angels can be a bit territorial, but not too bad. They mostly spar with each other and my tangs in my reef, but no damage is done. Look into some wrasses, gobies and basslets. I would not add a puffer fish.

 

[Ni111]

Yeah i wont add any puffer then. and thinks for the info on the angels think im going to go with a gobie or a blennie with a few inverts then 2 clowns and probably one more then the angel

 

[Gregcoyote]

I prefer the Coral Beauty angel. They are reef safe(r). The Flame can be a hit or miss as to picking on polyps.
None of the other angels are very suitable to a reef system. I have a current collection of angels and over the years I have owned most of the varieties of dwarf angels. They like to spar with each other, regardless of when and how they are added. I think having lots of hiding holes and lots of distractions from other fish and you will be fine.

 

[Ni111]

Oh okay thanks i dont plan on keeping anything like polyps or corals or anything like that just yet but thanks for telling me

 

[Gregcoyote]

In that case, you could have just about any of the angels. But no two of the same thing.

 

[Sarcothelia]

Honestly I'd say a pair of clowns (Perculas or Ocellaris) and a pistol shrimp paired with a goby are your best bets for stocking long term. I'd avoid a dwarf angel in a 28, just a little cramped for them and they'd appear a little large for the tank compared to everything else you put in there.

 

[Ni111]

Okay then im just going to give it a think not going to be adding any fish till about 3 weeks anyway thanks for the help. Ive been thinking on the red mandirin. Going to give my live rock a couple of months before i think about getting one though because i know they feed of the rocks

 

[jsmith]

Okay then im just going to give it a think not going to be adding any fish till about 3 weeks anyway thanks for the help. Ive been thinking on the red mandirin. Going to give my live rock a couple of months before i think about getting one though because i know they feed of the rocks

Some of the best members of this forum can't get them to surive.. I would say good luck but u will need alot more then that friwndr.

 

[Ni111]

Hmm i know ive been reading. But my lfs owner has about 3 surviving in not very big tanks, i got the live rock from her aswell im just going to see how she gets them to survive and try it myself, not till about 4 or 5 months though

 

[Ni111]

Just got my live rock aswell and a snail has hitch hiked but my tank hasnt cycled, will he die

 

[carey]

I just have to chime in about the mandarin. I would for sure wait a while longer than you plan. If you get a pod only eating one then it will eat all the pods and youll be left with a starving fish.

I'm still going through pod explsoions in my tanks, sometimes there are zillions sometimes not so much, and its' been months and months.

I am waiting on my lfs to order me an ORA frozen food eating one to cut down on the chances that he will eat only pods. But even with the ORA ones they can revert back to pods in a heartbeat.

 

[Ni111]

Yeah okay then ill not take my chances on the mandirin.

 

[Ni111]

Ive got a small snail about 3 quarters of an inch and very tiny small tube worm on the live rock ive just bought, are these going to die because my tank hasnt cycled or will they survive ?