What makes a good 2nd fish?

[CluelessInNY]

Hey everyone. Glad to report that my clownfish is doing great! Love having it in my tank. Lots of personality, very curious, and not shy when I press my big face to teh glass for a closer look
My chemicals readings have held steady since I got it on Monday, and I have not seen anything of a spike in any parameter. I guess that's good news.
I'm already looking to pick up a 2nd fish (probably all I'll add in this tiny 20 gallon of mine).
I've heard that Blennies are both docile and entertaining. I've got a couple of cool little caves in my LR he can live in. Does this make a good choice for my other fish? Do they eat algae?
One other thing I found kinda odd. the LFS guy said that buying snails and a fish at once wouldn't be a good idea, but I thought that inverts didn't count as bio-load. Was the LFS guy right to make me wait? I hate the algae that is growing in my tank. I want the snails to eat it all up.

[roka64]

What kind of clownfish?
Blennys are pretty cool. I had a forktail that swan around all day long. My midas hid in his hole until he felt more comfortable but still hid a lot. You could look at a pistol shrimp/shrimp goby, they are pretty neat. If you go that route, make sure your rock is firmly on the tanks' bottom glass because he will dig up anywhere he can. The goby will be the shrimp's guide, since the pistol is nearly blind.
On blennies, (since you are concerned about algae), don't let your LFS sell you a lawnmower blenny, as they can quickly deplete your algae and just quickly starve.
On your algae, what does it look like? I am thinking it is the typical diatoms that all new tanks go through and quickly vanish.
You can add inverts with the fish. I would ask him for an explanation about his comment (just curious what he was trying to do). For your clean up crew, start small (since there is not much scavaging food in newer tanks).

[CluelessInNY]

Thanks Scott!
The Clowny is a Percula...the cheaper kind He seems quite happy and my tank seems to like him too. No spikes or changes in the water.
The algae is a pure green that grows like a carpet. I was fine when I "blacked out" my tank not using any light...it all died off and my sand was super clean. But now I like giving the clown light for about 10 hours per day,a nd here comes the algae again
Also, my live rock is growing stuff on it. Not sure if that's good or not.
I wanted a blenny only because all the stuff I've read is that they are easy to tend to and are very docile toward other fish. I won't be adding any more than those two fish, and maybe a shrimp later because my tank is small.

[austinsdad]

Bicolor will find a hole in the rock and peer out. Leap frog from rock to rock when comfortable. Forktails will swim out front and not perch anywhere IME. Midas will also peer from the rock. But they can get kinda big.

I might even think a bicolor (max 2" maybe), and a forktail (yellow canary, fang) which can reach 2" also, but skinnier. Might make it. One'll swim and the other'll perch. Of course add one first, then check levels again before adding another.

Then, next year, get a 29g. Same footprint, same stand too. 30% more space.

[roka64]

Ok, the algae. You can probably lessen your photo period to 8 hours. I run my tanks from 2PM to 10PM.
Get a good phosphate test and find out if your phosphates are coming from your source water.
Feed every other day and not too much. Add some nassarius, ceriths, margarita snails, say about 5 of each to start out with. Do some extra PWCs and siphon out the algae. I believe this may have been covered in your other post, but just putting out a quick reminder.

[melosu58]

Read this on the algea.

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"