open to stocking suggestions in a 29 gal

[Deitta]

Hello all. Recently my 29 gal SW became a little less populated. Moved a goby/pistol shrimp symbio to another tank and the pixie hawk fish ate my emerald crab and a full adult peppermint shrimp. I am looking for suggestions that meet the following needs/wants.

1) Should be reef safe. I only have a feather duster and a very small shroom rock now... but I dream of more....

2) I must please the hubby. He wants color and movement. His favorite fish of current and past are: the clownfish (color and always moving) the dwarf pixie hawkfish (color and wags it's tail when he spots something) a mandarin (the way it hunted and moved it's head), the tiger pistol shrimp (watching it move soo much sand in each pass).

3) Cost - I am cheap. Please try and keep cost below $50 per addition.

So... who do you suggest I add and why?

 

[severum mama]

A pair of Ocellaris clowns would be pretty cheap.

I wouldn't add a mandarin. I don't think the tank is big enough to provide it with enough pods, and I'm told they rarely accept frozen foods.

 

[FloridaNewbie]

Six Line Wrassle. I have one and he is colorful and moves through the rock work all day. Friendly fish.

 

[roka64]

Is that pixie hawk still in there? If so, they will eat smaller fish and as you have seen crustaceans. If he is still in there, you will need to add a larger fish than him and one that is at least semi-aggressive (there is still no guarantee he won't harass a new fish).
You could look at a Ocellate Damselfish [http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2563 or one of my personal favorites, the Yellowstripe Maroon Clownfish http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=107.
I'm not too sure the wrasse would be able to step up to the pixie.

 

[melosu58]

Here are some ideas for a 29 gallon tank

 

[lando]

Purple firefish, royal gramma, perc clown, sixline wrasee or skunk clown come to mind. All would add nice color and movement to the tank.

 

[Deitta]

My bad... my current occupants did not post. I currently have a percula clownfish, pixie hawkfish, pajama cardinal, feather duster and 2 turbo snails.
Also will need a sand sifter to keep the substrate looking pretty.
Also for reasons that baffle everyone who has ever heard of my tank, I get the most homicidal fish of a species. I will pick up a fish that is a community peaceful fish and it will attack all of the others in the tank. This just seems to be my luck as it has happened with both FW and SW and after research. For example, I originally had 2 PJ cardinals. We named them Bill and Ted (they looked totally stoned). Within 2 weeks the larger of the two, Ted, had bullied Bill from reaching food and was constantly biting the fins until he was dead. Now Ted is called Ted Bundy. Fortunately this talent of picking bad seeds only extends to fish....

I have admired the sixline wrasse before... does anyone have specific experience with one and a hawkfish?
The Royal Gramma looks interesting.

Thank you all, and please keep the info coming!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'm just a newbie here, but it seems like you might be pushing the limit for fish on a 29g with what you have now. Could that be the reason the normally calm fish turn a little aggressive when they hit your tank? I know this isn't the info you asked for, but I just figured I'd toss the idea out there.

 

[Deitta]

I do not think I am pushing the bioload. The clown is only 1 1/2", the hawkfish tops out at 3", and the PJ at 2". I figure I only have 6-7 inches of fully grown fish, 2 1" snails and one feather duster. Plus when the PJ attacked his tankmate they were only 1" each and they were only the two in the tank besides the two snails. I just get the aggressive fish, FW or SW. oh well... but as a side note...
I do test regularly, and my filter is for a 30-60 gal tank. I wanted to have the filter also act as the major water movement in addition to two small powerheads. I have a skimmer for a 30-60 gal tank. All of my LR is growing coralline, the halimeada is growing and moving to other another rock. The snails have grown in the last year. All the indicators I know to look for are indicating this is a healthy tank.

If you know of any other indicators, please let me know.

 

[lando]

Please do not rely on the poor "inches per gal" rule for stocking. Thefirst thing to consider is getting the right livestock for the appropriate tank. In short, do not stuff a yellow tang in a smaller tank. I am sure you know this. I encourage you to look to your water parameters for bioload. If you are seeing no or low NO3 with the stock you have now, you may have room for more fish, depending on species. Some of the fish listed above will be nice additions to your tank, only one or two more and add them slowly.

 

[Devilishturtles]

How about adding another percula clown to pair (hopefully) with the other current one and maybe another PJ cardinal, since they like buddies anyways.

 

[ezy33]

A pair of Ocellaris clowns would be pretty cheap.

I wouldn't add a mandarin. I don't think the tank is big enough to provide it with enough pods, and I'm told they rarely accept frozen foods.

Ask your LFS to feed the mandarin, I've had two that eat brine shrimp.

 

[FloridaNewbie]

Hey, haven't been here in a while, but i have a 29gal and here's what it has

29gal FOWLR 45lbs of live rock

Percula Clown Pair
6-Line wrassel
Pygmy (Cherub) Angelfish
3 peppermint shrimp
1 skunk cleaner
10 snails
5 Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab
1 Feather Duster


Took me 3 months after cycle was complete to get everyone in there, and it has been this way for 4 months now. i test almost every week and always get 0 or very low numbers. I do a 10gal change about every 15 days and add about 2 gals or distilled water every week to control salinity. I use a bag of purigen on my Hob filter plus powerheads to keep water moving and oxygen exchange on surface. No skimmer here.

Fish are happy... so do it slow and keep your numbers low on your tests, you can get a nice little community going

Leo