Tank Mates

[qhrisnd]

We've had a pair of Yellowtail Damsels since we completed our cycle in our 29 GAL. We've got approx 40 lbs of LR in the tank, and live sand substrate. (not that this all matters, right now ... but it will shortly when I start asking some other ?'s lol)

So, we've got the 2 yellow tail damsels, and a single Blue/Green Reef Chromis (courtesy of a previous fish we had in the tank, as he bullied the other one to death, before realizing his fate is now in our sump.)

Today, we decided we wanted to add just a bit of color to our tank, and since our levels have been excellent, we decided on 2 clowns and a chocolate chip star. So here's my questions:

1. Is it okay to keep clowns (percula) of the same size with the yellow-tails?

2. Do chocolate chip stars damage corals (once we get some), and if so, would we be better off moving him to our sump / refugium once we do start adding corals?

3. What tank-mates would you recommend if we are able to keep our damsels and clowns together ... we're looking for diversity, and color mainly ... and fish that will coincide well together later on, as we slowly gear up to transition to a 60-gallon setup.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice!

 

[lando]

Is it okay to keep clowns (percula) of the same size with the yellow-tails?

The yellow tails will likely be the aggressors. There is a very good possibility that the clowns will get pretty beat up. I would take the damsels back to the LFS.

Do chocolate chip stars damage corals

Yes. These are not reef-safe stars and they will eat corals.

What tank-mates would you recommend if we are able to keep our damsels and clowns together ... we're looking for diversity, and color mainly

Keep in mind that this is not a lot of real estate. You will not be able to keep a lot of fish in there. If you decide to get rid of the damsels, I suggest the clowns, a royal grama and maybe a purple firefish.

 

[qhrisnd]

I know that the size of your tank will completely dictate the stock you keep ... but is only 4 fish in a 30 GAL tank right? We've seen about 8/10 SMALL or 6/8 SMALL-MEDIUM fish in the tank. It just depends on the setup, I guess.

 

[Hara]

GENERAL rule of thumb is one inch of adult fish per 5 gallons of water. That said, you have not got alot of room left, as has been eluded to by Lando. You do not mention the size of the damsels you have, if they have any growth to them, they, most likely, will not tolerate other fish in the tank.

 

[qhrisnd]

The damsels we've got are small ... exactly the same size as the clowns we've got, actually. Size wise, the BG Chromis is the largest fish in the tank, at double the size of the clowns/damsels. Here's some pics:

http://www.qhris.com/images/fish_pics/sw/Clowns_1.jpg
http://www.qhris.com/images/fish_pics/sw/Clowns_2.jpg
http://www.qhris.com/images/fish_pics/sw/Clowns_3.jpg
http://www.qhris.com/images/fish_pics/sw/Damsels_1.jpg
http://www.qhris.com/images/fish_pics/sw/CCStar_1.jpg
http://www.qhris.com/images/fish_pics/sw/SWTank_1.jpg

Thanks for all the help!