Livestock suggestions

Kryten · #1 03-21-2006, 06:02 PM

Well, my 30", 24 gal is almost ready for some livestock. I'm looking for suggestions for reef-safe fish. I'd like something that will help keep the substrate clean a bit, and then something small, colourful, and active for the feature fish. Are clowns best kept as a pair, or would a single one be happy?

Also, wasn't sure if this counts as a nano, so I posted in Reef.

Thanks!

bking · #2 03-21-2006, 06:08 PM

Its my understanding that it makes little dif if you keep one or two, the larger of the two will become a female and dominate. The suggested practice is to introduce them at the same time, otherwise clown are very terratorial.
JMO

Reefhawk1 · #3 03-21-2006, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kryten

Well, my 30", 24 gal is almost ready for some livestock. I'm looking for suggestions for reef-safe fish. I'd like something that will help keep the substrate clean a bit, and then something small, colorful, and active for the feature fish. Are clowns best kept as a pair, or would a single one be happy?

Also, wasn't sure if this counts as a nano, so I posted in Reef.

Thanks!

Clown fish will do fine on their own, but a pair is more entertaining.

TheReefGeek · #4 03-21-2006, 06:19 PM

My vote is for a pair as well.

tranvictor · #5 03-21-2006, 07:02 PM

My personal preference for a 24 gal tank, would be a pair of purple firefish, they are fairly colorful and spend quite a bit of time hovering in the water column.

As to a substrate cleaner try a dragon goby, or two spot goby (I can't remember to suggested tank size for these guys, but they are smaller than the dragon gobies, so should work). Or you can go with a sand sifting snail, but you'll never see him.

Vic

TheReefGeek · #6 03-21-2006, 07:07 PM

Dragon goby gets far too big. Not sure about the twin spot, they stay smaller than a dragon at least.

tranvictor · #7 03-21-2006, 07:18 PM

I know the dragon goby can get to about five inches, I have keep a three inch one successfully in a 20gal for about a year and a half, before I moved him to a 33 gal. At which point he was 4.5 inches and still fat and happy.

Vic

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #8 03-21-2006, 08:33 PM

Twin spot gobies are very hard to keep as most never learn to eat frozen foods but soon starve to death after depleting the sand bed. Unfortunately, they're my wife's fav. fish.

Anthony

Kryten · #9 03-22-2006, 10:19 PM

Thanks guys. After doing some reading up on the gobies, it does appear that they might be hard to keep healthy in a small tank. Are there any other fish that might fit the bill here, or should I just look to inverts to keep the sand moved around?