10 gallon reef tank

abaraka55 · Jul 30, 2025

Trying to decide between a single Designer OC Clown, Royal Gramma, Yellow tail blue damsel, or maybe some type of blenny and a Goby/Shrimp pair. Any reccomendations? what order to add them in? what specific goby and shrimp pair? Its my first reef tank so any help would be great

Gumbies R Us · Jul 30, 2025

The maximum number of fish you are going to be able to keep in a 10g is 2. Goby Shrimp pair is a good choice (neon goby, clown goby, diamond goby) and a pistol shrimp or blood red fire shrimp. A clown in that tank mixed with other another fish can lead to some bullying, with the clown being the bully.

abaraka55 · Jul 30, 2025

Gumbies R Us said:
The maximum number of fish you are going to be able to keep in a 10g is 2. Goby Shrimp pair is a good choice (neon goby, clown goby, diamond goby) and a pistol shrimp or blood red fire shrimp. A clown in that tank mixed with other another fish can lead to some bullying, with the clown being the bully.

Yes I was trying to choose one of those as a centerpiece along with the goby/shrimp pair. A single clown would be too aggressive even like that?

Tinnerito · Jul 30, 2025

abaraka55 said:
Trying to decide between a single Designer OC Clown, Royal Gramma, Yellow tail blue damsel, or maybe some type of blenny and a Goby/Shrimp pair. Any reccomendations? what order to add them in? what specific goby and shrimp pair? Its my first reef tank so any help would be great

I recommend OC clown. I have one 2 years old in a 6 gallon so it should he okay. Damsels have unpredictable territoriality, and a royal gramma although could technically live in 10 gallons, it would occupy all of the space and would likely aggress towards anything else you try to add.

A blenny would be great. I love lawnmower blennies, and keeping one in 10 gallons although would be controvercial, I've seen many do it before, as blennies don't move very much like a royal gramma would.

I haven't seen many goby-shrimp pairs in 10 gallons or less. Only once have I read. So I would prefer against it.

A good rule of thumb for the order to add fish, is to go from the smallest, or least territorial fish, to the largest or most territorial fish.

I hope this helped, and good luck on the new tank!

Gumbies R Us · Jul 30, 2025

abaraka55 said:
Yes I was trying to choose one of those as a centerpiece along with the goby/shrimp pair. A single clown would be too aggressive even like that?

Just depends on the clown. If you were to add the clown fish last, I think you would be ok. Clowns are just a toss-up; some people never have aggression issues with them, while others have constant issues.

jgabbsxx · Jul 30, 2025

Gumbies R Us said:
Just depends on the clown. If you were to add the clown fish last, I think you would be ok. Clowns are just a toss-up; some people never have aggression issues with them, while others have constant issues.

I will never advocate for anyone to own a clown. Got bit my mine once and re-homed the next day...didn't feel like being a chew toy whenever I had my hand in the tank LOL.

abaraka55 · Jul 31, 2025

jgabbsxx said:
I will never advocate for anyone to own a clown. Got bit my mine once and re-homed the next day...didn't feel like being a chew toy whenever I had my hand in the tank LOL.

What would you recommend for a 10 gal then? I have some freshwater tanks so I want something that acts uniquely

Gumbies R Us · Jul 31, 2025

jgabbsxx said:
I will never advocate for anyone to own a clown. Got bit my mine once and re-homed the next day...didn't feel like being a chew toy whenever I had my hand in the tank LOL.

That's so funny, this happens with so many people. My clowns were perfectly peaceful towards me and the other inhabitants in my tank

Mr. Mojo Rising · Jul 31, 2025

I have a single damsel in my 10 gallon, its a very active fish, always swimming around back and forth across the tank. Very few fish can fit in a 10 gallon, and most of those fish don't move much, even clowns don't really swim around they just stay in one spot. But if you go with a damsel, I would suggest not to add another fish.

X-37B · Jul 31, 2025

In my 15g actual water volume is 9.5 g's. I have a Pajama cardinal. It is perfect for a small system as it just floats around, lol.
The other fish is a transparent cave goby. Cool fish to me as you can see it's internal organs, lol.
Clown fish is to small for a 10g, imo.

Ben's Pico Reefing · Jul 31, 2025

There are a few fish you can stock multiple of in a 10 gallon. But they are harder to find. Most eviota flgobies will be fine. Get up to 5 in a 10 as long as they are on smaller side. You can also do flaming prawn gobies expensive and live only up to about 2 years though. Pistol goby pair such as yasha goby. But I recommend quarantining yasha as they a prone to illness initially and make sure to have a shrimp with it after QT. You could get a couple sail fin blennies or 3 barnacle blennies. You can also do a tail spot blenny. Green banded gobies are cool as well.

abaraka55 · Jul 31, 2025

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
I have a single damsel in my 10 gallon, its a very active fish, always swimming around back and forth across the tank. Very few fish can fit in a 10 gallon, and most of those fish don't move much, even clowns don't really swim around they just stay in one spot. But if you go with a damsel, I would suggest not to add another fish.

Not even a tiny goby and pistol shrimp?

Ben's Pico Reefing · Jul 31, 2025

abaraka55 said:
Not even a tiny goby and pistol shrimp?

It's more about their aggression. Damsels can be jerks and usually are lol. Some fish space is determined by aggression and not necessarily size.

Gumbies R Us · Jul 31, 2025

Damsels and clowns both can be aggressive fish (clowns are a form of damsel). When you put a territorial fish in a smaller space, it is going to be aggressive towards anything that is in its territory. That is why with smaller tanks, you have to be a lot more picky with livestock.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Jul 31, 2025

abaraka55 said:
Not even a tiny goby and pistol shrimp?

A damsel claims about 20 gallons of territory to itself. So in a 10 gallon tank its very iffy it will accept another fish. Maybe if you add the goby first give it a few weeks to establish itself, the damsel might accept its 'seniority', but maybe not. Its a chance, and frankly bully fish stress me out so I'm very careful and selective with stocking.

abaraka55 · Jul 31, 2025

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
A damsel claims about 20 gallons of territory to itself. So in a 10 gallon tank its very iffy it will accept another fish. Maybe if you add the goby first give it a few weeks to establish itself, the damsel might accept its 'seniority', but maybe not. Its a chance, and frankly bully fish stress me out so I'm very careful and selective with stocking.

So if I wanted to keep a goby shrimp pair with another fish in there are there any options? Maybe a dottyback or firefish?

Ben's Pico Reefing · Jul 31, 2025

abaraka55 said:
So if I wanted to keep a goby shrimp pair with another fish in there are there any options? Maybe a dottyback or firefish?

Dottie's are very aggressive from what I had years ago and seen. Firefish can be good but they may compete with the goby pistol for space as all want to bury in sand. If you don't keep small shrimp you could do an interesting combo with coral croucher no shrimp big enough to fit in mouth and may need to be target fed. Add a neon goby and then add firefish as well. But with coral croucher, no sexy shrimp and such but I'm not a big fan of those lol.