14 Gallon AIO stocking suggestions and thoughts...

[Rover]

Hello,

After a hiatus caused from a mean landlord, I've returned to start my reefs up again.

I know I am going to end up with one big tank, but not at first. I need to do some preparations, cook rock, and all around take my time and get it going.

However to satisfy the itch and my girlfriends needs to have fish-children, I've got a 14 gallon Nuvo AIO tank to set up. It will be running a simple setup, Coral Moonbox LED, a Jager 50watt heater, and an ATO. Probably going to add a single small powerhead, I've got a spare Ecotech MP10 kicking around or something else.

Plan is a reef. I'm only intending for a FEW corals... Something like a large soft tree kinda coral (Green Nepthea tree I think is the name of what we had before) and maybe some zoanthids and some green star polyps. No SPS.

As for fish, this is the real question. The girlfriends loves gobies with a passion that is difficult to express. Before even in our 75 gallon reef her favorite fish was the green clown goby and the yellow clown goby.


Here are the potential fish candidates. Not all of the below, these are just some of the ones we are looking at. I know that 14 gallons is small, and I don't want to overstock. However the smallest tank I've had before this was 30G very briefly before getting a 75G, I really appreciate any advice from someone that has had a nano tank in this size.

- Two Clownfish
- Two Clown Gobies (Green and Yellow, or Yellow and Panda, not the same kind)
- Maybe 1 Bangai Cardinal?
- Maybe 1 Jawfish?

I may get cleaner shrimp with these, otherwise just snails or small hermit crabs. We had a jawfish before that lived under a rock and never moved, so I'm thinking that might work in a tank like this.

Thoughts on any of the above? Suggestions of fun, colorful fish you've had in a nano tank before?

Thank you!

 

[James M]

IMO clowns shouldn’t be in anything less than 20 gallons. A pistol shrimp and goby pair would be a nice addition for that tank.

 

[oceaninabox12345]

I have a 10 gallon with two tiny clownfish in. I think they would be fine, just keep up on water changes. A panda goby and two clownfish should be fine, or maybe one clownfish and a cardinal

 

[Rover]

IMO clowns shouldn’t be in anything less than 20 gallons. A pistol shrimp and goby pair would be a nice addition for that tank.

As the only fish/inverts in the tank, or would you think something else could get along with them? I've seen some neat pistol shrimp/goby pairings at local stores and from reefers around me, but I don't know how they do with company. I have heard people mention 20G or 30G only for a clown pair.

I have a 10 gallon with two tiny clownfish in. I think they would be fine, just keep up on water changes. A panda goby and two clownfish should be fine, or maybe one clownfish and a cardinal

I had two clowns before (ocellaris) and the female didn't stay small for long! That exact combo was one we were thinking of; two clowns and a clown goby if thats the route we felt comfortable going.

 

[Jesterrace]

I have a 10 gallon with two tiny clownfish in. I think they would be fine, just keep up on water changes. A panda goby and two clownfish should be fine, or maybe one clownfish and a cardinal

Yes, but as they grow the 10 gallon will become increasingly cramped for them. I agree that clowns really need something like a 20 Long to be happy long term and that is only the Occ or Percula varieties.

@the OP, That is way overstocked for a 14 gallon. I would say 3 fish max for that size tank. I would go with 2 different types of clown goby and maybe a smaller cardinalfish (ie Pajama Cardinalfish).

 

[Rover]

@the OP, That is way overstocked for a 14 gallon. I would say 3 fish max for that size tank. I would go with 2 different types of clown goby and maybe a smaller cardinalfish (ie Pajama Cardinalfish).

Yes, that is just the fish we are considering, not all of them! I'm going to be trying not to overstock.

Its good to know that two clown gobys and a smaller cardinal isn't too much. Part of me was worried I'd be at capacity if we decided just to do two clown gobies!

Clownfish will probably be off the list, as my experience with the last two I had was that they got fairly territorial... And in a small tank, there isn't much territory.

 

[James M]

As the only fish/inverts in the tank, or would you think something else could get along with them? I've seen some neat pistol shrimp/goby pairings at local stores and from reefers around me, but I don't know how they do with company. I have heard people mention 20G or 30G only for a clown pair.



I had two clowns before (ocellaris) and the female didn't stay small for long! That exact combo was one we were thinking of; two clowns and a clown goby if thats the route we felt comfortable going.

I would do the goby/shrimp pair and a pajama cardinal. That’s the thing with nanos you’re very limited on what you can get