27 gallon cube reef

[Kylecva]

Hey I'm fixing to set up a 27 gallon cube. This isn't my first reef tank. So far I'm considering, as far as fish go, a pair of Picasso ocellaris clowns, a helfrichi firefish, and a green mandarin goby. I'm going to have a 5 gallon HOB refugium, uv sterilizer, and a HOB filter. We have 30 pounds of live rock, and 25-30 pounds of live sand. I plan on waiting 6 months or so before the mandarin, while I'm waiting though I'm planning on dosing the aquarium and refugium with Copepods every month to build up a nice colony of them and I plan on dosing when necessary to make sure he has enough to eat. Would yall recommend any other fish or does that sound good? Any and all feed back is welcome !!

 

[saltyphish]

I would not add any other fish personally. Especially anything that would compete with the mandarin for pods. I have a 29 biocube and I would not add a mandarin to it. I have never kept one, but have heard people with 55g tanks having a difficult time keeping enough pods for them.

 

[Kylecva]

So would you suggest not getting the mandarin and maybe a shrimp goby pair instead?

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

Yes, a shrimp/goby pair would be better in that size of a tank than a mandarin dragonet. Unless the mandarin is trained with frozen foods, it is likely that it will consume all the pods in the tank. A goby with a pistol shrimp are fun symbiotic relationships to observe in our tanks. They would do just fine in your tank and would work with the other fish. Some people have and do keep mandarins in these sizes of tanks but a lot of the times the mandarin starves. I am not saying it is impossible to do, just it can be a struggle and expensive to keep the fish alive. I would personally go with the goby like you recommended over the mandarin.

 

[Kylecva]

Alright I had a wheelers shrimp goby and a pistol shrimp pair I loved to watch them dig their little holes. I've just always wanted a mandarin and have done a lot of research over them I just see mixed opinions about what size of tank and care.

 

[Kylecva]

Will any goby pair with any shrimp or are there only certain ones?

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

Most of the time they will, but it depends on the species of goby. If you see one you like just post it here and ask, and I am sure some one will know

 

[saltyphish]

I feel your pain. I would love to get a mandarin but, I know it would not thrive in my 29g biocube. Maybe in the upgrade right?

 

[Kylecva]

Decided to go with a 20 gallon long instead. Here's the thread if you don't mind following along and giving your opinions! https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/20-gallon-long.203360/