29g stocking input

[databuffer]

Looking for some input on stocking plans

Ok so I set up my first saltwater tank recently. I’ve had a ton of help from local hobbyists to set it up. Lots of established live rock, softie corals are doing well, my blenny has come out of his shell completely, and is an absolute puppy - so things are going well! I just dont want to make any mistakes that nuke my tank.

The tank is. 29g tall with a built in sump. Purigen and carbon in the filter, and I’ll be installing a skimmer as soon as it arrives. No ATO yet, but also on its way.


Current tank stocking:

1 midas blenny
3 blue legged hermit crabs
1 unknown shrimp (I think peppermint? He was a stowaway, and is great at hiding)

2 rock flower anemones

Kenya tree
1 red mushroom
Gsp frag
Toadstool leather
Midas touch zoa

Stocking plan:

1 possum wrasse
Possibly one clown? Not certain yet.
5 penderson’s anemone shrimp
2 pom pom crabs
Micro brittlestar colony
Trochus snails
Tuxedo urchin

1 bubble tip anemone
More rfas in general

LPS corals - hammers, torches, duncans, ect.


Is there any conflict in my plans, or anything that would work better for my set up? All advice welcome. I’m new to this.

 

[databuffer]

Bump

 

[fishywishy]

Everything looks good. The only thing I’d change is if you get a clownfish, I’d get two. Also, there’s a chance the peppermint shrimp might eat the anemone shrimp if it gets hungry.

 

[Boehmtown]

I disagree with the two clowns, a single clown is much more likely to not become aggressive, especially in that small of a tank

 

[Gumbies R Us]

You will have less aggression with one clown than with two clowns. Personally, I would recommend a fire fish or a royal gramma over a clown, but that is just me!

 

[ScottJ]

Agree with a single clown over a pair. Also agree with a firefish over a clown, especially a purple firefish. They are beautiful. Skittish, but beautiful.

 

[databuffer]

You will have less aggression with one clown than with two clowns. Personally, I would recommend a fire fish or a royal gramma over a clown, but that is just me!

I would love a firefish over a clown honestly, but I had read that blennies can get aggressive with gobies, so I wasn’t sure.

 

[leo12345]

I would love a firefish over a clown honestly, but I had read that blennies can get aggressive with gobies, so I wasn’t sure.

A Midas will definitely be aggressive to a fire fish. I’ve heard of this happening many times in small tanks.

 

[databuffer]

I would love a firefish over a clown honestly, but I had read that blennies can get aggressive with gobies, so I wasn’t sure.

A Midas will definitely be aggressive to a fire fish. I’ve heard of this happening many times in small tanks.

Yeah, thats what I figured. Thank you!

 

[databuffer]

Well, my parents decided to be nice and dropped by with a surprise fish! (And also an urchin and halloween hermit crab I wanted)

Its a chalk basslet. At the very least, I’m glad its a fish who won’t outgrow my tank, but does this guy conflict with my previous stocking plans? Not sure how I’m gonna work around this yet! I had my heart set on a possum wrasse, can they coexist??

If I have to return him to the store and be like ‘oh no, he died!’ Next time they visit, so be it.

 

[Common Blevil]

Looking for some input on stocking plans

Ok so I set up my first saltwater tank recently. I’ve had a ton of help from local hobbyists to set it up. Lots of established live rock, softie corals are doing well, my blenny has come out of his shell completely, and is an absolute puppy - so things are going well! I just dont want to make any mistakes that nuke my tank.

The tank is. 29g tall with a built in sump. Purigen and carbon in the filter, and I’ll be installing a skimmer as soon as it arrives. No ATO yet, but also on its way.


Current tank stocking:

1 midas blenny
3 blue legged hermit crabs
1 unknown shrimp (I think peppermint? He was a stowaway, and is great at hiding)

2 rock flower anemones

Kenya tree
1 red mushroom
Gsp frag
Toadstool leather
Midas touch zoa

Stocking plan:

1 possum wrasse
Possibly one clown? Not certain yet.
5 penderson’s anemone shrimp
2 pom pom crabs
Micro brittlestar colony
Trochus snails
Tuxedo urchin

1 bubble tip anemone
More rfas in general

LPS corals - hammers, torches, duncans, ect.


Is there any conflict in my plans, or anything that would work better for my set up? All advice welcome. I’m new to this.

Pom pom crabs are very elusive and shy. I had one in 15 g and rarely seen it. When i upgraded to 30 g I haven't seen it at all. I have lot's of caves... I thought it died after not seeing it for half a year and after moving rocks it miraculously jumped out from the crevice. Having 2 might increase the odds of seeing them, but I'm still not sure. Also, they are really really tiny. So I'd rather have you spend money on something more interesting and add the crabs last. I like cryptic animals who i see once a week, not once a year after i put all the rock and they fall out of it... I am reminding you, in 15 g I've seen it like once a month. In 30 gallon I've almost never seen it. I think those guys are suitable either only for picos less than 10 g or for aquarium with minimal caves.

If you want a crab, get an emerald. They are kinda ugly and can attack stuff, but they are crabs. Porcelain anemone crabs are also fine and pink, although they are not true crabs.

I would recommend getting 1-2 clown gobies when you will have enough coral coverage. They feel much better when they have lot's of coral to hide in. Yellows swim more but harder to feed, greens sit more and are more cryptic but are much easier to feed.
Goby and shrimp pair is also nice. I have wheeler's goby pair and candy cane pistol shrimp.

Keep in mind, lysmata shrimps(peppermints and cleaners) can attack smaller shrimp. And pederson shrimp are expensive. I would you much rather find out the species of your shrimp and get it more friends. Cleaner shrimps live in pairs and peppermints live in colonies.

Possum wrasse should be added after some time. They are semi-mandarins in my opinion, need a mature tank and something to graze on all day. You will need to at least try to teach it to eat frozen. Also they are relatively expensive and don't ship well.

Midas is a good choice. Although it does not have typical blenny behaviour and has a weird cartoon goldfish face(once again, not really much of a blenny face) it is still cute, colourful and active. If i were you I would've gotten a tailspot, but midas is fine. It is also funny that you have midas fish and midas coral).

 

[Common Blevil]

Well, my parents decided to be nice and dropped by with a surprise fish! (And also an urchin and halloween hermit crab I wanted)

Its a chalk basslet. At the very least, I’m glad its a fish who won’t outgrow my tank, but does this guy conflict with my previous stocking plans? Not sure how I’m gonna work around this yet! I had my heart set on a possum wrasse, can they coexist??

If I have to return him to the store and be like ‘oh no, he died!’ Next time they visit, so be it.

Chalk bass is a micropredator and will eat small shrimp, especially when it will grow up. Just look at it's "bass-like" face! If you like him, you won't be able to get your small shrimps.

 

[Common Blevil]

Bu

I would love a firefish over a clown honestly, but I had read that blennies can get aggressive with gobies, so I wasn’t sure

Bullcrap in my opinion. It only happens in small tanks where the fish have not much cover. But you have a small tank so i wouldn't put i firefish in there.

Shrimp gobies and clown gobies will be fine. Also firefish is not a goby, but a close relative.

Keep in mind, fish won't attack other fish because they "look similar" to us. Firstly, most of the time, debatable. Even midas and firefish look very different, i won't even talk about the difference between tailspot blenny, starry blenny, clown goby and watchman goby.

Secondly, their needs.

For example I've seen people say that lawnmower blennies and shrimp gobies "look similar" and will fight. The thing is, they won't in normal conditions. When I planned to upgrade my 15 g I've put a starry blenny and 2 azure damsels in there. Before that there were 3 gobies living in there. No one fought because they had caves and places to hide! After i upgraded no one fought either! After i rescaped my tank and pulled a lot of rock out blenny and damsels started fighting sometimes, but quickly stopped after i made more caves again. Funny that rock dwelling damsels and blenny didn't even touch the sand gobies! Fish will fight over similar needs, when they can't have enough for everyone, not because some website says they "look similar" so they will fight. Of course, if you don't have enough caves, crevices and hidey holes, underfeed your fish and have a small tank they will fight.

So overall i won't recommend putting a firefish with midas in 30 g, because both are active swimming plankton eaters that like to have a hole they to hide in. Clown goby/gobies and shrimp goby/gobies? I'm all for it!