30 gallon stocking?

[ReeferPrime]

I'm going for the Water clear mini 30. For fish stocking I was looking for a pair of clowns and 3 chromis. Not sure if that is overstocking. Any ideas? Looking for active and interesting fish. Tank is not up or running yet but I'm just getting some idea and planning before hand.

 

[PharmrJohn]

If memory serves, green chromis age to 3 inches and O. clowns 4+. That's 17 inches of fish full grown in a 30g tank. If you have LR in there and a skimmer your probably fine. It is pretty heavily stocked.

 

[ReeferPrime]

don't males end up being a bit smaller? So wouldn't it be less unless I'm mistaken

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yes. They do, but not by a lot. If you get them both small, they will both be sexless. As they age, after a year or so, the older sexless fish will turn male. Then female. The other will turn from sexless to male and stop there. Clowns are really cool in that they end up different sexes based on outside pressures.

 

[littlefoxx]

I have a 32 biocube with a clown pair, starry blenny, zebra goby, sixline wrasse, cardinal, dottyback and 3 mollies (probably getting rid of them soon). I do have lots of live rock for them to swim in and hide in

 

[ReeferPrime]

Looks great! I was more considered about the swimming room for the fish but I do think 31 inches long should be good room.

 

[shcrimps]

clowns might turn into real ******s in the future and the chromis will kill each other and you will end up with just one

 

[ReeferPrime]

is fine to just have one chromis? do you have any other suggestions. I thought of getting two damsels but I'm not sure if they would kill each other?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

is fine to just have one chromis? do you have any other suggestions. I thought of getting two damsels but I'm not sure if they would kill each other?

Damsels tend to be quite aggressive, and that's why I have never had them. My clowns have never once been aggressive to any of my fish, but I added them in last, so that might be why, haha.

 

[PharmrJohn]

is fine to just have one chromis? do you have any other suggestions. I thought of getting two damsels but I'm not sure if they would kill each other?

I've had plenty of Damsels in the past, but my tanks have been larger. In a 30g? Yeah, there may be issues.

 

[AlyciaMarie]

Have you looked into a goby? I've always kept watchman gobies. They're a fun personality for a tank.

 

[NanoNana]

Best thing I ever put in my 24 was a rainfordi. After acclimating to new place, it’s out eating pods and algae all over the tank then it pops down to the bottom and sifts sand through its gills. It eats so much algae through the day and cleans up off the sand so well that it doesn’t pay attention to feeding time. And it’s fat. Lol

Fire fish stay in the column. Yellow clown goby is always up to something funny and my gramma is very visible except at peak light time.

Chromis get larger that you would think and uronema.

 

[ReeferPrime]

Best thing I ever put in my 24 was a rainfordi. After acclimating to new place, it’s out eating pods and algae all over the tank then it pops down to the bottom and sifts sand through its gills. It eats so much algae through the day and cleans up off the sand so well that it doesn’t pay attention to feeding time. And it’s fat. Lol

Fire fish stay in the column. Yellow clown goby is always up to something funny and my gramma is very visible except at peak light time.

Chromis get larger that you would think and uronema.

That rainfordi sounds cool. I've never really liked most gobies tho. I find they look ugly and are boring imo. Not a fan of fire fish either.

 

[NanoNana]

That rainfordi sounds cool. I've never really liked most gobies tho. I find they look ugly and are boring imo. Not a fan of fire fish either.

Okay, yellow clown gobies are not ugly…..;).
I’m lukewarm on my firefish tbh. A lot of people just love them. Mine does watch me watch him a lot and is always visible.
The rainfordi was picked as a strictly utilitarian fish. They aren’t the most colorful fish in the tank but they are unique in their shape and colors. I had read that they stayed on the bottom sifting a lot of sand and that SOME would nibble algae occasionally. Mine are captive bred so I crossed my fingers and it worked! (I actually have two because the supplier said they sometimes don’t ship well and can be difficult to acclimate so they send an extra) In time I’ve been typing they have cleaned my ribbon gorgonian (they must be gentle because it didn’t even retract polyps) worked on cleaning glass, picked algae off frags and sifted sand. Perpetually in motion. I was going to take one to an LFS after QT but they are babies so okay for a while. The smaller has a partially detached ventral fin. IDK if it’s a birth defect or an injury during shipping and don’t know if it will affect longevity. He’s happy in my tank for now.

 

[ReeferPrime]

I like the idea of rainfordi. Will definitely keep that fish in mind. Would 3 cardinals work instead of the chromis

 

[NanoNana]

I like the idea of rainfordi. Will definitely keep that fish in mind. Would 3 cardinals work instead of the chromis

I have not kept cardinals but info I viewed when considering them leads me to believe that if you have a pair, they will get quite nasty with the odd fish out. Hopefully someone with direct knowledge will answer that for you soon.

 

[ReeferPrime]

I see maybe I go 2 clowns, 1 chromis, 2 cardinals?

 

[kevgib67]

I have a over 2 1/2 year old Biocube with 2 clowns, sixline, yellow tail damsel, diamond watchman goby, royal gramma and a tailspot blenny. Religious 12.5 % weekly water changes with no problems.

 

[fishnchip]

I’ve had my 32 biocube for 7 years and I’ve had a pair of clowns and giant royal gramma in there since the beginning. I do water changes every few mi the with no problems

 

[ReeferPrime]

I have a over 2 1/2 year old Biocube with 2 clowns, sixline, yellow tail damsel, diamond watchman goby, royal gramma and a tailspot blenny. Religious 12.5 % weekly water changes with no problems.

Wow that tank looks awesome!