Can't Decide on fish for 20Cube

[LagunaGlide]

Starting up a 20Cube. It will be a mostly LPS tank as I have a decent amount of coral in a tank after another tank was shut down and we moved across the country. At any rate we decided we wanted to have a tank in the living room again, and picked up a 20Cube.

I made a pretty extensive list of not only species, but specific fish and went through with my wife. We have narrowed it down a good bit, but I would like some input on some of the combinations we have come up with. Any insight will be appreciated.

First off is there was 1 fish that is wanted by us both is a ruby red dragonette that I plan to get from ORA.

My wife really wants a shrimp/goby pair, I am concerned about sand on corals.

Her group
Orange Striped, wheelers, and orange spotted paired with a pistol
Royal Gramma
Ruby Red Dragonette
Tail Spot Blenny
Maybe a 5th

If it were me I would go with
Tail Spot Blenny
Pink Streak Wrasse
Cherub Angel
Ruby Red Dragonette

With all that being said many fish we like were just ruled out because of possible aggression with other fish that are more preferred. I wouldn't mind some ideas on a fish that would spend a little more time in the upper part of the tank. I have zero interest in clowns.

Some of the fishes we had on the list that got booted due to possible aggression issues are firefish, dottybacks, and the court jester goby.

 

[EvanDeVita]

Cherub angels may nip at your corals. In my experience, court jester gobies and fire fish are not aggressive, especially at small sizes.
I’m not sure if you want this, but these are some fish to think about:
Any jawfish (my favs)
Bicolor Blenny (small)
Neon goby
Clown goby
Cardinal fish
Rooster waspfish

 

[LagunaGlide]

Cherub angels may nip at your corals. In my experience, court jester gobies and fire fish are not aggressive, especially at small sizes.
I’m not sure if you want this, but these are some fish to think about:
Any jawfish (my favs)
Bicolor Blenny (small)
Neon goby
Clown goby
Cardinal fish
Rooster waspfish

That rooster waspfish is interesting.

All those guys were on the longlist I wasn't sure about aggression in such a small tank between a blenny and the gobies like the jester goby.

I wasn't too worried about the angel since I likely won't have a clams, or SPS. I know they may nip at palys or zoas, but also someone is captive breeding them, and I'd take the risk.

 

[EvanDeVita]

That rooster waspfish is interesting.

All those guys were on the longlist I wasn't sure about aggression in such a small tank between a blenny and the gobies like the jester goby.

I wasn't too worried about the angel since I likely won't have a clams, or SPS. I know they may nip at palys or zoas, but also someone is captive breeding them, and I'd take the risk.

Captive bred angels? That’s amazing and I didn’t know to be possible. Good luck and keep us updated

 

[LagunaGlide]

Captive bred angels? That’s amazing and I didn’t know to be possible. Good luck and keep us updated

Yup ORA has successfully bred a few now. The cherub is a newer one. Not sure if available yet.

https://www.orafarm.com/product/cherub-angelfish/

 

[EvanDeVita]

Yup ORA has successfully bred a few now. The cherub is a newer one. Not sure if available yet.

https://www.orafarm.com/product/cherub-angelfish/

That's amazing!!!!

 

[Pkunk35]

So I owned a 20 long and now have a 32 cube so have been looking for nano fish for a long time. Personally I think the cherub will be a huge bully in a 20 and yes they nip prob unintentionally but they usually do. I have tried owning two previously and I fished both out for nipping guess I don’t learn!

I also think the tank way too small for just about any wrasse except maybe the pink striped hog wrasse but I hear they are awesome and non aggro

I also question the dragonet unless supplemented pods like every week.

I have suggestions too tho!
Barnacle blenny - just get one. So awesome if you can find these days.

trimma goby from ORA. awesome nano fish completely docile and awesome patterns. there are several other types of trimma and all make great nanofish

dartfish.

basslets - cave basslets could make a decent “show fish”

pipefish - easier to feed than a dragonet imo And very cool, they can learn to eat frozen fairly easily but they need a lot of pods too

rainsford goby

clownfish

love the goby/pistol combo too!
Let us know what you decide!

 

[EvanDeVita]

So I owned a 20 long and now have a 32 cube so have been looking for nano fish for a long time. Personally I think the cherub will be a huge bully in a 20 and yes they nip prob unintentionally but they usually do. I have tried owning two previously and I fished both out for nipping guess I don’t learn!

I also think the tank way too small for just about any wrasse except maybe the pink striped hog wrasse but I hear they are awesome and non aggro

I also question the dragonet unless supplemented pods like every week.

I have suggestions too tho!
Barnacle blenny - just get one. So awesome if you can find these days.

trimma goby from ORA. awesome nano fish completely docile and awesome patterns. there are several other types of trimma and all make great nanofish

dartfish.

basslets - cave basslets could make a decent “show fish”

pipefish - easier to feed than a dragonet imo And very cool, they can learn to eat frozen fairly easily but they need a lot of pods too

rainsford goby

clownfish

love the goby/pistol combo too!
Let us know what you decide!

a colony of barnacle blennies is cool but they are expensive. Mandarins arent out of the question. If you get one that eats mysis you'll be fine

 

[sixline]

Maybe combine the two lists a bit. I like this combination:

Orange Striped, wheelers, and orange spotted paired with a pistol
pink streaked wrasse
Ruby Red Dragonette
Tail Spot Blenny

I think a cherub angel would be likely to show aggression in a 20g. I also think the red dragonette will be really hard to keep alive in a 20g. From what i understand they're basically like mandarins and other dragonets - they need a steady supply of live food (copepods) to graze on all day long unless you one that eats prepared foods. It'd be even worse with the pink streaked wrasse competing for pods. i've heard that the ORA are much much more likely to accept pellets, but cannot confirm.

The idea of a barnacle blenny is a good one, especially in such a small tank. They're super fun and don't add any bioload.

 

[EvanDeVita]

Maybe combine the two lists a bit. I like this combination:

Orange Striped, wheelers, and orange spotted paired with a pistol
pink streaked wrasse
Ruby Red Dragonette
Tail Spot Blenny

I think a cherub angel would be likely to show aggression in a 20g. I also think the red dragonette will be really hard to keep alive in a 20g. From what i understand they're basically like mandarins and other dragonets - they need a steady supply of live food (copepods) to graze on all day long unless you one that eats prepared foods. It'd be even worse with the pink streaked wrasse competing for pods. i've heard that the ORA are much much more likely to accept pellets, but cannot confirm.

The idea of a barnacle blenny is a good one, especially in such a small tank. They're super fun and don't add any bioload.

That is correct. Captive bred fish take to frozen foods (not as much pellets) better than wild animals. You can always ask your lfs to feed the fish in front of you. Thats what I did and I got a frozen food eating mandarin.

 

[lion king]

I have a trio of red rooster waspfish and although interesting at times, really kind of boring. One is my fav but the other 2, not really interesting at all. I would go with the captive bred dragonette. You can read about mine here: Paracentropogon zonatus 1st impressions | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum

The pink streaked wrasse is my all time fav small fish, such an excellent fish, there's a good write up about this fish here somewhere.

The tail spot blenny is very entertaining but can be irritating to lps corals. Also very entertaining a pistol shrimp will blast sand all over any corals you have on the sand bed. I think a 20g is too small for a cherub angel, a great fish but likely needs a bigger tank.

 

[EvanDeVita]

I have a trio of red rooster waspfish and although interesting at times, really kind of boring. One is my fav but the other 2, not really interesting at all. I would go with the captive bred dragonette. You can read about mine here: Paracentropogon zonatus 1st impressions | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum

The pink streaked wrasse is my all time fav small fish, such an excellent fish, there's a good write up about this fish here somewhere.

The tail spot blenny is very entertaining but can be irritating to lps corals. Also very entertaining a pistol shrimp will blast sand all over any corals you have on the sand bed. I think a 20g is too small for a cherub angel, a great fish but likely needs a bigger tank.

are the two waspfish you dont like for sale?

 

[LagunaGlide]

Wow I didn't expect this thread to get so much attention. Thanks for all the opinions.

 

[LagunaGlide]

So I owned a 20 long and now have a 32 cube so have been looking for nano fish for a long time. Personally I think the cherub will be a huge bully in a 20 and yes they nip prob unintentionally but they usually do. I have tried owning two previously and I fished both out for nipping guess I don’t learn!

I also think the tank way too small for just about any wrasse except maybe the pink striped hog wrasse but I hear they are awesome and non aggro

I also question the dragonet unless supplement
Let us know what you decide!

Thank for the insight on the cherub angel. I wasn't sure, but thought it was worth looking into more. I had good behavior from a Coral beauty in my last tank, and was glad I took the chance.

a colony of barnacle blennies is cool but they are expensive. Mandarins arent out of the question. If you get one that eats mysis you'll be fine

I will look at the barnacle blennies I don't think I looked into them.

Maybe combine the two lists a bit. I like this combination:

Orange Striped, wheelers, and orange spotted paired with a pistol
pink streaked wrasse
Ruby Red Dragonette
Tail Spot Blenny

I think a cherub angel would be likely to show aggression in a 20g. I also think the red dragonette will be really hard to keep alive in a 20g. From what i understand they're basically like mandarins and other dragonets - they need a steady supply of live food (copepods) to graze on all day long unless you one that eats prepared foods. It'd be even worse with the pink streaked wrasse competing for pods. i've heard that the ORA are much much more likely to accept pellets, but cannot confirm.

The idea of a barnacle blenny is a good one, especially in such a small tank. They're super fun and don't add any bioload.

I like this idea. I would definitely be getting the Ruby Red captive bred in hopes it will eat more than pods. Have to look into more though.

I have a trio of red rooster waspfish and although interesting at times, really kind of boring. One is my fav but the other 2, not really interesting at all. I would go with the captive bred dragonette. You can read about mine here: Paracentropogon zonatus 1st impressions | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum

The pink streaked wrasse is my all time fav small fish, such an excellent fish, there's a good write up about this fish here somewhere.

The tail spot blenny is very entertaining but can be irritating to lps corals. Also very entertaining a pistol shrimp will blast sand all over any corals you have on the sand bed. I think a 20g is too small for a cherub angel, a great fish but likely needs a bigger tank.

After the suggestion of the waspfish I took a dive into info and of course already found your thread. Very cool little fish, but it seems you don't see them much, so tempting for the coolness/rareness, but I imagine the juice wouldn't worth the squeeze.

I think I really want the wrasse. I've not read anything bad about them, but I need to do some more digging on how they interact with certain fish on my list. I'd love to be able to just throw the wrasse into whatever combo we go with and not have to worry about it getting bullied.

 

[LagunaGlide]

So I owned a 20 long and now have a 32 cube so have been looking for nano fish for a long time. Personally I think the cherub will be a huge bully in a 20 and yes they nip prob unintentionally but they usually do. I have tried owning two previously and I fished both out for nipping guess I don’t learn!

I also think the tank way too small for just about any wrasse except maybe the pink striped hog wrasse but I hear they are awesome and non aggro

I also question the dragonet unless supplemented pods like every week.

I have suggestions too tho!
Barnacle blenny - just get one. So awesome if you can find these days.

trimma goby from ORA. awesome nano fish completely docile and awesome patterns. there are several other types of trimma and all make great nanofish

dartfish.

basslets - cave basslets could make a decent “show fish”

pipefish - easier to feed than a dragonet imo And very cool, they can learn to eat frozen fairly easily but they need a lot of pods too

rainsford goby

clownfish

love the goby/pistol combo too!
Let us know what you decide!

I forgot a few things. Do you have experience with the Trimma Goby? If so how do they act in the tank? Where do they hang out/swim etc?

My wife likes basslets, and really likes the Royal Gramma so if a basslet is picked it would be that one.

Rainsford goby is the court Jester goby. Do you have experience with this fish? If so what is it paired with?

 

[lion king]

are the two waspfish you dont like for sale

If you are in Vegas, but I don't have time or patience to ship.

 

[afboundguy]

I also question the dragonet unless supplemented pods like every week.

I would also agree with this statement and I have a mandarin dragonet in my 25 cube. Even if captive bred unless you bust your chops and go above and beyond it will be a loosing effort.

I hatch baby brine shrimp and feed the tank 1-2 times a day with a spot feeder, culture pods and phyto and do a white worm culture to make sure my mandarin is well fed. I still have pods on the glass and shes fat and happy but it's a ton of work... My tank is also almost 10 years old in it's current status with a 3 gallon HOB fuge. I also prepared for months and months with the cultures and live foods before I tried a mandarin. I'd suggest waiting upwards of a year before adding one so the tank matures.

Besides that I'd have to recommend an orchid dottyback... One of my favorite fishes with great coloration and the captive bred ones are nice and peaceful.

 

[LagunaGlide]

I would also agree with this statement and I have a mandarin dragonet in my 25 cube. Even if captive bred unless you bust your chops and go above and beyond it will be a loosing effort.


Besides that I'd have to recommend an orchid dottyback... One of my favorite fishes with great coloration and the captive bred ones are nice and peaceful.

Sounds like I may need reassess the Ruby Red. I'll have to seek more info from ORA and folks who have experience with the CB ones and their willingness to eat other foods.

I had the Orchid dottyback on my list, but my wife wanted a Royal Gramma, and I was concerned with the aggression between the two. Can you tell me more about this fish's habits, and what you have paired it with?

 

[EvanDeVita]

If you are in Vegas, but I don't have time or patience to ship.

Darn. I’m east coast

 

[afboundguy]

Sounds like I may need reassess the Ruby Red. I'll have to seek more info from ORA and folks who have experience with the CB ones and their willingness to eat other foods.

I had the Orchid dottyback on my list, but my wife wanted a Royal Gramma, and I was concerned with the aggression between the two. Can you tell me more about this fish's habits, and what you have paired it with?

It's def possible to have one but even though the captive bred ones eat frozen and prepared foods they still need to munch on pods and constantly eat all day long since they don't have a stomach basically it's just a long straight intestine so that's why they need to eat constantly.

As far as a royal gamma and orchid dottyback I would not put them together. May be fine but too similar in size and color and I would think the gamma would kill the dottyback.