Easier initial stocking for 25G Waterbox pennisula?

[sidpost]

I am a rank newbie to Saltwater fish so, it is time to get started.

I am in East Texas so, my local options are really limited. I went to Dallas to look for some better options than Petsco/Petsmart locally (Tyler/Longview, Tx area and Paris, Tx).

I have 2 25G Waterbox Pennisula aquariums to start with a few accessories plus some freshwater gear for other aquariums. What I found that were priced reasonably were some Blue Tangs (~1.5") for $10 with most other things being >$50. The local Petsmart has a selection of "Nemo" imposters for $15~$25.

In my Freshwater aquariums, I typically run single species in ~50G tanks (I also have some Minnow fry in a 20G and some Copper Nose Bluegill fry I'm growing out in a 75G). I enjoy the schooling/shoaling behaviors of things like various Tetras and Barbs (which work really well in an 'active' tank).

I am beginning to cycle my tank with Bulk Reef Supply ammonia starter and can add a bit of food as well to get things going. With a 25G tank I don't want to swing my biologics too hard and kill my fish so, should I only start with a single fish and add one at a time until full stocking?

Are Blue Tangs relatively easy and 'durable' for a novice? How do I find "good" Clowns from the mass retailers? With poor quality genetics in Clowns, I am more concerned with getting good stock and don't really care about fancy or weird colors or markings. I also, don't want to overstock of heavily stock to make water quality issues super challenging (yes, I know more water would be best!). Basically, I need TRAINING FISH! I will worry about the fancier stuff when I take the training wheels off? Corals and other stuff will happen in a year or so if I add them.

In ~5 years, I will be building my retirement home and I will be putting in a massive display tank (~8'x2.5'x32"~34" tall) on a specially poured foundation to support the weight. So, I need to gain enough experience between now and then to target that tank to either Freshwater or Saltwater (possibly brackish Cichlids).

So, are Blue Tangs out of Dallas, Tx a good start for me? Should I be looking for anything else or something different? Regarding Clowns, I want good genetics and I don't want to support questionable breeding with my money so, are Petsmart/Petsco clowns for ~$15 a reasonable choice?

For anyone in the East or Central Texas area, if you have recommendations for a good store to buy livestock from, I could conceivable go as far as Houston, ~5 hour trip home, with Dallas, Texarkana, and Shreveport, La being ~3 hours away.

 

[Cheese Griller]

unfortunately, 25 gallons is too small for a blue tang. If you're interested in mirroring your freshwater style, you could set one of the 25's up as a clown species tank with some anemones, and have the other one as less of a species setup, but do a collection of smaller, more timid fish that get overlooked in other setups. Fish like dartfish, watchman gobies and pistol shrimp, and other smaller gobies are cool additions that really thrive when not being forced to compete with more boisterous tankmates. Your plan of adding fish gradually is a good idea, but if you are trying to pair clowns it is generally easier to add them at the same time. And if you are planning on mixing different species, it is best to add from Least-> Most aggressive.

As for the actual clowns themselves, I've found the more standard strains of ocelaris to have solid genetics across the board. Petco sources their fish from ORA who can be a bit spotty but honestly a physical examination of the fish in-store will be your best bet on finding the least-deformed fish. I would also recommend quarantining any new fish, especially if buying from larger chain stores. There are some very helpful resources in the fish disease section of this site.

 

[sidpost]

How about a Damsel or Goby. It looks like the Petco options include a few of them in the $10~$15 range but, their info is a little concerning.

The Damsels say only in a 30G or larger tank and the Goby is a one and done option unless a mated pair. Not sure the Gobies would breed or what I would do with them if they did! Both are 3" or less apparently as adults so, the peninsula should provide a little swim space though a bit narrow.

 

[sidpost]

With the Clean Up Crew, what is a reasonable number of Clowns as they apparently need to go in all at the same time to avoid aggression issues once they have developed a territory. With the Petco "community" tank situation, I am assuming rehoming a pair or more would be uneventful. Do I need a larger number to spread aggression out more among their Clown tank mates though a 25G minus the AIO portion, numbers need to remain low overall.

 

[Cheese Griller]

How about a Damsel or Goby. It looks like the Petco options include a few of them in the $10~$15 range but, their info is a little concerning.

The Damsels say only in a 30G or larger tank and the Goby is a one and done option unless a mated pair. Not sure the Gobies would breed or what I would do with them if they did! Both are 3" or less apparently as adults so, the peninsula should provide a little swim space though a bit narrow.

I would stay away from damsels in a 25 gallon, they get territorial. They're a pretty analogous to cichlids in FW. Gobies, on the other hand, would be a great addition to your 25 gal. Some cool species like neon/sharknose gobies are commonly available at petco and are very cool and personable. Yellow watchman gobies are also a great option, and won't quarrel with the previously mentioned species. The best part about Yellow watchmans is they pair with several pistol shrimp species (Candy cane would be best for your tank) and have a very interesting symbiotic relationship that is fun to watch! Firefish are technically gobies and should be commonly available as well, they range in price from <$30 for standard firefish to ~$100 for lavendar-blushed firefish (My personal favorite, and commonly referred to as helfriechi). One of your tanks could have a neon goby, yellow watchman/pistol pair and a firefish, and the other could be dedicated to a clown pair.

With the Clean Up Crew, what is a reasonable number of Clowns as they apparently need to go in all at the same time to avoid aggression issues once they have developed a territory. With the Petco "community" tank situation, I am assuming rehoming a pair or more would be uneventful. Do I need a larger number to spread aggression out more among their Clown tank mates though a 25G minus the AIO portion, numbers need to remain low overall.

Keeping clowns in pairs is recommended, if more are purchased two will pair off and kill the rest.

 

[sidpost]

HUGE THANKS!

Your posts are super helpful!

 

[Tahoe61]

To get a rough estimate of tank size go to

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