Goby or Blenny? What kind?

[Seajellyy]

This is my first time on the forum, hope I'm posting in the right place! I'm interested in starting up a second nano tank. Preferably 5-10 gallons. I actually have an empty 5 and an empty 10 and would love to get both going.. maybe one with just coral but in the other was really thinking of a goby or blenny. I have experience with clownfish and freshwater fish but other than that I'm just getting started with saltwater. From what I've read so far, a lawnmower blenny (the one I wanted) will get too big for a 5-10. Is there a smaller type of blenny? Or should I look for a goby? I love those as well. What are some hardy gobys that would do well in a 5 or 10, possibly with one other fish? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Old Fritz]

i'd go with a 10 to be honest. There aren't many fish I'd put in a 5 to be honest. In a ten you could do a watchman goby, firefish, purple firefish, bicolor blenny, barnacle blenny, tailspot blenny, or a court jester goby. In a five I'd do a yellow clown goby. I just got one and he is always out and about, and the lighting I use for my corals make his colors pop. Just be warned it took a couple weeks to get him on pellets, he was eating mysis at first

 

[Old Fritz]

In a ten I'd do a firefish(any color variation), a tailspot, and then a watchman goby with a pistol shrimp. The reason for this besides them being some of my favorite fish are the fact that the firefish kinda hangs out in the middle of the tank. The tailspot likes to find a spot to perch; typically closer to the top, and then your watchman goby will hang out at the bottom of the tank

 

[DeniseAndy]

Welcome. Starting out with a small pico such as a 5g will be tough if you want any inverts or corals. Keeping parameters stable will be difficult. Make sure to research well if you venture into corals or other inverts. :) To answer your question above, tail spot blenny would do fine. Also many gobies can live in 5g or 10g. Clown gobies, rainford's goby, any Eviota species or Trimma species, small shrimp goby (dracula, yasha, etc.). You could do a firefish in a 10g.

Not much else will go in a 5g for fish for a beginner.

 

[Katrina71]

Tailspot Blenny!!!

 

[Old Fritz]

welcome to the tailspot fan club. All joking aside I love that fish, the little guys have so much personality, and look cooler the more and more you look at them

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Welcome to r2r!

Here are some fish for you:

https://m.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+2124

 

[Jesterrace]

The Tailspot Blenny is cool, but will need algae supplements to it's diet in a smaller tank like that and probably shouldn't be added until it's well established. Also, I agree that I would do 10 gallon as it does open up more options. As mentioned 5 gallon pretty much limits you to a clown goby. 10 gallon you could have 2 of the following list:

Firefish
Smaller Gobies (ie Court Jester/Rainsford, Clown Goby, Neon Goby)
Possum Wrasse (this would definitely give you something unique)
Tailspot Blenny

One other thing to consider about the tailspot, it tends to hang in and around the rockwork (and blends in with it to boot) and so from a visibility standpoint it won't offer as much as some of the others. For visibility I would say that the Rainsford/Court Jester Goby would probably be the one that stands out most as it spends a fair bit of time out in the open and it has a cool color pattern:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1500+5142+5147&pcatid=5147