Help me stock my 32.5g?

[Sonatine]

I've read thread after thread on this, even for people with the exact same tank, but I remain undecided, so I caved and am posting here for help. I'm setting up my first marine aquarium, a 32.5g/123L (fluval flex I think?). Eventually it will be a reef tank, but corals are a future-me problem and I want to get a handle on what fish I want for now.

Here's the planned rock setup so far:

I plan to add a little more, possibly. Small fish like rocks, right? Can't hurt.

Anyway, fish. I've got two basic ideas, but am very flexible on them. I'm mostly worried about my favorite fish of each setup turning into murderous terrors and am wondering which setup is less likely to end with excessive violence.

Option 1:
Yellow watchman goby+pistol shrimp (I like the YWG but would be open to other gobies)
Pair of ocellaris clowns (not entirely sold on them but I hear they're pretty much bombproof in terms of hardiness)
royal gramma basslet (or an orchid dottyback, though I'm worried about aggression)
springer's or azure damsel, added last
??? maybe something else? Blenny or something small?

I love the blue of the smaller damsels and I think they're one of the more active/open swimming fish I have to choose from in a tank this small. But I'm also concerned that the damsel (or maybe the clowns) will just decide to start murdering one day.

Option 2:
YWG + shrimp
clowns
orchid dottyback
??? Not sure on the last fish or two? Ideally something that swims in the open areas of the tank, maybe plus a small blenny.

I really miss the blue of the damsel here, though I really like the dottyback in spite of aggression concerns. I can't think of a good top-dwelling(ish) fish, though. A wrasse? I like the six line wrasse but I hear they're psychotic, and I'm worried my tank is too small for any of the flasher wrasses. Would a pink streak get bullied too much? Or do I ditch the clowns and get cardinals instead?

Such a hard choice. I'm also open to suggestions of less conventional options. I'm lucky to have several specialized aquarium stores within a 30 minute drive so I'll likely have some options if I know what to look for. Please help a poor rookie out.

 

[blaxsun]

Go with option 1. You can have both a royal gramma and a dottyback, but I'd go with an indigo, striped or one of the neon variety instead. Either an azure or sapphire damsel would be my choice (have both, they're fairly peaceful fish). Another fish would be a flame hawkfish. They don't get too large and have tons of personality.

 

[Sonatine]

So if I'm understanding correctly, I could actually have two species of damsel, plus a dottyback (+/- royal gramma)? That's more fish than I believed I could have (yay!). Most of their damsels seemed tiny and fairly mellow. The neon dottyback I saw was another story but I'm sure by the time I'm ready to start adding they'll have a different one (I hope), or I can ask about the striped or indigo.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Andreas' Reef]

I've read thread after thread on this, even for people with the exact same tank, but I remain undecided, so I caved and am posting here for help. I'm setting up my first marine aquarium, a 32.5g/123L (fluval flex I think?). Eventually it will be a reef tank, but corals are a future-me problem and I want to get a handle on what fish I want for now.

Here's the planned rock setup so far:

I plan to add a little more, possibly. Small fish like rocks, right? Can't hurt.

Anyway, fish. I've got two basic ideas, but am very flexible on them. I'm mostly worried about my favorite fish of each setup turning into murderous terrors and am wondering which setup is less likely to end with excessive violence.

Option 1:
Yellow watchman goby+pistol shrimp (I like the YWG but would be open to other gobies)
Pair of ocellaris clowns (not entirely sold on them but I hear they're pretty much bombproof in terms of hardiness)
royal gramma basslet (or an orchid dottyback, though I'm worried about aggression)
springer's or azure damsel, added last
??? maybe something else? Blenny or something small?

I love the blue of the smaller damsels and I think they're one of the more active/open swimming fish I have to choose from in a tank this small. But I'm also concerned that the damsel (or maybe the clowns) will just decide to start murdering one day.

Option 2:
YWG + shrimp
clowns
orchid dottyback
??? Not sure on the last fish or two? Ideally something that swims in the open areas of the tank, maybe plus a small blenny.

I really miss the blue of the damsel here, though I really like the dottyback in spite of aggression concerns. I can't think of a good top-dwelling(ish) fish, though. A wrasse? I like the six line wrasse but I hear they're psychotic, and I'm worried my tank is too small for any of the flasher wrasses. Would a pink streak get bullied too much? Or do I ditch the clowns and get cardinals instead?

Such a hard choice. I'm also open to suggestions of less conventional options. I'm lucky to have several specialized aquarium stores within a 30 minute drive so I'll likely have some options if I know what to look for. Please help a poor rookie out.

That sounds really similar to my stocking! I have a pair of bangaiis, an ocellaris clownfish, a ywg, and a spirngeri damsel. Everything works out fine. I would go with the royal geamma instead of a dottyback

 

[Sonatine]

It's good to hear another vote for the (non murderous) temperament of the springeri damsel. It's hardy, cheap, and best of all blue! So excited.

 

[Katrina71]

Ywg+pistol (very cool), pair of clowns, and a tailspot blenny

 

[Ryebreadiest]

Hot take: if you are trying to maximize the variety of fish you can get for a small tank, just get one clown. The interaction between a pair is not all that engaging IMO and one clown will do just fine to scratch that itch.

 

[Sonatine]

Hmmm... This might sound very naive but I guess I'd kind of pity an unpaired clownfish? I'm not actually all that attached to them, but they seemed like a low risk and hardy investment that would bring some movement to the tank, (and maybe help keep damsel or dottyback aggression in check). I didn't haul all that water up a hill into my apartment just to have all my fish hide 24/7 haha.

Maybe I could ditch the clowns altogether? So many decisions for a small tank.

 

[i cant think]

Hmmm... This might sound very naive but I guess I'd kind of pity an unpaired clownfish? I'm not actually all that attached to them, but they seemed like a low risk and hardy investment that would bring some movement to the tank, (and maybe help keep damsel or dottyback aggression in check). I didn't haul all that water up a hill into my apartment just to have all my fish hide 24/7 haha.

Maybe I could ditch the clowns altogether? So many decisions for a small tank.

I have a singular Black Photon in my 4’ tank and here’s what I’ll say;
If you like the specific fish you’re looking at and it’s a clownfish then get it. If you don’t like the clownfish then you don’t need one to try and “fit in” with the hobby.
I got my clownfish because black photons are one of my favourite lineage of clownfish, however I also got him because he was a misbar and that’s one thing I find absolutely stunning in clownfish, if they have a misbar I’ll take it.
The reality is not everyone has to have a clownfish and if you’re not a fan you don’t have to get one
This is my girl, she is a true black photon as I mentioned above but she’s also a misbar.

 

[Sonatine]

I have a singular Black Photon in my 4’ tank and here’s what I’ll say;
If you like the specific fish you’re looking at and it’s a clownfish then get it. If you don’t like the clownfish then you don’t need one to try and “fit in” with the hobby.
I got my clownfish because black photons are one of my favourite lineage of clownfish, however I also got him because he was a misbar and that’s one thing I find absolutely stunning in clownfish, if they have a misbar I’ll take it.
The reality is not everyone has to have a clownfish and if you’re not a fan you don’t have to get one
This is my girl, she is a true black photon as I mentioned above but she’s also a misbar.

She's a pretty fish; I think I might like the black better than orange. I think clowns are one of those fish where I look at pics of them on liveaquaria I'm not too impressed (the wild type reminds me of candy corn), but then when I see them in movement at my LFS it's another story.

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely keep it in mind while I bug my LFS by looking at their fish for ages before making my final decision.

 

[i cant think]

She's a pretty fish; I think I might like the black better than orange. I think clowns are one of those fish where I look at pics of them on liveaquaria I'm not too impressed (the wild type reminds me of candy corn), but then when I see them in movement at my LFS it's another story.

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely keep it in mind while I bug my LFS by looking at their fish for ages before making my final decision.

Totally agree with how they look so different in person. I personally don’t mind orange vs black but I definitely prefer black.

If you don’t mind dropping too much money then I’d definitely look into some of the “designer” lineages of clowns. Some of them can be absolutely stunning, especially the blacks. If you want a cheaper version then the Black Occelaris is definitely an option.

 

[Ryebreadiest]

Hmmm... This might sound very naive but I guess I'd kind of pity an unpaired clownfish? I'm not actually all that attached to them, but they seemed like a low risk and hardy investment that would bring some movement to the tank, (and maybe help keep damsel or dottyback aggression in check). I didn't haul all that water up a hill into my apartment just to have all my fish hide 24/7 haha.

Maybe I could ditch the clowns altogether? So many decisions for a small tank.

The vast majority of fish in our tanks are kept very Differently than they would be in the wild. Tangs roam the reefs in gangs dozens strong, emperor angelfish with their mate, chromis and anthias in shoals that number in the hundreds or thousands. I wouldn’t feel any more pity for a solo clownish than I would an Achilles tang kept solo and forced to pace the same 8’x2’ patch of reef tank it’s whole life.

Feel no obligation to have clownfish if you don’t want to. They are ubiquitous because they are cheap, hardy, easy to breed with color morphs and have one of the most well known symbiotic relationships (and one that can actually be replicated in the home aquarium). But It’s your tank and do what you want.

 

[AydenLincoln]

It's good to hear another vote for the (non murderous) temperament of the springeri damsel. It's hardy, cheap, and best of all blue! So excited.

LOL! I have a blue damsel and she’s been fine. Female damsels are known to be less aggressive.

 

[Sonatine]

These are all good points. I'm on the fence about the clowns but don't have to decide right now; I'll look at them in the LFS and see how I feel about them when they're moving around. If I nix the clowns maybe I'll grab a blenny of some sort; LFS guy strongly recommended the bicolor, though I also find the tailspot blenny to be very appealing. I'm also considering pink skunk clowns instead of ocellaris.