How does this stocking sound for a 21 gallon tank?

steviesaquariums

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2025
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
England
What state or country do you live in
United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello I’m new here. Been doing freshwater on and off for 25 years and want to try a nano reef.

I’m planning a 21 gallon. I’m retired so I have a lot of free time for monitoring parameters, testing and water changes. I want start with soft corals and build up to LPS.

The livestock I’m thinking off are:
2 ocellaris clownfish
1 banggai cardinal
1 royal gramma
2 cleaner shrimp.

How does this stocking level sound? Is it too much?
 
Hello I’m new here. Been doing freshwater on and off for 25 years and want to try a nano reef.

I’m planning a 21 gallon. I’m retired so I have a lot of free time for monitoring parameters, testing and water changes. I want start with soft corals and build up to LPS.

The livestock I’m thinking off are:
2 ocellaris clownfish
1 banggai cardinal
1 royal gramma
2 cleaner shrimp.

How does this stocking level sound? Is it too much?
the cardinal is short-lived and disease prone
clowns as a pair fine''
royal gramma can be scrappy. rest fine. u would start with the clowns and shrimp. not the gramma or cardinal
 
As mentioned above, plan on a pair of clowns - from the same tank preferably. Otherwise don't get the biggest clown from the tanks - bigger is more likely to be a female. Starting with two males increases your chances of success.

For the Gramma - make sure it is a Royal Gramma and not a Dottyback. They look similar and can often be mislabeled/misidentified. The Gramma is semi-aggressive while the Dottyback is usually just plain aggressive.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT’S USUALLY THE FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING IS OFF IN YOUR REEF?

  • A fish’s behavior or appetite changes

    Votes: 5 9.8%
  • A coral looks different or stops opening normally

    Votes: 34 66.7%
  • Water clarity or surface appearance changes

    Votes: 7 13.7%
  • Equipment sounds or flow seem different

    Votes: 6 11.8%
  • A test result catches my attention

    Votes: 13 25.5%
  • Algae or other growth starts changing

    Votes: 11 21.6%
  • I usually notice when the problem is already obvious

    Votes: 3 5.9%
  • It depends on what’s going on

    Votes: 9 17.6%
  • Other (Post in the comments)

    Votes: 1 2.0%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new