Live stock in a 14 gallon!!

[FindingPonyo]

I have a 14 gallon AIO with 3 peppermint shrimp and one purple firefish. First of all, my purple firefish is always very scared and I'll walk into the room quietly and he'll swim back very frightened. What should I do because I had a red firefish a few years go was always very comfortable around me. What should I do? Also, I'd like to have 3 fish in my 14 gallon. My purple firefish, maybe a clownfish, and something else. That "something else" I was thinking about a baby yellow watchman goby. They grow rather to 4 inches but should I worry? Also, what about a 6 lined wrasse. I've heard they're aggressive but I know they're good for a nano. Finally, what about a mandarin goby (dragonette)? I know I'd need copepods and my tank has had livestock for about two months now and been cycling since Christmas. What should I do????!!!!!

 

[Sharkbait19]

IMO purple firefish tend to be a lot more skittish than red firefish. You can proabably do a clownfish and maybe a royal gramma. The watchman goby is also a pretty good idea, though you may want to look into the smaller shrimp gobies in the stonogobiops genus such as high fin gobies. Whatever type of shrimp goby you get, you'll want to get a pistol shrimp as they make a really neat duo.
As far as the six line goes, I would steer clear. I looked into one for my Fluval 13.5 but read that they can be extremely nasty when they reach maturity. Pink streak wrasses and other pygmy wrasses might be better suited.
Lastly, as far as the dragonet goes, you can have thousands of copepods in your tank but it really comes down to the sandbed's surface area. Dragonets can clean out at least a thousand pods per day, so is really best suited for a large enough tank where the pod population can still grow as the dragonet eats. Though you may have enough initially, it will slowly decline rather than repopulate.

 

[Lindaanne60]

I have a 14 gallon AIO with 3 peppermint shrimp and one purple firefish. First of all, my purple firefish is always very scared and I'll walk into the room quietly and he'll swim back very frightened. What should I do because I had a red firefish a few years go was always very comfortable around me. What should I do? Also, I'd like to have 3 fish in my 14 gallon. My purple firefish, maybe a clownfish, and something else. That "something else" I was thinking about a baby yellow watchman goby. They grow rather to 4 inches but should I worry? Also, what about a 6 lined wrasse. I've heard they're aggressive but I know they're good for a nano. Finally, what about a mandarin goby (dragonette)? I know I'd need copepods and my tank has had livestock for about two months now and been cycling since Christmas. What should I do????!!!!!

A 14 gallon tank is severely limited to what you can have. You should go to liveaquaria and look up different fish and tank size requirements. When i had my 38 gl cube i found it to be very limiting.

 

[YurgiReef]

I absolutely love my Pink Streaked wrasse! "Dawn" has a lot of character and can be found throughout the rockwork of my 50 gallon cube easily during the morning, day and evening.

My exquisite firefish is hit or miss on scarcity. She likes to swim in the open but certainly spends plenty of time in her little cave.

 

[polyppal]

I have a 14 gallon AIO with 3 peppermint shrimp and one purple firefish. First of all, my purple firefish is always very scared and I'll walk into the room quietly and he'll swim back very frightened. What should I do because I had a red firefish a few years go was always very comfortable around me. What should I do? Also, I'd like to have 3 fish in my 14 gallon. My purple firefish, maybe a clownfish, and something else. That "something else" I was thinking about a baby yellow watchman goby. They grow rather to 4 inches but should I worry? Also, what about a 6 lined wrasse. I've heard they're aggressive but I know they're good for a nano. Finally, what about a mandarin goby (dragonette)? I know I'd need copepods and my tank has had livestock for about two months now and been cycling since Christmas. What should I do????!!!!!

The fish will likely get less nervous over time, it can take weeks for a fish to feel comfortable in a new tank...

Your fish selection (firefish/single clown/goby) would work, I would not venture beyond that though, and keep an eye on nutrient levels. Even a grown watchman would be fine since they stay in one area pretty much the whole time... Deff a NO on the sixline (if you ever want to see your firefish again), theyre generally jerks and hed dominate such a small tank. No on a mandarin in a tank that size, would not live long. Even tanks that are 100+ gallons have trouble housing pod populations that can continuously sustain dragonets.

 

[FindingPonyo]

A 14 gallon tank is severely limited to what you can have. You should go to liveaquaria and look up different fish and tank size requirements. When i had my 38 gl cube i found it to be very limiting.

As of right now, I have a Yellow Watchman Goby, a Possum Wrasse, and a Purple Firefish. I think I'm good. I have 3 peppermint shrimp so when I start stocking coral, it'll be more difficult.

 

[M Stein]

These are the fish I keep in my 15 gallon nano and my experience.
2 purple firefish - they're shy but they get over it and do hang out. Although some times when I approach the tank they scram.)
1 Ruby red dragonet - only had him for a month so I'll see how the pod situation goes
1 biota aptasia eating filefish. - He really small. when he grows out I'm going to move him to a 75 gal.
Until yesterday a three inch long yellow tang - not recommended (obviously, although mine seemed fine)