Nano ready to stock - need recommendations

Marty Fleskes · Mar 13, 2019

My Waterbox 20 is ready to start stocking. It has cycled and I have a CUC in there. I would love to hear suggestions on what to put in there. I am ok with just 1 or 2 specimen fish, or a few varieties. I am willing to spend a little more on them given that I will only have a few. This will be a reef tank. It is an open top so that bad jumpers won't work (I've lost 5 diamond watchmen in my 90g).

Appreciate any suggestions.

James M · Mar 13, 2019

You should always have a lid..all fish jump.
Maybe a royal gramma

Jesterrace · Mar 13, 2019

Agreed with above, all fish jump. And an open top is just an accident waiting to happen. As the saying goes, if I had a dollar for everytime I saw someone complaining about losing their favorite fish to jumping, I could retire.

mattzang · Mar 13, 2019

https://www.clearviewlids.com/colle...view-lids/products/cube-nano-20-clearview-lid

there you go dude

Pbh-reef · Mar 13, 2019

If I was stocking a 20 I would consider

Possum or pink streaked wrasse
Pygmy geometric hawkfish
Tailspot blenny
Swissguard basslet or royal gramma or yellow assessor or orchid dottyback
Shrimp goby pair
Cleaner goby
Azure damsel (but no other damsel)
Maybe a smaller fang blenny

I’d pick 3-5 of those fish depending on the size and aggressiveness of what I picked, add slowly and see how my parameters are looking and what aggression is like. I wouldny put the dottyback or damsel with a wrasse in that smal of a tank, otherwise aggression should be ok.

Many people would do a pair of occ or perc clowns but I personally don’t like clowns in small tanks.

If you don’t want to spend the cash on a custom top you can make one, brs sells a kit that you can buy or You can go to a hardware store and get the materials you need

saltyhog · Mar 13, 2019

Agree with the lid. I have one made by Octoaquatics on my IM Fusion 10 as well as three custom made ones by them on my 6' tank.

Gotta have a shrimp/goby pair! My favorites are Yasha's/A. randalli, Randal's goby/A. randalli

Barnacle blennies (I like the Panamic version best) are an awesome and entertaining display. Get at least 2 or 3.

Exquisite Firefish, Possum wrasse are great options too!