REEF LIVESTOCK IDEAS!

[NewFisher18]

I have a 35.2 gallon water box tank
Currently have
2 ocellaris clownfish
1 citron goby
1 cleaner shrimp
Looking for more colorful or interesting fun to watch fish!
Was thinking of a watchman goby pistol shrimp combo as 1 potential addition
Need ideas! Thanks !

 

[fandaga]

I love gobies with pistol shrimps. I would recommend the smaller Randall’s pistol. It moves a lot less sand than tiger pistol, and it’s probably even better looking. I have mine paired with a Randall’s goby, but likely the watchman goby would pair with it as well. You could also probably try Yasha or Dracula goby depending on preference. There are other shrimp gobies as well, but I’ve only had watchman and Randall so far. My two gobies are at either ends of the tank and don’t interact at all.

For other fish, maybe consider a blenny, firefish, cardinalfish, mandarins, or small wrasses. I guess would need to be careful with anything harassing the citron goby. I’d shoot for CB on mandarins and cardinals. I have a CB cleaner wrasse that is one of my absolute favorites.

 

[Biokabe]

Some flasher wrasses would be ok in that size tank - McCosker's and Carpenter's are the two that are most often recommended. Depending on what corals you keep, some dwarf angels (Coral Beauty, Cherub) could work in your size of tank. A royal gramma would be a great option for a colorful, peaceful fish that works well in a smaller tank. A pink-streaked wrasse would also be great if you can find one - they look similar to a six-line, but with a more peaceful personality and less likely to become the tyrant of the tank.

If you can handle the price, either a Helfrichi firefish or a Starck's Damsel would be really nice for your tank. Both sit around $120-$180 most of the time.

Depending on how long your tank has been up, a smaller dragonet (like a Ruby Red or Red Scooter) would be a nice addition, but both would need a thriving pod population, and even with that they might be pushing it for a 2' tank. Dragonets are kind of weird in their requirements - if your tank can support them they're the easiest fish ever, and if it can't then they'll break your heart. With an externally grown pod population it might be possible to keep a mandarin in your tank, but not really something I'd risk.