Stocking list for 25 gallon

[fishy103]

My question to you is can I have up to 7 fish in a Waterbox peninsula 25 (It is actually around 23 gallons) I was hoping on getting:
-Watchman Goby (1x)
-Black Clown Goby (1x)
-Tailspot Blenny (1x)
-Clownfish(2x) or a Royal Gramma, Damselfish, or even a wrasse
-And possibly another goby and/or small fish
What is your ideal 25 gallon stocking list, and is this stocking list ok. I will be running a protein skimmer that can handle a high bioload of 25 gallons. Also, will the Clown fish pair get aggressive with this amount of fish, or would a Royal Gramma or Damselfish be better? I’m new to this and I don’t want to mess this up. Will this affect the amount of invertebrates I can get? The only fishes that I am truly set on is the gobies, Blenny , and possible Clownfishes, damselfish, or Royal Gramma. Sorry to attack you with all of these questions! :)

 

[fishywishy]

I think your list is decent, but I wouldn’t add 7 fish. I’d stick to around 4-5 small fish, possibly 6 if it’s really small.

You never know with clownfish, but they should be fine. A royal gramma or a damsel might be a better option, but the clownfish should work well. I’ve never had any issues with them. Also the only damsel that would be suitable is a sapphire damsel.

It depends on the inverts but they usually don’t add much bioload.

This is the list I would go with:
2 clowns
Sapphire damsel, small goby, or possum wrasse
Clown goby
YWG or tailspot

 

[littlefoxx]

I would stock with 2 clowns, blenny and a watchmen if it were me

 

[Faurek]

To me a pair of clownfish seems already like problems waiting to happen and mixing it with a damsel looks like suicide. If it was me I would stick to 1 clown or no clowns at all. IME once clowns want to breed they will harass the rest.
In a 26 I would start with the Gramma, gobies and blenny, then add coral and then add damsel and clowns

 

[Tahoe61]

The allure of clowns is strong, especially for newer hobbyist. Clowns will become the dominant fish in the tank.
For this reason I would introduce a YMG and the Royal Gramma 1st. I would not add any other Damsel like fish in a 29 gallon, if you decide on Clowns.
The size of the tank is your challenge. You could have a hundred gallon sump and 10 skimmers, but if the fish have no where to flee to that's the issue.

 

[Faurek]

The allure is general since almost everyone gets clowns

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would not get more than 4 or 5 fish..... putting 7 fish in there, especially a damsel, will result in an unhappy tank.

I would pick you first 5 fish and drop the others:
-Watchman Goby (1x)
-Black Clown Goby (1x)
-Tailspot Blenny (1x)
-Clownfish(2x)

 

[Sump Crab]

I'm a little old school but I would stick with 2 or 3 fish in a tank that size, atleast until it's very well established and it shows you it can handle more. Not only should you take into consideration the bioload the tank can take but also aggression issues between fish. Remember that each fish needs it's own little spot to sleep or feel safe as well.

 

[fish farmer]

My ideal stocking would be three, maybe 4 small fish.

I have THREE fish in a standard 29 gallon that is heavy with corals/rock/skimmer/sump. I have a pair of mature percula clowns around 18 years old, been in the 29 for about 15 years and spawn almost monthly. They never seem to bother new additions. I've had a royal gramma in that tank and on other ocassions, a sixline wrasse. I currently have a sixline in with them now and likely couldn't add more fish because of the wrasse.

I did briefly have a tank raised mandarin for a short time as well as an orange striped goby along with the clowns.

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

I've got a WB25 as my main display right now.

Current Inhabitants:
- Possum Wrasse
- Yellow Clown Goby
- Firefish
- Royal Gramma
- Randall's Pistol Shrimp
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- Assortment of small hermits (Red Tip Dwarf, Blue Leg, and Scarlet Reef)
- Assortment of snails (Trochus, Nassarius, Cerith, Stomatella, Bumblebee, Tiger Conch)
- Asterina Starfish
- Tiger-Tail Sea Cucumber
- Porcelain Crab (Lives in my RBTA anemone)

To answer your questions, I'm going to agree with the above comments that 7 fish is probably too many for this size tank. I think it could be done, but you would need to select non-aggressive and small fish and add enough rockwork with enough hiding spots that they could all have their personal safe area in the rockwork.
The 4 fish I have now feels like a good amount and at most I'd only want to add 1 more fish to the tank in its current state.

I can't speak to all the fish on your list, I will say that for me personally I specifically avoided getting clownfish because I've heard plenty of people say that once they mature and are ready to breed, they can become very territorial. I didn't want to deal with having to rehome my fish if/when that happened.

For the royal gramma, mine is a newer addition to the tank but seems pretty chill and likes to just hang out near it's hidey-hole and watch the goings-on in the tank.

For wrasses, I personally have a possum wrasse who I adore and is very chill and just likes to cruise around the tank. My alternative wrasse was a pink streaked wrasse (aka cryptic wrasse) but in my experience those are harder to find and more expensive (but very pretty looking). wrasses are also great for pest control.

While not a black clown goby, I love my yellow clown goby. He likes to perch around the tank and just adds some fun character. He'll swim right up by my hand too at feeding time.

I'd definitely recommend any/all of the 4 fish I have for your tank.

For invertebrates, my main limiter is my wrasse :P I'd love to get me some small sexy shrimp because I think they look adorable, but I know my wrasse would find them a tasty snack due to their small size. Anything larger than maybe a half inch I expect would be perfectly fine. Other than that, I have personally avoided emerald crabs since I know they may eat small fish once they are large enough, and decorator type crabs because I don't want them messing with my corals. I would consider both emerald and decorator crabs if I had a larger tank that I was sure would supply them enough food to forage that they wouldn't go after fish.

My personal philosophy with my tank was Variety, Chill, Small, and Natural.
Variety - For me, this means I don't have any specific centerpiece corals or fish at the moment. I prefer to get a mix of animals (see my variety of hermits and snails) and I enjoy each part of my tank being unique and having its own cool little gems and surprises.
Chill - I wanted a peaceful tank, so no fish that were known to be aggressive or become aggressive as they age.
Small - All my fish could be no bigger than 3-4 inches in length when full grown. I also specifically avoided active fish such as dwarf angels for this tank (looking at you flame and coral beauties) because I knew I would not have enough swimming room for them as they got bigger.
Natural - For me, this means putting the needs of my fish first. For my tank, that means a good pile of rocks with lots of hiding spots. I might not see my tank inhabitants as much, but I know they're happier, less stressed, and feel safer and more comfortable. It also means only smaller fish because larger fish (e.g. tangs and larger angels) somehow break the immersion for me because most tanks feel too small for them and it feels like a tank and not a piece of reef. I also try and run my lighting a bit whiter as a personal preference for how the tank looks.

I know I'm kind of rambling, but hopefully this gives you some ideas. I'd highly suggest deciding what kind of tank YOU want as it will help make some decisions for you about what you can and cannot put in your tank.
What are things you "Must Have". If you have something you absolutely want, research it's care and eliminate other stuff or animals that won't work with that.

Other helpful questions to ask yourself:
Do you want a variety or is there a fish/coral/anemone that you want to have as a centerpiece?
Do you want a more chill or more aggressive/predatory tank?
Do you prefer more open or closed rockwork?
What kind of corals are you hoping to keep (if any)?

Whew! That was a lot more than I expected to write. Hope it helps and let me know if you have any questions :)

 

[fishy103]

Thanks! This helped me a lot. What if I get one clownfish… will it be lonely and less aggressive or would it make no difference. :)

 

[fishywishy]

Thanks! This helped me a lot. What if I get one clownfish… will it be lonely and less aggressive or would it make no difference. :)

It might be slightly less territorial and you will have room for one more fish, but that’s about it. I’m not sure if they can feel lonely, but seeing how much mine interact with each other all day, I’d feel bad not having two.

 

[fishy103]

Is there any other super small fish you can think of that may be a good substitute for clowns? :) Also are there any specific type of clownfish that may be slightly more peaceful?

 

[fishy103]

I've got a WB25 as my main display right now.

Current Inhabitants:
- Possum Wrasse
- Yellow Clown Goby
- Firefish
- Royal Gramma
- Randall's Pistol Shrimp
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- Assortment of small hermits (Red Tip Dwarf, Blue Leg, and Scarlet Reef)
- Assortment of snails (Trochus, Nassarius, Cerith, Stomatella, Bumblebee, Tiger Conch)
- Asterina Starfish
- Tiger-Tail Sea Cucumber
- Porcelain Crab (Lives in my RBTA anemone)

To answer your questions, I'm going to agree with the above comments that 7 fish is probably too many for this size tank. I think it could be done, but you would need to select non-aggressive and small fish and add enough rockwork with enough hiding spots that they could all have their personal safe area in the rockwork.
The 4 fish I have now feels like a good amount and at most I'd only want to add 1 more fish to the tank in its current state.

I can't speak to all the fish on your list, I will say that for me personally I specifically avoided getting clownfish because I've heard plenty of people say that once they mature and are ready to breed, they can become very territorial. I didn't want to deal with having to rehome my fish if/when that happened.

For the royal gramma, mine is a newer addition to the tank but seems pretty chill and likes to just hang out near it's hidey-hole and watch the goings-on in the tank.

For wrasses, I personally have a possum wrasse who I adore and is very chill and just likes to cruise around the tank. My alternative wrasse was a pink streaked wrasse (aka cryptic wrasse) but in my experience those are harder to find and more expensive (but very pretty looking). wrasses are also great for pest control.

While not a black clown goby, I love my yellow clown goby. He likes to perch around the tank and just adds some fun character. He'll swim right up by my hand too at feeding time.

I'd definitely recommend any/all of the 4 fish I have for your tank.

For invertebrates, my main limiter is my wrasse :p I'd love to get me some small sexy shrimp because I think they look adorable, but I know my wrasse would find them a tasty snack due to their small size. Anything larger than maybe a half inch I expect would be perfectly fine. Other than that, I have personally avoided emerald crabs since I know they may eat small fish once they are large enough, and decorator type crabs because I don't want them messing with my corals. I would consider both emerald and decorator crabs if I had a larger tank that I was sure would supply them enough food to forage that they wouldn't go after fish.

My personal philosophy with my tank was Variety, Chill, Small, and Natural.
Variety - For me, this means I don't have any specific centerpiece corals or fish at the moment. I prefer to get a mix of animals (see my variety of hermits and snails) and I enjoy each part of my tank being unique and having its own cool little gems and surprises.
Chill - I wanted a peaceful tank, so no fish that were known to be aggressive or become aggressive as they age.
Small - All my fish could be no bigger than 3-4 inches in length when full grown. I also specifically avoided active fish such as dwarf angels for this tank (looking at you flame and coral beauties) because I knew I would not have enough swimming room for them as they got bigger.
Natural - For me, this means putting the needs of my fish first. For my tank, that means a good pile of rocks with lots of hiding spots. I might not see my tank inhabitants as much, but I know they're happier, less stressed, and feel safer and more comfortable. It also means only smaller fish because larger fish (e.g. tangs and larger angels) somehow break the immersion for me because most tanks feel too small for them and it feels like a tank and not a piece of reef. I also try and run my lighting a bit whiter as a personal preference for how the tank looks.

I know I'm kind of rambling, but hopefully this gives you some ideas. I'd highly suggest deciding what kind of tank YOU want as it will help make some decisions for you about what you can and cannot put in your tank.
What are things you "Must Have". If you have something you absolutely want, research it's care and eliminate other stuff or animals that won't work with that.

Other helpful questions to ask yourself:
Do you want a variety or is there a fish/coral/anemone that you want to have as a centerpiece?
Do you want a more chill or more aggressive/predatory tank?
Do you prefer more open or closed rockwork?
What kind of corals are you hoping to keep (if any)?

Whew! That was a lot more than I expected to write. Hope it helps and let me know if you have any questions

Thanks so much! This was very helpful! :)

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks! This helped me a lot. What if I get one clownfish… will it be lonely and less aggressive or would it make no difference. :)

Get the pair, they are only going to stake out 1 spot.
Stick with Occs or Percs though.

The gramma is a rock dweller, he take his own spot.

The smaller fairy wrasses will also do fine, but not two from the same species unless they are a pair.

A cardinal fish will also work.

 

[fishy103]

Get the pair, they are only going to stake out 1 spot.
Stick with Occs or Percs though.

What if I get an anemone will they be less aggressive???

 

[Uncle99]

What if I get an anemone will they be less aggressive???

No, stick with simple Occs or Percs they are least agressive. Skunk, Tomato and Lighting are most agressive.

It OK to add the pair first, then, when water chemistry stable, the nem. Once it settles in a spot they don’t move much if your thinking of adding some corals.

These guys 5 years and never showed any aggression but NEVER, leave the nem more than 1 foot.

 

[fish farmer]

I'll add to the clownfish debate, my peaceful old pair of percs are fine toward other fish, the female doesn't bite me anymore. She almost killed her mate last year when I removed their home rock and rearranged some of the rockwork. I thought the male was a goner, he was hiding and not eating. After about a week or two he was eating better and the female found a new place to hang and accepted the male again.

 

[fishywishy]

Is there any other super small fish you can think of that may be a good substitute for clowns? :) Also are there any specific type of clownfish that may be slightly more peaceful?

I think people are scaring you about the clowns too much. I’ve kept multiple pairs in both big and small tanks and never had an issue. Just get the clowns, and if by the rare chance they do cause a problem, you can always remove them.

 

[fishy103]

Alright I think I’m going to go with Clowns, gobies, blennies, and maybe a peaceful wrasse. Thanks For answering my questions! :)