Elijah F
Community Member
So I've been working on my 20 gallon macroalgae tank for about 2 months now, and it's gotten to the stage where I feel it's finially ready for some fish. I started researching several months ago, and already found a few species of fish that I'd like to keep. However, I've been doing more research and exploring different options lately, and now I'm a bit conflicted as to what to stock the tank with. I want to figure out my exact stocking list soon so I know wich fish to stock first, as to avoid aggression or territorial behavior. Given it's small size and my lack of space for a larger tank right now, I want to make sure I stock my tank with fish that will be engaging and interesting for as long as the tank is set up. I also aim to ensure that all fish in the tank are avaliable captive bred or aquarium conditioned at least, and affordable (< $100).
Right now the only life in the tank (not counting microbes and bacteria) consists of macroalgae, lots of pods, some small hermits and snails, and a couple bristleworms. It's been cycled for a while now, temps are 75 degrees, and salinity is right around 1.025.
Here are the options I've gathered up so far, in order form most likley to end up in the tank to least likely. Obviously these wouldn't all go in the tank together, I'd only have 3-5 fish max depending on specific species ;
1 ocellaris clown
1 tigrigobius multifasciatus
1 yasha or YWM goby and shrimp pair
1-2 elacatinus sp.
1 Clown goby
1 Koumansetta rainfordi
1 bluestripe pipefish
2 dwarf pipefish sp.
1 possum wrasse
1 tailspot blenny
2-4 dwarf seahorses
The last 5 options in particular have been a little troublesome to me, since there seems to be a lot of conflicting information about them; I'm not sure how long the bluestripe or dwarf pipefish live or how finicky they are, how much space the possum wrasse would actually need, or whether or not the blenny would eat my macros. There is a lot of info on the seahorses, but I doubt I'd have the time or knowledge to care for them correctly.
Still, all of these ideas have been floating around my mind for the past few days, and I figured I might as well ask what you all would go with. Are there any other suitable species that I don't know about? Which fish here would get along the best long term?
Right now the only life in the tank (not counting microbes and bacteria) consists of macroalgae, lots of pods, some small hermits and snails, and a couple bristleworms. It's been cycled for a while now, temps are 75 degrees, and salinity is right around 1.025.
Here are the options I've gathered up so far, in order form most likley to end up in the tank to least likely. Obviously these wouldn't all go in the tank together, I'd only have 3-5 fish max depending on specific species ;
1 ocellaris clown
1 tigrigobius multifasciatus
1 yasha or YWM goby and shrimp pair
1-2 elacatinus sp.
1 Clown goby
1 Koumansetta rainfordi
1 bluestripe pipefish
2 dwarf pipefish sp.
1 possum wrasse
1 tailspot blenny
2-4 dwarf seahorses
The last 5 options in particular have been a little troublesome to me, since there seems to be a lot of conflicting information about them; I'm not sure how long the bluestripe or dwarf pipefish live or how finicky they are, how much space the possum wrasse would actually need, or whether or not the blenny would eat my macros. There is a lot of info on the seahorses, but I doubt I'd have the time or knowledge to care for them correctly.
Still, all of these ideas have been floating around my mind for the past few days, and I figured I might as well ask what you all would go with. Are there any other suitable species that I don't know about? Which fish here would get along the best long term?
