Utilitarian fish for 32.5g softy reef tank

[Rooles]

Hey everyone. I want to start finalizing my fish selection for a 32.5g softy reef tank. I want to see what utilitarian fish are okay to stock in a tank this size. As of right now the only for sure fish I have on my list are a pair of ocellaris clown fish, and a goby/pistol shrimp pair. I am unsure of which goby and which pistol shrimp i should get.

What utilitarian fish would be good with this setup against pests, algea, or other issues. Thanks!

 

[GHOSTLY]

Lawnmower blennies or any other blennies are good. Be careful with some like the starry because theres another species which looks the same but eats coral.

Filefish are good for aiptasia but they can nip at corals

I love dottyback and wrasse, ive seen both rip up asterinas, worms, and anything that hitch hikes

 

[Rooles]

Blennies sounds really cool. I was told a lawnmower may be too big for my tank. Think its okay?

Filefish look like a great choice too. Im gonna maybe hold off until aptasia become a problem.

What kind of wrasse do you recommend?

I was hoping for a fish that would help with algea. Something that does the same job a yellow tang would do. I know tangs are a no for a tank this size

 

[GHOSTLY]

Blennies sounds really cool. I was told a lawnmower may be too big for my tank. Think its okay?

Filefish look like a great choice too. Im gonna maybe hold off until aptasia become a problem.

What kind of wrasse do you recommend?

I was hoping for a fish that would help with algea. Something that does the same job a yellow tang would do. I know tangs are a no for a tank this size

Id say a lawnmower is good for your tank or a tail spot/bicolor. Lots of people keep them in 10 20g. Its not the best but a 32g is doable.

Wrasses need lots of swimming room so your options are 6 lines which will eat bugs and hitch hikers, pygmys which i dont see often, pinkstreak or yellow assessor (not sure if its a wrasse but everyone who ive seen have one has them in 30g)
Stay away from flashers, fairies, dragons, and other wrasses since many either need 55g + tanks or a deep sand bed. If you want that wrasse like look maybe look into an orchid or royal dottyback. Mine has never been aggressive and it picks off the rocks like crazy

Algae wise your best bet would be a blenny, couple snails (turbos, cerith, or astrea are my favorites) and an urchin. Utilitarian fish shouldn't just rely on algae but feedings also

 

[Rooles]

Id say a lawnmower is good for your tank or a tail spot/bicolor. Lots of people keep them in 10 20g. Its not the best but a 32g is doable.

Wrasses need lots of swimming room so your options are 6 lines which will eat bugs and hitch hikers, pygmys which i dont see often, pinkstreak or yellow assessor (not sure if its a wrasse but everyone who ive seen have one has them in 30g)
Stay away from flashers, fairies, dragons, and other wrasses since many either need 55g + tanks or a deep sand bed. If you want that wrasse like look maybe look into an orchid or royal dottyback. Mine has never been aggressive and it picks off the rocks like crazy

Algae wise your best bet would be a blenny, couple snails (turbos, cerith, or astrea are my favorites) and an urchin. Utilitarian fish shouldn't just rely on algae but feedings also

Sounds good! Do you know much about goby/pistol shrimp pairs? Any recommendations for species?

 

[GHOSTLY]

Sounds good! Do you know much about goby/pistol shrimp pairs? Any recommendations for species?

I had a watchman and tiger in my current tank but i bought the watchman off a fresh order so it sadly passed couple weeks later (it never ate)
I plan on picking up an orange spot shrimp goby since the personality is super bright. For a tank your size id splurge with a bigger shrimp goby like the watchman since it may be hard to see a small randals or wheeler

 

[Rooles]

I had a watchman and tiger in my current tank but i bought the watchman off a fresh order so it sadly passed couple weeks later (it never ate)
I plan on picking up an orange spot shrimp goby since the personality is super bright. For a tank your size id splurge with a bigger shrimp goby like the watchman since it may be hard to see a small randals or wheeler

Oh dang im sorry. Ill take a look at them. Thanks for all of the help!

 

[GHOSTLY]

Oh dang im sorry. Ill take a look at them. Thanks for all of the help!

One tip with that pistol. I have a very thin sand bed so he digs a lot more. If you scape your tank make sure you've got sand for him to dig and your rocks are stable and glued together. I wake up some nights to my main acro rock shifted down because of it sliding

 

[JoJosReef]

Nano fish may not be able to keep up with algae growth to really take the role of a tang or foxface. I am planning a court jester goby for some light algae grazing, but probably relying most heavily on the snail population and an algae scrubber. For aiptasia, a filefish from Biota works wonders but might lose its Aiptasia appetite after a while, depending on what else you are feeding/how heavily. Peppermints and berghia (assuming no wrasses) still best bet for Aips.

RE: wrasses, keep in mind that the sixline could become a powerful aggressive fish. A similar utilitarian wrasse is a pink streak (Pseudocheilinops ataenia), which is more peaceful than any Pseudocheilinus (e.g., sixline, mystery, etc) wrasse. A possum wrasse is another option. They will happily hunt the same things as a sixline.

 

[Rooles]

One tip with that pistol. I have a very thin sand bed so he digs a lot more. If you scape your tank make sure you've got sand for him to dig and your rocks are stable and glued together. I wake up some nights to my main acro rock shifted down because of it sliding

Im working on the rockscape now. I have very stable foundation rock and have glued everything together very well. I should be okay. Should i do 1.5 or 2 inch sand height?

 

[GHOSTLY]

I think in the back of my tanks its 3 and front its 2cm. Where he digs is about an inch and he messes that area up. I'd say go for 2 if not 3

 

[Rooles]

Nano fish may not be able to keep up with algae growth to really take the role of a tang or foxface. I am planning a court jester goby for some light algae grazing, but probably relying most heavily on the snail population and an algae scrubber. For aiptasia, a filefish from Biota works wonders but might lose its Aiptasia appetite after a while, depending on what else you are feeding/how heavily. Peppermints and berghia (assuming no wrasses) still best bet for Aips.

RE: wrasses, keep in mind that the sixline could become a powerful aggressive fish. A similar utilitarian wrasse is a pink streak (Pseudocheilinops ataenia), which is more peaceful than any Pseudocheilinus (e.g., sixline, mystery, etc) wrasse. A possum wrasse is another option. They will happily hunt the same things as a sixline.

As much as I want a sixline id hate for one to go rogue and start messing with my fish. Ill check out the possum and pink streak

 

[kizzy89]

My bicolor blenny is one of my favorite fish, he usually has just his head sticking out of his hole in the rock but will come out very regularly to pick at algae. He has so much personality and will watch you with so much judgment.

 

[Rooles]

My bicolor blenny is one of my favorite fish, he usually has just his head sticking out of his hole in the rock but will come out very regularly to pick at algae. He has so much personality and will watch you with so much judgment.

Omg that sounds awesome. I need me a fish who judges me behind the shadows

 

[Rooles]

I think in the back of my tanks its 3 and front its 2cm. Where he digs is about an inch and he messes that area up. I'd say go for 2 if not 3

Okay that gives me an excuse to buy a bag of caribsea live sand. I think mixing it with my dry sand should work pretty good

 

[Rooles]

So my list of fish and order of adding is:
2 oscellaris clowns
1 tiger pistol shrimp/watchman goby
Pink streaked wrasse
Lawnmower/bicolor blenny (gotta research them more)

What would be a good final fish? It doesnt have to be utilitarian. I dont think ill be getting a filefish.

 

[Rooles]

Carpenters flasher wrasse seem cool and blackcap basslets as well. Also thinking about a firefish.

 

[GHOSTLY]

Carpenters flasher wrasse seem cool and blackcap basslets as well. Also thinking about a firefish.

Id stay away from the flasher wrasse. They get super stressed in smaller tanks though they're my dream fish. Blackcaps are fun but i opted for an orchid dotty just cause they're more active and less aggressive.

Firefish is definitely a good option, I had a purple one and I loved it. Super active

So my list of fish and order of adding is:
2 oscellaris clowns
1 tiger pistol shrimp/watchman goby
Pink streaked wrasse
Lawnmower/bicolor blenny (gotta research them more)

What would be a good final fish? It doesnt have to be utilitarian. I dont think ill be getting a filefish.

I would either do an orchid dotty, a hawkfish (lots of good options and super cool personality,) 2 bangaii Cardinals, or if you end up with a refugium and tons of live rock/sand a biota pellet trained mandarin. Honestly your stocking list is solid and with the correct filtration and scape you could push 1 or 2 more fish.

My 20g im fusion has 2 clowns, a speingeri damsel, and an orchid dotty. I plan to get a hawkfish or shrimp goby. I am overstocked but ive got some killer filtration and rockwork for the fish

 

[JoJosReef]

Carpenters flasher wrasse seem cool and blackcap basslets as well. Also thinking about a firefish.

Recommend against a flasher. By nature, they utilize longer tanks for "flashing" behavior, which is basically a case of the zoomies. In a shorter tank, that means they can't zoom from one side to the other without smashing into the wall. I only got my first flasher when I upgraded to a four foot tank.

I would also be a bit worried about a pink streak with clownfish. A pair of clowns can become a nightmare for other fish if they become territorial, particularly when they start spawning. My pair went after flasher and fairy wrasses. Didn't seem to pay any mind to my yasha goby, and they currently don't bother my filefish (they are now in a 25gal prison with just the filefish). But particularly, pink streaks don't tolerate violence, and any aggression would likely lead to them hiding until their demise.

Firefish is a great addition to that size tank. I haven't tried a blackcap yet, but also in line with the tank profile.

 

[slingfox]

Perhaps a six-line wrasse or some other small wrasse which will help hunt down pests?