One More Fish

[tjgr34]

I think I have room for one last fish in my 27 gallon cube, but I'm having trouble deciding what it should be. Right now I have a small ocellaris pair, a standard firefish, and a yellow watchman goby. I plan on getting a pistol shrimp to keep the goby company at some point. Other livestock in the tank are a GBTA, a candy cane coral, a green and white rhodactis mushroom and a few zoa frags...and a cleanup crew with a couple of red-leg hermits. My fish are all warm colors while my coral and inverts are mostly cool colors.

 

I would like to add a purple firefish, but I'm leery of putting another firefish into such a small tank.

 

A mandarin would be cool, but I don't want to chance being unable provide for its diet when school gets busy again later this spring.

 

I think I would prefer a swimmer as opposed to a perching/bottom dwelling fish.

 

Based on those few parameters, what do you guys think? Any input is appreciated.

[RubberFrog]

How about a six line wrasse?

[epleeds]

I think a midas blenny would be cool. they have great personalities or a bangaii cardinal fish.

[tjgr34]

How about a six line wrasse?

 

I'm worried that a six-line might get aggressive in small tank, although he would be the last introduction, so maybe not.

 

 

I think a midas blenny would be cool. they have great personalities or a bangaii cardinal fish.

 

I thought my tank would be too small for a midas, although they are very cool.

I really like bangaii's. If I happen upon any that are tank raised I may end up getting a pair. How do they fair when kept singly?

Edited January 29, 2012 by tjgr34

[Dr.eclipse]

you could get a midas, but they can be very territorial.

another cool fish you could get is a jawfish. very nice fish, with great personality.

[Ben&Em]

I've always thought tailspot blenny's had a great personality for a small tank fish. If your looking for a better open swimmers I'd consider a few chromis/anthias or a fairy/flasher wrasse. Depending on your filtration you should have plenty of room for another fish or two. Although I'm probably a bad person to listen to as I have stretched it to 3-4 times your fish load in a 36gal . Best of luck.

 

-Ben

[L8 2 RISE]

If it were me it would be hands down a small dwarf angel. Second choice would be a small blenny like a tailspot (midas probably gets too big and territorial plus I've found that they like to swim a lot).

[tjgr34]

If it were me it would be hands down a small dwarf angel. Second choice would be a small blenny like a tailspot (midas probably gets too big and territorial plus I've found that they like to swim a lot).

 

I like the idea of a dwarf angel a lot. My theory is that the lack of space might encourage their coral nipping tendencies, but if people have successfully kept them in <30 gal. tanks I'll give it a try. Which species do you think would be best?

[BowieReefer84]

I have a sixline wrasse with a pair of clowns and a ywg in a 29gal biocube. I have zero issues with it. Just get a small one, and since it is being added last you should be fine.

 

I would think it may be a little cramped for a dwarf angel. I had a coral beauty once get pretty large.

[L8 2 RISE]

I like the idea of a dwarf angel a lot. My theory is that the lack of space might encourage their coral nipping tendencies, but if people have successfully kept them in <30 gal. tanks I'll give it a try. Which species do you think would be best?

 

I have an african flameback in my nano (link in my sig) that's doing great with no nipping so far. Nipping is going to be induced more from lack of feeding than from smaller spaces. If you keep it well fed then it won't start to nip, but once they start to nip there's no going back. The smallest angels are cherubs (so these would be best), next smallest are flamebacks. If you get a small specimen, just about any dwarf would work though.

[smallreef]

ohhh pygmy angels,, good idea...

Yellow banded possum wrasse

rainsford or hectors goby

 

redspotted goby

 

orange lined cardinalfish

 

 

Im not sure if the possum wrasse or redspotted goby is an open swimmer

 

 

[underwater]

Royal gramma, purple and yellow, one of my favorite fish, kinda shy, likes places to hide. Dotty backs are nice too. I had a bright pink one that the kids loved. I dint think either get very big.

 

Looked up the purple fire fish and sounds like fire fish would fight in a small tank.

[Incredible Corals]

Royal gramma, purple and yellow, one of my favorite fish, kinda shy, likes places to hide. Dotty backs are nice too. I had a bright pink one that the kids loved. I dint think either get very big.

 

Looked up the purple fire fish and sounds like fire fish would fight in a small tank.

 

+1 on royal gramma!

[tjgr34]

Royal gramma, purple and yellow, one of my favorite fish, kinda shy, likes places to hide. Dotty backs are nice too. I had a bright pink one that the kids loved. I dint think either get very big.

 

Looked up the purple fire fish and sounds like fire fish would fight in a small tank.

 

I forgot about royal grammas! One would fit my needs almost perfectly. Definitely the front runner at this point. There is a pair of tank raised banggis that just popped up in the For Sale thread, though...somebody go buy them and make my life easier!

[tjgr34]

I ended up getting a small McCosker's Flasher Wrasse and a pistol shrimp at Tropical Lagoon Aquarium in Silver Spring. The price was right on both and I'm happy with the purchase...I've been watching the pistol shrimp make a burrow since I got him in the tank. Hopefully my YWG will make friends. Now I just have to figure out how to get my clowns to host in my GBTA.