ok, i have been sitting here trying to decide what i can put in a tank in my room thats 36 gallons. then i started thinking of the following combination of animals but a couple of them are difficult to care for. note though, i would not add them in at same time or at all if not suited. i want a potters dwarf angel, and i have read they are pretty peaceful. i have talked a lot with my girlfriend about helping me set this thing up and she mentioned liking the pink skunk clown fish. i also read for a clown he seems to be pretty chill. ok, now for a while i have been fascinated with the dragonettes i just cant get over the colors, but i know they are difficult to feed. it has to be doable though, right? i also read they are fragile and peaceful so was hoping if i had enough live rock he would do ok with the other fish. and then i was just toying with the idea of a sea horse in there but im asking about it because i dont know much about caring for them other than what they eat and their temperament. in my experience i find the ideas i come up with are not suitable so feedback is welcome. and lastly if in any way all that seems ok would an anemone work here at all? i know im getting ahead of myself as the tank is just cycling right now and i need to prepare it still but im going to the fish store for live rock tomorrow and will be doing some browsing at the fishes they have
thanks man im just trying to not screw this tank up and i like learning from knowledgeable advice. i know i dont have enough room for a trigger or tang but i do want unique looking fish and i need advice. i know ive seen dragonettes and sea horses at my fish store (although not sure if the sea horses were on sale) as well as the others i mentioned.
Hello, You're on the right track by doing research first! I'm not a salt tank keeper. I'm sure you will receive more responses before long. Maybe down the road you can share some fish photos and videos with us! Have fun and keep us posted. Ken
Hi rocketdog, welcome to Fishlore :;hi2 Always good to get more salties on board. Are you aiming for a FOWLR or nano-Reef? I've just done some quick reading on the Potters Angel - great looking fish, but from the 3 articles I've read so far, not suited to a 36G. One profile suggests a minimum 75G (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Marine-angelfish/Potters.php), and another is recommending a minimum 6ft ( ). Seahorses are best kept in a species only tank due to them being a slow eater, they might starve in a more active tank. It is also advisable to keep seahorses in a 55G+ Aquarium (although I have seen them in smaller ones successfully) - https://www.fishlore.com/profiles_seahorse.htm Dragonets are also a difficult fish to keep, and do better in larger setups (55G+) https://www.fishlore.com/profile-green-mandarin.htm The positives - Pink skunk Clown will be ok in a 36 (generally 20G+ for these guys). Try and find tank/captive bred if possible, it is kinder on our reefs. - an anemone is probably ok, DEPENDING on your light. Anemones need a good light source and regular target feeding. Possibly a smaller BTA (https://www.fishlore.com/profile-equadricolor.htm) - BTAs are not the natural hosting anemone of a Pink skunk. Anemones that naturally host the PS are probably going to get too large for a 36G :;dk Anemone/Clownfish Chart: https://www.fishlore.com/clownfishanemonechart.htm Other fish you may want to consider, well that depends on what else you want to keep. If you're going reef, then you need to be more careful. Clean-up Crew - I would consider a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp (great for aiptasia control), maybe some smaller turbo snails. Hermit Crabs (These are not necessarily reef safe) Other fish - well, it's more difficult in a 36, but maybe have a look at (Not All, maybe one of the following) - Coral Beauty Angel (Mine is great with corals and his tank-mates, but it's buyer beware on the coral nipping) - Bangaii Cardinal - or check out our Nano profiles: https://www.fishlore.com/small_saltwater_fish_tank_species.htm Hope that helps a bit. EDIT: :animal0068: I have moved your question to the Saltwater Aquarium Stocking Forum so more members may see it.
eh ya disappointing about the dragnonette seems like when researching its more of a tank maturity thing rather than a size problem? idk but hes not a big fish. i like the coral beauty for sure thats a nice fish.. are there puffers that would fit in the tank? i read the papuan toby puffer only gets to 5 inches. heh i know i feel like im choosing difficult fish.. im not a big cardinal fish fan tho.. ill look at what they have at the store tomorrow/today and report what they tell me because i know they have potters and dragonettes as well as coral beauty and others.. oo and if there were a puffer who would fit i would try for tank mates that would work ok
It's hard choosing fish for a smaller tank. The papuan looks cool, but I'd probably go for 50+ Gallons. Also, be aware that puffers will most likely devour inverts in the tank, and is not considered reef safe, and can nip at other fish. Sorry - I feel like all I'm saying is bad, but we need to consider where these fish come from (hand-caught from the wild).
no worries i know its difficult and i dont want any fish to suffer. im not that selfish heh. im going to my store in about an hour and may get a small hardy fish to move in to establish the tank further.. i know damsels are hardy but ive seen them be quite mean to other fish are there any others that would be ok? or should i just get the LR? the refractometer says the waters good and i used a water conditioner....
I would cycle the tank with the Live Rock only. There's no need to get 'hardy' fish to cycle the tank, and unless you want to keep damsels, I wouldn't suggest buying them (They'll live for 5+ years, even 10, if properly cared for) When you say refractometer says water is good, what do you mean, refractometer only measures salinity/SG. What water conditioner are using? What is your salt water source (Natural or mixed)? Do you have saltwater test kit to monitor the cycle? What are you using for evaporation top-off? (RO, RODI, tap)? If tap - Have you tested your tap water?
