So Much To Choose From...

[bg7003]

I'm starting a list of the live stock for my 20 gallon tank. I was just wondering if you guys could help choose because i'm new... The list of fish i have so far is a Purple Pseudochromis, Percula Clown, Firefish, Green Mandarin, watchman goby, and Im still debating over the six line wrasse and the fairy wrasse. Some other debatible fish i was looking at was either a blue or yellow tang, or a coral beauty... Now the inverts.... Arrow crab, flame scallop, banded coral shrimp, and maybe a blue tuxedo pincushion urchin. The corals now....i'll keep it short..... mushrooms, soft corals, lps corals, polyps, and maybe a gorgonian.

I'm new again so i won't be surprised if a i can't even keep one of those fish/inverts in my tank ha ha.
I'm looking to see which of those fish and inverts would be the best combo together and about how many i can put in. This is my first saltwater and my first reef tank. tons or exp. with fresh though...
Also, if you can think of some other good stuff for my tank your more than welcome to say.
Thanks!

 

[BigC]

My tanks around about the same size as yours in regards to volume, so read my and other nano journals.
<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/content/Nano-Ree...wn-On-The-Reef/" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/content/Nano-Ree...wn-On-The-Reef/</a>
in regards to corals and cleanup crew. As for the fish I have not done a real lot of research on different types as I knew I wanted Small Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) from the very start. I've since included a Scooter Blenny, Which I have to make provisions for when feeding. It belongs to the Dragonet family and I notice you have included a Green Mandarin in your list above, which belongs to the same family. I personally would cross that one off you list for starters. Tangs and the like will be too big for your tank. Those crabs and urchins would possibly be a big no no too as they will possibly attack your corals. Softie corals are fine as long as you consider lighting and flowrates and placement relative to each other. The reef is a constant warzone and corals use all maner of chemicals to stake their claim to their little patch of real estate.
For fish I would consider Bangaii Cardinals (Pterapogon kauderni )
Regards
BigC

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

I'm starting a list of the live stock for my 20 gallon tank. I was just wondering if you guys could help choose because i'm new... The list of fish i have so far is a Purple Pseudochromis, Percula Clown, Firefish, Green Mandarin, watchman goby, and Im still debating over the six line wrasse and the fairy wrasse. Some other debatible fish i was looking at was either a blue or yellow tang, or a coral beauty... Now the inverts.... Arrow crab, flame scallop, banded coral shrimp, and maybe a blue tuxedo pincushion urchin. The corals now....i'll keep it short..... mushrooms, soft corals, lps corals, polyps, and maybe a gorgonian.

I'm new again so i won't be surprised if a i can't even keep one of those fish/inverts in my tank ha ha.
I'm looking to see which of those fish and inverts would be the best combo together and about how many i can put in. This is my first saltwater and my first reef tank. tons or exp. with fresh though...
Also, if you can think of some other good stuff for my tank your more than welcome to say.
Thanks!

To start with tangs grow too large for a nano tank. The same goes for a coral beauty, the pseudochromis and six line wrasse will be too aggressive for a tank that size. The percula clown and firefish would be OK, but the mandarin is a delicate fish that needs a supply of copepods to thrive (unless it has been trained to take frozen food) As for the inverts, the arrow crab gets big, and the flame scallop is hard to keep long term. Urchins can knock rockwork over and have been known to eat silicon.....
It sounds like I am knocking everything down but you need to know what the limitations of your tank are before you set yourself up for trouble.