If you could only have 3 fish??

[Mark75]

Soon I will be adding fish to my 30g. long and would like some input. I plan on keeping Zoa's, LPS , and easy SPS. At first I planned on corals and cleanup crew only but decided fish could be helpful and add a lot to the tank. So with my limited space what 3 fish would you have? I have so many fish I like I can not decide. With the limited number I can keep I want to be selective so I am in no hurry to get them and they do not have to be cheap.

[Kannin]

Bi-color blenny, watchman goby & a fridmani pseudochromis. All three are colorful, have big personality and are fun to watch. I have allthree and they are my favorites

[RADIOACTIVCORAL]

three of one type of your choice of clowns

[CyclistMT]

Well, there is no easy answer here because it all depends on the size of the fish you want, temperment, what else is in the tank, etc. I honestly think you could go with more fish if you keep them on the small side but there is nothing wrong with being conservative.

I would stick with small fish and save yourself some headache later on so here goes: (By the way, I'm cheap so I don't much about the uber expensive fish. To me that's just about anything over $100.00)

1 Clown - Ocellaris or Percula
1- Watchman Goby- Yellow is my favorite
1- Fathead Anthias
1 pair- Purple Firefish (or Helfrichi since you said cost is no objet)

If you don't plan on having shrimp
1 Clown - Ocellaris or Percula
1- Blackcap Basslet (or possibly other dottybacks or pseudochromids but some can be quite aggressive)
1- Flame Hawk

Really there's probably dozens of ways to slice this but I wouldn't consider fish bigger then the ones I've listed and pay attention to aggressiveness. You could easily find a 2" fish that will kill anything else in that size of tank.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of other suggestions.
;)

[Mark75]

Some great suggestions, anybody else have a "can't live without fish "?

[Pea-brain]

Yellow headed jawfish, Pipefish (or pair of them) trained to eat frozen foods (alligator pipe or Blue banded) and maybe a pistol shrimp/goby combo or a female SW acclimated molly which will eat algae and release several batches of babies for the pipes to eat from one encounter with a male. Get one from petco and it will already be pregnant probly.

Dan

[InLimbo87]

Pair of true percs and a tailspot blenny. Those would be my three choices :)

[CyclistMT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10519626#post10519626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RADIOACTIVCORAL
three of one type of your choice of clowns

If you're suggesting three different types of clowns in a 30 gal tank, I would strongly recommend against that. A pair of Ocellaris, maybe but I've seen overly aggressive female Perculas beat up thier mates in smaller tanks. Any other types of clowns won't stand a chance together. Eventually there will be only 1 and eventually could be by the end of the day depending on the species mixed.

If you're suggesting 3 of the same type of clown, then only Ocellaris is a possiblitiy. But eventually you will have a pair and an odd man out. And he may get picked on a lot. Love triangles never really work. :eek:

[specialkb]

My Royal Gramma is my Cant live with out, best personality out of the bunch.

[kabal2]

a pair of clowns and a Helfrichi firefish, or put 2 of those and the pair of clown fish

Gabe

[dareefking]

I love the purple firefish, he's beautiful.

I also like the yellow watchman goby.

Lastly, I'd put a pair of false percs. Get true percs if you can find them though. More likely to host in a coral.

I know this is 4 fish but they are all small and peaceful. They are also all different colors.

[Mark75]

The Firefish, Yellow Watchman Goby and Clown combo is popular, I really like the Royal Gramma though. I had one a few years back. He was born without a pec. fin but we never told him he was "different" from the other fishes. He was a great fish and the lack of a fin never slowed him down!! He was always the first fish to greet me when I would walk up to the tank. Man, I haven't thought about that little fellow in several years. He was my first saltwater fish and stood with me through some bad beginner mistakes.

[ScarabRa]

OK Must have fish to me have 3 qualifications
1) Bright Color
2) Personality
3) Easy to feed


Great must have, excellent personality, very inqusitive, plus they eat bristle worms.
http://www.orafarm.com/images/neondottyback.jpg

Atrosalarias fuscus the Brown/Black Combtooth Blenny
AKA the Alge Blenny. It Will clean the alge off the rock, very cool tank mate
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BlennioidPIX/BlennyPIX/Atrosalarias%20fuscus%20WAK.JPG

AND last but not least ANY Pygmy angel,
One of My Favs is Flameback Pygmy Angel- African
http://www.marinecenter.com/media/photos/A630991DEBFA45DC90891E2FE0AD2441A.jpg


All of these will feed off the live rock, and will easily eat Spirulina flake food as only supplemental added food source.

Since these are all small, I would think one more would be ok, especially in a 30gal, as I had all of these in a 20gal in college.
So if only one more i would deff add a 6 line or a 4 line if you can get one at your LFS

Paracheilinus tetrataenia from Hawaii 4 line:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WrassePix/Pseudocheilinus/Pseudocheilinus_tetrataeniaAQ2.jpg
(not easy to find a pretty pic of these)

[dareefking]

We actually just had a 4 line wrasse in my shop last week. They are beautiful!

[ScarabRa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10520475#post10520475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dareefking
We actually just had a 4 line wrasse in my shop last week. They are beautiful!

Yeah, 4 in my LFS, plus a Mystery wrasse, Gold Bar Maroons, and Flame Angels up the ying yang, like 20...lol

Good LFS's are hard to come by in certian areas.
pm me with a link to your shops website.

&lt;/hijack topic&gt;

[Mark75]

I agree that the Pygmy Angels are pretty but I will never have them in reef tank. When I first had this tank setup I tied 3 different ones and they all nipped the corals.

[jjjimmy]

Hawiian flame wrasse
Supermale Lineatus wrasse
Gem tang

But all of those are not suitable for a 30 gallon tank. Sorry.

[discocarp]

The royal gramma is a great small, cheap, beautiful fish.

[ScarabRa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10521611#post10521611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mark75
I agree that the Pygmy Angels are pretty but I will never have them in reef tank. When I first had this tank setup I tied 3 different ones and they all nipped the corals.

they nip the live rock and such, but usually to eat alge,
but again this is my experience, and therefore is my opinion.

What pygmys did you try specifically, and what coral did YOU see it "nip" at?

I have had my Pygmy for what seems like forever, and I have not ever seen it nip any of my corals tissue before,
Frogspawn, Torch, Xenea, Zoas, Mushroomz, leathers.....

Nor have I seen it while I was in the trade.

I hear alot of new theories these days, as I am getting back in to the hobbie this year (was out for about 2 years, meaning not actively intaking info or livestock). Some of them are the complete oppisite of what was common knowledge, from when I was in the trade (in college).

I would have to say personal experience should be weighed with others personal experience. Alot of information on alot of the websites I am finding info on recently are personal opinions.
These Personal opinions are often mistaken for fact, and then seemingly spread like wildfire on the internet. (like the Garlic Ich thing)

When I was in college, I use to go to allot of LFS's in my area.
One time I was told "You shouldent keep live rock with fish, the live rock contains parasites, Ich, and bristle worms..."

[avp]

if it was me and I was stocking a 30 long....

1-freidmani psuedochromis
2-neon goby
3-four line (or six line) wrasse.

all small enough to be fine in a 30 and enough color to be seen across the room, plus they are coral friendly.

-avp

[Mark75]

I had a Lemon Peel (I think this is a pygmy angel) that was pretty but nipped my polyps. I have heard from different people that angels were nippers. Is this true?

[rustybucket145]

I'd buy a bigger tank! :D

sorry, had to..

[CyclistMT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10525132#post10525132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mark75
I had a Lemon Peel (I think this is a pygmy angel) that was pretty but nipped my polyps. I have heard from different people that angels were nippers. Is this true?

All pygmy angels are a risk. Some work some don't. This is from countless evidence by both hobbyists and authors. It also goes back to when I first started keeping reefs in the mid 90's and before I'm sure. I think there is enogh anecdotal evidence to support that any pygmy COULD nip corals, clams, etc. I don't think anyone can say with 100% certainty that any species is safe.

[ScarabRa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10525605#post10525605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CyclistMT
All pygmy angels are a risk. Some work some don't. This is from countless evidence by both hobbyists and authors. It also goes back to when I first started keeping reefs in the mid 90's and before I'm sure. I think there is enogh anecdotal evidence to support that any pygmy COULD nip corals, clams, etc. I don't think anyone can say with 100% certainty that any species is safe.

AGREED.

Although clams are not really safe, even a bi-color blenny will nip at a clam mantel.

Well both the Flame back, and the Lemon peel are in the genus Centropyge ("sent-roe-pie-gay"), the dwarf or pygmy angels.

I would have to say some of them are more known nippers.


My PERSONAL experience has been:

Better than average, personal experience non coral nippers
Centropyge acanthops /Flame Back Angel (african/Yellow tail)
Centropyge aurantonotus /Flame Back Angel (Blue tail)
Flame angel
Centropyge flavicauda
Centropyge fisheri
Centropyge bispinosa (Coral Beauty)
Centropyge aurantius (Golden Pygmy Angel)
Centropyge argi


Not a good personal reef experience
Centropyge bicolor
Centropyge eibli
Centropyge heraldi
Centropyge flavissima (Lemon peel)
Centropyge ferrugata


see pics of the listed above here:
Full description, and pics (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/centropyge/index.htm)

[Mark75]

Are there any more reef fish that has not been mention that would make a great addition to my 30 g. tank? This thread will help me make my choices on fish and I don't want to over look any.

[avp]

you want more fish? ok....

-lantern basslet
-orange back basslet
-orange shunk clowns
-flame hawk
-longnose hawk
-Stark's damsel
-yellow coris wrasse
-green coris wrasse
-barnacle blenny
-orange spot blenny
-pajama cardinals
-banggai cardinal
-orange spotted goby
-randall's goby
-sharknose goby
-green clown goby
-yellow clown goby

or if you're really brave and observant...a dwarf scorpionfish. Really cool looking, but you have to know where the little guy is before you stick your hand in the tank!

-avp

[Mark75]

I really like the 4 line Wrasse! I will most likely have a true Percula clown, maybe a pair. Many of the Dotty backs look a like. Helfrichi firefish is pretty but pricey. So many fish so little room!!!

[Chris2500DK]

You could add a blue neon goby and a yellow clown goby to get two very colourful fish with next to no bioload.

[Mark75]

I would like to hear more feed back on the Pygmy Angels. Has anyone kept them with corals without problems and which Angel?

[kathainbowen]

I've seen the coral beauty, atlantic pygmy (cherub), midnight, keyhole, and flame angel kept in reef tanks without huge issues. I've just never seen it attempted with clams and scallops.