Downgrading from 75G to BC29 - How many of my fish can I keep?

[lazyrhino]

I'm moving and I need to downgrade from my 75G. It's been running for 3 years.

I picked up a used Coralife BioCube 29. It has a 24 LED RapidLED retrofit, InTank media basket & fuge, AquaticLife Internal Mini 115 skimmer, & Rio 6HF Return pump. I'm going to run it with my RKE controller and an MP10WES.

I only have 7 fish in my 75G:

Foxface Rabbitfish
Flame Angel
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Tailspot Blenny
Orchid Dottyback
Green Clown Goby

Obviously the Foxface has to go. My question is can I keep the rest? Does the angel have to go too?

I don't have any experience with a nano, the 75G is the only tank I've ever had. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Whysoserious]

I had an angel in my 28G, but it passed away. I never had any good luck with angels. I believe they need adequate space. My 02 paired clowns already take over the entire tank lol. But, maybe the last four should work. Maybe angel will as well. Just keep in mind with the added LR, less space will be there the fishes..

Good luck!

[tallball158]

The fox face and flame angel have to go. That is too small of a tank. The tank is big enough for the dottyback, but it may chase some of your smaller fish in a smaller tank. Just my thoughts, but I am no expert.

[Hentz]

You'd be safe with the last 4 fish. Though even then it may be a bit cramped. How's you're dottyback's behavior? If it gets feisty, I think the first to go should be him. Flame Angel could stay as well. Not highly recommended but if it works and looks happy in the BC, then why not?

[Bman562]

2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Tailspot Blenny
Green Clown Goby

That's what i would keep in a 29g. But that's just me.

[EllieSuz]

I have five fish in a tank twice that size. I really think you should stick to around three or four fish, depending on size, of course. I'd keep the Clowns, the Blenny and the little Goby.

[lazyrhino]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Yeah, I was thinking the angel was going to be a stretch. I just looked & LA recommends 70 gallons minimum for the flame angel, so that's going to be a no go.

The orchid dottyback is tank bred & is very non-aggressive. I know most dottybacks have aggression issues, but this one is the opposite. I actually had to put it in the QT for a month once to let it recover from the shredded fins it got when I tried to add a 12-line wrasse once. I would go as far as to say it is the lowest fish on the aggression scale of all the ones I have.

All of these fish get along well. They have been the only fish residents for over 2 years.

Are the concerns over having all of the last 5 fish solely over possible aggression from the dottyback, or are they based on bioload concerns?

Thanks again for all your input.

[montecarlo97]

I've got a Nano Cube 28 with 2 clowns, Midas Blenny and Orchid Dottyback no problems with any of them.
Also have a Purple Lobster and Sally Lightfoot Crab that are gonna have to go, don't trust them:worried:

[2to]

I had a purple dottyback in a similar tank and it got along well with my Ocellaris clown and Azure Damsel. The clown came well first, then the dottyback, then the damsel in short order.

The dottyback was pretty relenting against any new additions, be they shrimp or otherwise. Since as you say your dottyback is non-aggressive there might be no issues, but in a much more confined space you never know.

I'd avoid the angel and give the other small 5 a shot, though you may have to replace a fish if problems occur.

[NaH20Eh]

In my BC29 I have an orchid dottyback, a pair of clowns (midnight clown and a naked clown) and a yellow watchman goby. The orchid dottyback does not bother other fish and is usually the one getting chased. I think that this is maxed out for my tank right now. Seems like 4 fish is a good max number for a BC29 IMO.

[EllieSuz]

Also remember that your Clowns may become much more territorial in a small tank.

[lazyrhino]

Also remember that your Clowns may become much more territorial in a small tank.

Yes. This is something I hadn't considered. Probably because they've never shown any signs of being territorial at all in the current tank. They don't host in anything & don't defend any territory. I don't really consider them a pair even - they're almost never together & have never spawned.

[MidMichiganReef]

I think you can easily have the clowns, blenny, dottyback, and goby without any issues. My personal belief is that you have to balance nano tank space by size, aggression, and swim behavior.

In my 29g biocube (not stock, tons of mods) I have 2 clowns that are hosted in an rbta, an orange sided fairy wrasse that roams the tank, and a midas blenny that perches in the rocks. There is minimal interaction between them outside of feeding time.

[terrypercula]

The fox face and flame angel have to go. That is too small of a tank. The tank is big enough for the dottyback, but it may chase some of your smaller fish in a smaller tank. Just my thoughts, but I am no expert.

I agree you should be able to get away with everything but the fox face and angel.