Saltwater 7 gallon Stocking Ideas

[JTumminello]

Hi all I just built a landen 11.8 cube 7.1 gallon rimless low iron tank. I have about 4 lbs of live rock in the tank and one percula clown. I have a HOB Fluval C2 filter with purigen and run only RO water in the tank. I am also have a innovative marine light on it. The tank is mint and has been running for about 3 weeks. Probably start my 10 percent water changes next week water parameters are awesome . With that said can I squeeze one more small fish in and what corals would you go with. Any ideas would be great. Thanks

[JTumminello]

Hi all I just built a landen 11.8 cube 7.1 gallon rimless low iron tank. I have about 4 lbs of live rock in the tank and one percula clown. I have a HOB Fluval C2 filter with purigen and run only RO water in the tank. I am also have a innovative marine light on it. The tank is mint and has been running for about 3 weeks. Probably start my 10 percent water changes next week water parameters are awesome . With that said can I squeeze one more small fish in and what corals would you go with. Any ideas/suggestionswould be great. Thanks

[Skrilla]

Did you cycle the tank?

You can probably add a Tail Spot Blenny. I would wait about a month, though.

Are you new to the hobby? That will help with coral recommendation.

[JTumminello]

Hi skrilla not new to the hobby......I have been out of the game for a little while so I decided on going with a nano to keep the saltwater fever down. I have to test again but I believe my cycle is done. I was planning on waiting a few my weeks before doing anything else. I want this 7 gallon tank pristine so if I have to stay with one fish I can deal but I was hoping I can squeeze in one more. However simple coral ideas would be awesome

[Skrilla]

I guess it really depends on what kind of coral you like. As you probably already know, SPS are some of the hardest corals to keep, and most of them require pristine water. Softies are the easiest to keep, and LPS fall between the two. with your tank being so new, I would recommend starting out with some softies. Some common hardy ones are mushrooms, zoas, Xenia, GSP, Kenya Tree, and Leathers (toadstool, finger, etc.). All of those grow very fast and can fill up your 7 gallon pretty quick.

[terrypercula]

Honestly I wouldn't add any more fish coral wise I'd say go for a lot of sorties and maybe a little LPS some chalices, maybe a few pieces of euphyllia and some easy to keep SPS. Montipora digitata is fairly easy to keep IME.

[JTumminello]

Thanks guys, yeah, I think I am going to just stick with 1 fish too, I really like how the tank is going and I dont want to push it at all. I like the Kenya Tree those are really nice and probably throw in some Zoas. Would you throw in a shrimp or would that put to much bio load.

[terrypercula]

You could definitely do a shrimp. What kind were you thinking?

[reeferstace]

The clown should really be in a larger tank than 7 gallons. I would trade in the clown and get a goby/pistol pair and call it a day.

[JTumminello]

I have two hermit crabs in there now, and I have to pick up a few snails so I figured while I am at the LFS I pick up a shrimp. I am thinking maybe a Harlequin Shrimp because I saw them at the LFS the other day. However, not sure hard they are to keep, I have to look into what their eating requirements are.

[H.reidi.MN]

They eat starfish, also id remove the clown for something else. 7 Gallons is really small for a clown. I have an ocellaris in a 10 gallon qt tank and he looks very cramped in there...

[JTumminello]

Hard to part ways with the clown, I have had him for about a year now and my daughter loves him. Not sure how I would explain to her where he went. I had him in a Fluval Spec which by the way has the worst filter set up you can have in a AIO and I wanted to upgrade the tank for him.

[H.reidi.MN]

I get what your saying that's just my opinion but if I moved into a 400 square ft studio and made my horse live in there just because I love it isn't really fair for the animal which requires more space if you get my analogy?

[FTDelta]

Here's an idea - trade the clownfish (since it's gonna get too big for the 7 gallon tank) and get a Yasha White ray Shrimp goby:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+1145&pcatid=1145

paired with a Tiger Snapping Shrimp:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+1148&pcatid=1148

They would be far more entertaining than a single clownfish.

[JTumminello]

Now this is just food for thought, the Goby gets to about 2.5 inches the clown gets about 3 inches. Yet the goby species is alright in some individual peoples eyes and its alright in the 7 gallon but the clown is not. So unless the Clownfish has bigger dumps I do not see that much of a difference in Bio Load. In addition, that is the max size of a percula clown fish in pristine conditions (the ocean) so to throw on top of it this fish may not even get close to that size. So I have had my Clownfish for about a year and he basically has maybe grown a millimeter....looks the same size as when i picked him up. Not sure how the horse comparison comes into play???

[H.reidi.MN]

You love the clownfish and have owned it for along time so that is more important to you than providing it with an ideal home. 7 gal may work for awhile or for ever in your eyes buts its not proper for any clown. So I used an upscaled analogy of a horse I love so so much but instead of giving him a nice field to roam I'm keeping in my tiny studio apartment .

[JTumminello]

However, you never answered the question what is the difference between the goby and clownfish they are both active fish and they are about the same size give and take a few inches....yet the clownfish needs a 30 gallon tank? It does not add up.

[Lateralus]

I'd argue that any tank is too small for our fish. They do come from the ocean after all. He's not getting rid of the fish and that's his prerogative. :deadhorse:
As for the corals I'd defiantly try to fill it up with only the prettiest palys, encrusting montis and maybe a small frogspawn as a centerpiece. Also give sexy shrimp a look.

[JTumminello]

Thank you Lateralus, I totally understand the arguments they present if it was a tang, we all know Tangs grow quite large and need tons of swimming space and take dumps like king Kong, however the 3 Inch Percula that maybe if I am lucky will see that size I just dont buy the argument. This guy was in my tank for 1 year and I am lucky if he is a tad over an inch and he swims in this 7 gallon tank like its his job right now

[reeferstace]

Every tank size recommendation I have seen has said that the minimum size is 3x larger than 7 gallons. Everyone on this thread has said so as well. Clowns are active swimmers and need more room. There are smaller fish that stay on the substrate and don't tend to move around a lot. Those would be much better suited than a clown fish.