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View Full Version : 37g fish stocking recommendations


Daltonbilecki
03/10/2015, 08:38 PM
So im new to the hobby and have had this 37 gallon 33x12x24 acrylic saltwater tank for a little more than 3 months.
So far i have a decent sized clean up crew, a blue damsel, 2 four-stripe damsels, and a moray eel.
What other fish do you guys think i could add? Could a flame angel or some sort of butterfly/foxface fish go in here? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

A sea K
03/11/2015, 04:09 AM
None of the fish you are asking about are suitable for your 37gal tank. With that said, neither is the Moray. You didnt state which Moray you have but a 37 is too small even for a little Snowflake.

FWIW,I hope you have a secure lid of some sorts, eels are notorious escape artist.

pyithar
03/11/2015, 04:17 AM
i agree with everything he said ^^^

scooter31707
03/11/2015, 06:01 AM
+1..

Mark9
03/11/2015, 09:36 AM
Ouch, brutal answers, give the guy a break, he didn't say he wanted to get rid of his current livestock.
liveaquaria says 30g for the damsels you have, so at 37g, looks fine to me.
Says 50 for the eel, so your tank is a bit small there.
Problem with adding more fish is that the damsels will get annoyingly mean, they just cause too much stress in other fish.
Personally, i'd add some more rock to provide more hiding places and a few corals.
You're pretty much at the fish limit.
Sounds harsh, but overstocking leads to other issues.
Maybe another damsel if you really want more.

mpderksen
03/11/2015, 10:15 AM
Clownfish are damsels too, and could possibly be okay, but they are pretty territorial later. You might end up deciding that the damsels are too limiting and swap them out for other options. I had a pair of clowns in a BC29 with a few others and it was fine for 2 years.

Daltonbilecki
03/11/2015, 06:06 PM
I was already thinking of getting rid of the blue damsel because hes been nipping at my four stripes, the eel is barely over 12 inches and when hes big ill move him to my friends 90 gallon. How many cardinals do you think i could keep in here? What is a good display fish that i could keep in here?

mpderksen
03/11/2015, 06:43 PM
I was already thinking of getting rid of the blue damsel because hes been nipping at my four stripes, the eel is barely over 12 inches and when hes big ill move him to my friends 90 gallon. How many cardinals do you think i could keep in here? What is a good display fish that i could keep in here?


The trick I've found, though I'm no expert by the standards of many here, is it find a few that fill different ecological niches. I've got too many grazers in my tank, and I'm asking for trouble. Certain fish are more shy and won't do well with more aggressive roommates.
LiveAquaria provides some decent overview of statistics. Some many need colder water, while most like 77-78°. At their website you can filter by your tank size, which is handy.
"How many" isn't really the question until you answer, "how stable and solid is you maintenance and skimmer"? Etc.
Sadly, then you also have to consider order of entry. One particular fish may not accept newcomers, but fine if it goes in last.
So to answer your question about Cardinalfish, that also depends on if they are all the same, or different. Some like to fight with their own species, but leave other Cardinalfish alone.
Watch out for jumpers unless you have a screen top (I lost 2 favorites suddenly in December after a year).
Pick fish that will be able to live to full size, not just since they are currently small. I violated this as well by taking in a baby Volitan LionFish for 6 months until a friends tank was ready. He was amazing, but a time bomb. Everyday I had to double check if my Chromis was food or friend...
Your tank should have fish YOU love and fit YOUR tank. Kinda like getting advice on a coral. I dig Zoanthids, some think they are over priced weeds.
I think a Gobie and/or Beenie, a few different Cardinalfish, a Wrasse or 2, and maybe a firefish? But you may not love any of those.
My last, and indisputable tips would be to post your proposed list, along with tank specs, to the thread that Steve, (Snorvich) moderates. He provides feedback on compatibility regarding everything from territorial aggression to eating habits to actual tank size requirements. His advice can save you a lot. But he won't make recommendations.
Post a list and a pic once you have some ideas.

stingeragent
03/11/2015, 06:47 PM
+10 to getting rid of the blue damsel. They will try and attack other fish no matter how big they are. I'd recommend getting a couple clowns. They are interesting to watch. Some of the small cardinals would be ok. The 1 bad thing about saltwater tanks is most of the well known , wanted display fish, all require large tanks. I put a yellow tang in a 20gallon long when I first started and he was not a happy fish. Took him back to LFS the next day. You could probably get away with certain fish if you had a tank longer than taller.

mpderksen
03/11/2015, 06:55 PM
+10 to getting rid of the blue damsel. They will try and attack other fish no matter how big they are. I'd recommend getting a couple clowns. They are interesting to watch. Some of the small cardinals would be ok. The 1 bad thing about saltwater tanks is most of the well known , wanted display fish, all require large tanks. I put a yellow tang in a 20gallon long when I first started and he was not a happy fish. Took him back to LFS the next day. You could probably get away with certain fish if you had a tank longer than taller.


+1
Isn't that a primary reason so many of us can't stop the "upgrade cycle"?
I must say, though, that a well-thought out 37 can be a simply beautiful reef!
Below is my first little 10 gallon nano that ran on my desk for years. No controller, no dosing, and I was the ATO.

311005

stingeragent
03/11/2015, 06:58 PM
Agreed. The great thing about coral is there really isn't a tank size requirements provided you have the time to keep a smaller tank stable.

mpderksen
03/11/2015, 07:06 PM
Agreed. The great thing about coral is there really isn't a tank size requirements provided you have the time to keep a smaller tank stable.


2 gallons every week (20%) on a 10gal was easy and cheap. For my 75 I had to spring for a DOS unit to stop lugging buckets every week.

stingeragent
03/11/2015, 07:13 PM
I have a hard enough time keeping my 20 stable with long work hours. Have to top that thing off almost daily.

mpderksen
03/11/2015, 07:53 PM
I have a hard enough time keeping my 20 stable with long work hours. Have to top that thing off almost daily.


Not to derail the OP.... But I guess I will.
I bought an Aqualifter, a DIY project box and relay, a length of tubing, cheap float switch and a 5gal water bottle all for less than $40. I still use it today on my 75, even with my Apex..

Daltonbilecki
03/11/2015, 07:54 PM
Wow so much great feed back I really appreciate it guys.
So after looking at my options heres what im considering in the long run: green chromis, bicolor dottyback, longnose hawkfish, pair of clowns, some sort of cardinals, sailfin or algea blenny, ?dwarf lionfish? (Not going to keep all, just ideas).
What are some wrase species that would do good in this setup? Also i have a secure lid so the eel and other fish are fine.

mpderksen
03/11/2015, 07:59 PM
Wow so much great feed back I really appreciate it guys.

So after looking at my options heres what im considering in the long run: green chromis, bicolor dottyback, longnose hawkfish, pair of clowns, some sort of cardinals, sailfin or algea blenny, ?dwarf lionfish? (Not going to keep all, just ideas).

What are some wrase species that would do good in this setup? Also i have a secure lid so the eel and other fish are fine.


Can I respectfully recommend a Royal Gramma over the Dottyback? Looks the same and far less aggressive. Note that Hawkfish may/will eat inverts. So if you want any shrimp, those are out. I can't comment intelligently on the dwarf LF.

Daltonbilecki
03/11/2015, 08:08 PM
Can I respectfully recommend a Royal Gramma over the Dottyback? Looks the same and far less aggressive. Note that Hawkfish may/will eat inverts. So if you want any shrimp, those are out. I can't comment intelligently on the dwarf LF.

Ok thanks for all the info. Im still new to salt and dont have any experience with some of the fish I mentioned, so i will still take out/add to my list of options. I don't mind not keeping shrimp since I already have my lil moray, so i kinda like the idea of a dwarf lion.

stingeragent
03/11/2015, 08:42 PM
Your best bet when looking for fish will be looking at their max adult size. On a smaller size tank, the smaller the better. Fish can take a while to mature. I have a few fish in a 55gal that will definitely either have to rehomed when they grow or I'll have to upgrade (most likely choice), but you will definitely catch flak for it on here. If you do go that route though, in the best interest of the fish you do have to actually stick with upgrading as they grow or re-homing.