Stocking query

[Tankssy]

In a few months we will be starting a new build, 29G Biocube. We have been trying to work out a stocking list fish wise for it and I wanted to ask a few questions. We will be keeping small sized fish of course and understand with that size in mind, we are looking at 4-6 small fish. I will be putting my little Clown Goby in from a different tank I am shutting down and my husband will be putting in a red dragonette.

We really like blennies and gobies but would that be too many bottom dwelling fish? Would a Candy Pistol/ Goby pair be ok or should we try to get a few mid lvl type fish? And if we go for mid lvl which ones would be best that have that much personality? How many bottom/rock fish can you keep together? We will need whatever that goes in to be reef safe.

Just want to make sure we get as much info about fish and get our choices for stock down. Thanks.

[Betta132]

You can't keep a dragonet, I'm afraid, there aren't enough pods in a 29g to keep it alive. If you try to feed it frozen, it will gradually starve.
4-6 might be too many unless you're keeping only fish under 2" long.
A candy pistol and a small shrimpgoby would be fine, sure.
Clown gobies don't tend to compete with other goby species.
I would suggest no other gobies if you get a shrimpgoby, but you could keep a blenny.

[ridetolive]

I don't believe bennies would work well with gobies in that small of a tank. I would try to get fish that would use different areas of your tank. If you had the shrimp goby and clown goby you should still be able to do a hector or rainford goby. They swim all around the tank picking at algae. With a small peaceful tank firefish are always out swimming. Yes like Betta said a dragonet would starve to death from lack of pods in a 29 gal. Even if it were eating prepared foods.

[eatbreakfast]

Depending on the species, some shrimp gobies are quite tolerant of other gobies. In one tank I have 3 different species of shrimp goby sharing the same burrow.

An Ecsenius blenny, such as E. stignatura or E. Linneatus will do fine with gobies.

Firefish and dartfish would work, as well as share the shrimp and watchmans burrow.

[Betta132]

Don't get a crested oyster goby. They're actually quite mean, IME.
Ooh, I second the firefish suggestion, or maybe get a tilefish. If you're going to keep only tiny peaceful things, you should take advantage of that and get shy fish that normally don't come out much.
Look into masked gobies. They're kind of like mini cardinalfish. I thought they were baby cardinals when I first saw them.
Things to NOT get that might seem fine at first:
Dottybacks
Grammas
Green chromis
Baggai cardinalfish (large mouths)
Pyjama cardinals (same)
Any type of crab

[MedicalRower]

I might disagree with the any type of crab. I am a fan of the emerald crab in the nano tank setting. I am also almost always a fan of clowns in any tank, small or large. Personal preference, though!

[Betta132]

I don't personally like emerald crabs, as they have been known to eat vulnerable fish like small gobies.
You could possibly attempt a porcelain crab, as they're filter-feeders, but it might need to be target-fed in a tank that small.
A squat lobster is a possibility. It's a small creature (I don't remember if it's technically a crab) that's suitable only for little tanks due to the fact that it's easily eaten and sometimes hard to find. If you can find one at a LFS, I suggest buying it, they're too small to harm anything.

Also, don't get a banded coral shrimp, it'll eat your fish.
Cleaner shrimp are an option, but they're aggressive towards other shrimp. If you get a cleaner shrimp, expect it to kill any small shrimp you try to add.
A group of sexy shrimp (that's their actual name, yes) would probably work quite well, as long as you stick to little bitty fish.

[arashsheikhpoor]

when I had a 24 gallon, I had a pair of clown, yellow watchman with pistol and mandarin goby who ate pellets.

[eatbreakfast]

Emerald crabs are generally a safe bet unless the tank is seriously underfed as they are not great hunters and can usually only catch a fish that is in an already weakened state. Emeralds are also one of the most versatile algae eaters around.

Squat lobsters are great, and their are a couple of larger ones that can hold their own against any fish that would be housed in a 29g. And they are technically a crab.

Cleaner shrimp aggression toward other shrimp is more focused on other shrimp that function as cleaners, so think anything that has a body shape like it.

[Tankssy]

Ok, so we decided not to put my lil clown goby in cause of all the SPS we will be putting in. We did add our first fish a yellow watchman. We also have decided it on a purple firefish. Still undecided about whether or not to add clowns. Did want to ask people opinions about how many different types of firefish you can keep together though. And what about a long finned fairy wrasse? Any interesting mid level fish that would do well in our tank?

[bat21]

Multiple firefish will likely end up as one firefish. A perfect fish to go with a firefish and watchman goby in that tank would be a possum wrasse. I have one in my 66 gallon and its by far my favorite fish. Never stops swimming, which you need since the goby and firefish will be doing a lot of standing still.