Choose my fish... 22G reef

[chelskisw6]

Im in the process of choosing fish for my 22g cadlights tank. It is mostly softies, cuc and a pep/sexy shrimp.

Im thinking of 2-4 fish. but nice ones, not the run of the mill, everyone has them kinda fish...

Right now Im choosing from the following fish:

pair onyx clowns
Mystery wrasse
Bluespot jaw
A. Thiellei clownfish
w/c black occelaris paired with t/r black occy
Helfrishi Firefish

I'm aware that some of these are jumpers, and will get a top if i go with those fish. And im aware that the mystery may eat the sexy/pep shrimp... any other possible conflicts?

Feel free to make any criticisms (if constructive) or additions to my list. :)

[Sk8r]

Only one type of clown per tank: they'll easily claim 20 gallons for themselves and their nest, and will assuredly fight any interloper in my own experience---pugnacious little characters.
You might get away with the jawfish. I'd recommend against a helfrichi until that tank is much older, and I'd recommend against a wrasse, for one thing because 2 clowns and a jawfish will about max out that tank, and for another because the wrasse will become a PITA at close quarters: they fight, and may drive an eventual firefish to jump, no question.

[john37]

mystery wrasse might eat your sexy shrimp. How about a fairy wrasse.

[ACBlinky]

How about a clown goby? You'd get a whole lot of personality in a tiny package. I loved my YCG Bert (pictured in my avatar with his host fox coral) and was very sad the day he died. I had an ich outbreak in my old tank and by the time I got the fish into quarantine he was just too far gone.

A pistol shrimp/goby pair is lots of fun and they're well suited to smaller tanks. My tiger pistol paired up with his orange-spot goby within minutes and they were inseperable from day one.

I like the idea of a pair of clowns for a smaller tank as well. You might consider keeping a pair alone with just inverts; I'm not sure if it would happen in a nano, but you might be able to see breeding behaviour if they were the only fish in the tank.

[chelskisw6]

thanks for the input...
I'm aware of only having one type of clownfish, I'm choosing between all those fish, not choosing all of them ;)

i also like the pistol shrimp/goby combo, and would consider that instead of a jawfish, but i want to be 100% certain they would pair up.

i would also remove the sexy shrimp if i got a mystery wrasse, im actually considering removing them anyway because they bother my zoas and rics.

i actually had a clown goby, but i didn't like it that much, it didn't do enough swimming. i think ideally i would like one fish the lives on/near the bottom, and 2 in the middle of the water column....

any other ideas??

[Shekki]

In my nano right now is:

Spotted Mandarin-always swimming around
Firefish-usually in the front of the tank
2 pajama cardinals-always visible and just hanging around
White sleeper goby-bought him for my 75 but my dottyback was badgering him. He's always swimming and eating sand.

It is a bit overstocked, but they're all moving to a 50 in a month.

I had a clown when I first got the nano, and I must say that I'm bored with them. Mine adopted a frogspawn and never left it alone, unless I had my hand in the tank and then it would attack me.

Robb