14 gallon biocube stocking question

[hallzy21]

I have a 14 gallon biocube that I set up about 6 weeks ago. I currently have some snails, hermits, and a brittle star for a CUC, and I also have a nice group of pulsing xenias, and a few blue mushrooms. I plan on adding more soft coral, maybe a clam, ect. What I am wondering about tho is what type of fish stock I could go with. I know I want a mandarin. All my water and rock came from my uncle's established reef tank, so I already have a large enough copepod population to get one. I know with it only being 14 gallons, there's not much else I can do. I was thinking just one more fish. I would really like a flame angel, but don't know if it would be reef compatable, or if 14 gallons is even big enough to accomidate. Any other suggestions I could add of a flame angel won't work?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3546272
I have a 14 gallon biocube that I set up about 6 weeks ago. I currently have some snails, hermits, and a brittle star for a CUC, and I also have a nice group of pulsing xenias, and a few blue mushrooms. I plan on adding more soft coral, maybe a clam, ect. What I am wondering about tho is what type of fish stock I could go with. I know I want a mandarin. All my water and rock came from my uncle's established reef tank, so I already have a large enough copepod population to get one. I know with it only being 14 gallons, there's not much else I can do. I was thinking just one more fish. I would really like a flame angel, but don't know if it would be reef compatable, or if 14 gallons is even big enough to accomidate. Any other suggestions I could add of a flame angel won't work?

Hi,

I hate to burst your bubble, but your tank is too teeny for anything else to live in it except MAYBE a tiny yellow clown. The flame angel needs a minimum 30g tank, the mandarin needs at least a 55g with at least 30 pounds of live rock. Nor do you have a large enough copepod population to keep one... you would need a refugium to constantly repopulate the tank with pods, a mandarin would deplete the population in that tiny tank in a single day, then starve.

The smaller the tank the harder it is to keep stable, and 14g is a very, very small SW tank...

 

[hallzy21]

Oh wow, I kinda figured it would be too small for a flame, but I thought a mandarin only needed a 10 gallon tank. Thank u for the info! I really wanted to avoid fish all together when I got this tank cause they make it so much harder to keep. I would like to add one fish tho. Not in any kind of hurry to add one tho. I have always liked little fire fish gobies, but they are kind of boring to be my only fish. Lol any other ideas?

 

[bang guy]

A Barnacle Blenny.

 

[trigger40]

i dont know much about mandarin but im pritty shur they need a tank of at least 50 gallons. but i think a yellow banded possum wrass or a yellow clown gobie would go great.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3546305
Oh wow, I kinda figured it would be too small for a flame, but I thought a mandarin only needed a 10 gallon tank. Thank u for the info! I really wanted to avoid fish all together when I got this tank cause they make it so much harder to keep. I would like to add one fish tho. Not in any kind of hurry to add one tho. I have always liked little fire fish gobies, but they are kind of boring to be my only fish. Lol any other ideas?

Hi,

There a some nice little nano fish like the yellow clown gobie...look into those.

 

[hallzy21]

Thank your for the responses everyone! I think I have made a decision (for now) on what I would like to eventually add, but wanna get your input on what u think. I would like to add a court jester goby (rainsford goby), and possibly 2 or 3 firefish gobies. The only reason I say 2 or 3 is because I've read that they seem to do better in pairs or small groups, and I used to have 3 of them in my old 30 gallon setup, and they were very cool to watch swim together. BUT do u think adding 2 or 3 of these guys along with the court jester goby would be too much for my little 14 gallon nano?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3546359
Thank your for the responses everyone! I think I have made a decision (for now) on what I would like to eventually add, but wanna get your input on what u think. I would like to add a court jester goby (rainsford goby), and possibly 2 or 3 firefish gobies. The only reason I say 2 or 3 is because I've read that they seem to do better in pairs or small groups, and I used to have 3 of them in my old 30 gallon setup, and they were very cool to watch swim together. BUT do u think adding 2 or 3 of these guys along with the court jester goby would be too much for my little 14 gallon nano?


Hi,

The ONE rainfords goby is okay...you can't add not one more fish at all, of anything...

If you really want more then one little fish, you will have to purchase a larger tank.

 

[hallzy21]

Hi,
The ONE rainfords goby is okay...you can't add not one more fish at all, of anything...
If you really want more then one little fish, you will have to purchase a larger tank.
Done deal! Thank u so much for all the info everyone! I will be looking to add a rainsford goby, and he will be an only fish! I really didn't want to add any fish in the first place so I could concentrate more on building a nice reef setup that would be easier to maintain without the dirty mess that fish tend to leave, but I guess one little guy won't hurt. Lol Again thanks to everyone that talked me out of adding more than I should! I will post a pic once I add my new addition!

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3546439
Done deal! Thank u so much for all the info everyone! I will be looking to add a rainsford goby, and he will be an only fish! I really didn't want to add any fish in the first place so I could concentrate more on building a nice reef setup that would be easier to maintain without the dirty mess that fish tend to leave, but I guess one little guy won't hurt. Lol Again thanks to everyone that talked me out of adding more than I should! I will post a pic once I add my new addition!

Hi,

What's so nice about that little goby is that it's a mini sand sifter, and it eats algae, so he is very helpful as well as good looking and adding some movement.

 

[hallzy21]

Update: I've been having some trouble finding a rainsford goby, and I'm thinking about changing plans and maybe just going with a good old fashioned clown fish. Gobies are rather skiddish anyways, and since this can only be a one fish tank, I think I'll go with one that is sociable and full of personality. (Plus I would never get tired of hearing my 2 year old daughter say "Nemo! Nemo!" lol)
Now the question is should I just get a plain ol percula, or does anyone have a different kind they prefer and why? I like the maroon clowns alot, and since he would be the only fish I wouldn't have to worry about him getting mean with other fish, but is my little 14 gallon biocube too small to house a maroon comfortably? Any opinions would be appreciated! Thanks!
On a side note, I owe Flower yet another thank u, I was at the LFS the other day and I came this close to taking a nice looking mandarin home with me.... but in the back of my mind I kept hearing "don't do it eric, flower would not approve!" Lol So instead I came home with another nice piece to add to my small but growing coral collection!

 

[trigger40]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3547732
Update: I've been having some trouble finding a rainsford goby, and I'm thinking about changing plans and maybe just going with a good old fashioned clown fish. Gobies are rather skiddish anyways, and since this can only be a one fish tank, I think I'll go with one that is sociable and full of personality. (Plus I would never get tired of hearing my 2 year old daughter say "Nemo! Nemo!" lol)
Now the question is should I just get a plain ol percula, or does anyone have a different kind they prefer and why? I like the maroon clowns alot, and since he would be the only fish I wouldn't have to worry about him getting mean with other fish, but is my little 14 gallon biocube too small to house a maroon comfortably? Any opinions would be appreciated! Thanks!
On a side note, I owe Flower yet another thank u, I was at the LFS the other day and I came this close to taking a nice looking mandarin home with me.... but in the back of my mind I kept hearing "don't do it eric, flower would not approve!" Lol So instead I came home with another nice piece to add to my small but growing coral collection!

i would go with the percula. the tank is a little too small for a clown but sence it is only one you could get away with it IMO.

 

[hallzy21]

Oh i thought clowns only needed 10 gallons. Well perculas anyways. Been reading that maroons need more since they get bigger.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3547783
Oh i thought clowns only needed 10 gallons. Well perculas anyways. Been reading that maroons need more since they get bigger.

If memory serves, (I loaned my fish book out) a perc clown needs a 30g tank. For the life of me I don't know why, mine always just hovered in a corner and only swam around at feeding time. Nipping ay any fish that came too close to the output tube they decided was their happy place. They were hands down the most boring fish I ever kept. LOL...But children do call them Nemo fish.

The Hectors and Rainford goby (color is the difference) will swim all over the tank, and gather tiny bits of sand and sift it. You can find them on-line all the time, they are not hard to get at all.

 

[trigger40]

just a question, when books list the minimal tank size for clowns do you think they are taking into account that people want to pair them or do they list the minimal tank size for a single fish or a pair.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by trigger40 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3547828
just a question, when books list the minimal tank size for clowns do you think they are taking into account that people want to pair them or do they list the minimal tank size for a single fish or a pair.

Hi,

The tank size listed as minimum, is the size tank that type of fish will feel most comfortable and able to swim in. You can have several fish that require a 30g tank, and several that need a minimum 10g and up to the 30g. However if it's listed as needing a bigger tank as the minimum size...pass on adding that fish.

There are many good reasons for always purchasing a fish for the right size tank, to name a few:

• When you need to re-home a fish that has outgrown it's tank, you usually have to completely demolish the rock work, and if you have corals, that's no easy task since everything is happy as it i,s and changes cause problems. Then you can't redo the rock just like you had it before and many fish have established a home by then.
• Moving rocks that have been sitting for a long time, could release toxins layered in the sand under the rock, killing everything in the tank.
  To you it's just a fish tank, but to the fish, it's their entire world. You stress out a fish chasing it with a net, not to mention stressing out all the other fish in there as well. Stressed fish are more susceptible to disease and parasites.

 

[bang guy]

Also keep in mind that minimum really means minimum. Typically the suggested tank size will be far larger.

Look at it this way - what would be the minimum amount of space you need to stay alive for the rest of your life?

 

[trigger40]

i was just wondering because picking the right fish is always difficult IMO. and if i have a 20g tank and the clown i want needs a 20g tank minimum does that mean i could get two. this is not an actual situation i was just asking.

 

[bang guy]

For the smaller Clownfish species I think a 20 is fine for a pair.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by trigger40 http:///t/397745/14-gallon-biocube-stocking-question#post_3547971
i was just wondering because picking the right fish is always difficult IMO. and if i have a 20g tank and the clown i want needs a 20g tank minimum does that mean i could get two. this is not an actual situation i was just asking.

Hi,

Get this book, the adult size of the fish is listed, and the minimum tank size the fish can live in...and like Bang Guy said...minimum really does mean the least amount of space needed. When it comes to tank size....the bigger, the better!



Here is a sample page of the info the book offers.