15g tall

[fishbuddy]

hey everyone
Ihave a 15g tall with approx. 5-6lbs of liverock, 2 striped damsels, 2 scarlet hermits(medium sized), 2 blue leg hermits(tiny) and a large snail(not sure what type,i'll post a picture later for help identifying).I am looking for some advice on a few things.
1. what is the appropriate amount of live rock for that size?
2. is it normal for the damsels(actually just 1 of them) to "pester" the crabs(i believe he may have bitten off one leg on one of the scarlets)?
3. the damsels are my "cycle fish" and i plan on trading them in so any advice on fish groupings would be appreciated
4. is my cleanup crew sufficient(i plan on also adding a shrimp or two), or do i need to change anything?
ihave more ???? but i'll save them for another thread!
any help is appreciated.

 

[fishbuddy]

OK 1 more question:thinking: where to position a powerhead being a tall tank? thanks for any help.

 

[scubanoah]

I think you should have between 15 and 20lbs of live rock. It is not uncommon for any fish to pester a crab. as for your cleanup you should probably get some more snails, about 10 turbos should be plenty. maybe a couple cleaner shrimp at the most. hope this helps.

 

[scubanoah]

and for your powerhead question, I think 2 powerheads are best in a tall tank. 1 top 1 bottom opposite sides from each other for crossflow.

 

[fishbuddy]

Thanks scuba. im thinking of putting a firefish goby, a clown or 2 and maybe a blenny(lawnmower or bi color). would the blenny be to much or will there be enough food for all the cleanup crew to peacefully co exist? does this sound like a peaceful tank? the damsels are quite frankly getting on my nerves as the one is either chasing the other or pestering the crabs constantly. i want my tank to be relaxing!

 

[22caddy]

Thanks scuba. im thinking of putting a firefish goby, a clown or 2 and maybe a blenny(lawnmower or bi color). would the blenny be to much or will there be enough food for all the cleanup crew to peacefully co exist? does this sound like a peaceful tank? the damsels are quite frankly getting on my nerves as the one is either chasing the other or pestering the crabs constantly. i want my tank to be relaxing!
IMO that would be too many fish. I would stick with 2 total. There will be enough food. My LMB gets on my nerves actually. He just thrashes around the tank always making dust storms and knocking things over. He acts like he owns the place.

 

[lefty]

1. Anywhere between 10 and 20 lbs will be sufficient. Even a little more if you wanted.
2. Damsels are aggressive little fish. I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing damage to your other inhabitants. Good luck catching them!
4 You could have a few more snails if you wanted. Keep in mind that a cleanup crew isn't exactly necessary; it's just what you want to have in there. If your tank stays clean with the inverts you have now, I don't see a need to buy more. That's not saying you couldn't, because you most certainly could if you felt inclined to do so. I myself will not be putting snails in my 29g tank. The sea star I want would make a meal out of them. I will, however, have a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and possible a couple hermits. I don't want to have 10-15 crabs running around my tank, hehe.
Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
-lefty

 

[lefty]

As for the fish you want to put in your tank, I would go with the pair of clowns and the firefish, but definitely not anymore than that. Three's already pushing the limits a bit, but it could work if your tank was maintained well. The live rock will help with the increased bioload, too.
When it comes to powerheads, you don't want any "dead spots" in your tank. I think purchasing two would be a good idea. Just make sure one is pointed at the surface to increase oxygen exchange.
-lefty

 

[fishbuddy]

thanks again guys, i forgot to mention that i will be converting a 10 gallon into a sump w/ live rock and a protein skimmer for the 15g. will that allow me to add a blenny to the 15g or am i still pushing it?
also any suggestions on setting up the sump are welcomed!

 

[bigarn]

No more than 3 fish.... the Blenny would be pushing it.

 

[scubanoah]

The sump does help some but does not increase smimming area. 3 fish would be max. IMO

 

[fishbuddy]

any suggestions on converting the 10g into a sump or fuge or both? oh yeah, and 3 fish it is:yes: thanks!