Compatability

[jeffduofmich]

I have a 12 gallon tank that has 2 percula clowns and a scissortail goby. The problem I have is that I never see the goby eat, I also read that the tank needs to have some substrate in it. Can anyone help me with this. Also I could move it into the larger tank 55 gallons but am not sure about compatability with the other fish (purple firefish, firefish-orange, 2 maroon clowns, 1 sailfin) I would rather have it in the little tank but would also be a good addition to larger tank.

 

[clown fish heir]

a 12 gallon is barely big enough for two clowns, let alone a goby.

 

[thomas712]

Welcome to the board jeffduofmich
If you were to move the perculas to the 55 the maroons would likely pic on the perculas to death, I've seen it happen, maroons will be very teritorial and can be quite mean when they are large. Most LFS will not even keep them together.
What have you been trying to feed your goby? gobys tend to like a substrate bottom from which they will feed off of.
As to the substrate issuse, aragonite sand is the best to go with as it is a natural filter and offers a great surface area for the colinization of heathy bacteria, in such a small tank crushed coral will work also but sand is by far the better choice. This sand substrate will also house pods and worms and other infauna that your goby would/could feed off of.
Keep an eye on your sailfin, a great fish, but may outgrow your 55, the larger he gets the more stressed he could become. They like lots of swiming room, and a 55 might be a little cramped for him in the future.
Thomas