Help me chose which fish to stock!

[hallzy]

I recently had to start over with my 29 gallon. I got it all set up, it has cycled, and I got my CUC in and they are hard at work! Now I need to decide which fish I should stock!
The CUC i have in the tank now are a cleaner shrimp, 4 hermits, 6 nass snails, 4 nerite snails, and a brittle star. I plan on getting a few more snails and maybe a few for hermits as well.
I plan on keeping it a FOWLR tank, and I like fish with alot of color and personality. I also like inverts like crabs and shrimp. I know theres not a whole lot I can do with a 29 gallon, but anyone have any ideas for me?!

 

[lovehatejon]

hmm, what kind of fish are interested in?
if your looking for color and personality id go with 2 clowns. they can be a lot of fun to watch, and are quite hardy.
hmm, maybe even a green chromis.

 

[hunt]

i have a 29 gallon with a false black percula clown and a false orange percula clown and they get along great and they have great personallities. Also royal grammas have great coloring but the personalities are hit/miss they can be very friendly or skittish. i also have a valentini puffer wich has cool coloring and a great personalitie(only prooblem is it eats most inverts although mine hasnt really touch my turbo snails) be careful with a puffer and inverts. six lined wrasses also have grreat coloring to but they can be skittish docile or aggresive. I would reccomend a clownfish or two.

 

[hallzy]

Originally Posted by LoveHateJon
http:///forum/post/3209277
hmm, what kind of fish are interested in?
if your looking for color and personality id go with 2 clowns. they can be a lot of fun to watch, and are quite hardy.
hmm, maybe even a green chromis.
I do like both of those fish! I had a clown before I lost all my fish.

I like blennys and gobys alot too.

 

[hallzy]

I almost got a 6 line the other day. They were on sale and they are fun to watch! I didn't get him though because I didn't want to rush getting fish into the tank. It has cycled but Im being very patient this time around. I didn't want to start putting fish in the instant it cycled! I think a 6 line may be my first fish when im ready though!

 

[lovehatejon]

Originally Posted by hallzy
http:///forum/post/3209286
I almost got a 6 line the other day. They were on sale and they are fun to watch! I didn't get him though because I didn't want to rush getting fish into the tank. It has cycled but Im being very patient this time around. I didn't want to start putting fish in the instant it cycled! I think a 6 line may be my first fish when im ready though!
yeah, i like 6 lines

. i would get one, but i got a demon tomato clown which is aggressive toward everything except my ocellaris clown.

go figure.
how long has it been since your tank was done cycling.
better yet how long has it been set up?

 

[hallzy]

Originally Posted by LoveHateJon
http:///forum/post/3209291
yeah, i like 6 lines

. i would get one, but i got a demon tomato clown which is aggressive toward everything except my ocellaris clown. %% go figure.
how long has it been since your tank was done cycling.
better yet how long has it been set up?
lol, yeah i know better than to get a tomato clown, ive heard horror stories about those guys! My new tank has been set up for about a month and it just finished cycling as far as I know. Im not exactly sure how to tell. When I first got the tank I bought it off my uncle and kept the same water and all so I didn't have to worry about it. All my levels are good except for my nitrates which are down to id say about 20. Thats the main reason I didn't and wont get a fish yet.
When I had it set up before, i could never get my nitrates down, it seemed they were always around 40, and even water changes didn't help. But my fish seemed to do fine. Until recently, when I lost all my fish I had a nitrate spike, which caused algae blooms and ultimately the death of all my fish.

Thats why I'm so weary with everything I do now.
I now have a QT tank set up, and I'm trying to go about doing everything right. I know I will probably get reamed on here for this but I use tap water. I just cant bring myself to BUY water, and I dont have the time to deal with an RO system. I use Prime now for any new water that I add.

 

[browniebuck]

We have the following fish in our 29...
1 percula clown (had two but one looked like it got tumors and died after about 2 1/2 years)
1 half black angel (I think that if you get one small, you should be ok with a dwarf angel...as long as you aren't going for coral)
1 6line wrasse...be careful adding this fish first, they have a BAD reputation (ask BLTDreef)...though ours is fine (last fish added).
1 BIG cleaner shrimp
1 pink pincushion urchin
I am considering adding a firefish or two as well.

 

[lovehatejon]

Originally Posted by hallzy
http:///forum/post/3209307
lol, yeah i know better than to get a tomato clown, ive heard horror stories about those guys! My new tank has been set up for about a month and it just finished cycling as far as I know. Im not exactly sure how to tell. When I first got the tank I bought it off my uncle and kept the same water and all so I didn't have to worry about it. All my levels are good except for my nitrates which are down to id say about 20. Thats the main reason I didn't and wont get a fish yet.
When I had it set up before, i could never get my nitrates down, it seemed they were always around 40, and even water changes didn't help. But my fish seemed to do fine. Until recently, when I lost all my fish I had a nitrate spike, which caused algae blooms and ultimately the death of all my fish.

Thats why I'm so weary with everything I do now.
I now have a QT tank set up, and I'm trying to go about doing everything right. I know I will probably get reamed on here for this but I use tap water. I just cant bring myself to BUY water, and I dont have the time to deal with an RO system. I use Prime now for any new water that I add.
there are stories? i never heard any. but i sure learned on my own

okayy.
1st. nitrates aren't really as terrible as people make it out to be in a fowlr setup, sure i like to keep mine at 20 but 40 surely wont do no harm. i know lfs that's nitrate is 160. i mean its disgusting high but not as harmful as you would think.
2nd. i use tap water. just make sure you use de-chlorinaters like stress coat+

 

[hallzy]

I think I am going to add 3 firefish. Ive read they like to be paired in 3s. perhaps I will reconsider making my 6 line the 1st fish. Sounds like he might need to be my LAST fish!

 

[hallzy]

Originally Posted by LoveHateJon
http:///forum/post/3209323
there are stories? i never heard any. but i sure learned on my own

okayy.
1st. nitrates aren't really as terrible as people make it out to be in a fowlr setup, sure i like to keep mine at 20 but 40 surely wont do no harm. i know lfs that's nitrate is 160. i mean its disgusting high but not as harmful as you would think.
2nd. i use tap water. just make sure you use de-chlorinaters like stress coat+

So 20 really isn't that bad then? I guess I was just always under the impression that they needed to be at 0! And Im so glad to hear I'm not the only one on this site that uses tap water! lol Can I ask what the exact de-chlorinater you use? And should I be using prime?

 

[lovehatejon]

oh, and if your uncle had it setup with water and everything im sure theres no need for a cycle. it should be pretty mature.
what are your reading?
do you have lr?
you'll know when its done when ammonia is at 0 as well as nitrite. generally after the cycle the only thing up will be nitrates.

 

[lovehatejon]

Originally Posted by hallzy
http:///forum/post/3209327
So 20 really isn't that bad then? I guess I was just always under the impression that they needed to be at 0! And Im so glad to hear I'm not the only one on this site that uses tap water! lol Can I ask what the exact de-chlorinater you use? And should I be using prime?
oh no, the only time it is necessary to shoot for 0 with your dealing with coral. fish aren't really so much effected by nitrates 20 is actually a rather good level. but i would never let it go past 40 personally- just makes me feel on the safe side.

and the declorinater use is called 'stress coat+' im sure its at your nearest lfs. that's all i add to my tap water with the exception of salt.

 

[hallzy]

Originally Posted by LoveHateJon
http:///forum/post/3209328
oh, and if your uncle had it setup with water and everything im sure theres no need for a cycle. it should be pretty mature.
what are your reading?
do you have lr?
you'll know when its done when ammonia is at 0 as well as nitrite. generally after the cycle the only thing up will be nitrates.
No when I ORIGINALLY got the tank about 3 years ago i kept my uncles water. When I got the algea bloom and all my fish died i completly started over. I emptied it, cleaned it, bought all new live sand (40 lbs) used the same LR (also about 40 lbs if I had to guess). My ph is 8.4 and my ammonia and nitrites are 0.

 

[browniebuck]

Using established water isn't necessarily important (granted it is better than using ALL new water). Using established, cured LR IS important if you want to avoid a cycle. If you used fully cured LR, you shouldn't see much of a cycle at all (assuming you used a decent amount of it).

 

[lovehatejon]

Originally Posted by hallzy
http:///forum/post/3209334
No when I ORIGINALLY got the tank about 3 years ago i kept my uncles water. When I got the algea bloom and all my fish died i completly started over. I emptied it, cleaned it, bought all new live sand (40 lbs) used the same LR (also about 40 lbs if I had to guess). My ph is 8.4 and my ammonia and nitrites are 0.
my readings are
ammonia; 0
nitrite; 0
ph; 8.4
nitrate; 20
and im going steady now for 2 1/2 months.
how long has the lr been out for? if long its hardly live.

 

[hunt]

Originally Posted by hallzy
http:///forum/post/3209324
I think I am going to add 3 firefish. Ive read they like to be paired in 3s. perhaps I will reconsider making my 6 line the 1st fish. Sounds like he might need to be my LAST fish!
i had a firefish but it died a couple weeks ago, i dont no why but it just stopped eating and one night it went into a live rock, the next morning it was dead. i also hear they jump out of the water so make sure your tank is well covered. i also think purple firefish have better colering than a regular firefish. they are a little more expensive though

 

[hunt]

So 20 really isn't that bad then? I guess I was just always under the impression that they needed to be at 0! And Im so glad to hear I'm not the only one on this site that uses tap water! lol Can I ask what the exact de-chlorinater you use? And should I be using prime]
I use my tap water to wich is well water. i have never had a pproblem using it (there is no chlorine in it of coarse).

 

[hallzy]

Originally Posted by browniebuck
http:///forum/post/3209309
(I think that if you get one small, you should be ok with a dwarf angel...as long as you aren't going for coral)
A flame or coral beauty is a dwarf angel right? I would love either one of those. Im just afraid to get one because I know you can only keep one per tank because they will attack each other, and I put a mirror up on the back of my tank during the process of starting over. It looks absolutely AMAZING, but i think I will have to be careful on what goes into the tank so it doesn't attack itself!

 

[hallzy]

Originally Posted by LoveHateJon
http:///forum/post/3209347
how long has the lr been out for? if long its hardly live.
While I was emptying and cleaning the 29 gallon, I put all the rock except for my 2 BIG base rocks into a 10 gallon that had 5 gallons of water from the 29 and 5 gallons of new water. When I was done cleaning I put the base rocks back into the 29 with the new water (they were only out about 4 hours tops). I added the rest of the rocks back into the 29 from the 10 after about 2 weeks.
So adding established rocks along with using GOOD live sand is probably why it cycled as fast as it did. (the sand I used claimed that it helped cycle the tank faster.)