How big do these get??

[erhodejr]

I have about 9 fish in my tank right now and was curious on how big they get and how long I can keep them in a 40 wide tank. I have
25lbs Live rock
1 heniochus Butterfly
2 Percula clowns
2 Maroon clowns ( I know but they are getting along great with the perculas)
1 Lawnmower Blenny (peek-a-boo)
1 scooter Blenny ( draygo)
1 Mandarin Goby
1 honey Damsel
( can you tell which ones I like best )
I am planning on upgrading tanks in the future but not sure how long until I can afford the one I want.
I was told by my LFS that this would be fine but by reading other posts I know now not to believe them. How big would they get and How long can they last in a 40gal tank
Thanks in advance

 

[beth]

Most of those fish [except the butterfly] can be the right size for your tank as they aren't really large fish, however, of concern is your ability to adequately feed a lawnmower [one of your favs] because this is a herbivore species [vegetarian only] that fequently starves to death in a tank such as yours. Same for the mandarin which needs a larger tank that can support its food requirements. Neither of these fish readily accept hobby packaged foods, meaning that they need to get their food from the tank environment.
So, in this situation, it is not the size of the fish that is neceassarily the problem, it is that some of the fish you have chosen are just not likely candidate for survival in a new tank. Only experienced hobbyists that can supply the fish with the nutritional needs they require should attempt to keep these fish.
Also, the butterfly needs swimming space and plenty of LR teaming with food. This fish mostly eats off the microfauna found in LR.
You basically have 3 fish that are going to rely heavily on the tank environment to produce an adquate food supply for them. I just don't see that happening.
Please do a search here on lawnmowers, butterflies and mandarins for additional info. There are also some good reference books that you may want to invest in that can help guide you regarding best choices to make for your particular setup.

 

[erhodejr]

I am going to be adding about 5-10 lbs of live rock about every other week. the LR I have now seems to have plenty of growth on it, so I am hoping it will have enough for them to thrive until I get my larger tank
Thank you for your reply