How's this for a 20g?

lefty

lefty

Active Member
I originally posted this in the Nano Tanks section, but it would seem as though not many go in there. =)
For Christmas, I will be getting a 20g glass tank along with an Eclipse 2 Hood (plus powerheads, a heater, test kits, etc.). I will most likely have LR as well. Anyway, I have been considering what I would want in the aquarium and have come up with what I think is a nice combination:
- Two Percula Clownfish
- Chocolate Chip Sea Star
- Scarlet Leg Crab
- Possibly a Black Clown Goby (although some have said that this is one too many fish for my aquarium--please share any thoughts you may have concerning this)
I will definitely be getting the clownfish and CC, so everything else is subject to change.
Since Chocolate Chips are prone to eating sponges, all kinds of corals, snails, and other invertebrates, I am unsure of what else I could put in the tank, if anything at all. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks in advance =)
-lefty
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
clown gobys and clownfish go good together. the goby is small and mostly 'sits', and doesn't create a lot of waste, so I personally think you'd be ok. I think you'll need more of a cleaning crew than just one crab. I would get a cleaner shrimp, because they have a buttload of personality.
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
I figured I would need more for a cleaner crew, but I don't want to buy a shrimp and have the CC eat it for dinner. =)
-lefty
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
personally, I'd take the shrimp over the starfish anyday, the shrimp is an entertainment system unto itself. are you sure those starfish eat motile inverts? I thought they ate corals and algae?
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
I've heard that CCs are highly entertaining. Plus I've had my heart set on a sea star for awhile =).
From what I've read (and I've read a lot), Chocolate Chips will eat almost anything it can get its arms on. Small pieces of shrimp are recommended for spot feeding. They've been known to pry clams out of their shells and snack on snails as well.
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
Nooo! Chocolate Chips forever! =P
Chocolate Chips are supposed to be extremely active and entertaining--perhaps as entertaining as your guys' beloved shrimp. =)
 
archon

archon

Member
real entertaining when u cant have any corals and it eats any snails in your tank.... ide love to pay 2 dollars for a snail to have it eaten =) i think being able to have an anemone(assuming the cc star will bug anemones) for the clownfish, some corals, and having some shrimp will be more entertaining than a chocolate chip star, if u really want a starfish, their are peaceful ones that will allow you to have corals and shrimps and snails and all those other goodies.
shrimp wins
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member

Originally posted by archon
real entertaining when u cant have any corals and it eats any snails in your tank.... ide love to pay 2 dollars for a snail to have it eaten =) i think being able to have an anemone(assuming the cc star will bug anemones) for the clownfish, some corals, and having some shrimp will be more entertaining than a chocolate chip star, if u really want a starfish, their are peaceful ones that will allow you to have corals and shrimps and snails and all those other goodies.
shrimp wins
Ah, but the shrimp loses! And here's why.
You assume that the CC is keeping me from a reef tank. I admit it would be nice to have one, but I don't have the means to keep up with the extra expenses. Anemones, coral, etc. are all great creatures that I would one day like to have. But, at this point in time, it's not practical for me. I'll be going to college soon and would rather maintain a tank with a bigger margin of error (this comes from the fact that most anemones and corals require very specific parameters to be happy).
CC wins, yes? :)
 
archon

archon

Member
there are some corals(such as some mushrooms) that are EXTREMELY easy to keep. and infact you are looking at starfish, which are very dificult to keep. it is said that they are a harder species to keep in the tank, so i think u would accually be better off with a beginner coral tank.:thinking:
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
What is so hard about keeping a CC? They are hardy, active creatures that will help keep my tank clean and entertain me at the same time. I'll spot feed it a couple times a week and that's that. What else am I missing that makes them hard to keep?
-lefty
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
I had a whelk that I mistakenly thought was a queen conch. it was very active and would zoom all over the tank. then I found out it wasn't a conch when it ate all my snails and half of my crabs. that was very entertaining.
If you have your heart set on a starfish, that's fine. but as far as pure entertainment, the shrimp wins, hands down. my cleaner shrimp comes out and BEGS for food, he thinks he a dog. he will climb all the way up my arm to the water surface, and will chase my fish around trying to clean them. he tries to start fights with my feather dusters and one large crab (he couldn't do much damage if he wanted to, but it's funny). I though it was ridiculous to pay $25 for one shrimp, but I have to say that he's been worth every penny. it's also funny when he molts and sticks his shell out on display to try and fool the other animals.
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member

That's pretty neat. I would invest in one of those as well as long as I knew the CC wouldn't eat him. If the shrimp is smart enough to keep away from the CC, I think he would do just fine. But I haven't read anything about both of them in a tank together. CCs would probably eat a fish if it were stationary for too long. But if they are as active as you say, then I think a shrimp would hold his own. =) Thanks for sharing!
-lefty
 
pontius

pontius

Active Member
the shrimp is every bit as fast as a fish. the only way it could be caught by a starfish would be by ambush, and I don't see that happening. ask around though.
 
B

betacrash

Guest
I recently added a chocolate chip star and two peppermint shrimp. i've heard that the cleaner shrimp has lots of personality. my cc star is a pretty mellow fellow, he just hangs out at the top of the tank in the back (where you can hardly see him) and lets one of his points float on top of the water. I havent had any issues of him tring to kill any of my little crabs or my hermit or my shrimp. but i have read an article and seen some pictures on the internet of some dudes cc star eating a yellow tang. dont ask me how that happens. oh well that was my 2cents. -betacrash
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
Like I said, I think it would do fine as long as it didn't make itself available for food for the CC. =)
See, now I can get both and we're all happy. :D
-lefty
 
unknown

unknown

Member
You don't have to worry about your CC eating your cleaner I have 2 CC's and 5 cleaners in different tanks. 1 CC with three cleaners in my 10 30 gallon. 1 CC and 2 cleaners in my 55.
Both of my CC don't mind the cleaners at all. My cleaners will stand ontop of the CC and clean him for hours and the CC acts like nothing is happening.
I swear that the CC will not eat the cleaner. They WILL eat there exoskeleton when the cleaner molts and that is a GOOD thing.
Vince.
 
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