I need your suggestions

[drka_ak]

I've been researching, but it has been limited and I'm only just looking for a groupd of compatable fish that will thrive in a 30 gallon tank with biological filtering (pos. mechanical). I want to have a fish-only tank; I am quite the beginner so I would like to start out slowly. Please let me know of any suggestions of a variety of fish that have worked succesfully for you.
Thank you!

 

[drka_ak]

I would also like to know how you go about cycling your tank? I would like to introduce my fish accordingly, but am not sure how to go about cycling my saltwater tank; simply because I am not familiar with all this ammonia, nitrite and nitrate jazz...
-Thanks

 

[wablondie98664]

i second the pair of clowns and purple fire fish. i have a purple fire fish and they are very beautiful and fun to watch

 

[elpezgrande]

I would agree with the previous posts. I have a pair of false percula clown fish and a royal gramma that look great in my 30. Also get a cleaner shrimp or a fire shrimp. I have a fire shrimp and their striking red and white coloring definitely makes an impression on people who look at your tank.

 

[drka_ak]

Will these work for a fish-only tank or do I need to have a reef tank if I wanted to add those inverts?

 

[lesleybird]

Throw a couple of sinking pellets to feed the hermit crabs and the cleaner shrimp daily. I think that someone else said that the fire fish and the royal gramma may not get along...I would tend to agree. I would try to find a mated pair of clowns and either the royal gamma or the fire fish. If you get cleaner shrimp, get a pair.....any two will do as they change sexes. The scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp are better than the blood cleaners because they don't tend to hide as much. I would stick to just three fish in the thirty gallon, and the two shrimp and micro hermit crabs and snails. Good luck, Lesley