Need some help with new tank

[dweeble]

Hello all. I am new to saltwater aquariums and would like some help and opinions (why else would I be here) on my new setup. I have a 29 gallon tank and I was wondering if the fish I was looking at getting would be able to live in my tank. I was thinking of these
Pair of Percula Clowns
Fridmani
Pair of Firefish
Midas Blenny
Also some crabs, shrimp, snails, coral, possibly a starfish, etc. (Any suggestions on what inverts and coral are good for a beginner with a 29 gallon would also be appreciated).
I also will have a 20 gallon tank used for a refugium and I had read about people putting some inverts in there, any recommendations for that would be helpful too. Thanks.

 

[smoney]

That sounds like a good list of fish to put in your tank, they would work out, maybe some more fish too like check out some of the gobies, you could get a goby and pistol shrimp(they have a simbiotic relationship). The coral is something you would want to have if your having a refuigium. As for inverts, I would stay away from crabs because IMO they hide too much. Shrimp are cool to add, you have to get a cleaner shrimp, its the unwritten code of the reef tank to get a cleaner shrimp, possibly a fire shrimp. As for hermits and snails, doesnt matter their all practically the same, i do recommend getting turbo snails, and any hermit crab is fine. Starfish are cool but make sure you get a reef safe starfish, i have a sand sifting star which is pretty cool.

 

[dweeble]

Thanks for the info SMoney, I also would like to have a Pistol Shrimp and a Barbershop Shrimp Goby. As for a crab I was thinking about getting either a Spider Decorator Crab or a Boxing Crab, you think just one or both of those crabs would be a waste? And what is a sand sifting Starfish (never heard of that) are they reef safe?

 

[smoney]

The sand sifting starfish buries himself in the sand and is pretty cool, they have them everywhere. I wouldnt get a decorator crab, I have heard some bad things about them, plus their not reef safe. and as for the boxing crab, i dont know which one that is, but in general i would really stay away from the crabs. i got a red one once, put it in and never saw it again. i have another one that came attached on my live rock and i never seen him. i had an anemone crab and never saw him. in general the crabs just find a dark spot and just hide.

 

[dweeble]

Thanks for the advice smoney, I wouldn't want to waste money on something I am never going to see, but I was reading about Horseshoe Crabs and they say they are reef safe and they swim under the sand, not hide in the rocks, so I think that would be a cool crab to get.
Okay, I need opinions/suggestions on my revised list, I want to make sure I get this down before I start buying stuff for my tank. Here is my list of inverts and fish
Percula Clowns (x2)
Firefish Gobies (x2)
Fridmani
Midas Blenny
Barbershop Shrimpgoby
Malladrin Pistol Shrimp
Blue Reef Chromis
Orange Serpent Starfish
Cleaner Shrimp (x3)
Horseshoe Crab
Scarlet Hermit Crab (x3)
Blueleg Hermit Crab (x3)
Mexican Turbo Snail (x5)
Feather Duster (x2)
Lettuce Nudibranch
I think in my 29 gallon this would work well. If anyone has any more opinions or suggestions they are always greatly appreciated.

 

[smoney]

Yeah get a horseshoe crab, those are cool, and everytime i see them in a tank they are always out and about. And your list sounds perfect now. I would suggest more feather dusters because they look so cool. And as for the lettuce nudibranch, its ok, but you should look into a more colorful nudibranch, I had a purple one and it was so cool. they come in so many different colors.

 

[dweeble]

Well, I really like the Blue Velvet, but it said that it was very difficult to take care of and I would like to get a little bit of experience under my belt before I try something like that.

 

[miked0523]

nudibraches have a tendancy to get sucked up in powerheads and filters. sally lightfoot crabs tend to come out fairly often. horseshoe crabs are very clumsy and will knock corals and stuff over.

 

[dweeble]

What method do people use to prvent that problem? If you couldn;t tell I am really set of getting a nudi and will set my tank up as necessary to maintain one. Any advice if I were to get a Blue Velvet?