New Hobbiest, Compatable Fish? Input please.

[fretfreak13]

Hi, my name is Kali and I'm fifteen and starting my first saltwater tank. I know the basics, and have been shopping around for species of fish and what not. I have a 29 gallon, just started the Nitrate cycle two days ago, getting my first bits of live rock today from my LFS, and I know I'm obviously not ready to get expensive fish. It'll take years for me to stock this thank, since I am jobless and the ballence has to be monitored anyways, but I picked some of my favorite types of fish and I would like to know from expeareanced hobbiest any problems that may arise if I put them together. I know not all of them will fit comfortably, but using the "inch rule" I've heard about it comes up to 20" for my 29 gallon tank. I may upgrade to a larger one over time, which is why I want to know about all these fish. I've heard that different species of Damsels quarrel with eachother, so is there a safe way to house diverse species of Damsels? They're small, pretty, and durable. Perfect for me.
Also, I'd like to have a decent, active, interesting, and pretty clean-up crew so I've put a few of my favorites there as well. Will any of these fish attack them? Will they hurt corals? Also, how much of what sould I have for my relitivly small tank? Please, share some knowledge with a newbie. =)
The Fish!

• Domino Damselfish
• Jewel Damselfish
• Javanese Damselfish
• Mandarin Dragonet
• Red Spotted hawkfish
• pearly jawfish
• 6line wrasse
• false percula clownfish
• 3 spot damselfish
  The Crew!
  Sally Lightfoot Crab
  Arrow Crab
  Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab
  Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab
  Emerald Crab
  Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab
  Electric Blue Hermit Crab
  Astrar Turbo Snails
  Banded Coral Shrimp

Thanks ahead of time for any help given, it's greatly appreciated. =)

 

[plaidnstripes]

Mandarin Dragonet -GORGEOUS fish but needs alot of copepods to survive. So I would wait a little bit to get the tasty copepods population up and running.
I made a mistake once and thought I could get it to have a taste for other things but was not able to do so.

 

[fretfreak13]

That was going to be one of the last ones added anyways, since it's the mot expensive on my list. Any other advise? I mainly want to know about pairing the differnt types of Damsels together.

 

[meowzer]

In my honest opinion you really need to do some further research on your fish.....the damsels are agressive and get bigger than you think.....I do not think what you have listed will work in a 29g

 

[alh]

I am not an expert, but I think that's too many fish for a 29. A couple of those damsels get pretty large. The Jewel and Domino get about 5 inches or better. Also, an adult Domino is pretty drab looking. A mandarin may be difficult to keep even if the tank is mature, due to it's small size. I would recommend maybe 3-4 small, hardy, not so aggressive fish.

 

[alh]

Also, I think the Sally and Arrow crabs have aggressive reputations

 

[<3scopas55]

If you are looking for some "bread and butter" type fish that are easy to care for, peaceful, and reef safe consider a list along these lines.
2 percula clowns
1 sixline wrasse
1 sand sifting goby of some kind
I know some damsels may seem appealing but they really can be monsters after a while! My very first fish was a yellow-tailed damsel and she is still in my tank after 5 years!!! She can be quite the bully sometimes but shes impossible to catch.
A list like this one though will give you nice color and variety but everyone will get along.
Good Luck!

 

[fretfreak13]

As stated abouve, I wasn't going to put all those fish in the 29 gal, I'll be upgraded to a 55+ tank sometime in the next few years. If I got a pair of one type of damsels, will they deal with eachother (fairer matchup) rather than picking on other fish? Or will they maybe gang up?Also, I was basing my assumption on size from this site where you can buy fish. On the little chart thing I put below, does the "size" mean just the size that you will get it at when shipped? I thought since it said 1-2 that that was the final size.3 Stripe Damsel
Size: 1-2 inches
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Bold
Diet: Flake, Pellet
Origin: Indian Ocean
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes

 

[meowzer]

The size when you buy it.....I bought 2 black 3 spot damsels that were the size of a nickel...they are now over 4"...and MONSTERS