New reef, new fish population. suggestions please.

[krux]

I am converting my 29 FOWLR to a reef setup in the next couple weeks and will be moving my current fish to another tank, and starting a new, calm, reef safe community for my new setup.
Here is my tenative shopping list. This is for a 29 gal tank, 30 inches long, standard etc. I will most likely have an above tank, gravity return fuge to supply pods and algae if that helps. Total gallonage of the system will be 45 gallons. If I go without the fuge I will eliminate the tang.
1 small yellow tang, 1 purple firefish, 2 bangai cardinals, 1 royal gramma, and a sleeper goby (I think thats the name, white body, yellow head, floats over the sand bed sifting it), or an algae or scooter blenny.
Alternately for less inches of fish I can lose the purple firefish and the 2 bangaii and put in 2 regular firefish, saving about 2 inches.
If my shopping list will allow another 2 to 3 inches of fish, I would get 2 or 3 small green chromis to give some activity to the top of the tank, as well as some color diversity. These are not as big a priority though
Will any of these fish not get along, will any of them damage reef type inhabitants, and will any of them feel too cramped, or outgrow the tank within a year period (afterwich I plan to upgrade to the 50-75 gallon range).
Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer.

 

[jja]

No, I am not the tang police but no way should put a tang in a 29! Fuge or no fuge it doesn't matter. I feel guilty sometimes having my sailfin in my 55. In my opinion, never buy fish because you hope to get a bigger tank- buy them for what you have now. I thought I would have bigger tank by now but things don't always work out that way. Do some searches on this site for all the fish you have in mind and you will learn a lot from all the other posts on them. Good luck!

 

[cowabonga]

the tang is kinda pushing it, hold that sucker off until your 75 upgrade. The rest of the fish sounds good.

 

[spsfreak100]

I would loose the tang! Tangs are grazing fish, which will need at least 75 gallons. It will easily be stressed and will outgrow your tank in no time.
I also wouldn't go with the inches/gallon rule, I find it to be very incorrect. It all boils down the maximum size of the fish, aggression, and is this fish hardy?
2 or 3 small green chromis, 1 small yellow tang, 1 purple firefish, 2 bangai cardinals, 1 royal gramma, and a sleeper goby (I think thats the name, white body, yellow head, floats over the sand bed sifting it), or an algae or scooter blenny.
I'm confused with your inches/per gallon math. As I said before, saving 2 inches will not do any good in the long run, most of the fish will easily outgrow your tank.
2-3 Chromis- Might show slight aggression, although usually it's minor
1. Yellow Tang- Easily outgrow your tank. 75 gallon minimum tank size.
2. Purple Fire fish- Good, hardy, colorful fish
3. 2 Baggai Cardinals- Good, might show slight aggression
4. Royal Gramma- Good
5. Sleeper Goby- Will not do well with live sand and/or DSB.
6. Lawnmower- Good
I would only go with a few small fish. The purple firefish and gramma is what I would go with. You could go with the Cardinals and a lawnmower blenny. I would leave it to only a few small fish, that grow to a maximum of around 1-2" You have to think of everything in the long term.
I'm glad your asking these questions now My biggest advice is to not go with the inches of fish per gallon rule.
Regards,
Graham

 

[krux]

Hehe ok gotcha, no yellow tang.
1 purple firefish, 1 bangaii cardinal, 1 royal gramma, and possibly a flame hawkfish... can drop the sleeper in favor of a lawnmower or a scooter, anyone got an idea of which is hardier? I know one eats algae and one eats pods primarily... which would be happier in a reef setting?
Still like the idea of the chromis to get some movement at the top of the tank, but I don't want anything with aggressive tendencies, and I don't want to overcrowd.
Are there any fish that will eat algae like a tang will? I plan to have it as a food source for something as it will be growing in the fuge. guess I can always throw it away to remove nutrients from the system, but thought there might be something I was overlooking that could replace something im familiar with that would thrive on the fresh algae once it get growing.
Thanks again.

 

[jja]

If you are looking for movement at the top of the tank- my 2 false percs stay almost exclusively at the top of the tank. I am not sure what you mean by reef safe inhabitants but you may want to do some research on the hawkfish.

 

[krux]

From some searches here, the flame hawk seems to be fine with corals and anenome species, it just eats shrimp and hermits. people describe it perching on coral higher in the tank.... i would assume if it was bad for the corals it would be removed.
Maybe a couple of thoughts on this fish, my research shows the only problem they develop is territoriality, but maybe thats more problem than it is worth. According to "the Conscientious Marine Aquarium" hawkfish "have everything going for them in terms of suitibility for captive conditions- they are eye catching, readily available, moderately priced in most cases, hardy, interesting, and accept all foods and a wide range of water conditions."
Then again I don't know about this species first hand, thus the question in this forum
Thanks for the heads up though, I will definately reevaluate this species, maybe looking for a less territorial, and less voracious crustacean predator.

 

[saltyshark]

Originally posted by SPSfreak100
5. Sleeper Goby- Will not do well with live sand and/or DSB.
Just a question...why is it that a sleeper goby will not do well with LS or a DSB? I thought they required one to sift through and build their home with. Did you mean "Will not do well without LS or DSB?"
SaltyShark