Starter Fish

[fishhooked]

I am just starting up a 24 gal tank that I bought used (poor student). Cycling with LR currently. I was wondering what some good fish to start with are, I have heard that damsels are too territorial. Also, when should I add something like a cleaner shrimp?
I have future hopes of getting a Flame Angel and a Tang (either Yellow, Powder Blue or Regal). Is a 24 gal too small for a Tang and an Angel?

 

[carrie1429]

Good starter fish are clown fish. They are hardy, colorful and have good personalities. Just don't mix different clowns together. You can add the cleaner a little while after the cycle has finished. Tangs must be in at least a 75 gallon, and a 24 gallon is too small for an angel fish. Good luck with your tank!

 

[galina]

clownfish are great starter fish. As said above, they have great personalities. They are very hardy and disease resistent. They're pretty cool critters. You could also get a small wrasse like a six line. Those are pretty cool too.
Galina

 

[fishhooked]

Thanks for the help and encouragment.
Tangs and Angels out huh, ouch! I guess that I will have to start counting my pennies for that 75 gal tank.
What else can I put in to keep the clownfish and wrasse company? Either fish or inverts. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[1856]

i had the same size tank. I got 30 lbs of live rock, and 3 inch sand. i only had two firefish, and a tomato clown. they are pretty hardy and smally within 4inches so i would recommand them. maybe a blennie,or just jawfish there pretty cool.

 

[fish for life.]

Yup, the wrasse, clowns and fire fish are all hardy. The angel you mentioned and I think might fit the size, but the flame angel is one of the more aggresive dwarf angels, so... also not as hardy as what has been mentioned.

 

[brooklyn johnny]

I am an angel lover at heart too, and in that size tank I can recommend Centropyge argi, commonly known as the dwarf angel or cherubfish. They are the dwarfs of the dwarf angels, with the largest males geting to 3 inches. They are commonly sold at 1 inch and would do fine in your tank for years IMO. I have seen them happily kept in 20s before. They have that angelfish character and can keep your angel-urges under control until you purchase a larger tank. As to what they look like, when small they are almost all blue, like a stepped on blueberry. as they get older they develop a yellow face. Stay away from the flame too IMO in that tank.
Another fish not mentioned are pseudochromis. Check these out. Be careful with a small setup and do your research. They require all that larger tanks do but there is much less margine for error. Good luck and have patience.

 

[holacanthus]

In a 24g tank I wouldn't reccommend any angel not even C. argi! The pair of clowns and the 6-line would be fine, and you might be able to add 1 or 2 clown gobies in that setup. Good fishkeeping

 

[jim672]

You could also try a Royal Gramma. That's a very pretty, docile little fish.

 

[yellowtang]

What about stars? they can be cool.

 

[fishhooked]

Wow thanks for all of the info.
Can anyone recomend a few stars, everyone is always talking about loosing stuff to stars. Which ones are hearty and won't eat everything else in the tank.
What types of shrimp are compatible? Can I put a Peppermint Shrimp with a Cleaner Shrimp?
Thanks again.

 

[carrie1429]

For starfish a chocolate chip star is probably one of the most hardiest star, but they have been known to eat corals and other starfish, I never had any trouble with mine though I have had him for 5 months now and he hasn't bothered anything. And yes you can put a cleaner shrimp with a peppermint, I have these together and they get along great.

 

[ilove2ride]

Wow, I have a 24 gallon too! I have a clownfish, a sixline wrasse, a coral banded shrimp, a choclate chip star,17 lbs of LR and some snails and hermits. I highly recommend them...
(my tank is 2 months old)
Clownfish- When all the other fish were sick, he was still happy and healthy. This is the best fish ever!
Six Line Wrasse- I would get this one after the clownfish. They have great attidude and color.
Coral Banded Shrimp- He is a major scavenger, always eating dropped food. Pretty cool looking too.
Choclate Chip star- Really neat and super hardy but still ate my Featherduster- i still dont know if the Duster was dead or not. I would recommend them if you dont have any corals, etc.
Hermits- I would recommend getting small ones, I had big ones and they started getting destructive.
Smails- Hardy and good algea cleaners.
I really wanted an Angel too, and I got one when my tank was young. It got ick... and so did my whole tank...it also died... it was very expensive and stressful. Please wait 6 months (unlike me)! If you got an angel I would go with a Pygmy. They stay small.
Well, I hope I helped.
Good luck!