Fish Recommendations for My LPS Tank

[Doherty]

My LPS tank will be up and running in about another week or so, and was looking for opinions on what to place in there for fish. Originally had thought of placing a pair of pink skunk clowns........ but after a little thought, prob not a good idea, because I don't want them hosting my LPS I place in there.

It is going to be an open top, so it cant have anything that will jump out. Plus it is a shallow tank.

Also I cant put any fish in there that requires lots of hiding spots...... because for the most part it will have a very open floor plan.

The dimensions of the tank are 24x24x10 high, and about 25 gallons when full.

Here is a pic of the tank in the leak test portion of the build, just to get a visual of the size and shape of the tank.

 

[Cjtabares]

Hey Matt I started taking my tank apart yesterday, I go one side off with no issues can't get any other side off lol. If I ever get this thing together I am going to move my Yashia gobby over to it, I also think I am going to add a pair of onyx clowns, I know you said you didn't want clowns, and a helfrich's firefish.

 

[Doherty]

Hey Matt I started taking my tank apart yesterday, I go one side off with no issues can't get any other side off lol. If I ever get this thing together I am going to move my Yashia gobby over to it, I also think I am going to add a pair of onyx clowns, I know you said you didn't want clowns, and a helfrich's firefish.

Oh..... I would love to put clowns in there...... Just dont want them to host my LPS.

Both other fish you mentioned are great fish........ but tend to be jumpers, im afraid that how shallow the tank is.... plus the the open top, they will make it on the floor.

 

[Cjtabares]

Guess I have to do a little more research on the firefish. My yashia goby does not move more then a few inches off the sand bed. I still live at home so to convince my mother to let me set this tank out I might have to let her pick the fish so this might all change. Lol

 

[Mrs. Delta]

Oh..... I would love to put clowns in there...... Just dont want them to host my LPS.
.

I think skunk clowns are a good idea.

A manderine is a nice placid fish, but the tank should be well established before adding one, even if the fish is allegedly eating frozen food. Cardinal fish are pretty calm as well.

 

[coralcor]

i was going to say a blue spotted jaw fish... but they tend to jump....

how about some sort of an Angler
a pair of cardinal fish would be cool...
pipe fish...

just the cool fish i could think of...

 

[s_kelley]

Are you going all coral with just a few maintenance fish?
Wrasses are usually a safe bet. Get a really nice pair of some cool wrasse.
The angler is a cool idea also if you not gonna put anything else in with it. I still wish I could have scooped that little yellow one that was posted on here a while back.
Fill it with coral, get it stable and then just keep an eye out for something different.

 

[Doherty]

I think skunk clowns are a good idea.

A manderine is a nice placid fish, but the tank should be well established before adding one, even if the fish is allegedly eating frozen food. Cardinal fish are pretty calm as well.

Do you think the clowns will bother my LPS much? I wont have any nems in there for them to host.

Yeah a manderine would be nice.......... but would not even chance it even if "they eat frozen"

Did not think of cardnals........ good idea,

 

[Mrs. Delta]

I've had two separate clowns pairs do fine hosting in LPS. Right now, we have false percs who have made a home out of a pagoda cup. The coral has at least doubled in size since we've gotten it and it looks very healthy. When I had the 110 LPS/softy tank, my onyx pair hosted in the candy cane, despite efforts to have it host in a bubble-tip anemone. I've heard of and seen other pairs of clowns hosting in LPS with no effect on the coral. If you do go the clown route, I would recommend the skunk pair. They tend to be a good community fish. Other clowns are more territorial.

 

[Mrs. Delta]

Oh, as far as a mandarin goes, your tank has to be up and running for a long while (a year minimum) to get the pod population. A refugium helps with the pods. We've had better luck with the target we have now, though we got a psychedelic one from a member a few years ago that did pretty well. The target now is fat and happy.

Tank raised bangii are easily found around here. They are pretty hardy.

 

[Doherty]

i was going to say a blue spotted jaw fish... but they tend to jump....

how about some sort of an Angler
a pair of cardinal fish would be cool...
pipe fish...

just the cool fish i could think of...

OOOOOOOh an angler....... that would be a cool fish.
Pipe fish are cool, but I dont hear of them living very long and I have not heard of them eating frozen food..... they would go through my pod population in no time.

Are you going all coral with just a few maintenance fish?
Wrasses are usually a safe bet. Get a really nice pair of some cool wrasse.
The angler is a cool idea also if you not gonna put anything else in with it. I still wish I could have scooped that little yellow one that was posted on here a while back.
Fill it with coral, get it stable and then just keep an eye out for something different.

Wrasses would jump out of that tank in no time

I've had two separate clowns pairs do fine hosting in LPS. Right now, we have false percs who have made a home out of a pagoda cup. The coral has at least doubled in size since we've gotten it and it looks very healthy. When I had the 110 LPS/softy tank, my onyx pair hosted in the candy cane, despite efforts to have it host in a bubble-tip anemone. I've heard of and seen other pairs of clowns hosting in LPS with no effect on the coral. If you do go the clown route, I would recommend the skunk pair. They tend to be a good community fish. Other clowns are more territorial.

I think I am going to go with a pair of pink skunks.....

 

[Mrs. Delta]

Good luck with the setup.

 

[frank180reef]

2 cardinals would be sweet and they breed pretty easily

 

[molsen187]

a hawkfish would be cool. i've always wanted to get one of those but they would tear my shrimp apart. i'm definitely going to have one someday though.

 

[JayM]

my clowns host in a ginormous toadstool in my mixed reef tank.....no bad effects. The skunks will be a nice addition.