Need advise on first fish

gaboon

gaboon

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Gonna have a water test done this weekend, if all good I want to add a fish and some clean up crew. Am I correct in saying hermits/cleanershrimp/turbo snails have a small bioload? If yes, how many can I get of each in one go?

Then onto my first fish... I would like to start with either a mandarin, yellow-tail damsel, cleaner wrasse or a percular clown. Which is the best and which should I avoid?
 
gaboon said:
Gonna have a water test done this weekend, if all good I want to add a fish and some clean up crew. Am I correct in saying hermits/cleanershrimp/turbo snails have a small bioload? If yes, how many can I get of each in one go?

Then onto my first fish... I would like to start with either a mandarin, yellow-tail damsel, cleaner wrasse or a percular clown. Which is the best and which should I avoid?
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might just be me, but only add them after a year or if there is enough food. these two fish do not eat the same as other inmates. they are much harder to keep. :thumbup: for the damsel or clown but the damsel may become teratorial. what about a chromis?
 
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Gaboon, cleaner generally dont do well in aquariums so stay away. Damsels become aggressive and territorial, so I would not put them in my tank.
Mandarins need a lot of micro life on the sand rock etc, so like Gaz says only after a good few months.

So clowns on your list Percula or Ocellaris are good choices

Blennies and fire gobies are also good starters
 
K, percula clown it is! could I put 2 in at once or should I wait a week.
 
gaboon said:
K, percula clown it is! could I put 2 in at once or should I wait a week.
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the above advice is spot on, steer clear of Mandarins for a good while. Get the clowns as a pair, but get the params right, the clean up crew sorted and settled, then once your clowns are settled, think about adding a couple of easy softies and look at some other little fish.:)
 
perculia clowns dude!make sure at the LFS that while they are in QT you see the 2 swimming constantly together,then you know you got a decent pair,otherwise they become terretorial and bust it up
 
That would help. 195L excluding sump. 740L x 400W x 660H if I remember correctly.
 
Ok, my opinion would be,-6 turbos' 6 nasserius and 6 mexican redleg hermits.
Don't be tempted by sandshifting or any other starfish (other than serpentstars) they only seem to last around 18months - they have a very slow metabolism and just starve, very slowly, to death.


Edit, just saw Miki's post, you will need more, this is to start with, see how they get on, then add more later.
 
if you do decide to get a manderin at a later stage remember you will need a monimum of 50 kilos of live rock to keep it well fed
 
Sweet thanks. Now to complicate things... Could I add a soft coral or 2 at the same time?
 
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