Tropical Fish Forums

[Mike612]

A pair of Ocellaris Clowns would be nice. They're active, easy to care for, and fun to watch.

Royal Grammas are also very beautiful and easy to care for, but they aren't very active. They hover in front of their cave. You might be able to keep one with your clowns.

If you're not satisfied with the Clowns, you could consider a pair of Pajama Cardinalfish. They may not be that attractive but they're easy to care for and an interesting species to watch nonetheless.

Avoid Dartfish, Gobies, and Jawfish because they are known to jump out from small openings at the top of your aquarium. Damsels may be cute when they are small but they grow up to be extremely aggressive towards not only other tank inhabitants but also towards their handlers so it's good to avoid them. Dwarf Angels are sensitive and tend to be very territorial in smaller tanks so I would avoid them too. Obviously avoid the bigger fish like Tangs, Butterflies, Lionfish, Triggerfish, Large Angels, Large Wrasses, etc.... Wrasses are very active fish and generally require a lot more room than a 30 gallon. Hawkfish are generally too territorial for a 30 gallon. Anthias are rather sensitive fish and tend to do better in schools than as a single specimen so they are not appropriate for a small tank. Seahorses and Pipefish are expert-only fish because they often refuse to eat captive fare and they often die of malnutrition in the home aquarium so they are not really appropriate for a beginner saltwater aquarist.

I would personally choose the clowns and possibly one Royal Gramma for my display.

A cleanup crew would be great for your tank. A single Cleaner Shrimp would add lots of diversity and personality to your aquarium. A few Astrea Snails would be great also.

Avoid Starfish and Sea Urchins because they need bigger aquariums to acquire a proper diet. Anemones are extremely sensitive and need strong lighting to survive. Clams are not as sensitive as Anemones but they require a lot of lighting. Crabs are not always fish-safe and will some times attack sleeping fish. Lobsters also attack sleeping fish so they are not ideal. Nudibranchs and Sea Cucumbers also need bigger aquariums to survive. Sea Cucumbers also have a tendency to release toxins into the water when they are stressed or dying. Those toxins will take all tank inhabitants with it. Sponges and Scallops need extra care and require filter foods so they are best avoided too.

[ak dylpickles]

what about picasso clonfish? How big do they get
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46 gallon-reef

[Mike612]

Picasso Clowns are just a variation of the Percula Clowns so look up the Percula Clownfish and you will see that both the Percula Clown and the Picasso Clown have the same requirements. The only differences between the two clowns are the stripe pattern and the price tag. Picasso Clowns command a much higher price than a regular Percula Clown.

The Percula Clown is a little more sensitive than the Ocellaris Clown so a pair of Picasso Clowns might require a little more attention, but there should not be that big of a difference in terms of their care. You should be able to pull off a pair of Picasso Clowns if you can find them

[wittd]

If you really want to get gobies, I recommend clown gobies (yellow, green, red). I've found them to be pretty good about not jumping and they are not that big or active.

P.S. You made a really good choice not to go with a 10 gal. I didn't listen when people on here told me not to do a 10 gal either. I did have experience and an established reef, but I spent 10 times as much time and effort on the 10 gal and still couldn't keep it clean or stable.