If you could add one fish to a 20 gallon reef what would it be.

[SteveZz]

If you were adding your first fish to a 20 reef what would it be.

Trying to decide on what fish to add to my 20 gallon reef tank. Not sure what direction I'd like to go yet but thought I'd try and start a thread and see what opinions came through.

 

[dubs]

A dymond goby u will always have a clean sand bed

 

[Chefjpaul]

Do you have a bit of sand?

Yasha goby & candy cane shrimp pair

with a few other cool inverts of course.

 

[SteveZz]

Yea i have a decent sand bed.

 

[Clink51]

a red hawk

 

[eatbreakfast]

Carmabi basslet or polynesian helfrichi firefish, but if you dont have a couple of grand, a regular helfrichs firefish.

 

[SteveZz]

Some nice ideas here. I know I'll likely be given a thousand reasons not to but has anyone had success with a mandarin in a 20?

 

[Clink51]

ive never had one, but if you have enough pods for it to much on, try it out. or maybe you'll get lucky and get one that eats prepared foods, that would be a dream!

 

[SteveZz]

ive never had one, but if you have enough pods for it to much on, try it out. or maybe you'll get lucky and get one that eats prepared foods, that would be a dream!

Yea I wish, I just can't bank on that. Probably quite a few reasons I shouldn't go for that fish. No sump, and about a 6 month old tank. Likely not enough pods and he'd clear out the tank of what little pods I have.

 

[edd]

if the mandarin doesn't eat prepared foods, i don't think a 20g can produce enough pods for it.

 

[fredro]

My Yasha Goby is the most important fish in my tank and has been through 2tank upgrades. Its the cutest and coolest little fish I've ever had. Love that little guy!

 

[ssminnow81]

Frogfish.

 

[BAD FISH]

Are you only keeping one fish? A six line wrasse is a great small tank fish,beautiful,active, and eats everything. They can get nasty sometimes but if its alone there wont be a problem. Just my two cents but if your only going with one fish i would get and active swimmer so you have something going on. A goby or another timid fish may get boring. There is always the go to clown fish, what reef shouldn't have one? Lol

 

[SteveZz]

Ha yea. Always end up back at the clownfish. But you are right active swimmers would be nice. I think I'd eventually get more fish not many but some. Just as the first fish I'm trying to decide.

 

[thirty6]

Not sure of tank size requirements but a blue spot jawfish would be a nice addition of doing 2/3 fish

 

[MikeC]

Six line for same reasons Badfish mentioned

 

[SteveZz]

If I got a six line and wanted other fish at some point what fish do you think could handle being around the six line? Would it be a clownfish or would we be leaning more towards damsels? Also I forgot to mention I currently have a pincushion urchin. Do you think that would be a problem ?

 

[BAD FISH]

No not a problem a clown fish would be fine they are actually in the damsel family but small fish like gobys of fire fish are not going to be a good Idea

 

[SteveZz]

Thanks for the info. I just read that they like to have lots of places to hide. I currently don't have that many rocks in the tank and am not sure I want many more. Do you think that's a problem for the six line?

 

[masterswimmer]

If the six line is the ONLY fish it'll be fine. However, your title of the thread is completely misleading. Now you're saying this would be your first fish. A six line would not only be totally inappropriate as your first fish, it would be inappropriate in a 20g with almost any other fish. Six lines are known to be belligerent bullies. Like I said though, as the only fish in a 20g, that's ok. With tankmates, not so much.