Hi everyone! =) I just purchased a 30 gallon tank and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. I would like to get a couple false percula clownfish and some sort of anemone and maybe a couple other small creatures or fish of some sort. Does anyone have any resources where I can learn what can co-exists with them or what type of habitat I should create or suggestions or anything really. =) I still have a couple months until I'll be ready to put anything in it, but I'm trying to get some sort of game plan together.

Thanks,
Greg

Welcome aboard Greg

Thanks. =)

Welcome aboard!
What else did you want to mix? You came to the right place.. but we could spend forever making suggestions. Did you see something you liked at the store and are wondering if its a good idea or not?

I haven't really looked too much at the local fish stores since I decided to do this. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can before I start. I just had my boss order me a RO setup today so I haven't gotten very far yet. =) I found one site (Dr. Jungles Exotic Pets, Animals, Aquariums) that was pretty informative about the different fish. I'm really just looking for a couple unique, bright, small fish that would get along well with a clown that an anemone wouldn't kill that are somewhat easy to take care of. I've had freshwater fish most of my life, but I'm pretty much clueless (and intimidated) when it comes to sw and I don't want to get in over my head right from the beginning. lol. But, luckily I still have a couple months to cram. =)

Thanks again,
Greg

Dont let SW intimidate you, just make sure you go very slow. When set up properly they can be very easy to take care of once they have been running for 9+ months. You say 30 gallon what is the foot print of the tank.

Lol. Thanks. I found a fish store not too far away that specializes in sw, so I'm going to go out there tomorrow and look around a little bit. It's a 29 gal. Biocube. L 20.8 x W 19 x H 20.1. It's pretty small.

Those 29 gallon Bio Cubes are nice. I will suggest one thing dont buy anything without researching first because remember LFS's are there to make money and that means selling you things even if you dont need them or are ready for them.

Make a list of what they have that you like and come here and post it.
Patience is extremely important at this stage, please remember that!

I went to the "salty critter" today. They didn't have a ton of fish. They had a ton of live rock, corals and different plant type things. They did have what I believe might have been a Goldbelly Damsel (or something in that family, nothing was labeled very well.) that caught my eye. From what I've read it seems they might work out pretty good with a clown. It says they are territorial (but it seems like most sw fish are from what I've seen). Is the trick to break up the tank a little with rocks and coral or whatever? There is another place I want to go to tomorrow so I'll see what they have too.

Thanks again everyone for your help. It's really kind to take time out to help a stranger. I don't remember how we ever lived without the internet. =P

Is ordering fish online a bad idea? It seems like it would be, but I guess they are shipped to the lfs. Of course I'm guessing I'd have to wait until Spring (which is ok). If it's not a bad idea here is what I'm thinking.

Ok. I ordered a Marine Depot Aquarium Refractometer, Kent Marine Sea Salt 50 Gallon Mix, Caribsea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef Sand 10 lb, American Marine Pinpoint Wireless Thermometer, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit, Ecosystem LED Accent Lighting - Moonlight Red and a 6 stage ro system. Once I get all that set up I found a local store that sells pacific live rock. I'll get some of that to set up territories, hiding places, etc (From what I read I guess that's what your supposed to do? How many lbs do you think would be enough?).

Then once the tank cycles I'm thinking

1- Diadema Pseudochromis
Agrresive towards similar fish.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY RANGE 1.020 - 1.025
MAXIMUM SIZE 2.5"
TANK SIZE 30
TEMPERATURE RANGE 74 - 82
PH RANGE 8.1 - 8.4

1- Indigo Hamlet
Won't tolerate other Hamlets
SPECIFIC GRAVITY RANGE 1.020 - 1.025
TANK SIZE 30
MAXIMUM SIZE 5"
TEMPERATURE RANGE 74 - 82
PH RANGE 8.1 - 8.4

2- Orange Tail Damsels
School fish, have a tendency to pick on weaker fish
SPECIFIC GRAVITY RANGE 1.020 - 1.024
DIFFICULTY 2
MAXIMUM SIZE 3"
TANK SIZE 30 gal
TEMPERATURE RANGE 76-84
PH RANGE 8.0 - 8.4

1- Yellow Tail Damsel
Ok in groups when they are young, but may become more aggressive as they grow.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY RANGE 1.020 - 1.025
MAXIMUM SIZE 3"
TANK SIZE 30
TEMPERATURE RANGE 74 - 82
PH RANGE 8.1 - 8.4

And last

1- Springer Damsel
Aggresive towards newcomers
SPECIFIC GRAVITY RANGE 1.020 - 1.024
TANK SIZE 30
MAXIMUM SIZE 4"
TEMPERATURE RANGE 72 - 80
PH RANGE 8.0 - 8.4

2- Ocellaris Clownfish
As the fish matures, they may become aggressive towards new arrivals to the tank.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY RANGE 1.020 - 1.024
TANK SIZE 20 gal
MAXIMUM SIZE 3.5"
TEMPERATURE RANGE 76-84
PH RANGE 8.0 - 8.4

That's 8 fish totaling 27", which i'm guessing is probably too much. I've been looking to try to find out how many inches per gallon your supposed to have in a sw tank, but haven't found much yet. Found one that said 1 inch per 10 gallons, but that can't be right. So if anyone has any input about anything it would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Greg

The hamlet will get way to big for your tank and so will the springer damsel, you cant really use inch per gallon rule because all fish need there territory. Damsels in general get aggresive and so are the dottybacks. I wouldnt put more then 4 fish in your tank, the 2 clowns and maybe a couple smaller fish.

Ok. Thanks. I'll keep looking. Should I look for some sort of small schooling fish and get a couple of those so there are less territorial issues? Any suggestions? I kind of like bright, multi- colored fish with sharp lines breaking up the color.

have you considered a bleeny? In my case mine has been the hardiest of all my fish with the most personality and of course he helps clean!

Be careful with clowns...in my experience they are pretty, but they are like a chihuahua...let someone else have them...every clown I have had has bit me...they run from the other fish, you think they're cute and docile...but the minute my hand goes in the tank to clean, they attack...just remember to keep bandaids handy

Yikes! I haven't completely decided yet. My niece and nephew would love the clowns and that's why I'm considering them. I'm still working on getting everything set up though. Thanks for the suggestion of the Bleeny. I'll take a look at them.

Finally filling the tank with water. At 4.5 gallons per hour it's taking
f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

Ok. So I filled the tank 1.023 sg and added 30 lbs of Caribsea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef Sand and 10 lbs of alor live rock. The water hasn't really started doing anything yet. Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite are all still 0. The Ph is a little low. between 7.8 and 8. Should I be doing anything other than waiting and how do you guys regulate the ph? I've read different things but was just curious what you guys do. Also i put a small piece of fresh fish in there. Not sure if it did anything or if I should put more in there. I read somewhere that putting (dead) fresh shrimp or fish in the tank will help start the cycle. Btw, I just did it last Tues/ Wed. 4.5 days ago.

If it were my tank I would add more live rock...unless you are aiming for a reef tank.

Never heard the dead fish theory, I know I always get dead things out before it messes up the water...dead fish decompose and I guess they would start the cycle, but it would be easier to add fish...damsels are cheap/hardy fish. Buy a couple damsels ($5-8 each) and they'll get the cycle started...they'll also be better to look at!

Yeah, I had planned on getting 30 lbs, but it was super expensive at the lfs. Ended up being $9 a lb. Probably order some base rock online when I get back from vacation.

I read somewhere on a link that someone posted that putting fish or shrimp in a stocking and hanging it in the tank helps start the cycle because it produces ammonia as it decomposes. I actually have .5 ppms of ammonia today though. yay!