Which kind of fish and invertebrates?

Question

I have a 20 gallon tank and im going to make it into a saltwater tank( I have done lots of research and there are saltwater fish and invertebrates that can be kept in a 20 gallon tank). I want to know which fish and invertebrates are the best for a reef aquarium. Some that are not agressive.I want some that are hardy. Also they have to be ones that are not too hard to care for(begginer).

Answer 1

A 20 gallon is harder to keep stable, but not impossible. I currently have a 55, a 29, a 10, and a 2.5 gallon all converted to salt. For fish, you'll want something that will stay relatively small - a pair of clownfish (ocellaris or skunk clowns would be a good choice for a beginner), green or blue reef chromis (the only truly peaceful damsels - these can be kept in a small school), a pair of cardinals (PJs or Bangaii), firefish, or longnose hawkfish are some of my favorites. You can't stock a saltwater as heavily as a freshwater tank, so I'd only look at 3-5 fish max.

For inverts, a few snails are a must! I like the nassarius - they eat everything off the bottom and burrow through the substrate to find food. Some others are okay too, such as astreas and margurites, but I don't find these as hardy. A few blue-legged or scarlet hermits are good choices. I also like a few peppermint shrimp in each of my tanks. I like a few pieces of live rock in each tank and you'll get some small critters on that as well. One of the less desirable is Aiptasia anemones, but the peppermint shrimp will eat these. I've tried some of the other crabs (emerald and arrow in particular) but these can be semi-aggressive and eat fish, so I'd keep them out if I were you. Brittle stars are the best from the starfish group, but they will eventually need a bigger tank than a 20. If you get decent lighting (compact fluorescent) you might give some of the mushrooms and leather corals a try. These are pretty hardy.

Here are some website with more info -
tank setup & maintenance:
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm

fish & invert profiles: http://www.marinedepotlive.com/

Good luck with the tank!!

Answer 2

You could get crabs, snails, and shrimp to clean.

Every good tank needs some crabs and snails.
Some of both is usually best since they tend
to eat different things and occupy slightly
different niches. They are often grouped together
under many different trademarked names that
can't be reprinted without threat of lawsuit.
Most of which refer to their tremendous ability
to clean tanks of detritus or algae.
The great recyclers.
Many of them are particularly good at keeping
algae in check. Most tanks with proper,
sufficient lighting will grow algae of one
sort or another. Crabs and snails tend to be
opportunists, with less specific requirements
about what types of algae they eat than
algae-grazing fish.


The second site I attached has a list of good beginner fish and invertebrates.

Invertebrates to Stay Away From
Tridacna clams (they need strong lighting), Flame scallops (they are nearly impossible to feed in an aquarium as they are filter feeders), Octopi (they have very short life spans), Nudibranchs (they are difficult/impossible to feed), any hard or soft coral (they need very strong lighting), and sea squirts (they can release poisonous toxins into the water).

also go get some books on Nano reefs.

Answer 3

Do you have any idea how hard it will be to keep the salinity correct in a 20 gal.? Obviously not if you plan on going through with it. You will have to check it constantly and very little evaporation will cause the salinity to go up to lethal levels. I have had saltwater tanks for 10+ years and still would never set up anything smaller than a 55 gal. for saltwater.