Stocking advice

[samuel88]

hi guys, i'm starting a FOWLR setup (maybe change it to a reef tank if all goes well) , and i have a 15 gallon tank. i'm going to use live rock with good water movement as filtration and a protein skimmer.

i'm planning to get 2 occelaris or percula clownfish first. but i'm not sure how i should proceed from there.

can anyone give me some good fish choices.

thanks

[yikai]

15 gallons is very small.

FOWLR usually boasts of big fishes like tangs, angels and butterflies. in a tank size of 15 gallon, you can't keep any tang, butterfly or angel.

it's better if you make it into a reef tank and keep small hardy fishes like gobies, clowns, perhaps some dartfishes, chromis etc.

all these may sound boring but there are many beautiful and unusual fishes in all the above groups.

don't belittle the gobies as they're the largest family of fishes in the marine world and many are beautiful and stay smallish.

clowns are kinda boring but there are very rare and expensive ones. if you like them because they are staple and a must have, then ocellaris or perculas will make a good addition. 2 is good.

don't belittle the chromises/damsels. many very unusual and interesting chromis/damsel species available in the market and not all are aggressive as many people stereotype them to be. some are peaceful. my personal favourite is the vanderbilt chromis/6 line chromis (Chromis vanderbilti/Chromis lineata), and the rolland's damsel (Chrysiptera rollandi). two beautiful and common fishes. most people only know the blue green chromis, but the two i mentioned above are really pretty.

dartfishes there are plenty. you can try Ptereleotris hanae, the Hanae dartfish. or maybe for staple reasons, a firefish.

[iskay]

Don't think too hard... take it easy and just go with the flow. If you just listen, your tank will tell you what to get next. ;-)

[samuel88]

what about the number of fish i should have if i'm sticking to smaller fish. cause i really wanna avoid overstocking the tank.

[iskay]

what about the number of fish i should have if i'm sticking to smaller fish. cause i really wanna avoid overstocking the tank.

There's multiple recommendations regarding loading, here're 2 most commonly quoted:

1inch of fish per gallon of water

3-inches of fish per square foot of water surface