first marine fish

[tomswel]

Hi all whats the best fish to start with including any clean up crew? am just setting up a three foot aquarium with live rock.

[mogurnda]

You have a lot of choices. CLowns, basslets, dottybacks, blennies, gobies, and more. I would avoid tangs (tank too small) and damsels (too aggressive).

For a cleanup crew, I prefer inverts over fish. Maybe a dozen astraea snails, a turbo or two, and a dozen nassarius, and a few scarlet hermits to round it off. A lawnmower blenny might be good, but I worry that it would starve if there's not enough algae in a tank that size.

[FreddytheFish]

i agree with mogurnda, but i think that damsels would be okay as long as u only keep one. check out liveaquaria.com and go to fish for beginners

[tomswel]

Many thanks what about cleaner shrimp? and also whens the best time to introduce the cleaners?

[mogurnda]

Once the tank is cycled and settled for a few weeks, you can start adding a cleaning crew. If all goes well for a few months, then add the cleaner shrimp. As long as you don't have crustaceam eaters, like hawkfish, they should get along with most anyone.

[tomswel]

Thanks again,i presume the cleaning crew are put once some fish have settled in?

[FreddytheFish]

just thought of another good starter fish. Chromis. theyre hardy, non-territorial and cheap

[tomswel]

Just got my new tank which was nicely matured but when i went to pick it up and chatted to whom i bought i realised their live rock hadn't been cured and they seemed quite happy to have bristleworms etc,as i'd paid and it came as a complete set,as well as a good deal i decided not to say anything ( and i should have asked before) so i've decided to get rid of it all and start afresh. I haven't read many good things about bristle and obviously they could breed to large numbers. does anyone else think they're good for a setup?

[mogurnda]

Most of the time they are good scavengers. Rarely have a problem with them. I'd say keep the rock.