Aristotle's nano livestock list.

[Aristotle]

Putting this up here as I have some questions regarding my list, and would like to collect some opinions. I'd like to assume a 10gal with minimal or no sump/refugium. The actual tank may well actually be a 12gal cube (I'm a bit afraid of the cubes since reading about some cracking/failures).

FISH
I read on one site that court jester gobys (rainford's goby) were good nano reef fish, but other research has indicated that to not be the case. I really wanted one of those. For now I am considering a pair of true percula clowns as the only fish denizens. I'd love an additional rock/bottom dweller (something like a barnacle blenny) too, but am unsure how the clowns would treat it or if I'd be pushing the bioload.

• True Percula Clown (tank bred) x2

INVERTS
This is a tentative list, subject to some change once I see what (if any) invert. hitchikers I get on the rock. I'm going light on the crabs as I've heard they can cause problems for the snails.

• Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab (or other dwarf hermits) x4
  assuming 1 per 2.5gal in 10gal tank
• Porcelain Crab x2
  I just like them...
• Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp x1
  I was thinking of upping this to two, or adding a peppermint shrimp but wasn't sure if they would play nice
• Snails: I was going with about an inch of snail per gallon here.
  • Cerith Snail x2
  • Bumble Bee Snail x4
  • Nassarius Snail x4
  • Nerite Snail x4

CORALS
To be determined. Should be able to handle a decent enough range, excluding those that require extreme amounts of light. Want to look into something that can act as a good surrogate host for the clowns.

I think my bioload is looking okay (am I wrong?), but my main question is whether or not my invert selection appears to be strong enough to handle algae, detrius, and the other common biological pests you would assume your cleanup crew would handle?

 

[alt-229]

Clowns w/ blenny

I have had a 55g with 2 clowns and an algae blenny for a while now. They do not bother each other or even compete. I am having a tough time finding food for the blenny. I have had algae growing on the sides, and on the live rock, but apparently not the kind he likes.

As far as a surrogate host for clowns... I have had percula clowns for years, and always tried to provide a good anemone for them, but they have never used it. I think that they can do well without a host, as long as they are not stressed. With the inhabitants you plan, they certainly shouldn't be stressed.

Also, for reference, I have 4 blue leg hermits and ~ a dozen snails, and they keep the tank quite clean.

 

[mogurnda]

A few hurried comments:
Two percs in a 12 is about as much fish as you will want, IMO.
Two cleaner shrimp will be great, and will mate and produce planktonic larvae for everyone to eat.
Peppermints and cleaners will simply ignore each other, so they will be fine together. Peppermints have a bad habit of eating worms and things, though, so might not be such a good idea.
Most nerites are intertidal, and have a tendency to leave the tank. If you get them, be sure they are a species that won't go crunch underfoot.
For a surrogate clown host, I have seen percs and ocellaris snuggle in zoanthids, hairy mushrooms, toadstool leathers and frogspawn. My frogspawn didn't like, but the leather and zoanthids never seem to be bothered.