Any recommendations on low maintenance solo fish in 8gal nan (1 Viewer)

[KyleH]

Hello All,

I am thinking of adding a solo fish in my 8gal nano. The tank has been running for over 1.5 years as a fishless setup, but I have added ornamental macroalgae that I think would benefit from a small fish.

Also, I think it would help some of my xenias and add to the bio mix in the water. I have about 10% softy (xenia and a yuma), 65% LPS (blasto and acan), and 25% sps (birdnest and monti cap).

I am looking for a small, low maintenance fish that possibly would not knock down my frags on loose rubble. I would like as little of any bio waste. The tank is clutters, so not too much of open swimming area. So, does anyone have a suggestion?

(I already got 2 tiny maroon clowns in my 28g fowlr tank, and would like to find a fish that is less "curious", "knocking-things-down", and eats less--hence, poops less.)

So, I was thinking about a yellow watchman gobie. And of course, I am thinking about glueing down loose frags.

Anyone got a suggestion? I am looking for small and hopefully for low maintenance (easy feeding, maybe flakes sometimes when I am away for 3 days).

-KyleH

 

[soymilk]

maybe a firefish. Pretty low requirements.

Yellow watchman can be a bit boring since they just hang out at the bottom. Sometimes they'll find a little cave and you won't see him 75% of them time anymore.

Firefish are usually more active.... although they just swim in one spot.

That or try an ORA Yellow Assessor. Fun little fish. My first one was a bit more active than the one I have now.

 

[steveb]

I would add
Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) - my personal favorite,
Black Cap Basslet (Gramma melacara),
Swissguard Basslet (Liopropoma rubre),

Court Jester Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi),
Hector's Goby (Amblygobius hectori),
Red Striped Goby (Trimma cana),
Hi Fin Red Banded Goby (Stonogobiops nematodes),
Orange Stripe Prawn Goby (Amblyeleotris randalli),

Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse (Wetmorella tanakai),
White Banded Possum Wrasse (Wetmorella albofasciata),

Orange Lined Cardinalfish (Apogon cyanosoma),


Some of these may get a little big in time but you could trade them in...
Bicolor Dottyback (Pictichromis paccagnellae),
Mccullochi Dottyback (Cypho purpurescens),
Neon Dottyback (Pseudochromis aldabraensis),
Splendid Dottyback (Pseudochromis splendens),
Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani),
Purple Dottyback (Pseudochromis porphyreus),
Red Elongated Dottyback (Pseudochromis elongatus),
Purple Stripe Dottyback (Pseudochromis diadema),
Sunrise Dottyback (Pseudochromis flavivertex)

and although they get a little large they pretty much just hang out around their hole Blue Dot Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) -- would need to feed pellets and mysid shrimp

 

[soymilk]

Nice list Steve.

I have a few of those fish in my 30g shallow reef. Too bad a lot of them are really skiddish and cryptic. They run and hide when you approach the tank. My Pygmy wrasse is getting a little bit better but he's still runs away every time I walk by.

White cap goby!

 

[Slayer311]

Out of all the fish listed I would recommend either the Royal Gramma or the fire fish... Both of those are great little nano fish.

 

[rannyboy]

I know you said a sinlge fish but I would do a Fire fish (which ever you prefer) or a Neon Damselfish (Pomacentrus alleni) and a Flaming Prawn Goby(Discordipinna griessingeri)

 

[inigomontoya]

Agreed, that is a good list. I also like the Hector's goby, and firefish are underrated because they are common and cheap, but just really pretty fish.
The basslets he mentions are also very pretty, but would only go that route if you definitely only do one fish. I would love to have one b/c they have great colors, but they are considered very aggressive. With just one though it would look great.

 

[KyleH]

wow...thanks guys for the ideas....

Thanks for the list, there are some great fish to choose from. After zeek's posting a few weeks ago on his firefish, I am glad to see that it would be a good candidate.

-KyleH

 

[gabe_j]

what about a bluestreak cardinal or a bangaii the subtle movements would be awesome!

 

[turtlesoup2]

i would second the ora assessor! it may be a little shy around other fish, but since you keep it as a solo fish it will be perfect! just a fun fact they swim upside downs and other weird directions

 

[KyleH]

arg...my rocks ate my firefish!

I stopped by fjw and couldn't resist getting the firefish after seeing it and reading everyone's suggestions--simple, easy, and colorful.

I acclimated for 40 minutes, and I thought it was doing okay. But, it has been 1-2 days, and I don't see it anywhere. I cannot find it in the rockwork, I checked the sumps, nothing.

Arg...I think it is lost, or worse, dead. I have a top/hood, and I don't see any signs of anything that could look like a fish corpse.

Thanks for the suggestion, I just hope he found a really awesome hiding spot.

Does anyone know how many days this guys can go on without eating? I have been putting a few pieces of mysis, but they seem to be floating around in my fishless tank for about 20 minutes. And the firefish has not popped out.

-KyleH

 

[steveb]

They need to eat at least once a day if not twice. That being said I have gone away for a weekend and not fed mine and they where fine. They will also eat amphipods off the rock work if you have any.

But the fact that you haven't seen it is probably not good. Mine hang out in the open above the rock work. When frightened or sleeping mine hide along the sand bed in very small cracks, crevices in the rock work. In spaces only they are large enough to fit into.

Anything big enough to eat it in your tank?

 

[KyleH]

Nope. No predators...

The only predators that I can think of are bristle worms that may have ambushed it when it was sleeping. I notice bristle worms pop up when I feed my corals with mysis from time to time.

Typically, I have been poking ones out of the tank that are greater than 1.5 - 2" with some chopsticks.

Other than about 3 aipstia or some rhizoids here and there, there really are not any predators. Other than that, I have stomatella's roaming the place.

-KyleH

 

[steveb]

Nah I doubt bristle worms did it. They are scavengers for the most part. I have a couple that size and all they ever do is look for pieces of mysid shrimp on the bottom. I can say that when my royal gramma got whacked by my Koralia power head (it went down behind the rocks where I could see it but not retrieve it...) it took the shrimp, nasarius snails and bristle worms about 1/2 a day to pick it clean.

 

[turtlesoup2]

i wouldn't worry about it not eating for the first week or two. my firefish didn't come out of hiding until the second week. i doubt it has died... but you can always take a nitrate test to see if there is a spike cause of a dead body. its a waiting game now

 

[Slayer311]

When scared they can also dive into the sand under the rocks. If he is still alive this is most likely were it has gone. Give it some time without disturbing the tank to venture out on its own.

 

[steveb]

i wouldn't worry about it not eating for the first week or two. my firefish didn't come out of hiding until the second week. i doubt it has died... but you can always take a nitrate test to see if there is a spike cause of a dead body. its a waiting game now

Wow really? Mine went into the rock work when I first put them in, came out a couple of hours later and have been out in the open ever since. Well now one stays more in the back but that is due to some aggression from the other one.

When scared they can also dive into the sand under the rocks. If he is still alive this is most likely were it has gone. Give it some time without disturbing the tank to venture out on its own.

That is a good point - anywhere you can spy on the tank from? All of my fish dart into the rock work when I come into the room and then venture out again...

 

[KyleH]

no good spy spot...

he was like the first night. I would be about 20-30 feet away to see him, but when I approach him near 15-10 feet, he starts to hide away.

it is impossible to see the tank without the lights being on, and when they are on, I haven't seen him for the last 5 days. oh well. I will give it another 1-2 weeks. So, with the lights being on a timer, I bet he can see me coming a mile away when the lights are off.

Since I cannot even see him in the tank when lit, I probably wont have any luck without any lights. Oh well. I love the fish, but I do not plan to loose any sleep over it.

I had a busy week, but I will test for nitrates later tonight.

-KyleH

 

[KyleH]

Thanks guys, I just saw my firefish in his cave.

I spent some time to look at the tank, and all of a sudden I saw my rocks move a little! I saw the little firefish tucked in his cave.

Thanks for suggesting that they like to hide for a while. I wold not have thought about waiting a week--I didn't have to wait more than 1 day for my clowns to come out and play.

I was about to start looking for another fish to add. Whew...that would have been a mess if I added it.

-KyleH

 

[khan_man]

glad to hear that its well and good.