Will this work?

[khlarge]

Here's the deal: I'd DEFINITELY prefer a larger tank, but I'm a college student and on-campus housing regulations limit us to 10 gallons. If you're caught with a larger tank, they can confiscate it...wouldn't want that! Sooooo....I'm stuck with a nano. It would only be for about 10 months, at which point I'll be moving to a place that allows for a larger setup.

I work at a pet store, so I have great access to supplies and knowledge, but my coworkers are having conflicting opinions about the viability of this combination....what do you think?

1 true percula clownfish, with bulb anemone
1 purple dottyback
1 blue damsel
1 mussel
1 starfish
1 cleaner shrimp

Would I be overstepping my boundaries here? I'm terrified of overcrowding my tank. If not the last three, then would the first three be alright together in that small of a tank? I absolutely love that array of colors...purple, blue, and orange...could they survive? Thank you all for your input!

Kristine

 

[420Loach]

a 10 gal would be small for the fish you want. the clownfish and blue damsel should have at least a 30 gal.
the shrimp would be fine, and i couldnt find any info on the others.

that really sucks that your campus has that regulation, i could understand a really big dog or something but a fish tank?! that blows!!

 

[wayne]

Too many fish for a 10, the dottyback is likely unless you carefully pick your species simply rule the tank, unless it's annihalated by the similarly spiky blue damsel. Get a pair of tank -raised perculas or a percula and goby or gramma.
Do you have the lighting for a anemonae, and you really shouldn't stick one in a fresh tank anyway.
If you're careful and smart you can make a nice 10 (preferably long) with a bunch of live rock and one or two small fish. The upside of working in a store is that if/when you crater the tank you can take your fish and park them somewhere else instead of killing them

 

[aquatic-store]

That damsel will wreck havok in such a small enviorment

 

[tango339]

that is a great combo. I might try Xing the damsel. See how it
goes, Then you could most likely add another clown.
My friend has a 4g nano reef with 2 T. percula clowns and some
coral.It is running great.

 

[toodles]

No to the bubble tip anemone mainly because they have such a dismal record in the home aquarium, and when they do survive, they get quite large and a 10g is simply too small.
Well, you could have just one dottyback in there, or just one damsel, or you could go with a pair of clowns. I would not try to combine the different species in such a small tank as you will end up with only one fish in the end!
Also, what kind of starfish? Some are predatory and will make short work of the mussel (as for the mussel, do you mean the flame scallop?).
What kind of cleaner shrimp? The coral banded shrimp has the reputation of eating things it shouldn't but the skunk cleaner or blood shrimp is safe (but the blood is more shy and you might not see it as much as the skunk).
HTH

 

[khlarge]

Thanks for the tip on the anemone...is there a type that you suggest that would cater to my clown? As for the starfish, I haven't decided what type to get yet, but I have decided to get an empty mussel shell rather than a live mussel because I was really only getting it for the dottyback to hide in. I was planning on getting a skunk cleaner shrimp or a peppermint shrimp, but the skunk seems like the best option...thanks everyone for your input!

 

[wayne]

Just give all anemonaes a miss, they're just too hard for beginners, and they're not necassary for the clowns. Get some good quality live rock, premium, with a tank this small you don't have room to put in any junk, and as you work at a store the cost will be more reasonable for you.
If you can decide what inverts you want, get the right lighting. Button polyps look good in nanos as theyre not so big.
You need not get a skimmer as you should be able to at least one 10% water change a week to keep things in good shape.

 

[lightning]

sounds like another "finding nemo" tank setup to me, dont forget to get you a pelican that can hang out by the window as well

 

[khlarge]

Wow, lightning....that was extremely rude. I came to this forum asking for advice, not attitude. If you don't have any to offer, then please don't waste my time by throwing around ignorant sarcasm. It's not needed, nor appreciated. Percula clowns are actually very common fish for a first setup, and I have been considering this arrangement for several months now.

 

[toodles]

No need to be rude Lightning.....

Like Wayne said, forget any anemone. If you want something that somewhat resembles anemones, the hammer coral is a good choice. And "sometimes" clownfish will adopt them. You will need to upgrade your lighting though...PC's would probably be the best and cheapest choice for your tank.

About clownfish....a lot of the time you will see the cute pictures of clownfish with their anemone. Even though in the wild they must have them to survive and breed, they don't need them in captivity. Even if you provide a clown with an anemone, there is no guarrentee that the clown will even take to the anemone. And some clowns will only host with certain anemones. I have read of people who had the right anemone with the right clownfish species only to have the clown ignore the anemone and host with the powerhead! My own clown has hosted with a power head, mushroom corals, and a patch of majano anemones. (Majano anemones are pests just like aiptasia).

 

[lightning]

sorry if i was rude, wasnt trying to be, again, sorry,
just i was at the LFS last night and theres a young couple in there asking how much for this and that , do you really need to have a test kit right now...etc,.."we want to get a nemo tank"

 

[Gnome]

Nano reef

I'm also thinking about starting a 7g nano tank, probably next year, but I'm still learning here, so is anyone know a good book and website to learn these thing? Thanks.
oh, check this out,
Bonsai Reef

 

[toodles]

The Bonsai Reef is nice but as you can see he's had some problems with it. Several fish deaths and I'm sure that the anemone has caused several problems as in the last photo some of the corals at the top of the tank are missing. Lucky for him that he has a larger tank he can move stuff to when needed....


Here is another nano-reef forum but be warned they can be rather rough there

www.nano-reef.com

 

[Gouramiman]

the bonsai reef is what i am planing rite now but with a 5 gal mini bow instead of a 7 gallon with the same lighting

 

[Navyblue]

I suggest the followings:

Fish: 2 clowns OR 2 damsel, because clowns can get territorial, and damsels are tough too
Shrimp: Anything that stays small, even coral banded, I am personally keeping it in a 15G with some little fishes, no problem, damsels and clowns aren't that dumb
Others: easy corals that stay small such as zoo or mushrooms, or a snail, if possible, although those both of them it is best to not to

I know these aren't the coolest stuffs, but I personally think that this will result in happy lifestock and happy owner.