Fish Only Marine Tank - Stocking Level?

[top_cat]

Hello,

I have a 16 Gallon and a 8 Gallon salt water marine tank that I have build to keep just fish (no corals). I was wondering what you guys think would be a good stocking level of small marine fish?

My thoughts were:
8 Gallon:
2x Common Clownfish
3x Hermit crab
1x Cleaner shrimp

Just the two small fish, the common clownfish shouldn't cause any problems but feedback would be appreciated. Clearly I wouldn't try an put in an Angel fish or anything that grows larger than 2inch

16 Gallon
2x Common Clownfish
3x neon Goby
5x Hermit crab
1x Cleaner shrimp

Again I have gone for small fish as 16 Gallons isn't a huge tank, however as it is fish only tank the water quality can be kept high.

Thanks,

 

[Lynden]

Pushing it, but with good water changes/skimmer both tanks should do well.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, water stability will be enough for fish, but dont plan on keeping corals in there.

 

[leecara]

personally i wouldnt keep any marine fish under 12 gall
2 clowns should be fine in the 16 gal as long as you do the water changes like lyden and ski said
but just to let you know clowns minmal tank size is about 25 gallons..but alot of people do cramp them into to smaller tanks
i have a 90 gallon tank and they seem to use up the whole tank for swimming space

 

[Lynden]

'Minimum tank size' is a matter of opinion and individual ethics/morals. Rarely do they have a scientific base.

Personally I would recommend a more sedentary fish for an 8 gallon; such as a small froggy or shrimp goby. However, I have seen clownfish pairs be stuffed into tanks of as small as 5 gallons with no negative effects. I have also seen a psuedochromis be crammed into a tank of less than one gallon with seemingly no ill effects (but somehow, it's a little unbelieveable).

-Lynden

 

[leecara]

yeh but very harsh to