20 gallon stocking

[Matthew72]

hi i have a 20 gallon sw tank that has been up and running for a bout a week now. i have 20pds of LR and 20 pds of live sand. i was wonderind if i could put 2 ocellaris clownfish, 2 firefish gobies, and some shrimp in it. i was on a couple other sites reaserching and i think it would be oka but wanted to check. thanks

[Reefing Madness]

That stock list would be alright. But, if your tank has only been up for a week, its still in cycle, and you'd kill the fish right now. Unless you've tested already and I'm off my rocker.

[Matthew72]

no i already know i cant put them in yet i just wanted to see if it was oka

[leebca]

Hi and welcome! I'm Lee: Bio - Lee (a.k.a. leebca)

A 20 gallon aquarium with those things inside will hold about 15-17 gallons of water. This aquarium will support about 3" of marine fish. This would be one adult ocellaris fish. If you check out the Internet, you'll find they grow to a full adult size of about 3" in captive life. If you'd like to have a pair of them, switch to a 29 gallon tank at least. We try and stock as if the fish was full grown, so there will be room for the fish to reach its full size while still under your care.

You'll get more info about stocking limits in these posts:
What Size Tank is Right for That Fish?
and
Fish Stocking Limit - for FO and FOWLR

The 20 gallon aquarium will be challenging to maintain a stable environment which marine fishes need. You can do this, but you don't want to overstock or press the system. Less is more!

For info on starting a system up, maybe you've already read this one: Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium

Good luck!

[Marinefish]

You could try a chalk bass. They are colorful, peaceful, bold, active, and stay under 3". They are reef safe, but will sometimes eat small shrimp. I have one that's about 2 1/2" and he has shown no intrest in eating my 1" sharknose goby. You could also keep 3 or 4 pygmy gobies in that size tank.

[Housen]

Size the fish load by assuming a full-sized fish. Give them space to grow into. One clown would be good, with the shrimp.