which of these fish should I add?

[salt creepette]

Hello all, question:

I have a 30 gallon with a small maroon clown, firefish, blue assessor, and scooter dragonet. I want to add another fish, which would work best?...I'm looking for beauty but also interesting behaviour...

*yellow assessor
*pearlscale butterfly
*golden wrasse/canary wrasse
*scopas tang
*citron goby
*orangespot sleeper goby

can a yellow assessor and a blue assessor get along?
will a scopas tang harass everybody?
my substrate is crushed coral with little shells and stuff...if I were to add some finer sand, would that be an okay substrate for a sleeper goby? and if so, should I wait on him, since it would take some time for the sand to become more populated with critters?

Also, once we upgrade our niger trigger's tank to something larger, which tankmate would you guys recommend? I was thinking of

*rock mover wrasse/dragon wrasse
*purple tang
*four stripe dascyllus (humbug)
*strawberry dottyback (since theyre small and can hide, and besides, they're meaner than snot...)

any suggestions and comments welcome! thanks...

erin

[Joel]

When you get a larger tank I would add a purple , sailfin, or scopus tang. I have all three in a 90 and they get along great (they even eat off the same veggie clip). The scopus was the cheapest and is my favorite.

[salt creepette]

joel, just curious, why is the scopas tang your fave?

[Joel]

he changes color with his "mood", is aggressive enough to not be intimidated by other fish, is docile enough not to mess with other fish, and is always in view in the tank (he never hides like the purple). This is the second scopus in the last five years (the first one died during a long distance move). I just think they're kinda neat fish.

[MiddletonMark]

I'd go with one of the gobies. A 30 isn't very big for a wrasse or tang; both the gobies are more `stay at home fish' which is good in a tank that size.

Plus you're probably getting near or at the limit of fish to add to that size tank without upsetting the balance. Thus one of these fish would be a smaller fish and less of an addition on the bioload.

[salt creepette]

more tank specs...

I forgot to elaborate on my tank specs...

the 30 gallon has been up and running for about three months, has live rock, protein skimmer, i have macro algae in my refugium (to feed a tang if I get one)...I have astrea and other small snails and several hermit crabs, and would like some shrimps. this info may help you guys help me pick a fish that's more appropriate. thanks!

erin

[Reefer Addict]

I vote 'nay' on the Pearlscale Butterfly... I had one in my tank and it terrorized all my corals...
I finally had to tear my tank down to get it out... it's better to stick with longnose butterflyfish (such as the 'Longnose' or 'Copperband') since they are worm and pod eaters rather than polyp eaters like the blunt-nosed butterflyfish.

Just thought I'd mention that... the Pearlscale was even eating all the food I add to the tank so it wasn't doing this out of hunger...

Figured I'd save you some frustration in the long run...

I do have a copperband butterfly of which I am very happy with... is a model citizen though it only eats live food (for now... trying to train it).

HTH

Oh... here's a picture of my orange-spot Goby... he's a great little character... though he spends most of the day just sitting around.

[salt creepette]

thanks for all your replies, I decided against the pearlscale butterfly (too aggressive) and the coris wrasse (I want shrimps) and I already have an assessor. I am going to go for a citron goby for my next fish! thanks again everybody!

erin

ps still havent decided what to put with the trigger yet, but that's a ways off anyways, so i have time....

[Reefdude5]

I love my brownbarred/bullet goby! He is not shy and is SO good at cleaning detritus from the sand! He takes a big mouthfull of sand and filters it out of his gills! So kool! Although what am I saying? I love all gobies and blennies!

[Doug1]

If you have to add another I would go with a small goby type. IME you are near max, esp when the maroon clown gets some size(up to 6") If the clown wasn't in the picture a yellow /blue assessor would make a nice striking combo