[FutureDoc]

Live aquaria tend to underrate the tank size for most fish. That means if it says 70g, in reality, 100g would be much better. Plus, we really need to factor in footprint over overall volume. 18x22 is not a big or even medium footprink tank. You need a longer "run" as 28 inches from each diagonal corner is less than what a fish can do in a 20L.

I would not really consider a pygmy angel for a 30g long term.

I think that 2 clowns and 2 firefish are your limit for this tank and I would not stock it with anymore fish. More fish could mean that Sudden Mass Death syndrome will be lurking.

Get the bigger tank first

 

[FutureDoc]

Can they be kept for a time in a smaller tank, yes. Should they be kept in a smaller tank already on the bio-load cliff, definitively not.

I have kept larger fish in smaller tanks before, but there is a point in which it must be a temporary consideration and "planning to upgrade" at a undefined point in the future is not a proper plan.

It is not just the size of the fish, it is their swimming range and activity level. Angels do need larger tanks and unless there is 4 feet of space, it is tough to provide proper environments.

 

[FutureDoc]

If I take care of my fish well enough do I need to worry about overstocking my tank by a little bit?

Part of taking care of your fish is not overstocking. Overstocking can leave to a lot of other problems, algae, chronic Alk/pH issues, and even oxygen depletion. I am not talking about the fish using the oxygen, I am talking about the bacteria using the oxygen, and they use a lot! As the bioload/stocking increases, those bacteria are multiplying. Additional nutrients also causes algae to increase (It produced O2 during the day, consumes at night)but it also dies as well, so bacteria get even more food. Finally, it reaches a point (often at night) where the bacteria is using so much oxygen that the fish literally run out of air. It affect the larger more active fish first in many cases... like the angels. You wake up to a few dead fish. That is the major risk for many overstocked, small, sump-less, skimmer-less tanks.

If I get a blue spot jawfish it doesn't need much swimming room because it burrows under the sand right? If I return the firefish could I get the dwarf angel?

Considering that those sand beds need to be 4" and that 4" is about 20% of your tank volume, I would not want to dedicate that much of my limited volume in the tank to sand. For some, a 30g tank is a "nano tank" and at the least, it is a really small tank. Stocking has to be more limited than other tanks because it is both less forgiving and the nature of the tank is more complicated.

For example: My 40B has 16.2 square inches of surface space for gas exchange per gallon. This is not counting my skimmer nor my sump either... which help more. If your 30g is not connected to a sump, then you are looking at about 13.2 inches per gallon (if it is 22x18) which is not particularly bad (standard 55g tanks only have about 10sqinpg) or if it is 18x18 it is only 10.8 but the more surface area, the better the gas exchange will be. So, when you are overstocking, you are betting against the gas exchange and bacteria... I personally never bet against bacteria.

 

[FutureDoc]

Looks like Liveaquaria has changed that recently as most of their dwarf angels used to say 30 gallon or 55 gallon

Yeah, I definitely remember them having smaller tank numbers. I guess folks started calling them out on it.

 

[FutureDoc]

Get a 75g tank first.

 

[FutureDoc]

If you are going to go with a 55g, get a 75. The only difference is that the 75 will be deeper front to back. (18inches rather than 12in) It makes stocking, aquascaping, and managing the tank much easier. Furthermore, the cost to operate a 55g and a 75g is about the same. Both require 48in of lighting, both are as deep (top to bottom) and use about the same amount of flow to push 4 feet of water, many skimmers will handle both volumes equally well. And you can get a reef-ready 75g tank easier than a 55g.

 

[FutureDoc]

Actually, a lot of the brands are all the same... aqueon, all-glass, oceanic, kent, coralife and a few others are owned by Central Garden and Pet

Marineland, Instant Ocean, Tetra are owned by Spectum Brands... who also owns Spectrcide, Rayovac, and Black&Decker.

 

[FutureDoc]

Unless you just filled up the new tank and was waiting for it to cycle, I would say to pass on the angel for now.

 

[FutureDoc]

four fish are really the maximum I would have in that tank. I would be happier with 3-ish. This is why folks often focus on inverts and corals for small tanks.

 

[FutureDoc]

Even if my tank has really good filtration?

Lets put it this way... Big bloc-party, one toilet. It does not matter how good that toilet is, 1 toilet for a hundred+ folks is not going to cut it.

Now if you had a link to natural sea-water drawn from off-shore that changed you water completely every hour or two, then maybe, but even the best equipment and the most avid aquarist can not overcome overstocking (in the long term). The smaller the tanks, the more acute the overstocking issue can be. I know, I have tried.... ugggg.

 

[FutureDoc]

I am surprised no one has said; "YOU CAN NOT have a dwarf angel in a 30 gal." They may still chime in. I have kept Coral Beauties in as small as a 10 gal. (with only one other fish), a 14 gal., a 25 gal. and a 55 gal. successfully. Every Beauty I have had was peaceful. Now, they will defend themselves with tail slapping if bothered but I never had one annoy any coral with the exception of an occasional nip out of curiosity.

Funny, you know I was one suggested in the other thread that one should not keep one in a 18x18x22 30g. It "can" be done in a smaller tank but I would really not put one in this 30g tank with the current bioload. You know our classic conversions about saying "no" and there is a big difference between "can" and "should". :beer: New year treating you alright?

 

[FutureDoc]

Please read this thread:
http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6/current-discussion-sudden-mass-deaths-172580.html

 

[FutureDoc]

I'm honestly not sure what to say about this..... your tank is overstocked. By all means congrats that it has worked so far but it is a poor long term set up. As tcamos said its measured in years not months. .... so the question still stands can all those fish in a 29 survive. ...possibly however very unlikely and definitely very unhappily and inhumanely.

Yes, and folks wonder why a lot of groups and localities are fighting hard to try and ban the hobby. Treating animals like this is one reason we are under siege. For some reason, I think freshwater has created a "fish are disposable" mentality and unfortunately this does not work for the marine side especially considering that many of these habitats are under pressure from hobby and especially non-hobby activity.

 

[FutureDoc]

Wow

Has anyone actually gone into the reason why a large bioload in a smaller(ish) sumpless tank is a problematic issue in the first year of a tank's existence yet? Any SMD readers yet?

We could also go into environmental ethics too... I have extensive training in that as well.