Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm setting up a saltwater tank and I've got 4 clownfish on the way. What other fish are compatible with them?

I'm getting the water from a cycled saltwater tank, so that's taken care of.

If only it were that simple indeed.

What's the tank size we're talking about here - dimensions and gallons, please? And when you say the tank is "cycled", do you mean it's been used before?

I'd recommend taking a look at the stickies in the marine and reef chit chat section - it's a good starting point for learning about marine tanks.

The tank I'm getting the water from has been running for years with a filter and fish, so it's definitely cycled. As for the tank I'm setting up, I'm looking for fish that get along with clownfish.

The thing is, it's not just the water that cycles your tank, you need that filter in your tank too, not just the water.

Deepocean wrote: ↑Sat Jul 12, 2025 5:21 am I'm setting up a saltwater tank and I've got 4 clownfish on the way. What other fish are compatible with them?

I'm getting the water from a cycled saltwater tank, so that's taken care of.

The tank size is kinda crucial here. You can't just throw fish together, it's gotta work. What are the dimensions, gallons?

Alright, alright, let's get down to business.

Compatibility's key, so look into that first. Figure out which fish you actually want to keep, but don't forget the tank size and setup are crucial too - they'll dictate what you can and can't keep.

What's the tank size, btw? Before you start adding fish, do some research on the tank size you've got. Nothing's worse than buying a bunch of fish without knowing their care requirements, like feeding habits and how big they'll get. You don't wanna end up with fish that won't thrive in your tank. Good luck with your setup, though.

Planning a 20-gallon tank, got a pair of common clownfish in mind.

For a 20-gallon tank like yours, having a good amount of live rock - around 25-30 pounds - would really help. With that, you could easily fit 2 common clownfish and maybe 2 small gobies, like neon gobies or a pistol shrimp goby pair. However, to be honest, that's about it, really.

If you're running GFO or a refugium with a skimmer, you might be able to squeeze in about five small fish. Anything more than that, I'd advise against unless they're really tiny and you're doing a lot of water changes. One of the best things about nanos is that less is more; everything's more noticeable in a smaller space, even the little critters like isopods.