Whats the MAX # of fish I can add?

46g. I have two clowns, algae blenny, coral beauty and dozens of inverts. Want to know the aboslute max I can add. the ABSOLUTE max.?

I want to eventually get a goby and mandarin or a dragonet (So goby and madarin or goby and dragonet). but I still want atleast 3 more fish that swim around the tank. If this is to much then no big deal just let me know the max,) the clowns dont navigate the rock work, they just hang out in the front. the coral beauty navigates but is really shy and does more hiding than anything.

 

you should be fine with those two small fish. the mandarin and dragonette are the same thing just different colors/designs. make sure you have an adequate copepods population before adding the mandarin.

 

A good rule of thumb for SW is 1 adult inch per gallon. Like Gexx said you should have a mature tank with an established pod population and alot of rock before getting a Mandrin. Without these things it will eventually starve to death. Unless of course you can find a dealer with one of the new ORA Mandrins. They are used to eating frozen/prepared foods.

 

I would suggest 2 or 3 orange anthias, forget the purple ones because they tend to be weaker. If you can get ONLY 1 male and 2 or 3 females that would give you color and swimmers that are very reef friendly.
Of course it also depends on your filtration and how much time you spend keeping up on it. Clearly there are parameters, the so many inches for each gallon routine and all. Go slow and know what your getting into.

 

I go by 1" of saltwater fish per 5 gallons of reef tank space. so you'd have 9" total of fishes for a 46g.. thats just my theory though.

 

there will be lots of opinions on this subject. Personally I would add the mandarin as Gexx mentioned once there is an adequite pod supply and leave it at that since you don't appear to have a sump/refugium to help support any more fish.
Again, thats just my opinion, others may vary.

 

I'm with Telgar

 

I would not add anthias to that sized tank, they need larger tanks to have adequate swimming room. Plus they will jump and need to be fed frequently due to their high metabolism.

If you have to ask what's the "ABSOLUTE" number of fish, then it makes it appear that you have a feeling you will be overstocking. The mandarin and goby should be ok, but as mentioned, the mandarin needs a large pod population unless you can find one that eats frozen food.

What other fish were you looking at?

 

my quesition is not pertaining to if I can keep a mandarin. I am fully aware of the copepod population needed. I just want to know the max number of fish I can put in my aquarium. of mostly fairly small size. no tangs or anything like that.

 

I know this. I either want a green madarin or a scooter blenny.