help w/fish selection.

[miker296]

Ok, so i got a 55 gallon tank w/about 60 lbs of live rock. Its been cycled since around march or something (cant remember lol). Anyways, i've got a bunch of thriving polyps, and now that i've got rid of my damsels finally, i'd like to get some suggestions for fish.
The only 2 that i know i'm going to have are 2 ocellaris clowns, which i'm picking up tomorrow morning. I would like some sort of dwarf angel, but i'm undecided. I know that having one is a risk for my corals, but if they're bad w/my corals, i'll just take it out. Anyways, i was thinking a flame angel, but now i'm thinking coral beauty instead, mostly cuz i hear they arent as bad w/corals as flames...true?

so far i've got the 2 clowns, and a dwarf angel (can 2 dwarfs be kept together? 2 of seperate kinds i mean, like a flame and a coral beauty? because i hear that 2 of the same will fight)

Next i was thinking maybe a wrasse? are there any that would do good in a 55, besides the sixline of course? (i might get one of those...)

Also, i was thinking of getting a few gobies/blennies maybe? what would be some good ones to go w/my fish above?

The last thing i'm thinking about adding is a flame hawkfish...would one be good w/my clowns and angel/goby and or wrasse? This guy would go in last of course since he would be the most aggressive (from what i've read so far)

Obviously, i'm not adding all the fish at once, and i'm not adding every fish on my list. This is just a list of fish that i kinda got my eye on (except the clowns, which i've already put on hold at the lfs) and i just wanna find out which fish can go w/the others.

And as far as corals go, for now i'm just planning on softies mainly, but maybe some hard ones in the future. Right now i've got a huge thing of button polyps, some moon polyps, gold crested (i think) polyps, and 2 shrooms. Plan on having some xenia of some sort, and a hammer, and more. My lighting is fine for now, i got 384 watts of pc bulbs, but i could use more flow i know, which is just as important as lighting. I've only got 2 ac 301's which do 175 each, and my fluval (just running empty) puts out 260, so i dont have that great of flow, planning on bigger/better powerheads soon.

srry for the book, just trying to figure this out
thanks
mike

[rickzter]

Originally Posted by miker296

The only 2 that i know i'm going to have are 2 ocellaris clowns, which i'm picking up tomorrow morning. I would like some sort of dwarf angel, but i'm undecided. I know that having one is a risk for my corals, but if they're bad w/my corals, i'll just take it out. Anyways, i was thinking a flame angel, but now i'm thinking coral beauty instead, mostly cuz i hear they arent as bad w/corals as flames...true?

Wow, I've never heard of the flame angel being more problematic than the coral beauty! I've seen first hand the coral beauty causing some serious problems. Over and over again. They are just too curious. Actually, the flame angel is more toward the "reef safe" side. Melev's reef has one in his 30with zero problems. www.melevsreef.com

Originally Posted by miker296

so far i've got the 2 clowns, and a dwarf angel (can 2 dwarfs be kept together? 2 of seperate kinds i mean, like a flame and a coral beauty? because i hear that 2 of the same will fight)

No, they will fight. Very territorial. Especially coral beauty's.

Originally Posted by miker296

Next i was thinking maybe a wrasse? are there any that would do good in a 55, besides the sixline of course? (i might get one of those...)

Besides the sixline, there is the possum wrasse. Pretty neat wrasse and was looking into getting him instead of the sixline. I still have to research the fish to make absolutely sure he will not cause any rauckus in my reef. Sixline is a good choice though.

Originally Posted by miker296

Also, i was thinking of getting a few gobies/blennies maybe? what would be some good ones to go w/my fish above?

Gobies are always good reef inhabitants. Blennies provide a great cleaning service.

Originally Posted by miker296

The last thing i'm thinking about adding is a flame hawkfish...would one be good w/my clowns and angel/goby and or wrasse? This guy would go in last of course since he would be the most aggressive (from what i've read so far)

Flame hawks are cool. I've had two and both seem to be very peaceful, although my new one likes to occasionally pick on my clowns. LOL! My clowns fight back though. I guess he picks on them when he gets bored. Adding him last would be a good move.

[coral reefer]

To start with: As far as Centropyge's(dwarf angels) go, your best bet is a Flame, Cherub, African Pygmy, or a Fisher's Angel. Next come the Coral Beauty, Flameback, Lemonpeel and Keyhole though many of these don't make it very long in a tank.
As for keeping more than one of the same Genus, I would highly despise it as they will be aggressive towards the same genus. If you wanted to go with a Centropyge and a Pomacanthus or a Holacanthus, you could and be fine in doing so, however, they can't be trusted with corals and your size tank is too small to house one of the larger angels.
As for the Wrasses, all the Fairy Wrasses make good additions to reef tanks, however, if you plan on adding them with more boisterous and aggressive fish they should be added prior to the more aggressive fish.
You want to turn your water flow over about 6-10 times per hour as a general guideline. Plus be careful not to have dead spots. Water movement is beneficial to remove detritus and suspend it in the palegic areas(water column) for the skimmer to remove it. It also bring food to corals and inverts as well as brings oxygen to your corals and removes carbon dioxide etc.
Tangs make a wonderful addition as well, again, be careful if you plan on keeping more than one of these. Same type species will fight, where as if you get say a Zebrasoma Flavescens(yellow tang) and a Paracanthurus Hepatus(Hippo Tang) they will do ok together.
Check out the many Gobies and Blennies as well. They are fascinating to watch and have a character of their own and most have a pleasing disposition.
Hopefully this helps you out somewhat!!!!Anymore questions, feel free to ask...
Good luck!

[miker296]

wow thanks!! the flame was that "must have" fish of mine, (ya ya, i know you all have a "must have" fish...lol) but people were saying the coral beauty is a safer choice...flame angel it will be tho!

so now my list is...

2 false clowns
1 flame angel

Now i'm thinking of getting the sixline prolly, and then my gobies/blennies, and then my flame hawk last.

And do the sixlines eat bristleworms by any chance (or will any other fish/invert?) Only last night i saw about 100-150 bristle worms out...it doesnt bother me at all, as i know they're just eating all the leftovers and stuff, but my mom doesnt really care for them..ok she hates them. But i'm kinda lookin for something just to keep the bristle population down..not completely wipe it out..but thats less important to me than getting along w/fish and corals.

as far as gobies...how many could i add? i was thinking maybe 3 smaller ones that stay on the rocks mostly...maybe a pistol/goby pair even..what kinds of gobies will stay small and stay near the rock?
And for the blennies, what kind should i look for? i was thinkin only 1 blenny, just cuz i'm prolly pushin the bioload already...scooter blenny?

And last, do the flame hawks get along w/other fish that stay in/on/around rock like the gobies? I know that they can be territorial a bit so ya...i read an article in...aahh i think it was coral magazine? anyways, the issue was focused on hawkfish, and it said that they dont really "chase" fish...they will just ambush them, and if the fish flees, they wont persue..true or no? And will the flame hawk get along w/my flame angel? (seems like to much fire to be in the water lol)

And for tangs, i just dont think any should be kept in anything smaller than 65 minimum..ideally 75 or larger...but thats just my opinion, because i know they need lots of space to swim...even the smaller ones do.

So here (again lol) is my list of fish that i "want" to get and in the order i'd get them.

1. Clown pair..going in tomorrow
2. 3 small gobies/sixline
3. sixline/3 small gobies
4. maybe a blenny..one that cleans sand and stays somewhat small
5. flame angel
6. flame hawk

I know that might be too many fish for a 55, but lmk what you guys think..and what type of gobies/blennies woould be good.

i'll prolly have more questions later too lol
thanks
mike

[rickzter]

Originally Posted by miker296

wow thanks!! the flame was that "must have" fish of mine, (ya ya, i know you all have a "must have" fish...lol) but people were saying the coral beauty is a safer choice...flame angel it will be tho!

It's really up to you on what you decided to get. If you ask me, the flame angel is much more prettier than a Coral Beauty in my opinion. I just saw one today that was absolutely stunning! Makes me want to get one, but I can't afford to have another big fish in my tank. Just make sure he is extremely colorful with a nice balance of color. Real deep orange with even black stripes and nice blue on the tips. Also, make sure he is not stressed and is completely relaxed and eats. Acclimating very slowly, 2+ hours with drip method.

Originally Posted by miker296

And do the sixlines eat bristleworms by any chance (or will any other fish/invert?) Only last night i saw about 100-150 bristle worms out...it doesnt bother me at all, as i know they're just eating all the leftovers and stuff, but my mom doesnt really care for them..ok she hates them. But i'm kinda lookin for something just to keep the bristle population down..not completely wipe it out..but thats less important to me than getting along w/fish and corals.

Six lines are reported to be very beneficial to a reef in that they have been known to eat everything that is considered a pest. Pyramedellid snails, flat worms, bristles, small nudibranch's, etc, etc. He will eat any crustacean that is small, so live copepods and live mysis in your system will keep this guy happy. As a matter of fact, I'm considering the little guy because of this and also because he is extremely active. He is an avid swimmer and never stops "investigating" the tank. Really cool fish. But, I'm trying to decided whether to get the sixline or the possum. Possum wrasse is a little more expensive and little rarer than the sixline. Both are cool though.

Originally Posted by miker296

as far as gobies...how many could i add? i was thinking maybe 3 smaller ones that stay on the rocks mostly...maybe a pistol/goby pair even..what kinds of gobies will stay small and stay near the rock?
And for the blennies, what kind should i look for? i was thinkin only 1 blenny, just cuz i'm prolly pushin the bioload already...scooter blenny?

With gobies, you can add as many as you want, but not the same species for fear of territory fighting. You can get bottom dwellers, sifters or active swimmers like the Rainfordi goby! I just got him, he is reported to be a "hair algae expert".

Originally Posted by miker296

And last, do the flame hawks get along w/other fish that stay in/on/around rock like the gobies? I know that they can be territorial a bit so ya...i read an article in...aahh i think it was coral magazine? anyways, the issue was focused on hawkfish, and it said that they dont really "chase" fish...they will just ambush them, and if the fish flees, they wont persue..true or no? And will the flame hawk get along w/my flame angel? (seems like to much fire to be in the water lol)

Trust me, you will be fine with the flame hawk. He is deemed a "reef predator" but he will only pick on little guys. Anything that is smaller than him, he will bully. If all your fish are the same size or bigger, he will respect them and will not even mess with them. Try to get him as small as possible and I will guarantee you he will bother no one. Especially if you add him last. He could attack ornamental shrimp too, so be sure if you're adding shrimp that you get them big so he wont mess with him. As long as they are bigger than his mouth, they will be ok.

Originally Posted by miker296

And for tangs, i just dont think any should be kept in anything smaller than 65 minimum..ideally 75 or larger...but thats just my opinion, because i know they need lots of space to swim...even the smaller ones do.

That is true, but they also take long to grow. Mine is extremely happy in my 30. I've never seen a happier tang. If you do consider one though, get him at a reasonable size for your tank and be ready to move him when he outgrows, period. Surgeonfish like Sohols, Naso's, etc do need a big tank, those are out of the question. But tangs like Purples or Yellow tangs, etc will suffice in reasonably sized tanks.

Originally Posted by miker296

So here (again lol) is my list of fish that i "want" to get and in the order i'd get them.

1. Clown pair..going in tomorrow
2. 3 small gobies/sixline
3. sixline/3 small gobies
4. maybe a blenny..one that cleans sand and stays somewhat small
5. flame angel
6. flame hawk

Sounds good. Just make absolutely sure about these fish, as if you later regret one, you will have to tear down your reef to get the booger out.

Originally Posted by miker296

I know that might be too many fish for a 55, but lmk what you guys think..and what type of gobies/blennies woould be good.

You can keep a good amount of fish in a coral reef, but the more you get, the sooner you will have to do water changes. Of course, you dont want to completely stock up the tank too, but you can get away with a reasonable amount. Just make sure you dont overfeed and you keep on the water changes.

Originally Posted by miker296

i'll prolly have more questions later too lol
thanks
mike

Oh, please no. J/K Ask away.

[miker296]

ok thanks rickzter and coral reefer!

for my gobies now, i'm thinkin maybe a watchman gobie..but then maybe not, because i wanna get the hawk and the watchmans are pretty small right?

and ok, you guys talked me into getting a yellow tang...not for this tank tho lol. Just not really what i wanna do w/this tank, but my next tank will be at least another 55, but most likely a hundred somethin...so i'll get one either way on the next one.

oh, and i'm getting my clown pair today, and i was wondering if i could get the sixline at the same time? i dont really like to add that many fish at a time, but there's no fish in the tank right now (finally got the damnsels out!!) and theres plenty of room...so what'dyou think?

thanks again both of you
mike

[reiple]

are you adding from your quaratine tank? or no quaratine tank?

good luck!

[miker296]

dont have a qt as of yet...hoping to get at least a 15 gallon from a friend soon, but that would most likely be for a fuge instead, altho my hob fuge that i made out of a millenium hob filter has turned out great results, so maybe not...

would a 10 gallon be good enough? i know thats small, but the fish i'm getting arent too big...and would i just do a bare bottom tank w/maybe some rocks/pvc pipe for hiding? its just i got extra 10's layin around

[rickzter]

I think it would be a good idea to add the six line now because he is an easy target for bullies.

[miker296]

dang..i didnt get the sixline now, but he's my next fish that im' gonna get...when would be a good time to get one? a week? 2? a month? i usually would do a month, but recently i've been seeing people say sooner.

and there wont be any other fish in the tank besides the 2 clowns that i just got before i put the sixline in.

so my next fish will most likely be the sixline, then the blenny then the flame angel...i'm now thinkin of holding off on either the flame hawk or the gobies...most likelly i'll skip on the little gobies cuz i really want a flame hawk.

so whats the best sand sifting blenny you guys can suggest for a 55?