55 gallon inhabitants

[fredflinstone]

Hi,

I have a 55 G tank. It has 1 yellow tang, 2 clowns and am introducing a black saddleback this weekend. Can someone let me know if I can introduce a 1 inch blue tang in the tank?

 

[kraze3]

I think your gonna get alot of NO's on that. Your tank is just barely big enough for the Yellow tang, some will argue it isnt even big enough for the YT. 2 tangs will be way too much in my opinion.

 

[fredflinstone]

Can you suggest any ideal fish that I place in the tank?

 

[kraze3]

I dont know much about saddlebacks but dont they get to like 8 or 9 inches, I dunno if I would even add that in there with the tang. Yellow tangs get big and need lots of swimming room, 2 large fish might be too much for your tank. 55 gallon tanks dont have much width to them, maybe 13 inches?

 

[kraze3]

well i just searched saddleback, i guess it depends on if your getting a saddleback butterfly, hogfish or clown fish.

 

[fredflinstone]

I am getting a black saddleback clown fish.

 

[kraze3]

I dont know much about haveing different species of clowns in one tank. I would check here to be sure that that will be an ok addition to your tank
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=36

As for another inhabitant, do you have any intrests in gobies. Some get larger 4-6 inches but there are smaller species. I like my gobies, some have awesome colors and some such as the neon are very small and wouldnt be a huge additon to your bio load

 

[fredflinstone]

I have a orange diamond gobi and a scooter also. I have a cleaner shrimp and a peppermint shrimp as well. Is it too much on the biolod already?

 

[M.Doshier]

My favorite little goby's are clown gobys!! Esp. the little green ones!

 

[stykthyn]

I would skip the saddle back. clowns do not appreciate sharing a tank with other clowns. as you already have a pair of clowns you are heading for a world of hurt. If you had a 100+ gal tank you could get away with it, but not in a 55.

 

[fredflinstone]

Ok if so what other fish can I have other than gobis?

 

[stykthyn]

pygmy angels, basslets, cleaner shrimps, small school of cardinals, hawkfish, jawfish.......
just do a little homework and you will find many fish that are small enough to fit your tank and live happily together.

 

[fredflinstone]

Ok will do that. I have that saddleback in my hospital tank now. I was wondering if I can turn that hospital tank into a small nano fish only tank with him and another small fish companion.

Is that ok?

 

[fredflinstone]

I am also trying to get some corals into the tank slowly.
Most of the fishes that you mentioned are not reef safe.
I think brassets and gobys are the only fishes left

 

[stykthyn]

cardinals, jawfish, hawkfish(no shrimps), basslet, gobies, blennies, angel fish ( watch them though, i have had some that ignore my corals, others find them tasty) should all be reefsafe.
the saddleback should be fine in a 20, or better yet keep it in the 55 as they do get large and move the ocellaris to the small tank, you can get away with a 10 gallon for them.

 

[fredflinstone]

I like these ocellaris, they seem happy in the main tank. I dont want to isolate them. I feel bad on that part. But I dont want to return the saddleback either. That looks cool too. Man this is a big dilema.

Is flame angel reef safe? Some sites say it is some say its not

 

[kraze3]

Flame angels and coral beauties are a 50/50 shot. Some have kept them for years and they never touch corals while others have nipped at corals. I have a CB, awesome fish and she hasnt touched anything so far. The flame angel is really popular. If you do go for the flame agel just keep an eye on her.

 

[fredflinstone]

I have a couple of corals. I havent started investing on the corals yet. But am thinking maybe later if I get corals, flmae angel might get interested on them or the other way round? please let meknow.

 

[kraze3]

Like i said its 50/50 shot. I think they like nipping sps more than softies but either way its up to you wether you want to take the chance or not.

 

[karid]

I would return saddleback. Most likely you will have problems in the long run with your other clowns. Unless you put the other clowns in teh QT tank like you said, but it depends on if you really want to deal with keeping a small tank. I had two tanks going for a while (a 55 and a 20), but much prefer one bigger one.

So I had the 55g for a bit over a year and these are fish I had (not all at the same time though) and they are all great fish for that size tank:

lawnmower blenny
fairy wrasse
chalk bass
clown goby
brownbarred goby
firefish
orange spotted shrimp goby

All were peaceful and reef safe. My favorite was the chalk bass. Very colorful. The fairy wrasse is also really great - very colorful and active.

Another option is one of the fang blennies. I love these fish, particularly the yellowtail fang blenny (half blue, half yellow). Very pretty and active.