I want to add these to my 55g reef

[donkeys4hire]

I currently have a Royal Gramma, Coral Beauty, Cleaner Shrimp, Sea Serpant Star, snails, and hermits. I have a Green Wrasse in QT so its going in. I would like to add a few the following, not all, I know the diet habits of the Mandarin. What do you think?

Midas Blenny
Diamond Goby
Bluespot Jawfish
a Tang, Pwder Blue, Powder Brown, Two Spot Bristletooth
Marine Betta
Copperband or Saddleback Butterfly fish, internet says use caution, What do you think?
Mandarin Basslet, this would be the lat fish after the tank is well developed

 

[steelcity]

The tangs and butterfly will get too big plus the CBB will be a picky eater. You should probably just pick one from the Blenny, Goby, or Bluedot.

 

[wrasseguy2]

the copperband and tangs would be a no go..i would go with the goby or blenny if i were you

 

[donkeys4hire]

bump

 

[TampaReefer79]

No on the tangs or butterfly. The jawfish will need a deep sand bed of varying size sand/rubble to build a burrow.

 

[lostintheocean]

no big fish in a 55, i would only go with maybe half the small fish, 55 do not have much room at all

 

[mogley1]

I kind of disagree about a tang. the two spot, kole, or even better a tomini I believe would be ok if you got a small enough speciman to start with and it was the only "large" fish in the tank. I have had a kole for 4+ years and he's 4.5". Just keep in mind that if the fish does get too large too fast you will have to make other arrangements.

 

[wrasseguy2]

I kind of disagree about a tang. the two spot, kole, or even better a tomini I believe would be ok if you got a small enough speciman to start with and it was the only "large" fish in the tank. I have had a kole for 4+ years and he's 4.5". Just keep in mind that if the fish does get too large too fast you will have to make other arrangements.

i totally disagree with this just not good idea to keep any tang in a 55 gal..not going to go into details..there is usally a thread every few days asking if a tang would be ok in this tank or that one and it is posted over and over why it is not good thing to do...th op will be better off to keep one of the smaller fish in thier first post

 

[donkeys4hire]

bump. I have changed my mind about the Tang's. What about the rest of the list???

 

[tibob32]

Copperbands have a very low survival rate. Check the primer thread. Have you looked into wrasses? There are a lot of very interesting reefsafe wrasses

 

[wrasseguy2]

flasher or a small fairy put you will need a top as they do jump..they butterfly i would leave out as well...the mandarin you are going to need an established tank as well as a fuge to provide plenty of pods for them they eat alot..i have never kept a betta but i think they get pretty large as well so not sure how that would work in you tank

 

[donkeys4hire]

What about a fire fish or two

 

[IPowderBlueTang]

Fire fish is OK. Blenny and goby are good also.

 

[wrasseguy2]

yes fire fish good choice as well

 

[IFbettas]

What about a fire fish or two

A firefish is a great choice for a small tank like yours. Don't get two, because you would most likely end up with one of them being killed by the other.

Butterflies get too big for a 55. The midas blenny and jawfish (assuming you have a deep sand bed) would be the only two out of the ones you listed that I would get for a tank that size. The diamond goby needs a much bigger sandbed in order to stay properly nourished. Marine bettas get fairly big, and might eat smaller fish, though one would fit in your tank.

 

[donkeys4hire]

Would another wrasse be ok? The green wrasse I have is very passive.

 

[wrasseguy2]

a flasher or small fairy would be fine but you are going to have to have a top (not egg crate) becuase they are jumpers as is most wrasses...any of the flashers and some of the smaller fairys like the lubbocki, flavidorsalis,rubriventralis,rubrisquamis, and condei..those would be good

 

[nikon187]

I would rethink putting a sailfin in a 75g tank. They get 14" in both directions and need a much bigger tank.

 

[rekn]

bettas get big but do not move around much if at all.


my only concern is, the solar wrasse and sailfin will get extremely aggressive in a tank that small.


nor, do you really want a fish that gets dinner plate size in your tank?

 

[travis32]

A betta will do fine in a 55g. I have one and he's doing good. Saw him eat mysis today. It was a great moment. (They can be finicky eaters..)

They can get up to 7" but they aren't very athletic, VERY lazy FIsh! And very nocturnal. If you have bright lighting, make sure you have some nice overhangs and caves for him to move around to and in between. Mine likes to go from cave to cave. He'll spend a couple hours in one then swim to the next.. He'll chase my grama out of his old cave, then go back and forth. Very lazy. I love him though. He'll be my centerpiece fish. Mine is around 3.5" right now.

I plan on adding 3 to 4 more fish to my 3 fish population right now.

I'm leaving 3 weeks to 1 month in between each fish addition.