Noob Stocking Questions

Samurai Jack 77

New member
This is my first Saltwater tank. All parameters are "A OK". and I'm wondering what fish work well with reefs. So far I have Two Clown Perc. and one firefish, and one purple firefish. No corals yet. But that is the plan. Slowly but surely.

Its a standard 55g tank. What other fish can I put in?
Reef safe fish that like to swim around please!
 
There's a sticky under the "New to Hobby" forum where you can post your stocking questions and they'll let you know what's compatible. They don't do recommendations though, so you'll need to pick what you want and then see if they will work together.
 
I did that. But I don't even know what to search in order to ask what fish work well together. My problem is I don't know what other options are out there to choose from.

So I ask in here which kinds of fish go in reef tanks then I can pick out which ones work well for my tank.
 
Start browsing some online retailers and reading. Some have a compatibility chart but there are soem exceptions. Its time to read and research. Also how old is your tank?
 
Start browsing some online retailers and reading. Some have a compatibility chart but there are soem exceptions. Its time to read and research. Also how old is your tank?
+1.

Just start browsing the online retailers to see what fish you like and ask questions if you are not sure if they compatible.
 
Ok just making sure you arent stocking too fast. But there are a good variety of fish you could choose from. I could sit here and name alot of fish, but I think its better for you to find fish you like and start asking questions
 
Firefish don't get along w/ each other unless they are a pair. You will need to take one of them back to the store or give it to a friend.

Gobies & blennies are nice peaceful fish. One of each would work in your tank. Some are coral nippers so check them out before you get one.

Do alot of researching & you can post what you have in the new to the hobby section for suggestions. Alot of peaceful fish don't get along with their own kind but will get along w/ everyone else in the tank.
 
Go to liveaquaria and peruse the site. They give decent recommendations for tank size, reef-safeness, and compatability. After you get some ideas of fish you like and think might work, post your ideas in the "intended fish purchase" thread. Snovich will give you great feedback.

Good luck
 
What about dwarf flame angel or some sort of tang? It seems the biggest and most beautiful fish are not good for reef tanks?

because I have not added any corals into the tank at all Maybe I should just go with a fish only and live rock tank?
 
Tangs are great fish but are very active and might be cramped in your tank. The suggested tank size for bristletooth tangs like the kole and Tomini is at least 75 gallons. Most other tanks require larger (and in most cases much larger) tanks. Tangs can be aggressive to fish put in the tank after the tang, so they should be the last fish stocked anyway.

Dwarf angels like the flame are nice and can work in your tank. It is hit or miss regarding whether they nip at corals. Also, they sometimes nip other fish so you want to introduce most other fish before them.

Going fish-only makes it easier to select fish as you don't have to weed out coral-eating fish. One approach is to start fish-only and then get a larger tank for the fish (say a 180) in a couple of years and keep the 55 as a reef with corals. Depending on what fish you get, you could try stocking a couple of corals (e.g., mushrooms and polyps) after you get your fish in or even while stocking.

You could have a nice tank if you add a blennie and a royal gramma or chalk bass, and then put some corals in. If everything goes well, you could consider adding a flame angel at the end.

Make sure to quarantine all of your new fish for 4-6 weeks before putting them into your dt. It is a pain, but it is the only way to have long-term success in this hobby (to paraphrase Mr Tuskfish).
 
I did that. But I don't even know what to search in order to ask what fish work well together. My problem is I don't know what other options are out there to choose from.

So I ask in here which kinds of fish go in reef tanks then I can pick out which ones work well for my tank.

You want us to do the work. You need to learn more about fishes. Even though it's the age of the internet, there are still these things called books and some of them are about reef fishes. Get one and read it. Then you can ask better questions and get better answers. Good luck.
 
IMO, people are being a bit hard on Jack saying go research and then come back and ask questions. Maybe it is just me, but I am fine with suggesting a list of fish that I like and then letting him research from the list. We don't want to drive people away just because they rely on us.
 
IMO, people are being a bit hard on Jack saying go research and then come back and ask questions. Maybe it is just me, but I am fine with suggesting a list of fish that I like and then letting him research from the list. We don't want to drive people away just because they rely on us.

You make a fairpoint, oh yee of the breath. My thing is I think people are being lazy and not doing their own basic learning and research. I also think "what fish should I have" doesn't yield the best info and makes for less than interesting threads.
 
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