still thinking about what to stock...

[matt randazzo]

hi guys, i'm going to be getting a 55 gallon tank soon and i am still up in the air about what i'm going to keep in it. but i do know that i want it to be an aggressive/predator tank.

here are the fish i am thinking about/ interested in (probably not all will be going in, but i'd like to get most...)

-Niger trigger
-bluespot goby(paired with a pistol shrimp)
-two domino damsels
-two clarkii clowns

inverts:
-carpet nem and a BTA
-misc. snails (3 or 4)
-emerald crab
-skunk cleaner shrimp
-blood shrimp
-tiger pistol shrimp (paired with a goby)

tell me what you guys think!:rollface:

 

[olemiss reb]

niger needs a bigger tank/would eat all of your inverts.

Think hard on the carpet. They get big and are great at eating fish.

 

[matt randazzo]

Really? the trigger would eat the all/any inverts? well i guess i could skip on the inverts, are there any other fish that would get along with those fish? oh i forgot to mention when the trigger seems to be getting too big, there is a local family owned aquarium store place... and i know that they'll be able to take him... they have like a 8ft long and 3ft high tank...Thats also where I'm going to be buying the fish...

 

[wedwards]

I don't understand why you would buy a fish to have for a while and just get rid of it later. If you were planning an upgrade sometime soon it would be a different story but just buying the fish and planning on getting rid of the fish a year or so down the road just doesn't make sense. I would personally skip the trigger and maybe go for a dwarf lion, such as a Fu Manchu. I have also heard of the carpet's eating fish. Just my opinions though... good luck with the tank! be sure to post pics when you get it set up!

 

[olemiss reb]

Nems should be safe but shrimp, crabs, snails are on the menu.

 

[matt randazzo]

alright thanks for the advise guys ya i lust figured it would take a few years to grow too big for the tank and i just love the way that triggers look and there personality that I've seen in videos...

 

[matt randazzo]

well that also kind of leaves a gap in my roster for the position of apex pred... any suggestions? I'm also very interested in lion fish, so any suggestions other than lions, just for ideas.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

well that also kind of leaves a gap in my roster for the position of apex pred... any suggestions? I'm also very interested in lion fish, so any suggestions other than lions, just for ideas.

How about some species of Filefish? They have similarities to Triggers but are much smaller and more suitable for a small tank like a 55g.

Other predators: perhaps a dwarf golden moray. You will have to really get out your pocket book, but it would be a centerpiece type of pet.

Leopard / Toby puffer perhaps, but not if you have small fish in with it.

Advise against putting two dominos in such a small tank.......either one or a bunch, but be aware that either way they get pretty big and mean.

Dwarf Zebra Lion could work nicely as well as the previously mentioned fu man chu lion.

Frankly, if you are willing to not do a predator tank, there are a lot more tropical reef fish suitable for small tanks than there are predators. All the gobies, cardinals, firefish, smaller wrasses, smaller clowns, grammas, chromis......all of these can be combined in a community tank fairly successfully and create quite a splash of color and interesting personalities.

 

[matt randazzo]

alright cool thanks for the help without you guys i probably would of lost a lot of money... thanks