fish and reef

seaqueen

New Member
So im re-doing my 55 gal !! yay!! building my first sump (wish me luck) getting my 1st protein skimmer I hope ll comes together because iv had extremely bad luck with all of my fish in my previous years the longest i kept any fish was about 1 1/2 year that was my Niger trigger fish i loved him so much !! however i gave him to my LFS since i wanted inverts and more ''lively'' tank. ! so any who! im really hoping i have better luck with a sump and protein skimmer !

so here's what i have in mind for my new setup i want to make sure all of the following are compatible and reef safe( iv done research already, i just want some more opinions)


- about 2 or 3 cardinal fish
- yellow tang
- Midas Blenny
- clown fish (unsure of what species to get)
- snails
- starfish :))) (fromia maybe)

corals are undecided however i want some sort of anemone that will be more likely to bond with my clown gotta do more research lol~
im up for suggestions on somewhat peaceful anemones and beginner lever corals :) thank you~~
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,

A 55g is a really narrow small tank for saltwater. The Yellow tang is one of those fish that needs lots of swim room, and get really mean when they don't have at least a 6 foot tank. To say the 55g is too small for it is the understatement of all time. A lemonpeel dwarf angel has the same super yellow color, and would be much better suited for a 55g. They are very active and love to swim in and out of the rock work.

There is no such thing as a "peaceful" anemone. They all eat and sting anything stupid enough to get to close, including inverts like shrimp, snails and even starfish. A narrow tank like the 55g doesn't give critter a whole lot of room to escape it.
 

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
Tomini or kole would do better than yellow in a 55. Both are pretty fish.
The lemon peel angel is a dwarf angel. They are reef safe with caution. Most are great but occasionally you get one that is a coral nipper.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
what would you think about a tomini tang or a kole tang?
Hi,

Both of these fish have a MINIMUM tank size of 70g (Tomini tang) to 75g(Kole tang). The lemonpeel nips at clams and SPS coral such as the fox coral. The other types of corals they usually leave alone. IMO There are no tangs that should be in a tank smaller then the 75g. Any fish that will reach beyond 4 inches shouldn't be considered for a 55g.
 
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geridoc

Well-Known Member
For sheer beauty take a look at the reef-safe wrasses. My favorite is the male red velvet fairy wrasse. Gorgeous, outgoing and hearty! Here is a picture of mine.
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
Is it true only the males flash when a female is present? Can I see yours? :)
Nope. There are three males in this tank (McCoskers, Carpenters, and Yellowfin), and no females. The Yellowfin is very flashy, and the small McCoskers is trying to keep up. The Carpenters never flashed for me, though. Probably due to aggression from the Yellowfin...

 

Kristin1234

Active Member
Nope. There are three males in this tank (McCoskers, Carpenters, and Yellowfin), and no females. The Yellowfin is very flashy, and the small McCoskers is trying to keep up. The Carpenters never flashed for me, though. Probably due to aggression from the Yellowfin...

I love that yellowfin!! I'm guessing he isn't reef safe, correct? Is this another tank of yours?
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
I never saw my yellowfin show aggression to any other fish except the carpenters flasher. I believe his darting at the carpenters was to keep him in check. I'm pretty sure the yellowfin would get along with the sixline, but I'm not sure how the sixline would accept the yellowfin. Sixlines can be a bit "annoying" to newcomers. Then again, it may not pay any attention to it. I don't know how your fish will react...
 
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