Finally picked a fish/stocklist question

[chrisnif]

I've been told to pick the "main fish" in your tank and then build everything else around that. So I picked a fish after seeing one at the LFS today.
It's a Rusty Angelfish. Little guy is all of an inch long and swimming happily around the 29 gallon at the shop and grazing on the live rock.
The tank I'm building is a 55 gallon, and I plan it to be a reef and read that these aren't 100% reef safe, can someone chime in on that? I read they may pick at zoos and xenia.
The next fish I like is the maroon clown they have, any idea on compatibility? I think the MC can be a bit mean when older and I don't plan on getting anything that is not going to be kept until nature takes its course so hopefully this is an option with this fish.
My royal gramma (if it survives its ich and current copper treatment) will be in there as well. I also like the long nose hawk fish, I'll probably do a YWG/tiger shrimp pair, a lawnmower blenny when i get enough algae to feed it, and a scooter blenny when i get the pods to feed it (or a mandarin if i can find a proven frozen food eater). And a wrass (lunar/6-line/???)
All told I think that puts me around 7 fish depending on the maroon. If I cant get the maroon, my LFS has beautiful P/O hybrids (at least that's what he says they are) They look like misbar percula clowns, some have too much white like the middle bar is a + sign and some have half bars instead of full size bars. Either way they are pretty, so I may do a pair of them if I dont do the maroon clown.
Please give me input on this stocklist and everything. Anything amiss? etc.

 

[olemiss]

The rusty, as all dwarf angels, is hit or miss with corals. I would look at a different clown as maroons turn into holy terrors as they mature. Lunar wrasses need a much larger tank(will also become quite aggressive.)

 

[browniebuck]

If you are going to get either the scooter or the mandarin, don't get the sixline wrasse, as they eat the same kinds of food, which will result in a fight and more than likely...one will die (mandarin or scooter most likely). I also agree on the clown...maroons will get MEAN. Go with a pair of percula/ocellaris (I have recently been thinking of the skunk clowns...they have grown on me). Other than that, I think you should be good.
As for the angel...they are hit or miss with corals. I have read that there are two ways to keep them from your corals. 1 - get angel first and get it used to your feedings....make sure it is getting plenty and make sure your tank is established with algae or hang algae around the tank a few times a week, then get your corals and watch like a hawk. 2 - get all corals first and then get the angel and be ready to feed any time you see it go after your corals (this can be difficult as you won't be home 24-7.
Get a few cleaner/fire red shrimp as well...they are functional and very fun to watch.

 

[chrisnif]

I have a 5 gallon right now and there are good amounts of algae growing on the rocks. They will be transplanted to the 55 as the 2 bigger rocks are very large for the 5, if i empty out a quart of water or go more than 2 days without topping off the tops become exposed. So feeding the angel wont be an issue. I wont be moving the corals over to the 55 (or adding more) until after I get the rock cycled and the angel is "comfy." Thanks for that tip
So I'm going to look at a dwarf angel, a pair of clowns (LFS has pink skunk clowns that are pretty, i dont like the clarkis, and tomato clowns just aren't the pretty either). Then either a 6 line OR a blenny/manardin (i think that choice is going to be easy).
Is the hawkfish okay, what about some pseudochromis or bassets, i think someone told me they wont work well with a royal gramma due to color and shape similarities.
Also if anyone can tell me what I can use for a sump/fuge on a 55? The stand doesnt have much room under it. I was looking at getting a "bakpak" skimmer knockoff because its cheap and works so I dont need a skimmer to fit in the sump. I just want to put a bunch of live rock, some macro and a light.
Thanks again

 

[tank a holic]

if you want a maroon clown but are worried about it being agressive consider a cinnimon or tomato, they look more like the maroon than the perc's
and if you're giving the copper in your DT you might as well forget coral's

 

[chrisnif]

Originally Posted by tank a holic
http:///forum/post/3181048
if you want a maroon clown but are worried about it being agressive consider a cinnimon or tomato, they look more like the maroon than the perc's
and if you're giving the copper in your DT you might as well forget coral's
I put the RG in a tupperware container with a heater, power head and some live rock i dont mind tossing when finished . I think I may be too late tho, or the stress of the move was too much on top the ich. I just woke up but he didnt look well at 5 am.