New as well. Advice please.

ja138522

ja138522

New Member
Hello, My name is James. I made a previous post about a cracked tank and well since i no longer will be starting with a 120 Gallon tank because of obvious reasons (Cracked tank). I have a friend who has a 55 Gallon he isn't using. My question is would a 55 gallon tank be big enough to do a nice tank with Live rock and corals or should, could i just do a simple reef tank. I would really like to do something super nice but its not in the budget to get another 120 Gallon at this time to replace the one that I cracked. I'm hoping to do some Tangs (Blue Hippo) and clowns. maybe a eel also. Again thanks for taking the time for a noobies questions. I will continue to read the forum and the books i have. I have seen some amazing setups on the forum and am in awe of y'alls work and dedication.
Thank You
James Fitzgerald
Florida.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
Hi and welcome. A 55 will make a nice tank. They are a little narrow, but it was my first tank.
Tangs are a no. They really need a 6 ft tank. They are an open water swimmer. Eels are to big and aggressive.
I have engineer goby which kinda look like an eel but are peacefull. they do tend to make a mess of your sand and your rock needs to be on the settled good.
There are plenty of peaceful colorful fish that will fit into a 55 and are compatible with corals if you choose.
 
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tailgate1979

Guest
I have a 55 and love it. You will end up wanting to go bigger so keep that in mind.
 
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saxman

Guest
No tang will fit in a 4' tank, and most require 8' or more. Hippos get fairly large and do require a lot of room.
That being said, some of my fave endeavors have been in smaller 4' setups (55/60 gals), but I really like our 4' 100 gal (48"x24"x20") which opens up tons of aquascaping potential.
As for eels, IMHO you'd do best to consider a golden dwarf moray. These fish stay small (12") and thus are little threat to tankmates and easier on the water quality. I know peeps will tell you "get a snowflake", but IME, once they get some size on them, its tankmates will start to disappear one by one (mine even bit me...twice!).
Also, clowns get mean too, so add them last.
There are several species of dwarf lionfish that would do really well in a 55 gal. I recommend the fuzzy dwarf (Dendrochirus brachypterus) as a starter lion. They're pretty, bold, and fairly easily weaned onto dead foods. You could even keep a M-F pair or M-F-F trio, or keep a couple of dwarf species at the same time.
 
travelerjp98

travelerjp98

Active Member
saxman, your recomending really quite aggressive fish.
I think a 55 would be better suited for more peaceful fish...
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi there, My first tank was a 55g.
The tank is narrow, however I had plenty of fish and coral. You do need some smaller fish...I'm thinking of fish like a dwarf angelfish (real pretty and flashy) a Royal Gramma or Some other dotty back type (you can have one or the other but only one per tank)..Clown fish, maroons get mean so I would go true perc. Hectors goby for a great algae eater fish (prettier than a lawnmower blenny) that is around 3 inches max. I also had a fox face rabbit fish. I agree no tangs, LOL...eels look like snakes so I don't know a thing about them.
To save on space you might consider a foam and rock wall, it gives you the benifits of live rock but takes up less room in the tank...super easy to make..takes about an hour to do, so if you are interested let us know and we can guide you on how to do it. It must be done before any water or anything first if you want to go that route.
 
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saxman

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///forum/thread/385965/new-as-well-advice-please#post_3387482
saxman, your recomending really quite aggressive fish.
I think a 55 would be better suited for more peaceful fish...
Dood...lionfish are about as PASSIVE as they come. We kind of "specialize" in Scorpaeniformes, so I'm VERY familiar with their habits and behaviors.
Have kept lions personally, or are you simply quoting what you've "heard" about them?
 
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saxman

Guest
Sorry extra post...this site never acts the same two days in a row for me.
As for eels, the OP mentioned wanting one, and I recommended the safest species.
 
travelerjp98

travelerjp98

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///forum/thread/385965/new-as-well-advice-please#post_3387558
Sorry extra post...this site never acts the same two days in a row for me.
As for eels, the OP mentioned wanting one, and I recommended the safest species.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///forum/thread/385965/new-as-well-advice-please#post_3387557
Dood...lionfish are about as PASSIVE as they come. We kind of "specialize" in Scorpaeniformes, so I'm VERY familiar with their habits and behaviors.
Have kept lions personally, or are you simply quoting what you've "heard" about them?
Ok Saxman, I am sorry about it. I am going to leave it up to you next time about lions!
I think I was trying to say that they would eat anything that would fit in their mouths.
 
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swalchemist

Guest
Just buy good quality equipment, and do research on everything.
 
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saxman

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///forum/thread/385965/new-as-well-advice-please#post_3387692
Ok Saxman, I am sorry about it. I am going to leave it up to you next time about lions!
I think I was trying to say that they would eat anything that would fit in their mouths.
No worries..
Eating other critters doesn't make them aggressive...lots of fish will make a meal of anything they can eat. We're trying to get folks to realize that Scorpaeniformes don't deserve to be considered "aggressive", much less "quite aggressive". This is the reason they're venomous...that's a passive defense system.
I'd say this is pretty passive:
 
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saxman

Guest
The fish in the photo is a juvie Scorpaena brasiliensis (red barbfish), which is a scorpionfish, and very common in the trade. At the time this photo was taken, the SH was rooming with the barbfish and a Scorpaenodes carribaeus (reef scorpionfish). Neither fish is housed with SH now.
Lions are best described as "reef limiting" (a phrase that Frank Marini coined). This simply means that altho they are reef safe (they have zero interest in corals), tankmate selection is limited to fish that the lion can't swallow and precludes any "non-hermit crab" ornamental crustaceans (lions LOVE shrimp and crabs). I'd go a step further and suggest that no "nervous" or "fast-movers" be kept with lions, as this typically results in the lions staying perched as opposed to swimming in the water column.
 
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