Opinions on stocking?

[ofalegend]

Hey everyone. I have recently set up at 55gal tank, fish only. I am posting here to see if the more experienced aquarists think my tank can hold what I'm hoping to build up to (eventually, of course)...
2 blue damsels
1 clown OR percula
1 mandarin
1 royal gramma
and eventually...
1 powder brown tang
1 blue hippo tang
If I can have only one of the tangs, which would you all recommend? If any of these would present a problem, which should I eliminate out of necessity?
I have also considered a smaller amount of larger fish...perhaps the two above tangs and a lion? Would this combination work?
Thanks for your time!

 

[underthesea]

The Manderin i would advise against unless you have alot of live rock in the tank so that he has enough to eat. As for having the two tangs in that small of a tank you are looking to have trouble. But if you are to have one i would go with the powder blue tang(very Pretty). As for if you put a lion in the tank they also get very big and you clown would must likly become fish food.

 

[fshhub]

in a 55 i would not have even one tang, but the rest of the selection does not look tooo bad, the damsels could be a prob for the other less aggressive fish(COULD), but as for stoking, ti does appear managable without the tangs(neither, not one or the other), instead fo the damsels maybe soem chromis, they are a much more docile damsel species
HTH and good luck

 

[jacksonpt]

I basically agree with what's already been said. You're list seems fine with a couple of notes. First, skip the powder brown... he'll outgrow the 55 fairly quickly. You might have better luck with the hippo, but that might be pushing it too. The mandain will need LR... a minimum of 30lbs. And make sure the LR is in the tank a good 2 months before the mandarin is added.

 

[ofalegend]

Ok, ok, so I have to give up my tangs. Can you all recommend any other larger species of fish with the bright coloring/markings? I know in a tank that size I can't have an abundance of larger fish, but I would at least like one or two. Is that possible? What about dwarf species such as Angels? I heard Angels are very difficult to keep alive? Hmmm. What a dilemma
Michael

 

[fshhub]

if you are not going reef, some smaller angels(some woudl be fine in a 55, after it is matured a bit) or even dwarf angels