Originally Posted by
eperryman
http:///forum/post/3231009
i have a 55 gallon tank with two clowns, 16 pounds of live rock, 20 pounds of live sand, 2 hermit crabs, a good bio wheel filter and a good protien skimmer. i would like to slowly add two dwarf angels,1 yellow tang and one starfish. would this be okay with this tank and good water quality? if not what would be a good combo with some of these fish? im new at this!!!!
Welcome to the hobby
You need more rock. Way more rock. Like at least twice as much, especially if you plan on keeping a dwarf angel. By "good" protein skimmer and bio wheel filter, what do you mean? Brand names and rating would help.
Two dwarf angels in a 55G is a BAD IDEA! They will fight until the death. I can almost guarantee it. I have two in a 155G and they fought constantly when I first added the second one to the tank. I have a Flame and a Coral Beauty. They live on opposite sides of the tank now and still fight, especially during feedings. I honestly thought that my CB was going to kill the Flame, she tore her apart.
Dwarf angels are actually a semi-aggressive fish. Don't let anyone ever tell you that they're docile. ALL angels, large and dwarf are semi-aggressive fish. My Coral Beauty has beat on every fish I've ever owned whether it was added before or after her. She tore apart the dorsal fin on my Sailfin when I added her, chased a lawnmower blenny until she caused it to have cardiac failure, nipped at a wrasse until it went floor surfing. The Flame has picked on a few fish as well.
As for the Yellow Tang in a 55G: NO TANG BELONGS IN A 55G TANK! If you are new to saltwater fish keeping, steer clear of this. Yes, people do it, but it's not a recommended, nor accepted practice. Tangs need lots of rock work to pick on (as do dwarf angels). They also need a lot of swimming room. These two things can not be provided in a 55G tank. Tangs also produce a huge bio load (they poop a lot) which is a big issue for beginners not prepared to deal with that (Another reason why I'm asking what exactly you have for a skimmer). Experienced hobbyists have placed Yellow Tangs and Kole Tangs in 55 and 75 gallon reefs, but honestly, no tang is going to be 100% happy and healthy in anything less than a 90G and even that is really a stretch. Tangs placed in small tanks usually have major health issues, including HLLE which is very common in yellow tangs.
As for starfish, how old is this tank setup? I would not add a starfish until you get a little bit more experience under your belt. Starfish can be tricky and difficult to keep, some are harder than others, but I wouldn't call any of them "beginner" inverts. They need established tanks at the very least. Also, if you are considering on keeping corals later down the road, certain starfish are not reef safe.
Two clowns are fine and if you're new to saltwater, clowns are one of the hardier fish and definitely excellent starter fish.
What types of fish do you like? If you post what you like (colors, etc) people can help you modify the best stock list for your tank. Do you plan on keeping corals later on or will this be a fish only tank?
