Stocking 54gal Corner Tank

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Brian1313

New Member
I am looking to stock my 54gal corner FOWLR tank and would like some feedback on my ideas...

Here is what I currently have:
- 55gal corner tank running with 220 marineland canister filter
- ~30 lbs live rock with crushed coral and live sand bed
- 1 ocelaris clown, 1 black ocelaris clown, 1 bangaii cardinal, 7 snails (All added 1 week ago, after tank cycled for 5 weeks)


Here is what I'm looking to add in about 2 weeks:
- 1 royal gramma, 1 six line wrasse, and 1 blue reef chromis


What I really want is angelfish, but from what I've read, it seems as though my tank is not big enough for them? Most of what I've seen requires min 70gal.

Any thoughts on what I currently have, what I'm planning on adding, and if a dwarf angelfish species would work with all of those? And if angelfish is out of the question, any ideas for more smaller, colorful species to add?
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
It sucks with sw, bc to have that nice "show" tank with tangs,angels ect you need a big tank. Most folks just dont have room for a 6-7ft tank. There are a ton of nice smaller fish tho
 
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Brian1313

New Member
jay0705 said:
It sucks with sw, bc to have that nice "show" tank with tangs,angels ect you need a big tank. Most folks just dont have room for a 6-7ft tank. There are a ton of nice smaller fish tho
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For sure. I'll keep looking online and get to my LFS to see what's out there
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
Personally I'd skip the 6 line or wait to add it. They have a reputation for being real jerks to other fish especially anything you add afterward.
 
B

Brian1313

New Member
lmforbis said:
Personally I'd skip the 6 line or wait to add it. They have a reputation for being real jerks to other fish especially anything you add afterward.
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Thanks. I've read mixed reviews on them... Some say nothing but problems, and some say no problems at all.
 
Jesterrace

Jesterrace

Active Member
Brian1313 said:
I am looking to stock my 54gal corner FOWLR tank and would like some feedback on my ideas...

Here is what I currently have:
- 55gal corner tank running with 220 marineland canister filter
- ~30 lbs live rock with crushed coral and live sand bed
- 1 ocelaris clown, 1 black ocelaris clown, 1 bangaii cardinal, 7 snails (All added 1 week ago, after tank cycled for 5 weeks)


Here is what I'm looking to add in about 2 weeks:
- 1 royal gramma, 1 six line wrasse, and 1 blue reef chromis


What I really want is angelfish, but from what I've read, it seems as though my tank is not big enough for them? Most of what I've seen requires min 70gal.

Any thoughts on what I currently have, what I'm planning on adding, and if a dwarf angelfish species would work with all of those? And if angelfish is out of the question, any ideas for more smaller, colorful species to add?
Click to expand...
FYI the 6 line wrasse is 50-50 on being an aggressive butthead and could be an issue. Being that your tank is 54 gallons it will give it a bit more space. I would leave the Chromis out as they tend to be better in small groups. If you are dead set on an angel fish, you could give a Flameback Angel a try. They max out at 3 inches and can go in a 50-55 gallon tank:

http://www.***********.com/product/446/flameback-angelfish?pcatid=446&c=15+16+446

Like all angels they can be somewhat aggressive, but IMHO it might be less of a gamble than the 6 line. As for Wrasses, go with one of the following: They are all active colorful and will provide plenty of activity and fun for your tank. About the only downside is that they will generally develop a taste for snails, so plan on replacing a handful every month or two. Definitely only get one wrasse though, unless you plan on getting a mated pair.

http://www.***********.com/product/2285/hoevens-wrasse?pcatid=2285&c=15+1379+2285

http://www.***********.com/product/2675/christmas-wrasse?pcatid=2675&c=15+1379+2675

http://www.***********.com/product/3075/red-lined-wrasse?pcatid=3075&c=15+1379+3075
 
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B

Brian1313

New Member
Jesterrace said:
FYI the 6 line wrasse is 50-50 on being an aggressive butthead and could be an issue. Being that your tank is 54 gallons it will give it a bit more space. I would leave the Chromis out as they tend to be better in small groups. If you are dead set on an angel fish, you could give a Flameback Angel a try. They max out at 3 inches and can go in a 50-55 gallon tank:

http://www.***********.com/product/446/flameback-angelfish?pcatid=446&c=15+16+446

Like all angels they can be somewhat aggressive, but IMHO it might be less of a gamble than the 6 line. As for Wrasses, go with one of the following: They are all active colorful and will provide plenty of activity and fun for your tank. About the only downside is that they will generally develop a taste for snails, so plan on replacing a handful every month or two. Definitely only get one wrasse though, unless you plan on getting a mated pair.

http://www.***********.com/product/2285/hoevens-wrasse?pcatid=2285&c=15+1379+2285

http://www.***********.com/product/2675/christmas-wrasse?pcatid=2675&c=15+1379+2675

http://www.***********.com/product/3075/red-lined-wrasse?pcatid=3075&c=15+1379+3075
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Thanks! Those wrasse's are sweet. I'll be going with one of those instead of the 6 line
 
Jesterrace

Jesterrace

Active Member
Brian1313 said:
Thanks! Those wrasse's are sweet. I'll be going with one of those instead of the 6 line
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I don't know if it was the smartest move, but I do have a young female melanurus wrasse (aka Tail Spot or Hoeven's Wrasse) in my 36 gallon (not sure because she is going to more than double her current size and my tank is small). I have attempted to add 3 fish since May. A Flame Angel, A Solar Fairy Wrasse/Red Head Salon Fairy Wrasse. Both ended in disaster with them bullying all the fish in my tank (and the Flame Angel nipping at my corals). The Melanurus has been the only addition to the tank that didn't go after my Purple Firefish (aka Chicken Little) and is the only one outside of my Purple Firefish that can get right up next to my Diamond Watchman Goby without the Goby snapping at her. Obviously things can change as she hits puberty and gets to be a good sized fish, but the idea is that she will have a good amount of time to get adjusted to her tank mates before that happens. As I understand it with the Melanurus Wrasse you can tell Female from Male by whether or not it has a spot on the dorsal fin. If it has one it's female, if it doesn't it's male. The male is a bit more desirable considering it's stunning coloration when it matures but either would still be a pretty cool addition to your tank. The Wrasse will swim all over the place as it loves to explore, but this is true of virtually every variety of Wrasse. Generally Peaceful species of Wrasse strike all the chords of a perfect fish. Doesn't really bother tank mates, brightly colored, very active and spend very little time hiding. If you can't tell I have become a recent Wrasse enthusiast. If I had known then what I know now, I would've gone with a larger tank and different fish. Now I am dealing with a tank where I have a great Wrasse that I see all the time, A Diamond Watchman Goby that I see almost all the time, a Scissortail Dartfish that I see about 50-60% of the time and a Purple Firefish that I see about 20% of the time. Needless to say I would've skipped the last two at the very least. I will be trying to add a small black ice occ to the tank within the next week. We shall see how that goes.
 
B

Brian1313

New Member
Jesterrace said:
I don't know if it was the smartest move, but I do have a young female melanurus wrasse (aka Tail Spot or Hoeven's Wrasse) in my 36 gallon (not sure because she is going to more than double her current size and my tank is small). I have attempted to add 3 fish since May. A Flame Angel, A Solar Fairy Wrasse/Red Head Salon Fairy Wrasse. Both ended in disaster with them bullying all the fish in my tank (and the Flame Angel nipping at my corals). The Melanurus has been the only addition to the tank that didn't go after my Purple Firefish (aka Chicken Little) and is the only one outside of my Purple Firefish that can get right up next to my Diamond Watchman Goby without the Goby snapping at her. Obviously things can change as she hits puberty and gets to be a good sized fish, but the idea is that she will have a good amount of time to get adjusted to her tank mates before that happens. As I understand it with the Melanurus Wrasse you can tell Female from Male by whether or not it has a spot on the dorsal fin. If it has one it's female, if it doesn't it's male. The male is a bit more desirable considering it's stunning coloration when it matures but either would still be a pretty cool addition to your tank. The Wrasse will swim all over the place as it loves to explore, but this is true of virtually every variety of Wrasse. Generally Peaceful species of Wrasse strike all the chords of a perfect fish. Doesn't really bother tank mates, brightly colored, very active and spend very little time hiding. If you can't tell I have become a recent Wrasse enthusiast. If I had known then what I know now, I would've gone with a larger tank and different fish. Now I am dealing with a tank where I have a great Wrasse that I see all the time, A Diamond Watchman Goby that I see almost all the time, a Scissortail Dartfish that I see about 50-60% of the time and a Purple Firefish that I see about 20% of the time. Needless to say I would've skipped the last two at the very least. I will be trying to add a small black ice occ to the tank within the next week. We shall see how that goes.
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Thanks! Good info to know. I'm definitely getting the Hoeven
 
Jesterrace

Jesterrace

Active Member
The Male is more colorful, but keep in mind that all saltwater fish are individuals and there is no 100% guarantee that even a generally Peaceful species won't turn territorial/aggressive. That said I have only heard one instance of a Melanurus Wrasse being aggressive and literally dozens of them saying it is a great tank mate. Those odds are WAY BETTER than a 6 line. Out of curiosity did you look at that Flameback Angel?
 
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Brian1313

New Member
Jesterrace said:
The Male is more colorful, but keep in mind that all saltwater fish are individuals and there is no 100% guarantee that even a generally Peaceful species won't turn territorial/aggressive. That said I have only heard one instance of a Melanurus Wrasse being aggressive and literally dozens of them saying it is a great tank mate. Those odds are WAY BETTER than a 6 line. Out of curiosity did you look at that Flameback Angel?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input! Yeah I looked at a bunch of angels but every one I looked at, including the flame, require 70+ gal tank and I only have 54 gal. I'll hold off on the angels until I upgrade to a larger tank in the future. I think I'll be pretty well stocked with what I'll have in my tank...

2 clowns
1 cardinal
1 gramma
1 hoevens
1 blue green chromis
And possible room for 1 or 2 more small species later

I don't want to overload my bio
 
Jesterrace

Jesterrace

Active Member
Brian1313 said:
Thanks for the input! Yeah I looked at a bunch of angels but every one I looked at, including the flame, require 70+ gal tank and I only have 54 gal. I'll hold off on the angels until I upgrade to a larger tank in the future. I think I'll be pretty well stocked with what I'll have in my tank...

2 clowns
1 cardinal
1 gramma
1 hoevens
1 blue green chromis
And possible room for 1 or 2 more small species later

I don't want to overload my bio
Click to expand...
Okay fair enough on the bioload, but I was talking about the flameback angel which is a different fish. This is the flameback angel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flameback_angelfish

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangeback_angelfish

LA, Bluezoo, and others list them between 50 and 55 gallons minimum. Just giving you an option if you really want an angel of some form in your tank.
 
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