I finally got fish!

[lindsayf]

I've had my 55 gallon FOWLR cycling since the middle of April (have been researching since december) and I finally got a pair of false perc's on Saturday. They are so cute and seem to be really healthy and active.

So now I'm excited to continue stocking (slowly) and need your help.

First my equipment:
55 gallon with 10gal sump
Aqua C skimmer
20lbs of LR and 20lbs of base rock
100lbs of LS
NO lights
temp: 84
nitrite: 0 / ammonia: 0 / nitrate: 0-5.

My Stocking List so far:
clowns (2) - already have
6 hermits - already have
9 astrea snails - already have

What I want:
blue strip neon goby - 1
coral beauty or flame angel - 1
Fire fish goby (red or purple) - 1 or 2
Green chromis - 3
Royal Gramma - 1
yellow clown goby - 1

Is this too much and what order should I add them in. I'm still not sure about the chromis as it seems to be so hit and miss with them if they kill each other.

Thanks for reading my long post and for all your help.

Lindsay

[mr_alberta]

Wow! I'm amazed at your patience! Great job!

I can't really comment on any other fish but the Blue/green Chromis. I found that when I had more than 1, the dominant ones would pick on the weaker ones until they finally all died. I started with 3, but ended up with one.

It could be just my fish though, who knows. Good luck!

[DOO-E]

get 2 neon gobies they might pair up they are easy to breed and they take care of ich. Add the gobys, firefish, chromis, gramma, abgel this should minimize fighting when new fish are added. I have 2 green chromis now at a friends house and we notice dominance. The dominant one flares its fins but doesnt attack the little one. The odd chase but no torn fins or nips.

[Cap'n]

Also pleased to see your patience, I'm sure it will pay off.

I've had great luck with green chromis as long as they are all the same size. Had a group of three and lost one. Tried to replace it with a newcomer who turned out to be smaller than I thought, just slightly smaller than the originals. I now have two again. They are happy so I am happy.

I would recomend the flame angel over the coral beauty. Extremely hardy and much more attractive, definately worth the extra cost.

[DOO-E]

yes the flame is brighter but if you eventually want to go to sime reef the coral beauty has a less chance of nipping corals

[Quinn]

What's your source for that statement Doo-E?

[Bob I]

What's your source for that statement Doo-E?

It continues to amaze me how a person who by his own admission knows very little, insist, on proving it in every post he makes. :mad:

[DOO-E]

teevee and bob when i posted about my angel that was the reply i got about it.

[DOO-E]

I should also state this both angels are not recomended for the reef tank or with corals. I know this is a FOWLR tank but just in case you do in time want to start adding corals keep in mind that these fish do pick a them.

[EmilyB]

yes the flame is brighter but if you eventually want to go to sime reef the coral beauty has a less chance of nipping corals

DOO-E, hesitate when passing off advice you have been given, unless it is a verifiable source. If you want to post what you have been told by Joe Reefer, then say so...

Lots of people have opinions that are not embraced by most. :rolleyes:

Fish are largely individuals and one can only post their collective experiences. I've had both a flame and a coral (eating) beauty (which I still have - do you understand what is so special about her NOW DOO-E :wink:) . The cb is currently on active algae control in the FOWLR.

[DOO-E]

I understand you can get rid of fish but you wont get full price for the fish back. you are losing money. why not save some money and just plan for just in case. I will also post where i have got information from too.

[Ken]

Hi Lindsay,pleased to hear that you have done your research and waited patiently for your ecosystem to mature before adding any livestock. I really admire a fellow hobbyist such as you when you mention you will stock very slowly. A lot of time when we get into this hobby, it is quite overwhelming when we visit the LFS and have a need to want this and that without doing any sort of research. After all we have a real genuine responsibility when we take any livestock into our own hands to provide the best environment and care that we can for them. I admit that I do that sometimes, and I really feel bad when a fish dies. With the help of our fellow hobbyist and the many library of books on fish and corals that I have, I try to provide the best environment possible. Although alot of animals that donot do well should be avoided. I personally love the Royal Gramma / gramma loreto, I personally have 2 in my 500 gallon coral reef aquarium. They have been in my care since 1994. I could never put two together in a smaller tank because they would kill each other. Having a larger tank gives them space. They are cave dwellers but under good condition in my tank they are always out in the open and very bold feeders. In your case I recommend only one. Again, congratulations on your patience. Regards Ken

[lindsayf]

Thank you so much for all the responses. The only question I still have is regarding the fire fish - can I keep one of each colour. What would be the best for the fish?

[Cap'n]

I have had a flame angle for quite some time now and it has yet to pick at the limited soft corals I have.

Doubt if you can keep both colours of firefish. Generally unless saltwater fish are totally disimilar or exactly alike (or pairs) they will not get along.

[Beverly]

My Stocking List so far:
clowns (2) - already have
6 hermits - already have
9 astrea snails - already have

What I want:
blue strip neon goby - 1
coral beauty or flame angel - 1
Fire fish goby (red or purple) - 1 or 2
Green chromis - 3
Royal Gramma - 1
yellow clown goby - 1

Hi Lindsay,

You are restricted by the size of your tank for the number and size of fish you want to put into your 55g. Since you already have a pair of ocellaris clowns, I would suggest adding a maximium of only three more fish. The more fish in a relatively large system, over time, is going to lead to unwanted nuisance algae, unless you are super vigilant in doing water changes and other maintenance.

Of the fish you mention in your wish list, I would add only:
- one, maybe two small gobies, depending on compatibility
- one royal gramma
- one angel (who will be your biggest and maybe most aggressive fish)

Your 55g is too small for even a small school of chromis on top of the above suggested fish load. JMHO, though.

HTH :smile: