Restocking 55 gl reef tank suggestions? UPDATE - Photos added

[Coralgurl]

Hello, I'm looking for fish suggestions. I currently have a cardinal and chromis in qt, will likely be back in the tank by next weekend. I would like 2 sebae clowns, but not sure what else. Any ideas? Thanks

[ponokareefer]

I always loved my midas blenny and really like my royal gramma.

Is you tank covered?

[Coralgurl]

It's not covered. I did have a clown jump a while ago....

The Midas blenny and royal grammas are on my list. I like the flame hawkfish as well but I've read they are tough fish to keep.

I also had a flame angel and coral beauty, really liked them but only had them for a few weeks. I don't want any more cardinals or chromis.

[ponokareefer]

An open top does limit your selections. No wrasse's or firefish for sure, and most goby's can be a risk.

I had not heard of people having trouble keeping hawkfish alive before. I have done quite a bit of research as I am looking at buying a flame and a longnose. Flames can get more aggressive and both kinds of hawkfish will eat shrimp.

My candy hogfish are out all the time, and while there is a little risk of jumping, they're not as bad as wrasse's from what I have read. They are very colorful as well.

Just a warning about any dwarf angelfish, they can and will eat any coral. I had some for a few years that suddenly decided to start eating some corals.

I'm not sure if you have seen an adult engineer goby, but I love my 3. Kind of an eel replacement without the risk of eating your fish, being an escape artist or getting too big. They will dig in the sand though, so make sure you have a decent amount of sand and that your rocks are right on the glass and not sitting on top of the sand.

[BMahura]

Lawnmower blenny! Has been my favorite fish since the day I bought him and he's always the first fish in my tank that people comment on.

[Coralgurl]

Great suggestions!

I have 4 shrimp so the flame is likely out, even though I wouldn't mind 2 of them gone....I don't care for the cleaner shrimp....

My rock isn't on the glass, so the gobies could be an issue as well. I also had a starry blenny, really liked him....will probably look at another blenny, just need to decide on one.

Hogfish sound interesting, will look into these.

The angels were well behaved, but like I said, I didn't have them for long.

[The Grizz]

I recently got a horse face Blenny ( it least I think that what it is called ) was not to sure at first if I liked it or not but in the last week I have seen it more and more and it is got some really different colors on it & it's really sort o cute.


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[Reef Pilot]

I have a flame hawkfish, and he is fine with the 2 cleaner shrimp I have. I have a few small hermit crabs too, and doesn't go after them either. He does like to eat freeze dried mysis and plankton, as well as pellet food. At feeding time, he will perch on a high spot in my tank and wait for a piece to float by, and grab it.

I also have a pair of royal grammas, and they are really nice fish to watch, with some interesting behaviours. They eat the same food as the hawkfish. For small fish, they sure have big mouths and can grab big pieces of food.

Another small fish I have is an azure damselfish. He is totally peaceful (unlike other damsels), and adds some nice colour to the tank. Likes to hang out with the royal grammas. Seems to think he is one of them.

[Coralgurl]

One of the lfs had bunch of baby flames last week, I thought if I were to consider one, getting a small one, my shrimp are quite big so maybe it wouldn't be a problem.

Will probably add a blenny first, then the 2 in qt then the rest after. No more qting fish. It hasn't worked for me at all. The 2 are in copper, once the copper is gone, will give them a few days after, then they can go back.

[Wayne]

You should have a cover if you get a flame. Mine did some carpet surfing and I have heard of a few others :cry:

[Coralgurl]

Cover noted, my concern with a cover is my lighting and my corals. I have 2t5s, and vertex LEDs. I'm trying a birds nest frag and so far after a week it's still doing ok. Other corals are lps, leathers and mushrooms. If I put a cover on, what would be best to minimize effects on lighting in the tank.

Fish list looks like this based on suggestions:
Cardinal
Chromis
Royal gramma
2 clowns
Blenny - not sure what though, I like the Midas blennys...
Flame hawkfish....maybe
Candy hogfish...maybe

[fishytime]

Candy hogfish is a wrasse btw:wink:....I also have a medium sized flame hawk with shrimp with no issues(yet).....I think all fish have the potential to jump.....I know people that have had triggers, angels(myself included), lionfish, jump......wrasses, gobies and blennies seem to have an incredibly strong "bolt" instinct and are an extreme flight risk........ If you make a top out of aluminum window screen frame and use bird screen, you will have very little light loss......this relatively easy to make top will open you up to a whole lot more fish to choose from....

fairy wrasses, flasher wrasses, mystery wrasses.....Halichoeres family of wrasses are a beautiful group of fish, reef safe with caution(possibility of feather dusters and shrimp), sand bed required....they have the added bonus of pest control

the gramma family are great little fishes.....Im also partial to my assessors.......dottybacks are great little fish, but can be a touch agressive

[blacknife]

I love my dottyback but i hate having to consider its attitude for every future "oh look its shiney, I want" thought i ever have.

[intarsiabox]

Get some clear 1/4" mesh and make a cover for the tank. It won't block the light or limit you on the type of fish you can keep.

[Proteus]

I have 2 hawkfish with 5 shrimp. Never had a issue but the fish were added after.

A candied hog is a nice fish but be aware that when they grow up they can be aggressive and take out shrimp

[Coralgurl]

Going to look at fairy wrasses rather than the hogfish, leaning towards the Midas blenny.

I had a dotty back as well...would have to be the last fish in, it got aggressive and starting picking at one of the cardinals. Think I will stay away from another one tho.

I def think I'm going to add the flame. They are such cool looking fish! I have time to get a cover done before adding potential jumpers....

[jagermaier]

There's a good link on Bulk Reef Supply's website on how to make a cover out of netting...check it out and good luck!!

[ponokareefer]

If you do get a cover, you could look at getting a type of jawfish or goby/pistol shrimp pair.

[Coralgurl]

I picked up a bicolor blenny today! He's got really cool markings, almost light blue on the front and whitish on the orange in the back! He's still acclimating for another 20 mins or so! So good to have a fish back in the tank. Cardinal will go in on Sunday, chromis I'm going to see if I can treat the fuzzy spot under it's fin before putting back in.

[Coralgurl]

Well I lost the chromis this week, he wasn't looking good on wednesday, came home from work thursday and all we found of him was his fin.

Today I picked up a couple of sebae clowns, love these guys. Also added a mini carpet anenome, looks like a mushroom right now, but pretty cool!

Tank is really starting to look good, algae is disappearing, sand looks better! Really loving my tank right now!!

[Coralgurl]

New fishies!!! New stock list is 2 sebae clowns, 1 bicolor blenny, 1 solar fairy wrasse, 1 royal gramma, 1 bangaii cardinal. The blenny and gramma fought for the first day, but now have no issues with them. All are eating very well, I absolutely love the color in the tank from the fairy wrasse and gramma!! I haven't added a cover..yet..

Thanks for the suggestions!



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[lastlight]

glad to hear those two made amends. fighting fish always stress me out!

[Coralgurl]

I have a couple of pics where they are swimming together, but they didn't turn out well so I didn't post. It totally stressed me out, but they are fine now. I have to learn how to NOT panic with the tank....:biggrin:

[Leah]

Nice colors on your Solar, looks like you did a great job restocking. :biggrin:
Panic is a big part of it...I still do after many years. :wink:

[Coralgurl]

Thanks Leah! This wrasse was the most colorful and active in the store!! Not shy either! Funny how having swimming fish get the other fish swimming more, clowns and cardinal (who hang out in/by the frogspawn) are a bit more adventurous since adding him and the gramma.

OMG, you mean it doesnt get better (the panicking)....lol