55 SW tank. First

[TheKyler]

Okay so i am going out tomorrow to buy all of my equipment for my 55 gallon tank. Now comes the hard part. Deciding what fish I want to keep. I am getting 80pounds of LR, and a 3inch sand bed. Want a reef tank.


Some of the fish i am very interested in.

Cow Fish
Dwarf lion Fish
Clown fish
The dori type blue fish from finding nemo.

Which are campatible with which of the others and how many would you suggest keeping.

Also what exactly should I have as a clean up crew?

 

[BIGgourami]

the cow and dory need too much space for a 55 ifyou plan on uprading in a while then that's cool.
the dwarf lion and clownCOULD get along if you don't get the nemo kind if you got say a maroon or fire clown then i think it would work.
hermits and snails should be the magority of the crew, stars, urchins and conches could be with those fish in a 55.

 

[sQwiReL]

dont plan on putting any kinds of shrimp or smaller fish with the dwarf lion.... also know to eat some crustaceans. boxfish eat tubeworms, so dont bother with those.

1 snail per gallon would be good if you had the money. make sure you get different kinds of snails. sand sifting stars do a great job. algae benny does a very good job at eating large amounts of algae constantly.

 

[TheKyler]

the cow and dory need too much space for a 55 ifyou plan on uprading in a while then that's cool.
the dwarf lion and clownCOULD get along if you don't get the nemo kind if you got say a maroon or fire clown then i think it would work.
hermits and snails should be the magority of the crew, stars, urchins and conches could be with those fish in a 55.

So would 1 dwarf lion,hermits, 1 fire clown, 55 snails and the starts urchins and conches hit me at my stalking limit?

 

[BIGgourami]

well i don't know how well you can stalk LOL
but i think that if your only fish were the lion and clown then i think you may want to get a pair of clowns, just to fill up the tank some more you could also try some dwarf angel but they may nip at corals, some do some don't it's a mystery really.

 

[nbku3vm]

Def stay away from the Cow because the can reach nearly 1.5 feet, and need a very large, low current system. Hippo Tangs (dori) need at least 75 gallons and a lot of free swimming space. A couple of clowns, a fire fish, some small gobies would be great. Keep in mind that anything the lion can fit in is mounth will eventually end up there. I personally would skip the lion and after 6-8 months of your tank nice and running, get a dragonette. Remember that patience is the key to this. After your cycle add fish very slowly and at good QT system is a great idea as well.

 

[TheKyler]

So after the live rock, coral, sand. What would be best to aad? a pair of clowns? clean up crew? Dont want to make a big mistake here.

 

[BIGgourami]

mix the water and salt, add the rock, then let it sit for about a week or so then start adding the cleanup crew. after another 1-2 weeks i would add the clowns then in about a month or two i would add the lion, that should give the clowns plenty of time to get to be too big for the lion to eta. and if you add a nem to the tank before the lion they may host in it offering even more protection against the lion.
what kind were you planning on getting.

 

[TheKyler]

mix the water and salt, add the rock, then let it sit for about a week or so then start adding the cleanup crew. after another 1-2 weeks i would add the clowns then in about a month or two i would add the lion, that should give the clowns plenty of time to get to be too big for the lion to eta. and if you add a nem to the tank before the lion they may host in it offering even more protection against the lion.
what kind were you planning on getting.

Got the sand and have the water mixing atm going to add the rock tomorrow. What is a nem? and what would you recommend?

 

[Atarax]

nem=anemone. i would wait until your tank is very well established. and try a bubble tip anemone, they are generally easier to keep. they are very fragile animals and u should make sure the water is darn near perfect before adding one. when u decide to finally get one make sure the foot is not damaged in any way and that the mouth(in the middle of the tentacles) is tightly closed. also make sure the colors are solid, and that it is not too translucent, as this is a general sign of failing health. just a few tips from my experiences.