Fish Suggestions...

[Speedslayer]

In 2 weeks Ill start stocking, unless my live rock does go through a cycle again then probably a month.

55gallon

Lighting:
1 175W MH
1 Actinic Blue NO
2 12W Moonlights

Circulation/Filtration:
Dual BakPak (2 Rio 600s)
Fluval 404 w/ only carbon (300gph)
125gph Powerhead
165gph Powerhead

No dead spots on the surface


I have about $200 right now, but in about 3-4months Ill have another $400 for just fish/inverts

Goals:
Bright fish/invertabrates
Fish who swim alot

What would suggest? Btw, i dont know almost any of the fish since i have been to busy reading reading and reading about whats needed and stuff

Forgot to add:
approx. 65lbs of LR
approx 65 of LS

[TealCobra]

I'll tell you right now, you can really make your budget stretch by ordering your inverts online. I recently ordered through E-tropicals (RC sponsor) and they offer free shipping on Build your own invert orders over $60. Reasonable prices and great guarantee on your inverts. I would add them before any fish and let them start working on your algae. If you are looking for fish with color, I would take a look at Wrasses. There are tons of reef-safe Wrasses that have all sorts of color. Just don't mix different species of Wrasses. Dwarf Angels are really cool fish and have a lot of color (Flame Angel) but should be purchased with caution. Many of these guys are caught via cyanide-poisoning and don't last long. Do your research prior to purchase. While it may not be the flashiest, Bi-Color Blennis are pretty cool and add personality to a tank. They love to perch on corals. I think a pair of False Perc Clowns are about mandatory in any reef tank and add lots of color.

[ab5ebdxer]

Green chromis would go nice in the tank as well, they are small, cheap, school well and are very easy going.

[Nuhtty]

The BYO invert packages arent a bad idea, as someone suggested.

For stocking, you can do quite a bit:

pair of ocellaris clowns (orange, white, black)
royal gramma (purple, yellow)
clown goby (green, orangy-yellow)
pair of neon gobies (black, neon blue)

Then I would add a wrasse that adds any other color.

Avoid damsels, IMO.

[Gargausius]

Magnificent Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica), in small groups are heart warmers for me. As are a group of Flashers or Fairy Wrasses. I own four Temminck's at the present time.

[woninil]

Clowns are bright and easy to keep-orange, red, maroon-take your pick. My 'nemo' orange one is out and about and busy

For red, I have a flame hawkfish which I enjoy watching-he did however eliminate the possibility of keeping any shrimp(and I DO mean eliminate!)

I had a yellow butterfly but it did not make it. I am upgrading to a skimmer before I "replace" it. I dont want to risk another butterfly but yellow is hard to come by-lemonpeel angel? bicolor angel?

There are yellow gobies(?)but they tend to stay at the bottom; I already have the flame down there(no swim bladder) and a convict goby(not colorful but rather cool)

I have the chromis I started with but, honestly, he pales in comparison to the intense colors of the others. It is an active fish though

Firefish are bright-the purple is especially nice but I bought an orange/red before I knew they existed. It is out in the open but 'hangs' near the rocks

If I dont do 'yellow", I'm thinking purple with a pseudochromis or dottyback

I bought my critters individually. I have three hermits and 4 snails. At this point(4 months)I am getting enough algae to warrant adding more snails

I only have 10 lbs of rock, though, so no question you will need more! But I enjoy watching the electric blue and orange kneed hermits-the red(scarlet?) is nocturnal and I dont see much!

[Randa]

My husband bought me a "blackcap basslet", it's always out and about. We have a regal tang and a coral beauty along w/ a school of blue/green chromis in the tank, but people who see the tank for the first time are most impressed w/ the color and contrast of the blackcap, under all the lightening variations.

This is actually hard for me to admit to, because I wasn't impressed w/ his purchase of the blackcap at first... (maybe he won't see this post)