Stock options for a 55 reef, opinions please

[Twotoetimmy]

I have a 55 future reef about 1 month old. Has about 90 lbs of LR and 2-3 inches LS. Cleaning crew consists of 20 snails and 25 hermits, few baby hitchhiking brittle stars, and planning to add 2 to 3 cleaner shrimp. Currently house 2 Percula Clowns.

Here's what I would like to add IN THE FUTURE, what are your thoughts?

1 Red Head Goby or Yellow Watchman Goby
or
2 Firefish (either regular or purple)


PLUS And one of these options:

Kaudern's Cardinalfish
Longfin Fairy Wrasse or Filamented Flasher Wrasse

or

Royal Gramma
B&W Butterflysih or Auriga Butterflyfish

or

Scratch everything and get the Green Mandarin

[phil519]

well what I woudn't get would be:

butterfly - because they typically have a specialized/unique diet.
mandarin - because after 1 month I don't think you have enough pods in the tank to support the fish

also as an aside i'd take it as slow as possible...

[Twotoetimmy]

Thanks Phil, (nice Far side pic btw)

I am planning to go as slow as I possible can without cracking.

I am just trying to plan a wish list so I know what to do with the tank for the next 6 months.

I've heard 6 months to a year before I can add a Mandarin (currently my ultimate wish fish for the 55)

[Nuhtty]

Firefish are great and easy to care for.

[Ms. K]

I'm in the same situation...55 gal, about 90 lbs LR, about 1 month old. I currently have 8 astraea, 4 little black snails (?), 26 blueleg hermits, 5 zebraleg hermits, one redleg hermit. I want to add some more zebralegs and a few more redlegs to have about 50 hermits. I also want to add just a few cerith and nassarius snails..not to many! As far as fish go, I want to add

two bangaii cardinals
one sunburst anthia
one false perc, and
a Mandarin (next Christmas)

I pondered the firefish, but I was afraid it would jump out of the gap at the back of the tank. I have a few corals (GSP, shrooms, zoos) in my nanos at school that I will be transferring in a few more weeks.

[Twotoetimmy]

Hi Ms. K

That Mandarin sure would be sweet though, I keep hearing from alot of people though that the tank is just not big enough. I don't want to hear it but I think I may just have to wait until I upgrade.

The rest of your fish look like a good selection. You may have room for another false perc if you wanted, mine seem to get along really well.

[Ms. K]

My understanding is that Mandarin success depends upon the ability to keep a substantial copepod population, which depends more on the amount of live rock that you have (at least 75 pounds) than the size of your tank. I'd rather get rid of all the other fish than give up on the mandarin. The others are just to make me happy during the year I have to wait. I've wanted one for a long time now! The other fish were chosen for their ability to co-exist with the mandarin without significantly depleting the pod population.

I think you'd be able to have one around Christmas as well, but the goby or wrasse in your list might eat a lot of pods (just speculation) if you planned on having them. Good luck with your tank. I plan to add my first fish about a month from now. I'm wondering which I should add first--sunburst, perc, or bangaii pair. I was thinking the bangaiis.

[Nuhtty]

Anthias need a lot of swimming room

[bertoni]

This book is very useful IMO:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890087386/reeflink/103-5255378-8211020

I lost my royal gramma to a bad heater (now I use two), and miss that fish. Common, but still a favorite.

[Nuhtty]

Originally posted by bertoni
This book is very useful IMO:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890087386/reeflink/103-5255378-8211020

I lost my royal gramma to a bad heater (now I use two), and miss that fish. Common, but still a favorite.

bertoni pointed me to this book as well and it was indeed a great investment

[Ms. K]

From what I've read about the sunburst anthia, they have different behavioral patterns than other anthias. They tend to be more stationary and hang out in dark caves. Has anyone had a different experience with sunbursts? I don't want to put a fish into an inappropriate habitat.

[HUFF_32]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/71460greenblue_manderin.JPG
Is this the fish you guys want to have mine is in a 55 gal tank

[scuba cam]

I would do more corals and inverts in the longrun they will be more rewarding!

[Go29]

I have had a mandarin in my 29 for about 8 months. He has a hige belly, and i have tons of worms an bugs. I just kept shopping for one until i found one that ate prepared foods. he only ate brine so i soaked it in selecon and he started to get bigger. Then i kept muxing the brine with foods like mysid and other foods. Now he eats pretty much any frozen food i give to him.

[unkleJ]

FWIW - You might want to think twice about that butterfly - i think it will chomp on your inverts and corals. Just double check with someone that knows more about SW fish than me...it would suck to get him in there and 6 months later when you are building on your coral collection, you find that you have to get rid of him.

I had one once and the few zoos that I had lasted about 5 minutes with him in the tank.

Good Luck!

[kscrimshaw]

I am also in love with mandarins and can't wait until my tank is ready! I agree with Go29 - try to find one that will eat prepared foods (if you have a good LFS, make them show you that he eats before you buy). I "spike" my tank with Cyclopeeze, hoping to help boost the pods. You can also buy live pods from some web suppliers. Also wanted to mention that my fairy wrasse doesn't eat pods at all, although I think other types of wrasses do.

Ms. K - I would definitely add the Bangaiis first. They are very docile and shy, and you want them to be able to safely establish their territory before adding the more aggressive fish that you have on your list.