Tank size

[NewLuv4Fish]

Is a 55gal. a good size for a starter saltwater tank?

I was originally going to make a 10gal. saltwater tank thinking it would be easier, cheaper but I've heard they are harder. And then I was going to go to a 75gal saltwater tank but I have a turtle thats going to need a 75gal. and so if I had two 75gal tanks I would get one of those stands where u can put one on top, one on bottom. But I think that would look weird with a pretty, colorful saltwater tank on top and then a plain looking, riverbank type setting and colors of the turtle tank.

How many fish could go in a 55 and up to what size?
And what kind of fish?

[Reefscape]

Answer would be yes, more that suitable for a first sw tank...good deal..

With regards to fish qty...my opinion would be about 6 small to medium sized fish.

Wat type of fish really depends on what type of tank you want to have..Be it Fish Only (FO), Fish Only With Live Rock ( FOWLR ) or a full Reef. Best options is to research the types of systems i have just mentioned, and then move forward from there...

Welcome to the world of SW systems...lol...

Niko

[NewLuv4Fish]

Answer would be yes, more that suitable for a first sw tank...good deal..

With regards to fish qty...my opinion would be about 6 small to medium sized fish.

Wat type of fish really depends on what type of tank you want to have..Be it Fish Only (FO), Fish Only With Live Rock ( FOWLR ) or a full Reef. Best options is to research the types of systems i have just mentioned, and then move forward from there...

Welcome to the world of SW systems...lol...

Niko

Oh yeah I would like to have live rock in it and probably some of the easier corals to keep (and the less expensive ones haha). Same goes for fish, I want the less expensive, most easy to keep alive fish and I would say I want colorful ones but aren't they all? haha. I would also want to have invertebrates in the tank if they would leave the fish alone. I saw a nano tank at the LFS that had LR, 2 fish, some little frags of soft coral (i think?), and there were little tiny shells in there with "creatures" in them (crabs i guess) but I thought they were cool. Also this isn't going to happen anytime soon, I'm just thinkin and planning and dreaming haha.

[Reefscape]

Well..you really have a huge array of fish that you can keep in this tank..The main two area's to bear in mind is tank size and compatibility. Follow the link below and browse through Live Aquaria fish selections..Review the write up and info box to fish that catch your eye, and start to make yourself a list...when you happy with it, post it all here for people to offer comments on it...

Live Aquarua Fish List (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=15)

Most marine systems with have inverts in there..Like cleaner shrimps, hermits and various snails..they all serve a purpose...

Niko

[wantvws]

I personally wouldn't go smaller than a 210g;)
Robbie

[NewLuv4Fish]

I personally wouldn't go smaller than a 210g;)
Robbie

Don't I wish!

Right now the fish I'm liking are the ones that need 70 gal min. sooo I might just have to get a 75gal. AND a 55gal haha. One could be FOWLR and one could be reef. And one would be the more agressive tank. By the way I can see why some fish can't go in a reef tank because they will eat the corals but why not a live rock tank? Is it because they would eat the crabs, shrimp, etc?

In that 75gal tank (which I don't even have right now haha) I gotta gotta gotta have a Picasso Triggerfish. Other than that, I'll take suggestions!

The 55gal. I'd like any of these: clown fish, blue green chromis (would like a small school), gobies, mandarins, hawkfish, dwarf angels (probably a coral beauty).

[wantvws]

Don't I wish!

Right now the fish I'm liking are the ones that need 70 gal min. sooo I might just have to get a 75gal. AND a 55gal haha. One could be FOWLR and one could be reef. And one would be the more agressive tank. By the way I can see why some fish can't go in a reef tank because they will eat the corals but why not a live rock tank? Is it because they would eat the crabs, shrimp, etc?

In that 75gal tank (which I don't even have right now haha) I gotta gotta gotta have a Picasso Triggerfish. Other than that, I'll take suggestions!

The 55gal. I'd like any of these: clown fish, blue green chromis (would like a small school), gobies, mandarins, hawkfish, dwarf angels (probably a coral beauty).
The only thing I can vouch for is the blue green chromis. Mine have been in the tank for about a week now and they're great. I'm really not too far ahead of you in this hobby...since my tank (my first) has only been up and running for about a month...
I'm sure someone will chime in as far as what to put where with whom and when and how many...I need to do the same thing and compile my list of wants and post it for advice.
Good luck and welcome!
Robbie

[SHK_ATK]

Don't I wish!

Right now the fish I'm liking are the ones that need 70 gal min. sooo I might just have to get a 75gal. AND a 55gal haha. One could be FOWLR and one could be reef. And one would be the more agressive tank. By the way I can see why some fish can't go in a reef tank because they will eat the corals but why not a live rock tank? Is it because they would eat the crabs, shrimp, etc?

In that 75gal tank (which I don't even have right now haha) I gotta gotta gotta have a Picasso Triggerfish. Other than that, I'll take suggestions!

The 55gal. I'd like any of these: clown fish, blue green chromis (would like a small school), gobies, mandarins, hawkfish, dwarf angels (probably a coral beauty).

id bump up to at least a 100G tank for a picasso, for a 75 you could do an aggressive tank with some clowns, lionfish, puffers, tangs, eels and angels.

55G a schoold of 3-5 chromises would be okay, clowns you can go with all kinds of variety, false perculas, maroons,clarkii, cinnamon, tomato, black and whites, picassos, da vincies, naked, the list goes on and on. hawkfishes tend to eat small shrimp and feather dusters,so be wary of that if you decide to get one (they are also jumpers apperantly thats how I lost mine :() dwarf angels are fine but they may or may not eat/pick at corals. Mandarins I would wait a loooooooooooooong time till your tank is nice and mature as Mandarins fish eat nothing but copepods that you get when you buy liverock or live sand. very hard to keep if you dont have a aduquate supply from the get go.

its funny that you want a fowlr tank a reef tank a aggresive tank, that is how MTS (multiple tank syndrome) starts, welcome to the addicting world of salt.

[pnevai]

Picasso triggers can be a ton of fun, but you have to give them toys to play with. Like many other trigger fish their temperment can be dodgy. I'd suggest you go with the smallest picasso trigger you can find. Fortunately when I got mine he was tiny about the size of a dime certainly the smallest guy in the tank but still hyperactive. His small size let him grow up with his larger tankmates who were unagressive species so when he was larger he did not harrass his tank mates. In the end I had a picasso trigger with a terriffic personality. Picasso triggers like to play with toys, by toys I mean hermit crabs. They are usually too tough to get at but fun to play with. My trigger ysed to carry them around the tank all the time. Empty shells are OK but not as much fun for the fish

[NewLuv4Fish]

id bump up to at least a 100G tank for a picasso, for a 75 you could do an aggressive tank with some clowns, lionfish, puffers, tangs, eels and angels.

55G a schoold of 3-5 chromises would be okay, clowns you can go with all kinds of variety, false perculas, maroons,clarkii, cinnamon, tomato, black and whites, picassos, da vincies, naked, the list goes on and on. hawkfishes tend to eat small shrimp and feather dusters,so be wary of that if you decide to get one (they are also jumpers apperantly thats how I lost mine :() dwarf angels are fine but they may or may not eat/pick at corals. Mandarins I would wait a loooooooooooooong time till your tank is nice and mature as Mandarins fish eat nothing but copepods that you get when you buy liverock or live sand. very hard to keep if you dont have a aduquate supply from the get go.

its funny that you want a fowlr tank a reef tank a aggresive tank, that is how MTS (multiple tank syndrome) starts, welcome to the addicting world of salt.

100gal. for a picasso..why does liveaquaria say 70gal min. then? I mean I know minimum isn't ideal but I'd rather live in a mansion too haha. Man I reallllly want one of those!...a 75 is the best I could do though.

And I read that tangs are hard to keep....even the "Dori" one I guess?

As far as the clowns go, I'm reading about them now haha I didn't know there were so many different kinds I just thought they all looked like "Nemo".

[pnevai]

I had my picasso in a 55 for quite a while, but with saltwater bigger is always better ,and the fish appreciate the room. Your 75 should be fine for quite a while, depending of course how big a picasso you get. If he is 2 inches or bigger then a 100 or 125 would be best, these guys like to swim around.

[NewLuv4Fish]

I had my picasso in a 55 for quite a while, but with saltwater bigger is always better ,and the fish appreciate the room. Your 75 should be fine for quite a while, depending of course how big a picasso you get. If he is 2 inches or bigger then a 100 or 125 would be best, these guys like to swim around.

I'd have to get one that was LESS than 2 inches for it to be kept in a 75? So basically you should take whatever the min. tank size says on Liveaquaria and add half of the minimum required to get the actual minimum required....
70(that live aquaria says is ok) +35 (half of that #)= approx. 100gal. tank actually needed. Haha someone should see if that really does apply to the other fish on there.

[chirojosh]

I asked about picassos on reefcentral, and was told it would be okay in a 75g for 5-6 years. They grow SLOW!!!!