I have a 50 gal tank with some fish in it. I have 55 lbs of crushed coral for a substrate and only 8 lbs of live rock. (For now) I am planning on getting more in the near future. I was wondering what kind of inverts I could get so that I could get the final touch to my tank? (cleaner shrimps, snails, etc..) Any recommendations?
invert recommendations
- Thread starter TriggerPuff
- Start date
What fish do you have? Just want to make sure that you don't have anything that would enjoy munching on your proposed inverts. 
Butterfly, clowns, angel and 2 tangs. The only one that I am worried about eating the inverts are my powder blue. Are there any inverts that I can put with him?
Your tank is cartoonishly overstocked. Even if you have a dwarf angel and a small species of butterflyfish, two tangs and multiple clowns in a 50 gallon tank is a disaster waiting to happen. I can't recommend any invertebrates until we get this straightened out first as your water quality is in jeopardy at this point. Please post back with the specific species of fish that you have so we can help you pare down your livestock to a more reasonable level.
EDIT: Saw your fish list in your temperature question post. Assuming that you don't have maroon clowns (they get huge), you could keep a pair of any other clown species, the pelewensis butterfly, and a flame angel successfully in this tank. However, the tangs need to go. You're looking at a good 9" apiece on those tangs and they need far more swimming room than a 50g tank can provide. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but those fish are under a good bit of strain right now, and powder blue tangs are quite fragile to begin with. You need to get both tangs back to the store ASAP.
EDIT: Saw your fish list in your temperature question post. Assuming that you don't have maroon clowns (they get huge), you could keep a pair of any other clown species, the pelewensis butterfly, and a flame angel successfully in this tank. However, the tangs need to go. You're looking at a good 9" apiece on those tangs and they need far more swimming room than a 50g tank can provide. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but those fish are under a good bit of strain right now, and powder blue tangs are quite fragile to begin with. You need to get both tangs back to the store ASAP.
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During your trip to your LFS for returning the tangs try some astrea turbos (I found out that my mexican turbos poop more than my fish does), and they don't get as big as the mexican turbos. Some say it can't flip themselves back up once they're upside down, and causing them to die, but my two astrea never died, and does better job of algae eating than my turbos. I'd get emerald crabs for cleaning up algae off liverock and substrate, they do a pretty decent job. Also, since it's not a reef tank, starfish and urchins are pretty nice scanvengers too, and you don't seem to have too much liverock for them to bulldoze.
try some astrea turbos (I found out that my mexican turbos poop more than my fish does), and they don't get as big as the mexican turbos. Some say it can't flip themselves back up once they're upside down, and causing them to die, but my two astrea never died, and does better job of algae eating than my turbos. I'd get emerald crabs for cleaning up algae off liverock and substrate, they do a pretty decent job. Also, since it's not a reef tank, starfish and urchins are pretty nice scanvengers too, and you don't seem to have too much liverock for them to bulldoze.I am not going to return my fish. I know that there are tons of completely different opinions out there and I have talked to many people and done alot of reading and have found that these fish will be fine. I respect the opinions here and appreciate them. Thanks for the invert rec's.
When you return your fish or realize your wrong when they die....I'd say a horseshoe crab would be a decent addition....they get huge so you'll have to return him (just like those two tangs cause they are NOT fine) and they burrow in the substrate keeping things stirred up....plus they're just plain cool
Caleb
Caleb
No need to be rude! I am certainly not trying to start conflict. I am just stating what I have been told by many fish stores, books, and internet. Gee :|
just wondering, what books and sources online told you this?
most of the 17,000 members at reefcentral, all the experts and all the other large internet boards would tell you to get rid of the tangs.
I have a few books that talk about marine fish, and none of them advise keeping tangs in tanks less than 6ft long.
www.fishindex.com recommends a 90 as the smallest tank for your fish.
www.liveaquaria.com (a pet store nontheless) says 100 gallon minimum.
even our 5 year old outdated species profile says 70 gallon tank minimum.
most of the 17,000 members at reefcentral, all the experts and all the other large internet boards would tell you to get rid of the tangs.
I have a few books that talk about marine fish, and none of them advise keeping tangs in tanks less than 6ft long.
www.fishindex.com recommends a 90 as the smallest tank for your fish.
www.liveaquaria.com (a pet store nontheless) says 100 gallon minimum.
even our 5 year old outdated species profile says 70 gallon tank minimum.
