55g stocking

[mr.cichlid]

need help on 55g stocking...
i am interested in clowns, yellow tang, goby, one angel, danzels fish...

any other ideas...

how many fishes can i have in a 55g tank?

please guide.

 

[TropicalNorth]

55g is too small for a yellow tang.
A pair of clowns would be fine.
A goby would also be fine, it depends on the species as to how hard they are to keep but I don't know of many gobies that wouldn't be fine in a 55g.
A Dwarf Angel would be fine, many of the 'standard angelfish' species might get to big. Most dwarf angels may pick at corals so just be aware of that.
By 'danzels' I assume you mean damsels. Damsels might be small and brightly coloured but they can be very aggressive, I wouldn't recommend getting them. Blue Green Chromis are a small schooling fish that would work.
Just make sure you research, the exact species of fish before buying.

Before you add any fish make sure your tank is well and truly cycled, has been set up for at least 4 weeks, has enough live rock to support the fish and that water parameters are stable.

 

[aquaman66]

those fishes you want to stock do get quite big, I've heard it from my friends that there's a 1"fish = gallon rule when it comes to aquarium, not sure how true it was though =D

 

[TropicalNorth]

There's no real rule to stocking.

An individual species will either work or not work in a certain size tank. Either because they get too big or they are an active fish for their size.
Then there is personality, peaceful fish are more suited to smaller tanks but more aggressive/territorial fish may need a large tank.
As for the number of fish it really comes down to common sense and equipment. If you have a really good skimmer, plenty of live rock, a sump and a refugium you can have more fish than if you just had an okay skimmer and a small amount of live rock.
A large fish, like a big tang or something, will have a bigger biological impact (eat more, poop more) than say 6 or more small fish like chromis.

Common sense and listening to what others think is best. Peoples opinions will differ on certain species and stocking so you can make up your own mind, but when everyone says 'that fish won't work' or 'thats overstocked' then thats generally the case.

 

[mr.cichlid]

I can have enough live rock in the tank and i am thinking to get a hangon skimmer. I am thinkg abt starting with juvenile fishes and trade them in lfs when they get big or i may upgrade to a bigger tank when they get bigger. I am very curious abt anemone. Does it grow on live rock automatically after the tank is cycled and mature?

 

[mr.cichlid]

TropicalNorth, what is the name and breed of the fish in your avatar? Does this fish needs a lot of space in tank? Is it aggresive? thanks

 

[TropicalNorth]

The fish is a Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor). It is the type of fish that is suitable for nearly any tank, and gets along with pretty much any type of fish. Not aggressive at all and perfect for a 55g community tank. Huge personality fish.

Getting juveniles is a nice idea but it doesn't work. Fish can grow fairly quickly (a matter of months), sometimes juveniles can be more delicate, you get attached to them and re-catching them can be stressful for the fish and often results in you having to remove all the the live rock to re-catch them. My advice is only get a fish that could live in your tank at adult size.

There are usually alternatives to certain fish. For example instead of a Yellow Tang (if you want a bright yellow fish) you could get a Yellow Angelfish, or maybe a Yellow Wrasse. There is nearly always a fish that suits what you want, and that will fit in your tank.

Anemones are difficult to keep, they need a lot of light and good water quality. You should only really look at getting one once your tank has been up and running for 6 months. Anemones are bought, like a coral or fish, and they have a muscular foot that attaches to the live rock wherever they are happy.