Don't know what fish to put in SW tank. Please help.

small fry

Yeah, they have tanks to "share" because I have money to "share".

(After that trip to Petsmart last night I have $15)

thefishboy

I would only have 1 tang... If it is aggresive than definatley 1.. I do think some clown fish would be good??

small fry

I read tangs will not work. Perhaps something smaller. I have read tangs are extremely active and need well over 100 gallons of swim room! So much for that dentist's small tank lol!

I will be looking at different kinds of fish, now. If anyone can think of a fish that will work in a 55g, please tell me. Thanks!

BTW how long can guppies live in SW? I have heard they can live a while (I don't know how long "a while" is) in saltwater which "makes them perfect for feeder fish." I am somewhat interested in lionfish, they prefer live food. I am just curious. (I wish there was a flake or pellet that replaced live food because I love guppies)

Any objections to loinfish in a 55? I have heard they are suitable for tanks 30g and bigger.

Just searching all my options.

Thanks!

thefishboy

A fuzzy dwarf lion fish would be your best bet...

small fry

Well, fuzzy dwarfs aren't nearly as beautiful as its relatives. I love the Black Volitan Lionfish and the Red Volitan Loinfish.

Any suggestions?

pretzelsz

Well I have done a fair amount of research on lionfish...here is an article for you to read on choices The Lionfish Info Sheet: Captive Care and Home Husbandry by Frank Marini, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com
look through it post if you find one that fits and you like...I will also look for my old 55 gallon thread and post it so you can get an idea for cost, problems, and stocking(Without lionfish).
Also right off I want to say Lionfish(along with most animals in the hobby) require alot of care,time, and attention. So if you don't have that plus alot of money time to do MORE research and put your mind on on a few things that you probably are overlooking right now.
Lighting, Filtration, pumps, Live rock, base rock, sand bed, salinity/water conditions, top off, cycling, different algaes, and clean up crews(This is all right off the top of my head and should prob be researched before jumping into it) if you do this it will save you time and money...i wish I had... key things are time and money here IMHO

Feel free to post here or PM with questions

tanker

Over the time I've had my freshwater tanks, I've decided a few things. Like, certain fish just do not do well for me (either my water is wrong for them, or I did something wrong) and that things that I had read were absolutely right (like bettas not liking tankmates). My point? Find out what fish will do well in a beginner to saltwater's setup in your geographical area and get hardy local stock. Do you have a decent saltwater LFS? Find out what stock they've got that doesn't die on people because they've got a reliable local supplier and the fish are raised to suit local conditions and in conditions that'll be similar to your new setup.

I'd avoid anything aggressive. Either way (ie if it's 30 or 55), your new tank is not that big. Any aggression problems will be a headache because nobody will really have enough room to hide well enough to be happy, if they get picked on. I find "what do I do now, my fish is being attacked?" threads quite depressing.

I've actually never seen "Finding Nemo". I recently discovered another aquarium shop in my area and they carry saltwater fish and they have the clownfish like Nemo in their display tank. I was in there the other day and saw a guy buying some saltwater fish (some clownfish, but they were a different colour to "Nemo", and some beautiful blue fish) which piqued my interest in what you might be putting in your tank.

To cut a long story short, my point is to get what's most likely to work out well for you. Hardy stock that does well locally and isn't going to cause a bloodbath.

Pasfur

I'm not sure why this thread hasn't hit the mainstream, but sorry to miss this. I think you are way off base on your stocking ideas so far. As you found in your reading, Tangs are a horrible idea for this tank size.

I really can't make any fish suggestions because I don't know enough about your tank. If you will read this article on stocking a marine tank, you will then understand that the physical environment is probably more important than tank size when it comes to stocking suggestions. Check this out:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/s...ng-list-38579/

I would also suggest that we discuss the equipment you are using in detail. You will want to make certain you are on the the right track. The majority of people use the wrong equipment when setting up a marine tank, which is why so many people think marine tanks are difficult to care for.

small fry

Thanks, Pasfur!

I read your compatability chart. Do you have a section on 55g tanks, or did I miss that? Good Job on the Chart BTW!

Anyway...
I was reading on the first part of your compatability charts that I should set up a large reef. What are reefs made of, Live Rock?

Here is how I want to set it up (I can be flexible if I need to be);

Filters:
Undergravel
External Power
Airstones
Protein Skimmer

Terrain:
Dolomite(?)

Live Decor:
(I hopeing we can Discus this in further detail)

Fish Type (eg aggressive/peaceful):
(undecided)

The only thing I'm sure about is the filter setup, but I can change that if y'all suggest it. Do people still use dolomite? I read about it from a resorce dated back in 2002.

I have no local SW shop. I don't know of one in Texas but I am sure that there are a few in houston, which is only an hours drive from here (just like my "local" petsmart (that isn't in houston)).

Thanks for helping!

bearwithfish

a few things if i may interject my opinion on the set up.. 1st dump everything but the skmmer (you need that)
substrate i personally would either go with Live sand or any other sand that is marked for marine tanks as this way you know it will be the best for your set up....
and just to be clear "live decor" i am assuming are corals? in which case the mind set of decor should be shifted a bit... unlike plants that need minimal care corals are actually closer in relation to fish and have very specific needs that have to be met.
also as i am not sure how much research you have done (i assume a bunch before getting to this stage) i am going to post some links to some very well written articles here on TFK and that way you can get a better picture of marine tank keeping

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/s...t-water-19051/

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/s...g-sumps-15930/

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/s...shwater-31955/

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/s...r-tanks-55195/