Stocking list for new tank

**J-Rod** · 01-30-2011, 03:44 AM

i just got a 55. any suggestions on types of fish i should get, i was thinking it would be cool to have a snowflake eel.

**Cliff** · 01-30-2011, 03:59 AM

I looked into these guys when planning my SW tank. I think a 55 might be a little too small as they can get as large as 36". Hopfully someone who has actually kept one can offer some first hand experiance.

Is this going to be a reef tank or FOWLR tank?

**J-Rod** · 01-30-2011, 04:18 AM

its going to be a FOWLR

**Dave66** · 01-30-2011, 04:36 AM

Cliff is right, snowflake morays do get pretty large in the aquarium, and as messy eaters, they can become a problem over time. They'll also eat any fish that gets too close to one.

You'd be limited in stock because at your tank size, you'd have real problems maintaining water quality with numerous or larger fishes. I'd restrict your choices to fishes that grow to max five inches, so you can have more than one.

Dave

**J-Rod** · 01-30-2011, 05:00 AM

i got about a twelve gallon sump, does that change anything

**Dave66** · 01-30-2011, 06:41 AM

Yes, more water volume in a marine system is always a good thing. Build a plenum in that sump to keep nitrate from getting out of hand.

Dave

**J-Rod** · 01-30-2011, 02:42 PM

are there any good hardy fish that would work

**Cliff** · 01-30-2011, 03:10 PM

Look up pics of clowns, chromis, and dwarf angles. All three will work in a 55 giving you options to have more than one type of fish. There are many different types of clown fish that look very different from the common white and orange ones.

I know there are more fish than that which could work in a 55, I'm just not too farmilar with them

**hockeyhead019** · 01-30-2011, 05:01 PM

I've been looking for possible stocking options for my own 55, clowns are pretty hardy starters, and you have the option of firefish, cardinals, a couple dwarf angels (only 2 or so I think)

You really do have a lot of different options but they will all be smaller, so no tangs or anything like that unfortunately.

If you go to liveaquaria.com and go to their marine fish section they have a tool where you can separate the fish by the minimum sized tank they can inhabit which is a pretty cool feature so you can mess around on that site and see what your options are

**ILuvMyGoldBarb** · 01-30-2011, 05:24 PM

The problem with liveaquaria.com is that their minimum tank sizes are frequently off. The Pocket Expert Guides published by TFH publishing are usually pretty good with tank size recommendations, but even they can be a bit smaller than many hobbyists will recommend.