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Hello everyone:

I would like to start a saltwater aquarium in my 55 gallon tank. I am not so worried about asking basic saltwater questions, i figure i'll do research first and then ask questions later if i don't understand something. what i basically wanted to ask right now is just basically if the fish i selected would work well and if my numbers i have figured sound good. here is an example of what I have figured for my tank:

1 x Royal Dottyback
4-5 x Neon Gobies
2 x Yellow Tang
? x Orange Clownfish

As you can see, i am not sure how many clownfish i should get. i don't want to start out with to many fish at one time. if i did this set up i would add the neon gobies and the royal dottyback first. and if i kept them alive and healthy for more than 4-6 months then i will work on the clowns and the tangs. i don't want to overstock my tank so if something(s) need removed let me know!!!!!

I know i haven't done a lot of research on saltwater aquariums, i plan on doing tons more before i even buy my equipment for the tank. I know it can/will be expensive so i am more than willing to take as much time necessary to do this correctly.

So to sum it up, i am just looking for someone to comment on my stock, whether the fish would get along, if they would look good together, and if my stock would be too much for my tank. Thanks a million!!

- Aquaman

i would say
1 yellow tang
3 neon gobies
1pair of clown fish
1 royal gramma

That sounds better to me! I recently found out that the Royal Dottyback cannot be kept with Gobies, so I won't be getting one of those. Thanks for your input, it is greatly appreciated!

royal grammas CAN be kept with gobies i have 1 gramma in with several gobies!

In the wild, it's not uncommon to see yellow tangs up to 8" long. The president of my reef club has a 20,000 gallon reef tank that has some very impressive tangs in general, so I know that they get big. A 55 gallon tank long term will be too small for this fish. Most, if not all tangs deserve tanks upwards of 75 gallons. If the fish lives long enough to outgrow the tank, make sure you either upgrade or trade him in for a smaller specimen, otherwise the tang police will be knockin' on your door! They are great for performing that "algae kiss" though.

Royal grammas have never been one of my favorite fish, but they do tend to be relatively hardy and widely available in the trade today. We get them in almost weekly at the store I work at.

Neon gobies are an interesting fish. One of the smallest I know of, almost like a saltwater tetra. They fare much better in groups, which isn't a problem since they dont contribute all that much to the bioload. Again, not my personal choice, but should do well provided there's nowhere for them to get sucked up.

If you plan on having a lot of live rock in the tank, may I suggest (after the tank has been up for awhile ) a six line wrasse? A common and hardy (if healthy) fish that will love to pick at your live rock. Stays relatively small too.

What sorts of gobies were you planning on getting?

Check out the Cookie Cutter list for more fish ideas. Also, pick up a copy of Scott W. Michael's "Pocket Guide to Marine Fishes" as it will become your fish selecting Bible.

HTH a bit...

-Ferret



-Formerly known as the Ferretfish