New 55 gallon predator fish only tank (cleap up crew)

[marinemac1000]

Hello, everyone. I’m brand smacking new to the marine hobby and I have been doing extensive, thorough, and tedious research on my new tank I’m currently cycling.

My tank mates will be:
snowflake moray eel
dogface puffer
porcupine puffer
dwarf (zebra or fuzzy) lionfish

I know its mixed reactions to my tankmate list so I’m open to constructive criticism and helpful advice.

One of my biggest concern is what will be good for my cleaner crew? I know literally everything is pretty much on the meal with these guys, but has anyone had any luck with a successful pick? What would be cheap to replace if thats the case. Thanks guys.

 

[lion king]

What size tank, the porc will get aggressive and is a notorious nipper, I would never keep one with my lions; a 180g minimum is recommended. The dogface is usually rather docile but will get pretty big and does require a good size tank also.

Shrimp and crabs likely won't make it with the snowflake, and the lion will also hunt down shrimp. Snails and urchins with these 2, my dogface doesn;t bother these either, but he is the laziest dogface I have ever had..

Oh I see the tank size now, I would rethink my fish list, only the dwarf lion would be ok for that tank size. The snowflake will get to 30" and really needs a larger tank, puffers are a non starter.

 

[Wick3d_1]

I agree with this. A 55 is not suitable long term for either puffers or eels. They get massive. Most don't have CC (at least not for long) in their predator tanks that's why they are built with massive nutrient export. Puffers are messy eaters. So, good filtration is a must. Good luck!

What size tank, the porc will get aggressive and is a notorious nipper, I would never keep one with my lions; a 180g minimum is recommended. The dogface is usually rather docile but will get pretty big and does require a good size tank also.

Shrimp and crabs likely won't make it with the snowflake, and the lion will also hunt down shrimp. Snails and urchins with these 2, my dogface doesn;t bother these either, but he is the laziest dogface I have ever had..

Oh I see the tank size now, I would rethink my fish list, only the dwarf lion would be ok for that tank size. The snowflake will get to 30" and really needs a larger tank, puffers are a non starter.

 

[Jedi1199]

I also agree with the above... I honestly would never attempt a predator tank in a 55 (unless it is the QT for the actual tank.. lol). My predator tank is a 180g. and even that tank seems a bit on the smallish side.

 

[marinemac1000]

What size tank, the porc will get aggressive and is a notorious nipper, I would never keep one with my lions; a 180g minimum is recommended. The dogface is usually rather docile but will get pretty big and does require a good size tank also.

Shrimp and crabs likely won't make it with the snowflake, and the lion will also hunt down shrimp. Snails and urchins with these 2, my dogface doesn;t bother these either, but he is the laziest dogface I have ever had..

Oh I see the tank size now, I would rethink my fish list, only the dwarf lion would be ok for that tank size. The snowflake will get to 30" and really needs a larger tank, puffers are a non starter.

 

[marinemac1000]

what kind of cool and fascinating fish can live long term in a 55 gallon? The biggest I’ll go is 75 and that’s not until next year.

 

[Jedi1199]

You could get away with a juvenile trigger and some damsels for a while.. if you get them small enough, probably a year or 2. Back in the early 90's when I first made an attempt at saltwater, my co-worker kept a small Picasso trigger and a small blue spot grouper in a 55g tank. I believe he had one other fish in there but I can't recall what it was..

I kept an Undulate trigger in my 55 back around that same time.. Had to rehome that one as it was FAR too aggressive and exterminated ANYTHING else I put in there.

The real question here is: Do you want a predator tank, or do you want a FOWLR tank? Preds get very large and will outgrow even a 75 in a short time (some faster than others). If you want a tank full of life and movement and not a true "reef" tank with all of the expense and issues implied. I would say check out things like Damsels, Wrasses and such. You can get them very small and they will be perfectly happy and quite strikingly beautiful in a 55 or 75 setup. With the added benefit of not having to worry as much about the specifics that corals need.

My 55g mixed reef currently houses the following fish:

1 Yellow Tang
2 Wyoming White Clownfish
2 Bi-color Damsels
1 Talbots Damsel
1 Magenta Dottyback
2 Pajama Cardinals
1 Firefish Goby
1 Blue Chromis

These fish get along well together in my tank. Most are active swimmers and can be found roaming the tank all day long.

 

[Tired]

Get a waspfish! Venomous, but not dangerously so, and they're neat little predators. Like a small scorpionfish. Add to that a hawkfish of some variety, and you've got a couple of nice little mini-predators that you should be able to keep a few tankmates with. Except shrimp. Don't put shrimp with hawkfish.

As a general rule, never buy a fish for a future tank. Always buy for the tank you have, not the one you plan to get.

Also, don't put a yellow tang in a 55gal.

 

[DaddyFish]

I have a very successful 90-gal FOWLR with...

Snowflake Eel
Dogface Puffer
Porcupine Puffer
Valentini Puffer
Picasso Humu Humu Trigger
The world's most aggressive Aiptasia Filefish
Striped Cleaner Wrasse
Molly Miller Blenny
Chocolate Chip Starfish
4,275 empty snail shells
One terrified hermit crab
Bold is my CUC recommendation

No snail survives. Consider them all an expensive meal.
No shrimp survives. Consider them an expensive snack.

The Molly Miller is FAST, but you need to find a good size one or raise one in another tank. That's what I do. Even then, the eel will someday go rogue and munch down. But a Molly Miller is the best cleanup fish on the face of planet.

Sorry, but your 55 is not large enough for your stocking list, period! A 75 is the same basic dimensions as my 90s, just not as tall. You can do everything I have on my list in the same 75 except the porcupine. My porc will eventually go live in my 215.

You will need major filtration and a separate nutrient export such as refugium, algae scrubber, biopellet reactor and large skimmer, something besides a basic sump. Predators eat a lot, and that translates to mucho nitrate and phosphorus out the back end. It's oversize mechanical filtration combined with kick-butt nutrient export, or it's weekly 25% water changes. Your choice.

I love my predator tank, but it took me a solid year to figure out how to balance it.

 

[Jedi1199]

Also, don't put a yellow tang in a 55gal.

Yeah? I have mine in my 55 and he is the star of the show! Got him a couple moths ago as a VERY small juvenile. Aside from aggression with an even smaller Hippo, he is a model citizen and is perfectly happy and healthy where he is. Will he outgrow that tank? Of course he will. Do I care today? Nope!! I have at least another year or so to enjoy him in my mixed reef before I have to move him to the 180.

I suppose now you will state the law that you can't put a Hippo tang in a 32G? Guess what?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Conventional wisdom in terms of a clean-up-crew (CUC) for a predator/highly aggressive fish tank includes the following 5 choices:

1. _______
2. _______
3. _______
4. _______
5. _______

(Lol!) As others have said, super-filtration is about your only friend. Going upscale on water turnover, skimmer, UV sterilizer, and things like that will allow you to adequately feed your messy pets.

 

[stewie]

You will definitely be the clean up crew for a predator tank. Everything else added will be live food.

 

[Jedi1199]

Conventional wisdom in terms of a clean-up-crew (CUC) for a predator/highly aggressive fish tank includes the following 5 choices:

1. _______
2. _______
3. _______
4. _______
5. _______

(Lol!) As others have said, super-filtration is about your only friend. Going upscale on water turnover, skimmer, UV sterilizer, and things like that will allow you to adequately feed your messy pets.

HAHA pretty much nailed it on the head with that.. If there is a CUC that wont become a meal for a predator, I am unaware of it..

I run a fair sized sump with a LOT of rock rubble, and an oversized skimmer on my 180. I don't have a refugium as the skimmer sits in the space where the refugium would be.

I do have a sponge filter over the skimmer intake which allows me to have some sea lettuce in that chamber without it clogging the skimmer. Not a true refugium as I understand it, but it does allow for some nitrogen intake.

 

[marinemac1000]

beautiful th

I have a very successful 90-gal FOWLR with...

Snowflake Eel
Dogface Puffer
Porcupine Puffer
Valentini Puffer
Picasso Humu Humu Trigger
The world's most aggressive Aiptasia Filefish
Striped Cleaner Wrasse
Molly Miller Blenny
Chocolate Chip Starfish
4,275 empty snail shells
One terrified hermit crab
Bold is my CUC recommendation

No snail survives. Consider them all an expensive meal.
No shrimp survives. Consider them an expensive snack.

The Molly Miller is FAST, but you need to find a good size one or raise one in another tank. That's what I do. Even then, the eel will someday go rogue and munch down. But a Molly Miller is the best cleanup fish on the face of planet.

Sorry, but your 55 is not large enough for your stocking list, period! A 75 is the same basic dimensions as my 90s, just not as tall. You can do everything I have on my list in the same 75 except the porcupine. My porc will eventually go live in my 215.

You will need major filtration and a separate nutrient export such as refugium, algae scrubber, biopellet reactor and large skimmer, something besides a basic sump. Predators eat a lot, and that translates to mucho nitrate and phosphorus out the back end. It's oversize mechanical filtration combined with kick-butt nutrient export, or it's weekly 25% water changes. Your choice.

I love my predator tank, but it took me a solid year to figure out how to balance it.

 

[marinemac1000]

beautiful tank! i appreciate all the help everyone. so my stock list needs adjusting. i figured. also im the clean up crew lol okay. i have a 100 gallon protein skimmer, a aqua clear 70 filter, dry rock, and a thin sand-bed. so on top of that stuff should i get a refugium as well? whats a uv sterilizer?

 

[Tired]

Yeah? I have mine in my 55 and he is the star of the show! Got him a couple moths ago as a VERY small juvenile. Aside from aggression with an even smaller Hippo, he is a model citizen and is perfectly happy and healthy where he is. Will he outgrow that tank? Of course he will. Do I care today? Nope!! I have at least another year or so to enjoy him in my mixed reef before I have to move him to the 180.

I suppose now you will state the law that you can't put a Hippo tang in a 32G? Guess what?

If an animal is a temporary inhabitant in a tank, don't suggest another one of those animals for another tank of that size. It's bad practice to recommend that people get things which will outgrow their tank, because that means the animal will suffer if they don't wind up getting a big enough tank for it. You can put a baby of most species of fish in the hobby in a 55gal, but that doesn't mean someone who only has a 55gal should buy them.

 

[DaddyFish]

beautiful tank! i appreciate all the help everyone. so my stock list needs adjusting. i figured. also im the clean up crew lol okay. i have a 100 gallon protein skimmer, a aqua clear 70 filter, dry rock, and a thin sand-bed. so on top of that stuff should i get a refugium as well? whats a uv sterilizer?

I forgot to mention UV. Personally I'm a big believer in UV sterilizers for algae control and deterring (notice I said deter, not prevent) parasites. Puffers being one of the more popular predator species, are pretty much guaranteed to come with parasites. And they typically don't tolerate copper very well. Properly sized/flowing UV helps reduce parasite population and improves overall water clarity by minimizing algae growth.

 

[marinemac1000]

okay cool i will de more research on uv’s! are my other equipment acceptable? should i add a hang on the back refrugium? i also have two powerheads otw.

 

[Tired]

A HOB fuge is good for growing some extra pods, and taking out a bit of nitrates. Neither of those things is a massive concern in a predator tank, unless your predators are small enough to want amphipods. Granted, a 55gal should probably have amphipod-eating predators as opposed to anything else.

I'd say, if you've got a spot for one, go for it. Don't worry too much about getting one, though.

 

[Jedi1199]

If an animal is a temporary inhabitant in a tank, don't suggest another one of those animals for another tank of that size. It's bad practice to recommend that people get things which will outgrow their tank, because that means the animal will suffer if they don't wind up getting a big enough tank for it. You can put a baby of most species of fish in the hobby in a 55gal, but that doesn't mean someone who only has a 55gal should buy them.

I understand what you are saying. I also did not clarify that the YT is destined for the 180 eventually. My issue is with "you can't" I despise those words!! I am the person that if you tell me I can't do something, I will immediately go out of my way to prove you wrong.

It is absolutely possible to keep a Yellow Tang in a 55. just be aware it WILL outgrow it and need to be rehomed.