New to saltwater, is this good stocking?

[ReedLem]

Hello, I am new to saltwater aquariums. I love the looks and after becoming very well equiped with freshwater I am ready to expand. I have a 55 gallon aquarium im in the process of making a reef tank. I have made a list of stocking based on lots of research:

FISH: Tomini Tang, School of Cardinals, Pair of Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Canary Blenny

CORALS: Zoathids, Mushrooms, Leathers, Hammer Corals, Monticap, Micromussa

Give me opinions please and help. I have a 10 gallon sump with a HOB overflow box. Tank is not setup but I am still working on it, just trying to get a good scope of what I have and see where it is at compared to people with experience. If you have any thoughts about what I should do please tell me. The plan is to get cycled obviously then add the pair of clowns, slowly start adding in corals and other fish. I choose tomini tang to stay in permanently, or at least 1 year. Due to its size, I believe this would be ok with the proper care but I know it can be questioned so please coment. I have also heard its ok to add corals first and not fish and if so I would love to add corals first but please tell me otherwise if so. My LFS said to always add fish before corals because there will always be an amonia spike and I need something hardy but something just does not seem right.

 

[blaxsun]

Forget the tang. I don't know what number a "school" consists of, so you'll have to be a bit clearer on that.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

Hello, I am new to saltwater aquariums. I love the looks and after becoming very well equiped with freshwater I am ready to expand. I have a 55 gallon aquarium im in the process of making a reef tank. I have made a list of stocking based on lots of research:

FISH: Tomini Tang, School of Cardinals, Pair of Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Canary Blenny

CORALS: Zoathids, Mushrooms, Leathers, Hammer Corals, Monticap, Micromussa

Give me opinions please and help. I have a 10 gallon sump with a HOB overflow box. Tank is not setup but I am still working on it, just trying to get a good scope of what I have and see where it is at compared to people with experience. If you have any thoughts about what I should do please tell me. The plan is to get cycled obviously then add the pair of clowns, slowly start adding in corals and other fish. I choose tomini tang to stay in permanently, or at least 1 year. Due to its size, I believe this would be ok with the proper care but I know it can be questioned so please coment. I have also heard its ok to add corals first and not fish and if so I would love to add corals first but please tell me otherwise if so. My LFS said to always add fish before corals because there will always be an amonia spike and I need something hardy but something just does not seem right.

Other than the tang being a little cramped, this looks very reasonable to me. Having a tang for the first year does help with algae, you will have to be the one that decides wether to get one or not. Just keep the animals well being in mind, think things out, and have a plan.

Be aware that you are going to have 8 months ish of nasty algae growing on everything and almost certainly will have diatoms and Dino’s on the sand. If you keep your alk and calcium levels in range, coraline algae will eventually coat your rocks in a beautiful pink purple blanket. The Dino and diatoms will eventually fade. There are a million things you can read about on how to get rid of the algae, and you there are plenty of products companies would love to sell you. Do yourself and your tank a favor. Just wait it out. It is going to happen and chemicals you dump in there will likely kill or slow coraline algae which will extend process.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

Hello, I am new to saltwater aquariums. I love the looks and after becoming very well equiped with freshwater I am ready to expand. I have a 55 gallon aquarium im in the process of making a reef tank. I have made a list of stocking based on lots of research:

FISH: Tomini Tang, School of Cardinals, Pair of Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Canary Blenny

CORALS: Zoathids, Mushrooms, Leathers, Hammer Corals, Monticap, Micromussa

Give me opinions please and help. I have a 10 gallon sump with a HOB overflow box. Tank is not setup but I am still working on it, just trying to get a good scope of what I have and see where it is at compared to people with experience. If you have any thoughts about what I should do please tell me. The plan is to get cycled obviously then add the pair of clowns, slowly start adding in corals and other fish. I choose tomini tang to stay in permanently, or at least 1 year. Due to its size, I believe this would be ok with the proper care but I know it can be questioned so please coment. I have also heard its ok to add corals first and not fish and if so I would love to add corals first but please tell me otherwise if so. My LFS said to always add fish before corals because there will always be an amonia spike and I need something hardy but something just does not seem right.

Also have a well thought out plan for ich and velvet. It is very prevalent and a giant pain to treat properly. Best bet is to not let it in the tank. Especially a new tank, it likely won’t end well. Buying quarantined fish or captive bred from the breeders like biota will make your life a lot easier. But know that you can bring ich in on anything wet like rocks and coral. So don’t go to Petco and pick out a snail because it will likely have ich. Ask me how I know.

 

[killer2001]

I would highly recommend fish/inverts first with a lower lighting schedule to prevent the algae from getting too out of hand as you work through all the motions.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

I would highly recommend fish/inverts first with a lower lighting schedule to prevent the algae from getting too out of hand as you work through all the motions.

That is a good point. The algae explosion with a new tank can and will negatively affect your corals.

 

[Islandvib3s]

Honestly don't put to much into that build,hang on overflow boxes always fail. That being said get a 40breeder or 60breeder and drill it for a overflow box. Hang on overflow boxes lose siphon all the time which will cause a flood. Your better off with hang on filters like a aquaclear or anything rated for 550 gallons. Also the narrow 55 doesn't give you much space to build unless you nsa all the way up which is a pain. I've been there and had a hard time just giving away a 55 if it's the petco/smart type.

 

[ReedLem]

Forget the tang. I don't know what number a "school" consists of, so you'll have to be a bit clearer on that.

around 3-4 cardinals

 

[blaxsun]

around 3-4 cardinals

8-10 (smaller) fish is plenty for a 55-gallon. Cardinals can get to a decent size.

 

[GatorGreg]

Forget the tang. I don't know what number a "school" consists of, so you'll have to be a bit clearer on that.

I promise......a tomini tang is just as miserable in a 90 or 110 as a 55....it's still a wild animal in a TINY glass aquarium compared to its ocean. If a few more feet or inches help you sleep better at night then that's just funny.

 

[blaxsun]

I promise......a tomini tang is just as miserable in a 90 or 110 as a 55....it's still a wild animal in a TINY glass aquarium compared to its ocean. If a few more feet or inches help you sleep better at night then that's just funny.

I find the trick is keeping my tangs well fed. After avoiding tangs like the plague I'm now the proud owner of four: sailfin, half black mimic, whitetail bristletooth and powder brown. The only aggression is from the emperor angelfish during seaweed feeding when he chases them away (he's become the dominant a**hat of the tank).

 

[ReedLem]

I find the trick is keeping my tangs well fed. After avoiding tangs like the plague I'm now the proud owner of four: sailfin, half black mimic, whitetail bristletooth and powder brown. The only aggression is from the emperor angelfish during seaweed feeding when he chases them away (he's become the dominant a**hat of the tank).

I've never heard of seaweed feeding, should i feed that to my tang? Once i get it ofc. I have my tank started with one saddleback clown and just feed him frozen brine. and how often should I be feeding him alone?

 

[blaxsun]

I've never heard of seaweed feeding, should i feed that to my tang? Once i get it ofc. I have my tank started with one saddleback clown and just feed him frozen brine. and how often should I be feeding him alone?

Your tangs will go cuckoo for cocoa puffs over seaweed. You can use one of those magnetic clips or just rubber band 1/4 sheet (SeaVeggies Green for reference) to a small rock.

I have 5 good-sized tangs/angels and another 3 medium-sized tangs/angels, and I feed them the equivalent of 1 sheet (divided up into 4 rocks) daily.