Stocking for 55 gallon

[djones412]

Hello! I was hoping for some opinions on stocking for a 55 gallon. I have always keep freshwater tanks & this is my first time taking care of a saltwater. I inherited this tank from my dad who always kept it stocked with awesome fish and live rock. Currently, I have two firefish (they were sold as a pair and have gotten along so far), a clown goby (maybe, honestly I never see him), 3 peppermint shrimp, and some snails & hermit crabs. I have live rock in the tank as well. I have lights that can support coral but will likely only throw a couple of the cheaper pieces in on top of rocks that are closer to the lights since the tank is so deep. I am starting to think more about stocking options but I am not sure what can go with what. All LFS I have talked to are obviously just trying to sell fish so they are kind of just like throw them in together & see what happens. I am open to any & all fish/invertebrates as long as they are captive-bred/aquacultured :) .

This is my list of what I have thought of so far. I have no intention of throwing all of these fish in together, these are just creatures I have thought of but not sure what can go together. I would ideally like to have a few of the smaller fish & then have a "statement piece" like the clownfish. My LFS said I could do a statement piece like this & then get a small group of chromis or azure damselfish but I know that damselfish can be jerks so I am not sure if that is really an option, especially given the size of the tank.

Anyway, here is my list of fish I am interested in. Let me know your opinion on what can go together or if you have any other suggestions, I am not going to put all of these fish in the tank. Thank you!!!
-Oscellaris clownfish (a pair with an anemone)
-Pajama cardinals or banggai cardinals
-Royal gramma or orchid dottyback (leaning more towards the gramma, I heard dottybacks are mean)
-A few chromis, azure damselfish, or anthias
-Dwarf angel?
-Filefish?
-Gobies & blennies
-Tuxedo urchin
-More shrimp

 

[cdemoss01]

Royal Grammas are nice fish Ivr got one. Definintely a pair of clown fish for sure. Blenny wise id recommend starry blennies funny fish. Bengali cardinals are endangered and are somewhat boring fish. Unsure if you could do a dwarf angel.. but you could do a pygmy angelfish.

 

[bstodds15]

Everything on your list is fine, but the order you add fish is important (peaceful first, bigger more aggressive last). A good resource is Liveaquaria.com - If you ever have any general questions about a fish or invert (size, aggression, compatibility, etc..) there's a 95% chance they have the info you're looking for.

Royal gramma or orchid dottyback - I recommend going with a Gramma. Captive Bred dotty's are a lot better with their temperament, but generally a more aggressive species.

Chromis, azure damselfish, or anthias - Anthias can be annoying to feed, and chromis can be boring unless you have a school of them. The Azure, Talbot and Springeri damsels aren't as mean, so recommending them. (If you have enough rockwork, you can do multiple but add together).

Dwarf angel - Most are fine, would recommend a captive bred Coral Beauty, Lemon Peel, Flame Angel or Cherub/Pygmy.

Filefish - Might eat shrimp, but a captive bred version should be a better option (if you want a filefish).

Gobies & blennies - generally not an issue, but usually blennies fight if not added at the same time (kind of a big rule when adding most fish)

More shrimp - Yes, you can add Skunk Cleaner's and Blood Red's with no issues (aside price tag)