55 gallon stocking list

[Cthulukelele]

instead of the coral beauty should i go with a pygmy (cherub Angelfish instead since they are smaller yet or are those fish to agressive?

Pygmy will be happier at that size tank, but in general coral beauties are actually much more likely to be the "chiller" option. Cherubs have a lot of spunk. I'd stay away from leopards or lyretails personally, but a smaller anthias like resplendent or Ignatus or dispar could work

 

[maxponzi]

That’s the same tank I have. I have 2 clowns longnose hawkfish Firefish royal gramma coral beauty carpenter wrasse and a Diamond goby and a cleaner shrimp some snails and hermits and they all get along great. I think that is plenty as I see them swim around except maybe a lawnmower blenny!

 

[Cthulukelele]

It's actually also pretty similar to the stocking of my tank. It's what a lot of reefers end up on

 

[dedragon]

I'd stay away from leopards or lyretails personally

As i said, I'm very biased towards leopards in general lol. Lyretail females I have found dont change to males when left alone (but i have only had 2 of them for long periods of 5+ years, maybe given a larger sample size).

Leopard I would only recommend if you find one that is eating readily. I got mine that was only eating mysis and months later trained to eat pellets, but my bluestar ate pellets day 1. They are actually hardy fish if you find them eating a lot. If not they will usually waste away sadly and most dont. Most lfs near me wont carry them anymore due to them coming in dead or them not living long in their stores which makes sourcing good ones a pain

 

[Cthulukelele]

As i said, I'm very biased towards leopards in general lol. Lyretail females I have found dont change to males when left alone (but i have only had 2 of them for long periods of 5+ years, maybe given a larger sample size).

Leopard I would only recommend if you find one that is eating readily. I got mine that was only eating mysis and months later trained to eat pellets, but my bluestar ate pellets day 1. They are actually hardy fish if you find them eating a lot. If not they will usually waste away sadly and most dont. Most lfs near me wont carry them anymore due to them coming in dead or them not living long in their stores which makes sourcing good ones a pain

Yeah I actually have the same opinion on leopards and have lyretails in my current tank. I just think of even my 120 as being kinda small for both species

 

[dedragon]

Yeah I actually have the same opinion on leopards and have lyretails in my current tank. I just think of even my 120 as being kinda small for both species

I wouldnt hesitate with a female leopard in a 120. I recommend females in any situation as they are usually the ones i have seen eating better in stores as well as the females should be younger than the males. Males usually come in larger and many times, not eating.
They just drift around and peck at rocks mostly. They dont really swim the length of my tank ever unless I add food. I actually wouldnt hesitate to say a female bluestar could also go in a 50 gallon even but again mostly anecdotal evidence. They are pretty easy going compared to something like a fairy wrasse which jump if you look at them the wrong way. Mine have also stayed relatively small even though i have had one for around 3-4 years now

 

[Cthulukelele]

I wouldnt hesitate with a female leopard in a 120. I recommend females in any situation as they are usually the ones i have seen eating better in stores as well as the females should be younger than the males. Males usually come in larger and many times, not eating.
They just drift around and peck at rocks mostly. They dont really swim the length of my tank ever unless I add food. I actually wouldnt hesitate to say a female bluestar could also go in a 50 gallon even but again mostly anecdotal evidence. They are pretty easy going compared to something like a fairy wrasse which jump if you look at them the wrong way. Mine have also stayed relatively small even though i have had one for around 3-4 years now

I used to have a female leopard wrasse. Lost it in a crash sadly. She was transitioning to male and had gotten to almost 6 inches. I loved them. Watching it hunt for pods was a treat

 

[dedragon]

that sucks, hope you can find a replacement at some point. My leopard hasnt wanted to change, she must identify as she/hers i guess and refuses to change her pronouns.
Can you think of any other 4 inch fish that is as active as leopard wrasses without being a spazz and freaking out in smaller tanks though? I wasnt able which is why i went with them. I am probably missing an obvious fish that I just cant think of rn

 

[Cthulukelele]

that sucks, hope you can find a replacement at some point. My leopard hasnt wanted to change, she must identify as she/hers i guess and refuses to change her pronouns.
Can you think of any other 4 inch fish that is as active as leopard wrasses without being a spazz and freaking out in smaller tanks though? I wasnt able which is why i went with them. I am probably missing an obvious fish that I just cant think of rn

I actually find flasher wrasse pretty good for that imo

 

[PR_nano]

Following along; looking at suggestions and what you decide ultimately. I'm working on a stocking list for my upcoming upgrade. 50-gallon (36*18*18) display w ~30-gallon sump, sitting in the garage.

So far this is what I narrowed down to:

Yellow watchman goby (Phase 1)
Pink Streak Wrasse (Phase 1)
Red Firefish (Phase 1)
Royal Gramma (Phase 2)
Cherub Angelfish (Phase 3)

Undecided, but likely candidates: (1&2 or 2&3)

TBD wrasse (maybe Possum) (Phase 2)
TBD wrasse (maybe Hooded Fairy) (Phase 2)
*Leopard wrasse (maybe Blue Star or Black) or red scooter (Phase 3)

 

[dstockwell]

My 55 stock list.
Ebili Angel
Bristletooth Tang
Melanaurus wrasse
Royal Gramma
Blue Green chromis (3)
perculia clowns (2)
BTA, corals

 

[dedragon]

I actually find flasher wrasse pretty good for that imo

mileage may vary for both of them i guess.

 

[dedragon]

oh wait i wrote fairy*, not flasher wrasse. I havent tried a flasher wrasse in anything smaller than an 80 gallon (weird custom size tank)

 

[Cthulukelele]

My 55 stock list.
Ebili Angel
Bristletooth Tang
Melanaurus wrasse
Royal Gramma
Blue Green chromis (3)
perculia clowns (2)
BTA, corals

Does your melanarus wrasse feel like they have plenty of room in there? They seem so active

 

[Cthulukelele]

Following along; looking at suggestions and what you decide ultimately. I'm working on a stocking list for my upcoming upgrade. 50-gallon (36*18*18) display w ~30-gallon sump, sitting in the garage.

So far this is what I narrowed down to:

Yellow watchman goby (Phase 1)
Pink Streak Wrasse (Phase 1)
Red Firefish (Phase 1)
Royal Gramma (Phase 2)
Cherub Angelfish (Phase 3)

Undecided, but likely candidates: (1&2 or 2&3)

TBD wrasse (maybe Possum) (Phase 2)
TBD wrasse (maybe Hooded Fairy) (Phase 2)
*Leopard wrasse (maybe Blue Star or Black) or red scooter (Phase 3)

Pink streak wrasse and possum wrasse are both fish I really really want to try out sometime. Be careful with possum wrasse they're notoriously awful shippers

 

[98315351]

Pink streak wrasse and possum wrasse are both fish I really really want to try out sometime. Be careful with possum wrasse they're notoriously awful shippers

thank you and everyone else for the great help i redid my list in a new order based on feedback. how does the below stocking list going into the tank in this order look?

Orange and white ocellaris

Black and white striped ocellaris

Mccosker flasher wrasse

Yellow watchmen goby

Candy cane shrimp

Scarlet hermit crabs (5ish)

Trochus snales (5ish)

Geometric pygmy perchlet

Blue tuxedo urchin (2ish)

Royal gramma basslet

Blue eyed golden midas blenny

Coral beauty (this fish is way more chill than a flame angelfish or cherub angelfish might not get along with another angelfish)


(Backup fish) Start with above and after 6 months after the last fish if its working add azure damsel (might be too aggressive) or 1 medium active fish like a Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse (dies in shipment all the time), Cardinalfish, Purple Firefish, longnose hawkfish, a smaller anthias like resplendent or Ignatus or dispar, lawnmower blenny,

 

[littlefoxx]

Can I get one orange and white clown and one black and white clown if they are both ocellaris or will they kill each other?

I have a lot of caves and hiding spots. The rock I have must have 20 caves or hiding spots some larger and some smaller.

You could keep an orange and white and a black and white clown as a pair. I had that combo (the ones in my profile picture) and they got along fine since I made sure my orange one was bigger than the black one.

 

[littlefoxx]

thank you and everyone else for the great help i redid my list in a new order based on feedback. how does the below stocking list going into the tank in this order look?

Orange and white ocellaris

Black and white striped ocellaris

Mccosker flasher wrasse

Yellow watchmen goby

Candy cane shrimp

Scarlet hermit crabs (5ish)

Trochus snales (5ish)

Geometric pygmy perchlet

Blue tuxedo urchin (2ish)

Royal gramma basslet

Blue eyed golden midas blenny

Coral beauty (this fish is way more chill than a flame angelfish or cherub angelfish might not get along with another angelfish)


(Backup fish) Start with above and after 6 months after the last fish if its working add azure damsel (might be too aggressive) or 1 medium active fish like a Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse (dies in shipment all the time), Cardinalfish, Purple Firefish, longnose hawkfish, a smaller anthias like resplendent or Ignatus or dispar, lawnmower blenny,

Also I had a midas blenny named Mo and he was super cool to watch. His theme song was Dancin By Myself cause he would just swim in the middle of the tank towards the top and do his midas blenny wiggle as l call it super active and fun fish. Lost time to a velvet outbreak but will get one again. I highly recommend it!

 

[littlefoxx]

thank you and everyone else for the great help i redid my list in a new order based on feedback. how does the below stocking list going into the tank in this order look?

Orange and white ocellaris

Black and white striped ocellaris

Mccosker flasher wrasse

Yellow watchmen goby

Candy cane shrimp

Scarlet hermit crabs (5ish)

Trochus snales (5ish)

Geometric pygmy perchlet

Blue tuxedo urchin (2ish)

Royal gramma basslet

Blue eyed golden midas blenny

Coral beauty (this fish is way more chill than a flame angelfish or cherub angelfish might not get along with another angelfish)


(Backup fish) Start with above and after 6 months after the last fish if its working add azure damsel (might be too aggressive) or 1 medium active fish like a Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse (dies in shipment all the time), Cardinalfish, Purple Firefish, longnose hawkfish, a smaller anthias like resplendent or Ignatus or dispar, lawnmower blenny,

The lawnmower and midas blenny wont get along. One blenny per tank!! As for the firefish I would skip with all the other fish in there. Too active for them. I had to move my firefish into my 32 biocube with a pair of clowns because he was too scared to even come out and eat with my CB angel and other fish swimming around. And my coral beauty wasnt aggressive to him at all, just the swimming scared him.

 

[NatesReef2]

In my 55g I had an orange and white ocellaris, a midas blenny, a barnacle blenny, a cherub angel, a flamehawk, and a sunburts anthias. Along with hermits, various snails, an emerald crab, and a porcelain crab. They all ate well and got along great (until my heater busted).