Predatory Tank Question

[Luke 13y8127]

Could I fit a zebra dwarf lionfish, snowflake eel, valentini puffer, and swallowtail hawkfish with a good clean up crew in a 55 gallon?

 

[Hemmdog]

Seems tight

 

[xxkenny90xx]

No such thing as a good clean up crew with an eel

 

[Auquanut]

Seems to me that while size and numberwise it shouldn't be too much of a problem, you've got some messy eaters there and bioload may be an issue. Also, it will probably be an issue keeping any kind of CUC. You'll definitely want a pretty aggressive nutrient export system.

 

[Luke 13y8127]

No such thing as a good clean up crew with an eel

Like urchins and maybe a fighting conch

 

[Auquanut]

The puffer may flip and eat an urchin. It may be safe while it's a juvenile, but as it matures, there's no guarantee.

 

[Cstar_BC]

I don’t have any prior experience - but I would worry about the eel and the dwarf lion - the eel has poor eyesight , I worry it may try to snap at a fish and get hurt .

just my two cents and something I myself have wondered

 

[Waters]

I kept a similar stocking list in a semi-predator reef tank and was not able to use any CUC other than asterina starfish :-(. I even tried long spined urchins with no luck. Everything was flipped and eaten.