stock list for a 56

[dannyd711]

If you were me what would you put into a 56 gallon. This is a fresh start I have no fish and the tank will be a mixed reef of lps and sps.

[reef_doug]

Some that I would consider:

Clown pair
Yasha goby/randalli pistol combo
Azure damsel
Neon Goby
Firefish (if you have a lid)

[TampaReefer79]

Diamond goby
Lawnmower blenny
Flame hawk
Jawfish (if you have a deep sand bed, and some lr rubble for them)
6 Line wrasse

[scubarob]

How long has our tank been cycling? Maybe some really cheap hardy fish (like some chromis or damsels) to start and then take them out after a month or so and then add the corals and slowly add the fishes that you really want. What temp you plan to run the tank at? amount of current? lighting? all of this needs to be considered before you add the $$$ stuff.

[velvetelvis]

^I agree with all of the above except for using damsels or chromis to cycle the tank. I'm a big fan of fishless cycling. I've done it with all of my tanks, fresh and salt, and never had any problems. You're spared the headache of trying to catch and remove small, speedy fish, and I think it's kinder to the animals...I hate the way small, hardy, inexpensive fish (i.e., damsels) are often treated like they're disposable in this hobby. :(

[reef_doug]

Diamond goby
Lawnmower blenny
Flame hawk
Jawfish (if you have a deep sand bed, and some lr rubble for them)
6 Line wrasse

The tank wouldn't support the diamond goby. Many of these starve to death because our sand doesn't contain enough fauna. It could survive with pellet and frozen... except with a flame hawk.

I had a diamond goby for 3 years in my 180 gal tank, soon as I added the flame hawk he pestered the goby and didn't allow him to eat. 6 months later the goby was very thin and died.

It would be either or, but the flame hawk would be the better choice here. They have tons of personality.

Lawnmower wouldn't be a good choice either, most don't eat any food given, they live off the algae from the rocks. A 56gal won't have enought algae to keep them going.

Azure damsels are the mildest temperment damsels out there, I have 5 and never bother anything.

[kelso1980]

dont get damsels... EVER!!!

[scubarob]

Actually... to be blatantly honest with you. The best is to:
1) borrow a well fed (in hawaii we use freshly caught) large naso tang and put it in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone and leave it there for 24 hours
2) return the naso to its owner and dump all of the bucket's water and crap from the naso into your bio-filteration and let that sit for a 3-4 week period..... then add fish.

Generally you need to experience ammonia spikes and all kinds of horrible "new tank tragedies" so just get some cheap cute fishes like clowns or even better--fish that are typically found in 1-10ft. depth of water in the wild. Tide pool fish are especially winners because they are used to extreme conditions [like long periods of hot water temps, high salinity levels, and low dissolved oxygen levels]. These are your best choices of starter fish. After 1 year then you graduate to your "real fishes".

[ocellaris123]

dont get damsels... EVER!!!

And why is that?

Damsels often get a bad rap but imo they do not deserve it. If you add some of the more peaceful species to your aquarium (yellowtails, azure, and talbots) last and mix them with semi aggressive fish (dwarf angelfish, clownfish, dottybacks, etc.) than they can make wonderful colorful additions to your aquarium. The more aggressive species (dominos, humbugs) can make good tank mates for an aggressive aquarium. If your looking to get timid fish than I would keep them off your stocking list, but to say "Dont get damsels...Ever," may be going a bit overboard.

I think people often go wrong with damsels by adding them first, and by making incomptible stocking choices (ex. mixing damselfish with firefish, etc).

[klepto]

Lawnmower wouldn't be a good choice either, most don't eat any food given, they live off the algae from the rocks. A 56gal won't have enought algae to keep them going.

Nearly every lawnmower blenny I have tried to feed will go for some nori. I have a friend who has one eating all sorts of frozen food as well.

Danny-
I would advise that you stick with tank raised fishes- like gobies, blennies, clowns, cardinals etc. because they have better survivability rates and they are already trained onto prepared foods which makes life much easier. Smaller fishes (like the ones mentioned) are good options in a tank your size, because they won't be crowded as they mature. That way you can create more of a community reef without aggression issues. If you do opt for wild fish- try to find a supplier that carries MAC certified livestock. Also, choose your fish carefully. Be sure they are eating and healthy before you buy..

Avoid: species listed in the RC Fish Primer Series: ie: tangs, sensitive wrasses, mandarinfish, etc.

[klepto]

Actually... to be blatantly honest with you. The best is to:
1) borrow a well fed (in hawaii we use freshly caught) large naso tang and put it in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone and leave it there for 24 hours
2) return the naso to its owner and dump all of the bucket's water and crap from the naso into your bio-filteration and let that sit for a 3-4 week period..... then add fish.


Interesting method... good to know how you Hawaiian's get things going. ;)

[snorvich]

Sorry, I don't think this is particularly good advice. There are better ways to cycle a tank and using "throw away" fish in the beginning is somewhat tacky.

Actually... to be blatantly honest with you. The best is to:
1) borrow a well fed (in hawaii we use freshly caught) large naso tang and put it in a 5 gallon bucket with an airstone and leave it there for 24 hours
2) return the naso to its owner and dump all of the bucket's water and crap from the naso into your bio-filteration and let that sit for a 3-4 week period..... then add fish.

Generally you need to experience ammonia spikes and all kinds of horrible "new tank tragedies" so just get some cheap cute fishes like clowns or even better--fish that are typically found in 1-10ft. depth of water in the wild. Tide pool fish are especially winners because they are used to extreme conditions [like long periods of hot water temps, high salinity levels, and low dissolved oxygen levels]. These are your best choices of starter fish. After 1 year then you graduate to your "real fishes".

[velvetelvis]

Sorry, I don't think this is particularly good advice. There are better ways to cycle a tank and using "throw away" fish in the beginning is somewhat tacky.

Yes. It's called PATIENCE. ;) You can use the time spent waiting for your tank to cycle researching livestock and rearranging your aquascape to your heart's content. It really doesn't take that long. Just remember that nothing good ever happens quickly in a reef tank.

[velvetelvis]

I also think klepto's advice about choosing livestock is spot-on--especially choosing captive-bred or tank-raised. I'm a huge advocate of captive-bred, tank-raised, and maricultured livestock. The variety of species available is increasing all the time, so it's possible to have a very diverse, colorful system stocked with nothing but CB/TR/MC fish, corals, macroalgae, and inverts. The only animals in my system that didn't come from those sources are the shrimp, snails, and serpent star; everything else--fish, corals, giant clam--was either bred/raised in captivity or maricultured.

[small alien]

Danny, if you're still out there, what do YOU want? What do you like to see in fish? What colors, what behaviors? Start there and then you can ask more targeted questions.

"What fish for a 56?" There's a bajillion answers to that question.

+1 on captive bred whenever possible.

Also, multiples of the same species, often male/female pairs, make for a more interesting tank with more natural behaviors so I would encourage that.

Good luck!