A 55-gallon tank

[finnley_9]

despite bein gone for ages, i'm back (school's been a real pain).

anyways, still workin on my tank, and i'm startin to score some coflake frags from the LFS where i work now, so in a year or so it's gonna be a coflake paradise.

now i'm just finalizin my fish list. so far i've got:
- 2 clowns
- 1 blue tang (juv)
and i'm thinkin of addin:
- 1 flame angel (we get these tiny ones at the wholesalers, like 1-1/2 in, so i'm gonna go for those. and yeah, i know about coflake nippin, not worried)
- 1 longnose hawkfish (no shrimps, so all good there)
*any other suggestions would be awesome, got plenty of LR, just lookin for somethin else to throw in. anyone got ideas, let me know

[zenoxa]

Sounds good to me. I was already aware that longnose hawks aren't really a threat to shrimps, especially if you introduce them before the hawk. That being said, I think I'll take your advice and add a group of large cleaner shrimp, probably some Lysmata or Stenopus - I've heard keeping Stenopus in pairs is best, so I'll look into that.

Also, thanks for the heads up on the flame angel - I know they've got tiny mouths and high metabolisms, so I'll make sure to feed 'em at least a couple times a day, maybe more if I can manage it.

As for other fish, I was thinkin' maybe a baby puffer or one of those smaller pelagic triggers? I've also been lookin' at some of the smaller wrasses, they seem like they'd be a good fit.

[finnley_9]

ive tried a puffer before, had a small valentini, about 2in, but he kept nippin at my nassarius snails, so i ended up returnin him.

yea, i figured as much about longnose hawks, thx for the confirmation. now im thinkin bout addin a shrimp, either a blood shrimp or a coflake banded, any thoughts on those?

i know the flame angel's gonna be a handful to feed, but i'm up for the challenge, just gotta keep him happy, and like i said, that's not at my coflakes' expense, lol.

zenoxa, you mentioned smaller wrasses, what are some good ones you'd recommend? just picked up a lantern basslet yesterday, and that thing's lookin great. thx

[flynix]

my valentini puffer was a nightmare, kept eating all my nassarius snails, but if i had to do it over, i'd still keep him lol.

for wrasses, i'd go with a blue spotted leopard, carpenter's, or filamented flasher - those are my usual suspects. also, labourt's fairy and mystery wrasses are pretty cool, check 'em out.

personally, i'm not a fan of coflake bandeds, but hey, some people love 'em. as for blood shrimps, they're alright, but they do seem to be more active at night.

[zenoxa]

From my experience, Canthigaster valentini puffers might not be the best fit for a reef tank, mainly due to their snacking habits on tiny inverts. However, if you're careful with the tankmates, they can coexist just fine. I'd suggest looking into C. solandri or Tetraodon fluviatilis/nigroviridis - these species seem to be less problematic. My own leopard puffer has been a model citizen, only nipping at a stray tubeworm.

Flynix, I'm curious - when did your valentini puffer turn into a handful? I recall reading your posts about him in another thread, but I didn't catch any major red flags.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of blood shrimps. They're pricey and tend to be nocturnal, so you rarely see them in a well-lit tank. If I had to choose, I'd go with either of the skunk cleaners - they're more active and entertaining. That being said, a group of blood shrimps would make for a stunning display.

Coflake banded shrimps, on the other hand, are a great option - especially in pairs. I've learned that most shrimp species are way more interesting when kept in pairs or groups.

[flynix]

he turned into a little monster after dark, caught him in the act of tryin to chomp on my shrimp, and even took a nip at my clown's tail. the things that go on when the lights are out, lol. ended up devourin the whole shrimp, no mercy.

[finnley_9]

after that valentini ordeal, i'm good on puffers for now. so, i'm set on the flame and the longnose, just tryin to figure out what else to add. small basslets are pretty cool, like my new lantern, but we'll see.

[zenoxa]

I'm good on the puffers for now, valentini was a bit too much for me, I'll stick with my other plans.

[finnley_9]

i feel ya, despite how my valentini was a handful, it was tough to part with him after just a few days.
on the topic of puffers, i was wonderin if there are any that aren't prone to eatin snails, crabs, or other inverts, i'm not aware of any, but i'm open to suggestions.

[zenoxa]

Most puffers can be a threat to small snails and shrimp, but it's really about keeping them well-fed and distracted. If you keep them stuffed, they tend to leave inverts alone, but some species are more laid back than others. I've found Tetraodon to be pretty reef-safe, probably because they don't usually interact with reef creatures in the wild, so they don't bother with little red shrimps or snails. Arothron, on the other hand, can be a bit more aggressive and might even go after mushroom anemones.