Stocking Suggestions Please!

[Inquisitive]

hey everyone.....so, I have a 55 gallon tank....I'm running an aqua c remora skimmer, whisper hang on power filter so I can run carbon, and phosban reactor...everything is hang on the back...I don't have a sump or refugium

I'm wondering what you recommend, if anything, for the following fish list...currently in the tank are two false percs, yellow tang, bicolored blenny, and a royal gramma....I would like to add one more fish....am thinking about a wrasse of some sorts, though a lil leary about that as I hear they like to jump and I don't have a cover...was also thinking about a goby/pistol shrimp combo....but, am keeping in mind that I already have two clearner shrimp, a fire shrimp and a coral banded shrimp in there

what do you all think?....I would ultimately like my final fish to be a mandarin, but know the tank is not ready for that now

I'm not overly concerned about bioload as my levels are in order and everything looks happy and healthy...I think I'll be ok with one more fish and then the mandarin when the tank is ready...

 

[Phyl]

I would add a blenny of some sort. I really like the algae blenny or starry blenny. Goby/pistol pair will be fine and the pistol isn't social so I don't think you'd have to worry about it around the rest of your shrimp.

Good luck making your choice!

 

[Inquisitive]

thanks for the suggestions phyl...appreciate it!....hmmm...wouldnt' another blenny fight with the bicolored one I have?

 

[mnat]

I agree with phyl a blenny or goby/pistol shrimp should be fine. The shrimp you have to keep your eye on is the coral banded. Once he started molting and getting bigger, he ate all of our other shrimp.

 

[Inquisitive]

hey mnat...so far, stretch has been a somewhat model citizen...he's molted several times and hasn't bothered the other shrimp....I have noticed that everyone accept the bicolored blenny and the royal gramma stays on the other side of tank from him....but, other then a few aggressive posturing jabs, he hasn't bothered anyone...*crosses fingers*

 

[mnat]

You have a much bigger tank than we had when we had the coral banded so you might be ok. Ours started with the aggressive posturing and then ate six shrimp and a cleaner goby. I know people who have kept them just fine in bigger tanks, so i don't want to scare you. If your shrimp start to vanish than you know who your culprit is.