Want to add a another fish -need input

[tony_caliente]

I maintan an underpopulated 55 gallon, bare bottom, reef tank. It contains a decent volume of verts, and a mated pair of maroon clowns (3 years old plus), and one royal gramma. I have tried to add (separately) a kole tang, a yellow and a coral beauty. All survived for approx 2 months (eating well and looking happy....swiming around, dancing and prancing etc.) only to succumb to the female maroon's "harrassing". I would love to add a fish or two, but I don't see getting around the maroons. Maybe a dwarf lionfish (too small to eat the male maroon)?

Open to all suggestions.. I am not a big fan of tangs given their propensity to contract ich (although mine did not have ich at any time when they were in my tank).

Thank you!

 

[curtismaximus]

I like a school of blue-green chromis. A group of 5 or 6 would school well in a tank that size. Especially if the clowns are that mean!

 

[tony_caliente]

Thank you.

I like them too...but a LFS selflessly talked me out of buying them.

 

[tony_caliente]

LOL...yeah...bought the clowns when they were the size of a dime each...now they are over 3 years old. They were my last additions and the smallest occupants, but the female is a real fighter and kills everything.

 

[jamescook]

I have cardinals and gobies in with the clowns in all the tanks, even the 20g with the maroons.

 

[jayu]

Curtismaximus;852003 wrote: I like a school of blue-green chromis. A group of 5 or 6 would school well in a tank that size. Especially if the clowns are that mean!

If the maroons don't do them in you'll likely only end up with one chromis after a while. They'll bully each other.

 

[kilralpine]

I know most of the time in the past when I rearrange or move my maroon's nem(s) they seem to chill out for a little bit until they settle; maybe something to keep in mind. Maroons can be mean, seems like a set of schooling fish may help her to settle down a little bit; soon as she realizes she is way out numbered; this or a larger fish.

 

[tony_caliente]

thank you for the advice.

 

[miami dolfan]

I had the same problem...ended up having to sell the maroons.

 

[Reefplumber13]

kilralpine;852161 wrote: I know most of the time in the past when I rearrange or move my maroon's nem(s) they seem to chill out for a little bit until they settle; maybe something to keep in mind. Maroons can be mean, seems like a set of schooling fish may help her to settle down a little bit; soon as she realizes she is way out numbered; this or a larger fish.

i was going to say a tank make over and then add the fish the next day might work..
or add the fish and then move the tank around..

 

[tony_caliente]

But I have had them for years; I knew the risks. They have learned to live with me; I should do them same.

Miami Dolfan;852334 wrote: I had the same problem...ended up having to sell the maroons.

 

[silver surfer]

Fathead anthasis would be nice. But the clowns would most likely take "care" of the him.

 

[tony_caliente]

I do have plenty of room at home for another tank. What would the minimum size tank be to comfortablly accomodate just a pair of maroons and a few inverts. Maybe a large bio-cube? What do you think?

 

[silver surfer]

Keep them in the 55 and upgrade to a larger tank.

 

[tony_caliente]

Yeah...that's the easiet thing to do...but been there and done that. I am content with the "lowly" 55

 

[saltbubbles]

How about a mandarin dragonet? That is the one fish that my other fish have absolutely ignored.

 

[tony_caliente]

I will see what the LFSs say. Thank you.