New 55 gal. brackish stocking help

[mamma_duck]

Hey I am new to the forum and also new to keeping puffers. I just finished cycleing my 55 gallon brackish and moved my f8 puffer and 2 bbg's and baby molly (a surviver from my gf's freshwater tropical) into there new home. At the moment the tank doesnt have many plants or such ( about 3 tall fake plants, 3 mid fakes, 4 short fakes, a small piece of driftwood, a fake tree stump with entrances from all sides.) I was planning on doing half silver sand and half full planted (litterally cut in half) but i have a few questions.

First, i LOVE dragon gobies. I was planning on having 1 dragon goby, 5 bbgs, my male baby molly, a female black molly, and my f8 puffer all in my 55 gal. Is that too over stocked?? also my puffer is almost full grown and not aggressive AT ALL. ( he and the baby molly love playing and rubbing against eachother its so cute XD ) I am not worried about water changes as i love my fish and will do anything to keep them healthy.

2nd, for the planted side what plants would thrive in 1.004-1.008 as thats what i keep it at. Also how many caves, stumps, plants, and such should i have on the unplanted side??

I will post pictures when my tank is finished.

[Pufferpunk]

Stocking sounds OK to me.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14694

[RTR]

I think that a Dragon Goby would do better at higher salinity levels. There may be conflict w/the BBG for food as well - targeted feeding would be needed.

[mamma_duck]

im already doing target feeding for everyfish just so i know how much everybody is eating so im not worried about that. Thanks for that link to the plant page pufferpunk. Now i just have 1 more question.

What would be the best shrimp to breed for feeders for everyfish?? I was thinking of getting 10 ghost and 10 cherry and putting them in a 10 gall to see who would out compete for food and end up breeding more. does that sound like a good idea to get shrimp breeding?? also i already have a gallon jar with pond snails breeding and another jar with ramshorns breeding to feed my puffer XD. im getting TONS of snails so i was thinking of getting a bb puffer in a 5 gal just to help keep snail populations down hahahahahaha

[bertie 83]

Mixed breeders are not a great idea, cherry shrimp are prolific breeders if kept in the right conditions, I would stick with those.

[mamma_duck]

okay thank you I like cherry shrimp better anyways its just that i can get 6 ghost shrimp for the price or 1 cherry shrimp at my lfs. but i thinkk ill stick with cherry.

Also i was wondering if instead of the 2 mollys i could do 2 Orange Chromide Cichlids. I think they would bring alot more color into my tank.

[Pufferpunk]

Can you find Orange Chromides?

[mamma_duck]

My lfs has Alot of connections but i havent asked about them yet. They normallly do have very unusual fish in stock and also said they can special order just about any kind of fish for me so ill give them a call and let you know.

[mamma_duck]

I desided not to get the Orange chromides and just get another f8 puffer seeing that they just got a new stock of them in.