Reefsafe Fish

[Jevs]

To help out some of the newbies or to just give people who are looking for some inspiration some suggestions, I will start with a short list of reefsafe fish that I would always wish to keep.
Please add yours to the list.

1) orchid dottyback (pseudochromis fridmanii). Fantastic, brilliant purple colour, totally reef safe, non aggresive, although they can look after themselves, small and can be kept in pairs or groups. They can be a bit shy initially though and appreciate lots of rockwork.

2) Chromis. Subtle irridescent blue/green (depending on light). Small, hardy shoaling fish which should be kept in groups of 3 or more. They like strong, well aerated water flow and dart here and there in their group looking for small plankton etc.

3) Clownfish. Easy to keep, preferably in pairs. Lots of different species to choose from, lovely colours. Some species can get terratorial and will chase other fish away from their chosen terratory. They may also attack your hand if you get too close (they have small teeth but it rarely hurts !!!). You may even get them to breed. They do not need an anemone to survive....my harvester clown lives in a soft medusa coral.

So come on everyone....put your fave fish on here.

Andy

[les]

OK here you go. Here is a short run down of my top reef fish.

1/ Talbots Damsel.
Not as agressive as most damsels, live in a group. Lovely colour and quite easy to keep. Easts anything, size around 2" fully grown.

2/Cenropyge Acanthrops. Flame back angel.
Stunning colours. Easy fish to keep for an angel, never had one trouble corals as with some members of the family. Eats most things. Easy to pair up and spawn in the aquarium. Nice and small around 2.5"

3/Apogon Leptacanthus, Blue streaked Cardinal fish.
Timid. shoals with it's own kind. Best in a group of 5 or more. Eats most things. Lovely colour when settled in. mouth brooder and will breed in the aquarium, stay small at around 1.5"

4/ Various Anthias.
For their colour and a natural reef fish. lots of dif species to choose from. Look great in a shoal and will eat most small marine foods. Sizes 2.5" to around 6"

5/Amphiprion percula or Ocellaris. Common clown.
You just can't beat a spawning pair of these fish but IMO always to be kept with a suitable anemone. Stay small at around 2.5" Eat just about anything. Peacful. Nice and colourful and joy to watch. Best clowns all round. :wub:

6/ Zebrasoma xanthurum. Purple or Emporer Tang.
Best tang for the reef tank IMO. Easy to keep for a tang. Eats most things. Not as diseased prone as some tangs, mostly peacful & very colourful with it's deep blue body and bright yellow tail. Size about 8"

7/ Nemateleotis Magnifica. Fire Fish.
Colourfiul, lively, peaceful, will spend a long time in the open when settled. eats most things, go for a pair. size around 3"

8/ Pseudochellinus hexataenia. Six lined Wrasse.
Colourful, eats anything. can be kept as a pair. individual type of fish personality wise, I mean most are safe with most fish but the odd one can be spiteful. <_< Will spawn in the aqaurium if you have a pair, size around 2.5"

9/ Gramma loreto. Royal Gramma.
Stunning colours, eats anything. peaceful, good in a pair and will spawn in the aquarium. size about 3" max.

10/ Why does there always have to be 10? :unsure: Plenty more to add to this list.

Well that's my top, err ..... ten pop pickers. Could change as there will be more than a few I have missed out. Well you gotta give other peep a go, inc Garry Thomas. :lol: Les.

[Lisa Page]

Good thread :D

No. 1 (by a huge margin) - Mandarinfish. Riotous colours, totally peaceful, can be kept in pairs (male and female only), will breed in aquaria. However they must be kept in mature tanks with copeous numbers of live food on which to feed. Not a fish for a newly set-up tank.

No. 2 - Scarlet Hawkfish. Not entirely reef safe this one as they can find shrimps tasty snacks. A fish that's full of character and can be kept in pairs too (though I've not tried it).

No. 3 - Midas blenny. Peaceful, spends most of its time watching tank life go by from the safety of a hole in the rock. Easy to feed and has great colour. I love its slinky swimming motion.

No. 4 - Anthias. THE reef fish. Awesome colours, totally reefsafe but need feeding at least 3 times per day to thrive.

No. 5 - Chromis. Subtle but beautiful colouration, easy to feed, reef safe and cheap! Best kept in groups larger than 3.

Those are my favs. :wub:

Regards

Lisa

[Jevs]

I see that anthias keep popping up....not a beginners fish IMO all be it a stunner if you can keep them fed.

Another great fish is IMO:-

Sulphur or watchman goby. Great characters, especially with pistol shrimps. They are bold, colourful and interesting and can look after themselves.

I agree with Lisa about the midas blenny and scarlet hawk....great characters although the hawk may not be safe with small shrimps.

Edit...IMO, all the fish I have listed can be kept in a newly matured aquarium and are non terratoral so can be added at any time.

They are all hardy and peacefull fish with very few bad points....only the dotty back may be expensive at Around £35 (or £35 a pair if you buy Claytons superb tank breds like I did)

Andy

[tuan]

Algae/Lawnmower Blenny Salarias fasciatus
Useful detrivore, safe and compatible with most fish, spend most of its time scraping to rock for algae film and detritus. Can be added as soon as tank has cycled properly.

ps. Can we also list the order of additions of these fish based on territorial behaviour and also tank maturity

[les]

Tuan, Quote "Royal Gramma Pseudochellinus hexataenia" ? :rolleyes: Should read "Grama loretto" :wacko: Les.

[tuan]

Oops - thanks for the correction. It was a bit late.. :wacko:

[Lisa Page]

Did somebody say pics. :D


My order of addition would be along the lines of Chromis, Blenny, Hawk, Anthias...... and much, much later Mandarin. Allowing at least 4 weeks between each fishy addition.

Regards

Lisa

Tuan's edit: incorporated the pics

[les]

Originally posted by tuan@Nov 23 2003, 12:01
Oops - thanks for the correction. It was a bit late.. :wacko:
tuan, you could put it right then. ;) Les.

[Mrs Ziggy CGA]

Hi Lisa,


Did somebody say pics.


Lovely pics, :wub: but how did you get the fish to pose so nicely??? lol :D

Are you any relation to Scarlet page?

Sue

[Lisa Page]

Hi Sue,

how did you get the fish to pose so nicely??? lol

I promised them an extra feed. ;)

Are you any relation to Scarlet page?

Not that I know of. :)

Regards

Lisa

[kim]

Great idea for a thread/for the library.

I personally would prefer the "adult" size to be included in the "headline" facts, rather than the editorial description. It's such a key issue, and so often overlooked. Just IMHO. Whatever, I'll spend a lot of time cruising this thread....

:)

kim

[JasandJules]

It might also be worth adding any problems / compatibility issues they may have i.e. Firefish - Not good with Hermits as they may get eaten alive overnight.

Would echo the Mandarins - Such super looking fish, non aggressive, get a pair - unwise to add another at a later date. Perfectly reef safe.

Not too reef safe, but the best fish I have seen in any tank so far is a CowFish (Lactoria Cornuta) - Will nibble some corals. Can be added to a tank right away. Ravenous appetite, and fantastic personality, will take to hand feeding, and very clever fish, will follow you around the tank. Only problem is they can release poison if really stressed. Compatible with most fish who are not boisterous. Not with Cleaner Shrimp.

[Suffolk Reefer]

Sorry, not a great piccie - and certainly does not do this fish justice IMO

Coral Beauty (Centropyge Bispinosus) Very peaceful fish, eats well, and reasonably priced. One of my top 9's (les ;) )



And for me - the fish that got me interested in the hobby of marines.

Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus Leucoslernan) Reef Safe, although I would not recommend for the beginner or newly established tanks. Can be very terratorial, prone to white spot. Can grow large 8"

Edit: typos

Tuan's Edit: incorporated the pics

[tuan]

Thanks for the contributions so far.
To make life easier (for me to edit & merge) the thread has been split, with the reference thread here: - Short guide to Reef Fish (http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=26&t=17288)

[Jevs]

Another delightful family of fishes are the gobies and blennies. I know a few have been mentioned above but there are many more to choose from.

Scooter blennies are lovely, interesting fish for the more mature tank with plenty of LR
Lawnmower, canary and bicolour blennies are all nice fish and tend to be more mobile than gobies.
Tangerine, hi-fin, neon and chalk gobies are nice too.

Lisa knows a lot about these families so maybe you could put your faves on here.

Andy