Are there any reef safe fish that can be safely/peacefully kept in groups in a 40 breeder tank? I'd like to have a lot of fish in my tank for movement and to feed the corals.
If money isn't an issue then I'm going to recommend fang blennies (Meiacanthus). They are social, and form harems (this is how they breed them in captivity), but the only catch is they're impossible to sex so you just have to get enough of them to where it doesn't matter.
Obviously brighter species to choose from but good example pic.
Grammas will also form harems but the only reliable way to do this is to get a bunch of small ones. I would say more than 6. I had 6, clowns killed one, dominant pair formed out of the 5 and killed 2 of the other ones. I was able to save the remaining third wheel. Don't let my experience discourage you though, it can be done...
(From another thread on here)
My only other safe ish suggestion would be a harem of skunk clowns. Damsels/chromis I'd be cautious with, you'd need a ton of them to do it reliably but even then there's still the chance they pick eachother off down to 1 or 2. Springer's, Talbot's, Rolland's, and lemons I've heard are generally on the more reasonable side in terms of damsel personalities. I have contrarily also heard the "1 for every foot and a half of tank" thing. Proper Chromis you also have to go through uronema. Stuff from the genus Pycnochromis you're not having more than one in the tank long term. So on. Firefish I've also heard will allegedly pick eachother off? But I don't know how credible this is. A lot of the time I notice reef keepers will jump to conclusions as to the death of things based on the state they last see it in. Hermit ate their fish because they saw it scavenging, x ate y because z, etc. Firefish do jump a lot though and often end up being expensive crisps on the floor.
