Awesome, Rare, and Unusual Fish for a 45-60 Gallon

[nautical_nathaniel]

Hey Folks,

I'm starting to plan my future upgrade from my Nuvo 20 and I wanted to get the fish list out of the way first. I'm looking at an aquarium in the 45-60 gallon range and I would be adding my current fish to the mix:

• Lemon Damsel
• Longnose Hawkfish
• Pink-Streak Wrasse
• Randall's Goby

I'll also be transferring my inverts: Flame Shrimp, Sand Sifting Star, Tonga Fighting Conch, Red Fromia Starfish (If I use the same rock from my current tank), Tiger Pistol Shrimp.

The tank will most likely be a mixed reef with loads of zoas, SPS and some choice LPS corals. My question to you all is what are some rare, unusual and overall awesome fish that would go well in an aquarium of this size with my current critters?

 

[KJ]

My question to you all is what are some rare, unusual and overall awesome fish that would go well in an aquarium of this size with my current critters?

Peppermint Angelfish j/k

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Peppermint Angelfish j/k

I almost got a baby one the other day! I like the look of them but I'd rather not have a potential zoa eater in the tank since they're some of my most expensive corals haha

 

[eatbreakfast]

Clinid blennies are incredibly personable.

A smaller Liopropoma basslet species.

Xenojulis margaritacea, a close relative to leopard wrasses, but smaller and hardier.

Pike blennies are small, social, and bizarre.

 

[Krzydmnd]

Yasha goby are beautiful and a little hard to track down.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Clinid blennies are incredibly personable.

We have some of those in our local waters here in Pensacola, they do have quite the personality and are very bold as well. I've always wondered how well they would do in an aquarium setting.

A smaller Liopropoma basslet species.

I've been on the lookout for a swissguard basslet for a while now. No shops around here will order me one in but every store I've visited in South Florida has had at least one. Of course there is the candy basslet but I don't think I'm at the point in life where I can drop that much money on a fish. I think I'll hold out for the captive breeding programs to produce some.

Xenojulis margaritacea, a close relative to leopard wrasses, but smaller and hardier.

That's more along the line of what I was hoping would come from this thread, I've never heard of this wrasse before and it looks like it would be a great fit for the tank I'm planning!

Pike blennies are small, social, and bizarre.

Definitely on the bizarre side, my girlfriend and I are going to put together a South Florida tank and collect at least one of these guys for it. I think there are a couple of species that can be seen and gathered at basic diving depths. They also look incredibly easy to catch with a mirror:

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I've definitely added a few of these to the prospective list

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Yasha goby are beautiful and a little hard to track down.

I agree, I haven't seen one in a while in any of my local stores. They're just as rare as my Randall's goby was now haha

 

[tautog83]

I agree with a Swiss guard basslet or maybe a flasher wrasse ., like mckoskers .

 

[mort]

I don't know why but when I saw unusual and rare I instantly thought of Dunckerocampus baldwini. I've only ever see one here and we bought it for the shop display. It was such a cool guy and surprisingly hardy. If I ever saw a pair I'd jump at the chance to try and breed them.

Gramma dejongi would be another suggestion.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Can't get G. dejongi over hear yet. Cuba is on sanctions from the U.S.

Someone(Todd Gardner, I think) was able to get a pr to breed and was able to get an exception, but I'm unaware of any others allowed stateside.