Colorful fish ideas?

[Nick C]

I'm not really looking for fish right now, but just looking for some advice on possible fish to get. I currently have two Ocellaris clownfish, A purple Tang, and a Yellow Tang, (i got these from winning a coral Auction and both are Tiny) I have a 110 Gallon Tank, with a 30 Gallon Sump.

I know i probably shouldn't have put the tangs in yet due to possible aggression in the future with adding fish. But hey. I really wanted the purple at some point anyways so i'll be careful.

The only MUST have fish for me is a Mandarin at some point. I've been working on my fuge and trying to grow Pods down there. I have an Aqualite LED fixture with some rock and Chaeto, and i've dosed a few bottles of Trigger pods and have been feeding with PhytoPlankton.

I also do plan on getting a clam at some point in the future.

I would be looking to add more color, to get the wife more interested. There are a few blue green Chromis in the tank as well but i don't plan on keeping them in there for too long, they are there to keep the Bioload up to make swapping a fish easier then i will return to LFS to credit.

So what do you recommend for color? Wrasses are beautiful but there are so many different type i would need to research specific suggestions. I also wouldn't mind adding a pair of platinum clowns/black at some point? Blue Devils are beautiful but i have heard horrible things about them.

 

[Sailingeric]

I have a Royal Gamma Basslet and the coloring is amazing pretty and I also have a sapphire and a talbot damsel (both model citizens) and they have wonderful colors too.

 

[Nick C]

I have a Royal Gamma Basslet and the coloring is amazing pretty and I also have a sapphire and a talbot damsel (both model citizens) and they have wonderful colors too.

I was thinking about maybe a RG, they are pretty. They tend to be aggressive towards each other, but not other fish if i remember right from researching them. Sapphires are pretty too but i've just heard so much negative about Damsel's that it's hard for me to want to get them in the tank ya know.. :(

 

[sfin52]

Coral beauty, Melanurus wrasse,

 

[Sailingeric]

MY RGB is pretty chill. My damsels are good citizens but they are also the smallest fish in my 75 gallon and I added them last so they know their pecking order (the bottom).

 

[Nick C]

Coral beauty, Melanurus wrasse,

Both of these are amazing. I had been thinking about Coral Beauty, but is it reef safe enough? doing research the "reef safe with caution" always throws me off haha. And won't the Melanurus wrasse eat my pod poluation, making it hard for me to get a mandarin :(

 

[Nick C]

MY RGB is pretty chill. My damsels are good citizens but they are also the smallest fish in my 75 gallon and I added them last so they know their pecking order (the bottom).

haha know your place. i like it. But yeah i will probably end up getting a RG, it's hard to pass on something that colorful!

 

[JaaxReef]

Take a look at Fairy Wrasses or possibly a Hawk Fish like a Flame Hawk. My wife absolutely loves ours due to its look and personality and has very little interest in the tank otherwise. It was a win for me!

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Dispar, ignitus, sunset etc anthias, black cap gramma, watanabei or bellus angelfish, fairy wrasses, flasher wrasses, geometric pygmy Perchlet. I know you dont want pod eating wrasses but one wont make too much of a dent in the population and will be good to keep pests down, such as radiant wrasses, halichoeres chrysus, and the pink streaked wrasse

 

[Jesterrace]

Coral beauty, Melanurus wrasse,

A couple of issues with the CB is that he has a reef and plans on adding clams as well and all Dwarf Angels can nibble at both. The other issue is that two established tangs will likely take exception to another similar profile fish. I had a Coral Beauty and a Yellow Tang in the same holding tank for weeks at my LFS and then brought them in and acclimated them together and added them at the same time. They hung out perfectly well together and even shared the same cave for about a month and then I noticed a chunk missing from my CB's lower fin and the Yellow Tang shadowing the CB very closely in and through the rock. I then started noticing white marks on my CB and then saw the Yellow Tang backing up and slapping the CB with it's tail scalpel and seeing the white marks appear. Needless to say the Yellow Tang got the boot and I will never touch another Zebrasoma Tang again. They tend to do better when smaller and then try to take over the tank as they mature.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Coral Beauty and it has been a great fish overall and pretty well behaved with my Euphyllia Dominant coral tank, I just think adding one to a reef tank with clams and two established Zebrasoma Tangs is a recipe for disaster in one way shape or form.

As for the Melanurus Wrasse, it would be a good choice if he doesn't mind potentially sacrificing some snails, hermit crabs and small shrimp. The cool thing about them is that they are great for pest removal and although generally peaceful, will not put up with being pushed around by more assertive fish and of course their stunning coloration when they mature. They are also full of personality, mine will periodically "Dance for it's Dinner" so to speak. When I first added my Yellow Tang and Coral Beauty, they attempted to assert dominance in the tank (as more assertive fish tend to do) and my juvie Melanurus Wrasse wasn't having any of it and took both of them on at the same time. It definitely surprised the tang when it went after it's tail and it pretty much left the Melanurus alone after that. The only fish that my Melanurus has been overtly aggressive to is my Blue Star Leopard Wrasse and even that has toned down considerably (usually just the occasional fin flare and circle and then they move on. My juvie Melanurus also helped put an aggressive little butthead of a snowflake ocellaris clownfish in check. The clownfish came into the tank with a big attitude and attempted to push everyone around. The Melanurus took it for a bit and then decided it had enough. It spent the next day literally beating the crappola out of that clown, it even grabbed it by it's tail and shook it like a ragdoll. The next day though the Melanurus Wrasse left it alone (other than the occasional reminder nip), needless to say the clownfish got the message and left it alone after that.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Both of these are amazing. I had been thinking about Coral Beauty, but is it reef safe enough? doing research the "reef safe with caution" always throws me off haha. And won't the Melanurus wrasse eat my pod poluation, making it hard for me to get a mandarin :(

Agree with coral beauty. I have one in a mixed reef, as long as they're kept well fed and have algae to graze on, they leave coral alone ;)

 

[Nick C]

Take a look at Fairy Wrasses or possibly a Hawk Fish like a Flame Hawk. My wife absolutely loves ours due to its look and personality and has very little interest in the tank otherwise. It was a win for me!

They Hawkfish are cool fish. Definitely one to consider! wrasses are pretty fish, and 1 probably wouldn't hurt my pod population to much.

Dispar, ignitus, sunset etc anthias, black cap gramma, watanabei or bellus angelfish, fairy wrasses, flasher wrasses, geometric pygmy Perchlet. I know you dont want pod eating wrasses but one wont make too much of a dent in the population and will be good to keep pests down, such as radiant wrasses, halichoeres chrysus, and the pink streaked wrasse

Haha oh boy, I follow @Brew12 and know his struggle with Anthias. Then seem to be kind of difficult. but that black cap is amazing. Definitely a different take on a Gramma. I like it a lot! And yeah i considered strongly a 6 line and talked myself out of it. They have super pretty coloration. You don't think adding 1 would hurt the pod population too much?

 

[Jesterrace]

Both of these are amazing. I had been thinking about Coral Beauty, but is it reef safe enough? doing research the "reef safe with caution" always throws me off haha. And won't the Melanurus wrasse eat my pod poluation, making it hard for me to get a mandarin :(

Everything will eat pods to some degree and it is true the wrasse will peck them off the rocks, but it doesn't exist solely on pods. If you develop a solid breeding population of pods, you should be okay.

 

[Jesterrace]

Agree with coral beauty. I have one in a mixed reef, as long as they're kept well fed and have algae to graze on, they leave coral alone ;)

True but he is also considering adding clams and dwarf angels are known to nip at clam mantles and of course the Tangs are likely to take exception to a slender profile fish (My Yellow Tang sure took exception to my Coral Beauty, even though they were tank mates for week at the LFS and were added at the same time).

 

[Nick C]

A couple of issues with the CB is that he has a reef and plans on adding clams as well and all Dwarf Angels can nibble at both. The other issue is that two established tangs will likely take exception to another similar profile fish. I had a Coral Beauty and a Yellow Tang in the same holding tank for weeks at my LFS and then brought them in and acclimated them together and added them at the same time. They hung out perfectly well together and even shared the same cave for about a month and then I noticed a chunk missing from my CB's lower fin and the Yellow Tang shadowing the CB very closely in and through the rock. I then started noticing white marks on my CB and then saw the Yellow Tang backing up and slapping the CB with it's tail scalpel and seeing the white marks appear. Needless to say the Yellow Tang got the boot and I will never touch another Zebrasoma Tang again. They tend to do better when smaller and then try to take over the tank as they mature.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Coral Beauty and it has been a great fish overall and pretty well behaved with my Euphyllia Dominant coral tank, I just think adding one to a reef tank with clams and two established Zebrasoma Tangs is a recipe for disaster in one way shape or form.

As for the Melanurus Wrasse, it would be a good choice if he doesn't mind potentially sacrificing some snails, hermit crabs and small shrimp. The cool thing about them is that they are great for pest removal and although generally peaceful, will not put up with being pushed around by more assertive fish and of course their stunning coloration when they mature. They are also full of personality, mine will periodically "Dance for it's Dinner" so to speak. When I first added my Yellow Tang and Coral Beauty, they attempted to assert dominance in the tank (as more assertive fish tend to do) and my juvie Melanurus Wrasse wasn't having any of it and took both of them on at the same time. It definitely surprised the tang when it went after it's tail and it pretty much left the Melanurus alone after that. The only fish that my Melanurus has been overtly aggressive to is my Blue Star Leopard Wrasse and even that has toned down considerably (usually just the occasional fin flare and circle and then they move on. My juvie Melanurus also helped put an aggressive little butthead of a snowflake ocellaris clownfish in check. The clownfish came into the tank with a big attitude and attempted to push everyone around. The Melanurus took it for a bit and then decided it had enough. It spent the next day literally beating the crappola out of that clown, it even grabbed it by it's tail and shook it like a ragdoll. The next day though the Melanurus Wrasse left it alone (other than the occasional reminder nip), needless to say the clownfish got the message and left it alone after that.

This was the best thing i have read in a while haha. The one up when it comes to the tangs is they are both pretty young, and small, I do plan on getting a bigger tank at some point, when i move. Probably within the next 5 years or so. I would like to have a custom built peninsula about double the size of what i have now. So i don't know if that could make a difference? but i definitely don't want it to harass the future clam :(

 

[Nick C]

Everything will eat pods to some degree and it is true the wrasse will peck them off the rocks, but it doesn't exist solely on pods. If you develop a solid breeding population of pods, you should be okay.

This is good to know. I wanted one i was just under the impression that a larger wrasse will out compete a mandarin for food and that would be a no go from me.

 

[Jet915]

Both of these are amazing. I had been thinking about Coral Beauty, but is it reef safe enough? doing research the "reef safe with caution" always throws me off haha. And won't the Melanurus wrasse eat my pod poluation, making it hard for me to get a mandarin :(

I had a coral beauty and it was a coral nipper so it had to go. I have a melanarus and i love it.

 

[Oshengems]

Wrasses in general are all beautiful even black and white leopards are always eye catchers, currently my favorite is the potters angel but angelfish are 50/50 reef safe potters seem to graze a lot so far so good. Anthias are also great

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

They Hawkfish are cool fish. Definitely one to consider! wrasses are pretty fish, and 1 probably wouldn't hurt my pod population to much.



Haha oh boy, I follow @Brew12 and know his struggle with Anthias. Then seem to be kind of difficult. but that black cap is amazing. Definitely a different take on a Gramma. I like it a lot! And yeah i considered strongly a 6 line and talked myself out of it. They have super pretty coloration. You don't think adding 1 would hurt the pod population too much?

A six line wrasse can become very agressive once established and can bully similair sized and shaped fish to the point of death, ive seen one kill a leopard wrasse before, so probably not the best wrasse to go with if you do, the pink streaked wrasse is a similairly sized, shaped and coloured but lacks the nasty attidtude also the radiant wrasse is another similairly coloured but larger alternative. There are hundreds to choose from not just these lol. I dont think one would damage the population so much that the mandarin would suffer from it
Also not all anthias are diffivult to keep, if you get ones that feed and are healthy, especially from the more peaceful speciew in the anthias family like the dispar and ignitus you shouldnt have much difficulty.

 

[Nick C]

A six line wrasse can become very agressive once established and can bully similair sized and shaped fish to the point of death, ive seen one kill a leopard wrasse before, so probably not the best wrasse to go with if you do, the pink streaked wrasse is a similairly sized, shaped and coloured but lacks the nasty attidtude also the radiant wrasse is another similairly coloured but larger alternative. There are hundreds to choose from not just these lol. I dont think one would damage the population so much that the mandarin would suffer from it
Also not all anthias are diffivult to keep, if you get ones that feed and are healthy, especially from the more peaceful speciew in the anthias family like the dispar and ignitus you shouldnt have much difficulty.

Perfect! That's some good information! I'll look up on some of the less aggressive wrasses and i saved the LiveAquaria pages for the Anthias you mentioned. :) The radiant Wrasse is pretty but for some reason is listed as "Difficult" under care? I don't know why, the care to me looks to be the same. Will eat smaller snails and shrimp. Eat Frozen and flakes. Passive fish. doesn't seem too difficult to me.

Also the
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse is a beautiful fish, do you have any experience with it?