Keeping fish in pairs/harems

[Silly clownfish]

I’m looking to stock a 75 reef and would like to keep pairs or trios of fish, not to breed, but to have the behavior of bonded pairs. Any safety would be fish food. I currently have a pair of cherub angels that have been the only fish in the for about 4 months and seem to have paired up without any problems. I do not want to add clowns to this tank, I’ll eventually get a new mate for the spotcintus I have in my other tank, but think they would be too aggressive with other fish.

Fish I am considering, and that it seems like folks have kept as pairs are listed below. Most literature says to only keep more than one in a tank if they are a mated pair, but I am not finding much info on how to get them to pair up and it is near impossible to determine the gender of most fish. Knowing that the male typically gets bigger doesn’t help if looking at immature fish.

- hawk fish, either flame or longnose (get 2 small or one small, one medium?)
- lawnmower blennies (maybe get 2 small captive bred?)
- Royal gammas (everything I read on them indicates this is most likely to end up with one or more dead fish, so I doubt I will attempt)
- gobies
- other suggestions? NOT clowns

Is the best approach to do like I did with the angels and get 2 small ones, with one bigger than the other and introduce with an acclimation box or tank divider?

 

[BristleWormHater]

I’m looking to stock a 75 reef and would like to keep pairs or trios of fish, not to breed, but to have the behavior of bonded pairs. Any safety would be fish food. I currently have a pair of cherub angels that have been the only fish in the for about 4 months and seem to have paired up without any problems. I do not want to add clowns to this tank, I’ll eventually get a new mate for the spotcintus I have in my other tank, but think they would be too aggressive with other fish.

Fish I am considering, and that it seems like folks have kept as pairs are listed below. Most literature says to only keep more than one in a tank if they are a mated pair, but I am not finding much info on how to get them to pair up and it is near impossible to determine the gender of most fish. Knowing that the male typically gets bigger doesn’t help if looking at immature fish.

- hawk fish, either flame or longnose (get 2 small or one small, one medium?)
- lawnmower blennies (maybe get 2 small captive bred?)
- Royal gammas (everything I read on them indicates this is most likely to end up with one or more dead fish, so I doubt I will attempt)
- gobies
- other suggestions? NOT clowns

Is the best approach to do like I did with the angels and get 2 small ones, with one bigger than the other and introduce with an acclimation box or tank divider?

Firefish?

 

[BigAl07]

Have you considered:

• Anthias
• Firefish
• Mollys

 

[BristleWormHater]

Cardinalfish are another great option! Banggai cardinals are really popular but longspine/threadfin cardinals are my favorite! I haven't kept any yet, but it seems like they are pretty easy to shoal or pair.

 

[Maritimer]

I added two (one larger, one smaller) royal grammas to my (220g) tank a year or so ago, and predictably, the smaller one disappeared.

For several months.

After returning from a two week expedition, there were suddenly two grammas in the tank again. They're pretty inseparable much of the time, frequently displaying to one another or investigating caves together. I suspect that the "missing" gramma (the smaller / female) was holed up in a cave, possibly with eggs.

There are other pairs in the tank as well: azure damselfish, tailspot blennies, flame angelfish and aurora gobies. (The banggai cardinalfish appear _not_ to be a pair; they're adult size, but almost always on opposite ends of the 6' tank.)

~B.

 

[Silly clownfish]

Some good suggestions here.

I didn’t think a 75g was big enough for a group of anthias? I’m also a little concerned about keeping them adequately fed. I nee to do more research.

Firefish are a definite possibility - I forgot about them

I’m not a fan of cardinals or mollies (if I wanted them I would go back to freshwater).

I recall reading somewhere that some species of gobies can be kept in pairs, but can’t find where I read that or which ones.

 

[BristleWormHater]

I’m not a fan of cardinals or mollies (if I wanted them I would go back to freshwater).

Aww... you made him cry :( what the heck man

Masked gobies and tiger gobies are something you should look into, they are really small and you can keep them in groups of three or four

Masked goby

Tiger goby

 

[Miami Reef]

Aww... you made him cry :( what the heck man

Haha. That caught me off guard.

 

[OrionN]

Pair of CBB

Dragonets pair

Meleagris Leopard harem

I have others too but there three species are very rewarding to keep along with a trio

 

[littlefoxx]

 

[BristleWormHater]

Pair of CBB

Dragonets pair

Meleagris Leopard harem

I have others too but there three species are very rewarding to keep along with a trio

The mandarin pair is adorable :star-struck:

 

[Tamberav]

You can do chalk bass instead of royal grammas

The barnacle blennies can be kept in groups

 

[BristleWormHater]

You can do chalk bass instead of royal grammas

The barnacle blennies can be kept in groups

I love barnacles blennies!!! :star-struck:
Here's some pics from The Blenny Watcher

I don't think these two species are avlible to the hobby but the ones that are, are just as great!

 

[Tamberav]

Pearly jawfish is another!!

 

[BigAl07]

Some good suggestions here.

I didn’t think a 75g was big enough for a group of anthias? I’m also a little concerned about keeping them adequately fed. I nee to do more research.

Firefish are a definite possibility - I forgot about them

I’m not a fan of cardinals or mollies (if I wanted them I would go back to freshwater).

I recall reading somewhere that some species of gobies can be kept in pairs, but can’t find where I read that or which ones.

75g isn't big enough for a harem of Anthias. That's true. Also, they do need to be fed often and that's a slippery slope unless you are using some type of autofeeder. I love them but I have a 120g and an autofeeder as well.

I am shocked more people don't enjoy Mollies in the Reef Tank. They provide a lot of "benefit" IMHO. They give action and they are excellent "Dither Fish" as well. This can really improve the "calmness" and activity of the tank as a whole. Also, they make BABIES in the reef tank which us a HUGE (and very exciting) bonus.

We have a M/F pair of Mandarins and their interaction is fascinating. We got them as teenie tiny babies from BIOTA and it was one of our best decisions for the reef tank. Money well spent.

 

[Silly clownfish]

I’m sorry, I didn’ mean to offend any cardinal or mollies!

I like the barnacle blenny suggestion! Also maybe the jawfish I had a single pearly jawfish for a few years in the early 2000’s. I would need to deepen my substrate a bit though - currently only an inch or so.

I would love a pair of CBB (I definitely prioritize fish over my corals), but 2 in a 75 g also doesn’t feel feasible.

I’m gunshot of mandarins- I had one for a couple of years in the 75, but had a copepod population crash and struggled to keep her alive after and lost her about 6 months later. I’m not confident about keeping 2 in a 75. My fuge is small, only a section of my 20g sump.

I think I want to try a pair of flame hawks. I’ve kept single flame hawks since the beginning. And they are my favorites. Losing one at 19 years to carpet surfing was my second most painful fish loss.

 

[Tub Life]

A couple of orchid dottybacks! They'll add great color and movement!

 

[OrionN]

Perhaps 75 gal is large enough for a harem of China Wrasse. Male max in my tank at about 6 inches, but the do swim a lot and fast. I keep three together from youth. One died due to mouth injury and never able eat large piece of food. She just wasted away. The largest developed to a terminal male.

Eightline Flasher
I keep two juveniles together, since about 1.25 and 1.5 inch, and they developed into a pair. Male about 5 inches. Very rewarding pair to keep.

Harem of Diamond Tail Flashers. Group of three from about 1+-1.5 inch. One developed to 1 male and two females.

 

[OrionN]

Harem of Black Leopard. Very rewarding. I also keep these from Juveniles also.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

@OrionN cmon now, stop shown off your wrasse!!!