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Reef safe with caution fish you say?…
Well, let’s start with the most obvious! My Chelmon rostratus. My 4’ tank is heavy with Softies and LPS, this guy hasn’t touched anything. Only things he’ll eat are the already dead shrimp or their sheds. I dislike hermits however I have 3 in the tank along with countless snails and he still doesn’t touch them unless they have life on them. He does however, love to eat Aiptasia… this may have backfired however I’m not 100% sure. The reason I say this is, I used to have a beautiful BTA that may have become victim to this guy.
As for the slightly more obvious one, my Siganus magnificus. This guy is almost totally reef safe to my knowledge, ignored all coral I have and he’s the second specimen I’ve owned to do this. My first ignored all coral (Including Palys and Zoas) much like this guy does. And when I was working in the LFS, these were in almost all systems that could fit them. They were much less likely to eat coral compared to their cousins.
Number 3 most obvious on this list! My Genicanthus melanospilos. This guy has been a model citizen since day 1. Ignores all coral and even the sponges on my rockwork get avoided by all my top 3 RSWC fish. He isn’t my favourite but he’s definitely become one beautiful and unique specimen since “reverting” without a female.
Number 4 most obvious is my Halichoeres chloropterus. This guys has also been a model citizen in my eyes. He may have picked off a few crabs but I still have my strong shelled or nocturnal snails to do the job. He’s never touched coral, alive shrimp or most other inverts (except for small hermit crabs). This guy is my most interesting wrasse and seems to get people untrusted the most as these are always labelled as “Aggressive” whilst mine is totally peaceful. He is also transitioning which is fun as many people in this hobby haven’t seen a Transitional Chloropterus so I hope to document it.
Number 5 goes to… My Halichoeres iridis! This guy is completely reef safe, only picking off the sheds of shrimp or an already dead shrimp. This is an iconic species of Wrasse for me as it was one of my first ever wrasses to own outside of Pseudocheilinus and see in person. He also doesn’t touch the snails I enjoy but will go for flatworms, and other “pests” on coral and in the rockwork but so does my Chloropterus. This guy is more aggressive than my Jade is and usually with new wrasses he will give them the first “beating” to show that he is the king of my wrasse gang.
And number 6 on this list for my least obvious Reef Safe With Caution fish… My Escenius lineatus! This guy shocked me as when you see this blenny and some relatives in the LFS they are told to be completely reed safe. But this guy took a LOVING to my SPS that I have in my nano. SPS is probably the only time I will do a coral > fish situation. If I had something rare in the hobby, for example Escenius pulcher then maybe I could let it slide. But this guy is rather common and not that brightly coloured.
Now, I do have one last RSWC fish I’d die for however I don’t have it right now as I’m still trying to find the right tank for looking down on as well as side on (I think I’ve found one but I don’t know about the price yet). But the fish I’d love and wouldn’t mind SPS nipping from is Centropyge multicolor. This is one of my dream angels to ever own after seeing it in LFSs several times and seeing the colours in person.
Well, let’s start with the most obvious! My Chelmon rostratus. My 4’ tank is heavy with Softies and LPS, this guy hasn’t touched anything. Only things he’ll eat are the already dead shrimp or their sheds. I dislike hermits however I have 3 in the tank along with countless snails and he still doesn’t touch them unless they have life on them. He does however, love to eat Aiptasia… this may have backfired however I’m not 100% sure. The reason I say this is, I used to have a beautiful BTA that may have become victim to this guy.
As for the slightly more obvious one, my Siganus magnificus. This guy is almost totally reef safe to my knowledge, ignored all coral I have and he’s the second specimen I’ve owned to do this. My first ignored all coral (Including Palys and Zoas) much like this guy does. And when I was working in the LFS, these were in almost all systems that could fit them. They were much less likely to eat coral compared to their cousins.
Number 3 most obvious on this list! My Genicanthus melanospilos. This guy has been a model citizen since day 1. Ignores all coral and even the sponges on my rockwork get avoided by all my top 3 RSWC fish. He isn’t my favourite but he’s definitely become one beautiful and unique specimen since “reverting” without a female.
Number 4 most obvious is my Halichoeres chloropterus. This guys has also been a model citizen in my eyes. He may have picked off a few crabs but I still have my strong shelled or nocturnal snails to do the job. He’s never touched coral, alive shrimp or most other inverts (except for small hermit crabs). This guy is my most interesting wrasse and seems to get people untrusted the most as these are always labelled as “Aggressive” whilst mine is totally peaceful. He is also transitioning which is fun as many people in this hobby haven’t seen a Transitional Chloropterus so I hope to document it.
Number 5 goes to… My Halichoeres iridis! This guy is completely reef safe, only picking off the sheds of shrimp or an already dead shrimp. This is an iconic species of Wrasse for me as it was one of my first ever wrasses to own outside of Pseudocheilinus and see in person. He also doesn’t touch the snails I enjoy but will go for flatworms, and other “pests” on coral and in the rockwork but so does my Chloropterus. This guy is more aggressive than my Jade is and usually with new wrasses he will give them the first “beating” to show that he is the king of my wrasse gang.
And number 6 on this list for my least obvious Reef Safe With Caution fish… My Escenius lineatus! This guy shocked me as when you see this blenny and some relatives in the LFS they are told to be completely reed safe. But this guy took a LOVING to my SPS that I have in my nano. SPS is probably the only time I will do a coral > fish situation. If I had something rare in the hobby, for example Escenius pulcher then maybe I could let it slide. But this guy is rather common and not that brightly coloured.
Now, I do have one last RSWC fish I’d die for however I don’t have it right now as I’m still trying to find the right tank for looking down on as well as side on (I think I’ve found one but I don’t know about the price yet). But the fish I’d love and wouldn’t mind SPS nipping from is Centropyge multicolor. This is one of my dream angels to ever own after seeing it in LFSs several times and seeing the colours in person.
