Most Interesting Fish To Watch (not just prettiest) for smaller (45 gallon) tanks

ThunderGoose · Dec 19, 2017

Blennies and gobies are the most fun to watch but I also enjoy my clowns with their anemone. I, too, love the invertebrates but my short spine (?) urchin does like to rearrange my frags and she's carried 2 of my feather duster worms around for months! They're still alive so I guess they're ok with it.

spiraling · Dec 19, 2017

I like the pair of clowns with BTA interactions. pisto/gobi should be on your must have list. tailspot blenny would work, and also good for some algae control.
I would avoid a six line in a tank that small. they need a lot of swimming room to help prevent aggression. A pygmy wrasse (like pink streaked) would be a better option for wrasses.
coral beauty or flame angle if you are willing to take the risk with your corals.
Cardinals (kauderns or pajama) will work, but they seem to just stay stationary so I'm not sure they qualify for you.

tuxedo urchin!
a fighting conch if you have enough sand bed.

Be sure to get a lid for that tank. We had two hi fin gobies jump.

NanaReefer · Dec 20, 2017

I recently purchased a Falco Hawk Fish and boy is he busy. Between him and my 6 Line Wrasse I never get bored.
I do not recommend keeping a 6 Line and Royal Gramma. I had a Royal for 2yrs never an issue. Added the 6 Line and it literally chased the Gramma right out of the tank [emoji33]

bo0sted2g · Dec 20, 2017

NanaReefer said:
I recently purchased a Falco Hawk Fish and boy is he busy. Between him and my 6 Line Wrasse I never get bored.
I do not recommend keeping a 6 Line and Royal Gramma. I had a Royal for 2yrs never an issue. Added the 6 Line and it literally chased the Gramma right out of the tank [emoji33]

My Royal gramma is the crabby one! He keeps my 6 line in check and won't let him swim by his cave haha.

Tahoe61 · Dec 20, 2017

becks said:
My royal gramma is out all the time,

Yeah agreed I have had several over my reefing career, a great fish once settled.

Cardinals can and are often very cryptic, they like to be camouflaged, and tend to the nocturnal side IME.

Tahoe61 · Dec 20, 2017

I loved my Flame Hawk fish, full of personality.

Jeff Hall · Dec 20, 2017

Longnose Hawk Fish are awesome!

Legal Reefer · Dec 20, 2017

Most don't want diamond gobies in their tank because they move the sand around while making tunnels or sifting sand. I noticed while sifting sand to look for food they stay low and don't pile the sand around excessively, but when making tunnels or burrows they move massive amounts. It is still my favorite fish because of it's personality. Mine reminds me of a dog, always ready to eat and chase the feeding tube all around. Any time I go over to the tank he comes swimming up to see what's going on. He is also right there on top of everything as I'm cleaning the tank, probably thinking he's going to get a meal out of the deal...lol. My wife is always laughing while watching the way he interacts. I have had many different fish in the past that were great, and most were way more colorful, but he has quickly became my favorite. Man....I just realized I've never given him a name....maybe Neil...lol.

Sylvain turcotte · Dec 20, 2017

Legal Reefer said:
Most don't want diamond gobies in their tank because they move the sand around while making tunnels or sifting sand. I noticed while sifting sand to look for food they stay low and don't pile the sand around excessively, but when making tunnels or burrows they move massive amounts. It is still my favorite fish because of it's personality. Mine reminds me of a dog, always ready to eat and chase the feeding tube all around. Any time I go over to the tank he comes swimming up to see what's going on. He is also right there on top of everything as I'm cleaning the tank, probably thinking he's going to get a meal out of the deal...lol. My wife is always laughing while watching the way he interacts. I have had many different fish in the past that were great, and most were way more colorful, but he has quickly became my favorite. Man....I just realized I've never given him a name....maybe Neil...lol.

Carterpiler... loll

40B Knasty · Dec 20, 2017

Spotted mandarin was always my favorite to watch buzzing around like a humming bird. Tailspot Blenny 2nd.

reeferlove56 · Dec 20, 2017

I keep a possum wrasse (full grown ~2”), a spotted mandarin, an algae blenny, cherry head goby and a glass anemone shrimp together in my 35 gallon and they are all entertaining to watch! Although I don’t see the wrasse as much as I would like, he is unique and easy going... unlike most six lines and pink wrasses I had in the past. I would recommend these all!

TvanB1 · Dec 20, 2017

reeferlove56 said:
I keep a possum wrasse (full grown ~2”), a spotted mandarin, an algae blenny, cherry head goby and a glass anemone shrimp together in my 35 gallon and they are all entertaining to watch! Although I don’t see the wrasse as much as I would like, he is unique and easy going... unlike most six lines and pink wrasses I had in the past. I would recommend these all!

Just curious, what problems did you have with the pink streaked wrasse?

biomek · Dec 20, 2017

tailspot blennies are hilarious characters and would fit great in that size tank. i have one in my 220 and he's always front and center giving me the stank-eye

Midrats · Dec 20, 2017

86 the Neon dottyback idea. They are EXTREMELY bellicose fish. Instead look for a Springeri dottyback. They are similar but smaller and much less aggressive. Probably one of my favorites as far as small fish go. Lots of personality and always flitting about hunting and investigating every nook and cranny.

tablesalt · Dec 20, 2017

squareriggersailor said:
86 the Neon dottyback idea. They are EXTREMELY bellicose fish. Instead look for a Springeri dottyback. They are similar but smaller and much less aggressive. Probably one of my favorites as far as small fish go. Lots of personality and always flitting about hunting and investigating every nook and cranny.

Thanks! Scratching off the Neon.

CircleCityBill · Dec 20, 2017

I'll second the pink streaked wrasse. Mine is semi-cryptic, and quite attractive. The radial filefish is also interesting. It hangs out in soft coral and changes its appearance in order to camouflage.

tablesalt · Dec 20, 2017

40B Knasty said:
Spotted mandarin was always my favorite to watch buzzing around like a humming bird. Tailspot Blenny 2nd.

Totally agree on the Mandarin Goby... but it would be at least a year before I would even consider it in order to get the tank and pods established...

40B Knasty · Dec 20, 2017

tablesalt said:
Totally agree on the Mandarin Goby... but it would be at least a year before I would even consider it in order to get the tank and pods established...

Go to the video forum on R2R. I have been doing videos how to grow, harvest, change water, mistakes, and things I have been doing right. I have been talking to chad from reef nutrition that sells tigger pods. You also can follow my videos on YouTube 40B Knasty

cincyreef · Dec 20, 2017

Adding a vote for the tailspot blenny. Pretty cool fish

Midrats · Dec 20, 2017

Tailspots are really neat, loved mine but he had to go. He had decided to take up residence in my large ORA red goniopora. I thought it was adorable at first because he'd be in there swaying with the polyps but then I noticed the coral wasn't getting as full as it usually did. He would swim down to the base of the polyps and nip at them. I hoped the behavior would cease but it only got worse. Other blennys of that genus have also been nippers for me. Had to get rid of a bicolor for nipping at zoa's. I just stay away now. Too bad because they are hilarious and great algae grazers.