Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

Marc K

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Hi

I am after some advice on the fish list for my 420gallon fowlr.


Emperor Angel
Majestic Angel
Blue face Angel
Queen Angel
Scribbled Angel
French Angel
Gold flake Angel
Asfur Angel
Watanabei Angel pair
Personifer Angel

Blonde Naso Tang
Orange Shoulder Tang
Dussumeri Tang
Lieutenant Tang
Atlantic Blue Tang

Niger Triggerfish
Blue Throat Triggerfish pair

Raccoon Butterflyfish
Pear scale Butterfly
Threadfin Butterfly
Saddleback Butterfly

My main concern is any compatibility issue with these fish. They are all being bought as smaller fish and will be added 4-5 fish at a time.

Thanks for any feedback.
 

Zionas

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Scenario 1:

-A pair of Ocellaris (or black Ocellaris) Clownfish



-A blenny of the Ecsensius genus (Bicolor, Midas etc.)





-A Clown Goby, Neon Goby, Firefish, Watchman Goby, or a Shrimp Goby (with a pistol shrimp)









Scenario 2:

-A pair of Ocellaris (or black Ocellaris) clownfish



-A Royal Gramma or Blackcap Basslet



-A Blenny of the Ecsensius genus or a Clown, Neon, Firefish, Watchman, or Shrimp (with a pistol shrimp) goby









Scenario 3:

-A pair of Pajama Cardinalfish



-A Blenny of the Ecsensius genus



-A Clown, Neon, Firefish, Watchman, or Shrimp Goby (with a pistol shrimp)





Scenario 4:

-A pair of Pajama Cardinalfish



-A Royal Gramma or Blackcap Basslet



-An ecsensius blenny or one of the types of gobies I mentioned above





Scenario 5:

-A Royal Gramma



-A Blackcap Basslet



-A Blenny of the Ecsensius genus



-A goby







Scenario 6:

-A pair of Ocellaris Clownfish (or black) or Pajama Cardinalfish



-A Royal Gramma



-A Blackcap Basslet







Scenario 7:

-A Royal Gramma or Blackcap Basslet



-A Blenny of the Ecsensius genus



-A Goby from the types mentioned above



-A Possum / Pygmy Wrasse







Scenario 8:

-A pair of Ocellaris / Black Ocellaris Clownfish or a pair of Pajama Cardinalfish



-A Royal Gramma or Blackcap Basslet



-A Possum / Pygmy Wrasse







Scenario 9:

-A Royal Gramma



-A Blackcap Basslet



-An Ecsensius blenny or a goby



-A Possum / Pygmy Wrasse







Scenario 10:

-A pair of Ocellaris Clownfish (including black)



-A pair of Pajama Cardinalfish







Which scenarios are viable and which would be the easiest to take care of for a 30/40-gallon FOWLR tank, first time marine aquarist?
 

ihavecrabs

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@eatbreakfast

Always appreciative of the expert opinions!

160g gallon aquarium
SPS dominant

Powder Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Davinci Clownfish pair
Zebra barred dartfish trio
Barred goby mated pair
Midas Blenny
Banggai/Kaurden's Cardinalfish
Bluestar Leopard Wrasse

So here is my story. I originally had two bluestar leopard wrasses, I had one that had an injured mouth/beak (significantly bent down) which I nursed back to health. The two female bs leopard wrasses lived in my tank for well over a year. The one originally injured disappeared three weeks ago without a shred of evidence to where she may be. So now I am down to one and looking to fill the tank back up.

I may just get two more blue star leopard wrasses again and call it a day; however, I have had an urge to potentially get the following instead:

McCosker's Wrasse (Male)
Carpenters Wrasse (Male)
(Maybe) Ornate Leopard Wrasse (Male)

Thoughts on how these wrasses will blend with my existing crew?
 

MohrReefs

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44gal

No corals yet, will add later.
Current stock, 2 juvenile clowns, 1 picturesque mandarin dragonet, 1 diamond goby.

Is a Debelius' Reef Lobster safe?
Also curious about Flame Angel.
 
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Daniel@R2R

Daniel@R2R

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44gal

No corals yet, will add later.
Current stock, 2 juvenile clowns, 1 picturesque mandarin dragonet, 1 diamond goby.

Is a Debelius' Reef Lobster safe?
Also curious about Flame Angel.
Reef Lobsters are opportunistic. I probably wouldn't trust one with the dragonet. Flame angels are not completely reef safe as they can nip at corals (like all dwarf angels), but many reefers have good luck with them. I'd probably put one in there without worrying about it unless he acts out.
 

MohrReefs

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Reef Lobsters are opportunistic. I probably wouldn't trust one with the dragonet. Flame angels are not completely reef safe as they can nip at corals (like all dwarf angels), but many reefers have good luck with them. I'd probably put one in there without worrying about it unless he acts out.
What about a Marine Betta? Lol
 

MrDeathKills

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125gallon tank. First Saltwater tank. Will want corals and invertebrates. Do not want to overstock so if there are to many let me know. The Wrasse are all dependent on if they will all play nice together there are some pricey pieces there that I would not like damaged. List is mot 100% but pretty close to a done list.

1 Royal Gramma Basslet
1 Fridmani Pseudochromis
2 Black Ice Ocellaris
5 Banggai Cardinal
1 OneSpot Foxfish
1 Solar Fairy Wrasse
1 Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
1 Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
1 Pink Margin Wrasse
1 Ornate Leopard Wrasse
1 Midas Blenny
1 Mandarin Goby
1 Powder Blue Tang
1 Purple Tang
Urchins to taste
2 Fromia Starfish
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Fire Shrimp
1 Bulleseye Pistol Shrimp
1 Maxima Clam
 

TheShrimpNibbler

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125gallon tank. First Saltwater tank. Will want corals and invertebrates. Do not want to overstock so if there are to many let me know. The Wrasse are all dependent on if they will all play nice together there are some pricey pieces there that I would not like damaged. List is mot 100% but pretty close to a done list.

1 Royal Gramma Basslet
1 Fridmani Pseudochromis
2 Black Ice Ocellaris
5 Banggai Cardinal
1 OneSpot Foxfish
1 Solar Fairy Wrasse
1 Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
1 Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
1 Pink Margin Wrasse
1 Ornate Leopard Wrasse
1 Midas Blenny
1 Mandarin Goby
1 Powder Blue Tang
1 Purple Tang
Urchins to taste
2 Fromia Starfish
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Fire Shrimp
1 Bulleseye Pistol Shrimp
1 Maxima Clam
Congrats on getting your first tank! That’s always exciting!
Cardinals don’t have a good record of working well in groups long term. Because of this, you may want to go with a pair of them. Have you thought about going with a candy stripe pistol instead of a bullseye? Also, why do you want a pistol without a goby? I would skip the fro in starfish. They’re pretty, but they just slowly starve and waste away in captivity. A serpent or brittle star would be better. Mandarin dragonets and leopard wrasses both need a large amount of pods to survive, so the wrasse might outcompete the mandarin for food. Because of this, I would recommend picking one or the other. You might have some aggression between the royal gramma and the dottyback, so you might also think about going with one or the other. I don’t see any other problems, but I cannot advise on wrasse compatibility. Hopefully some more experienced reefers can help with that.
 

MrDeathKills

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Congrats on getting your first tank! That’s always exciting!
Cardinals don’t have a good record of working well in groups long term. Because of this, you may want to go with a pair of them. Have you thought about going with a candy stripe pistol instead of a bullseye? Also, why do you want a pistol without a goby? I would skip the fro in starfish. They’re pretty, but they just slowly starve and waste away in captivity. A serpent or brittle star would be better. Mandarin dragonets and leopard wrasses both need a large amount of pods to survive, so the wrasse might outcompete the mandarin for food. Because of this, I would recommend picking one or the other. You might have some aggression between the royal gramma and the dottyback, so you might also think about going with one or the other. I don’t see any other problems, but I cannot advise on wrasse compatibility. Hopefully some more experienced reefers can help with that.
The cardinals have been a back to back info wall of yes schools and no schools. Why the candy over the bullseye?does the mandarin goby not use a pistol shrimp? I had heard the fro starfish have a good track record in captivity if that is not the case that sucks :/. I will drop the leopard then we would really like to have the mandarin. I thought that could happen was hoping my tank was big enough that adding at the same time could have them get territory and not touch each other. I will have to go pretty in depth to figure out the Wrasse for sure.
 

Zionas

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Looking for first three fish once I get my tank. I’m definitely going for a pair of Ocellaris clowns (common or black, but not designer) but I wonder whether they’d fight if they’re introduced at the same time but are not already a bonded pair. The third fish is one I’m really trying to think about, as I’ll probably introduce it along with the clowns. I am looking for a fish that is very hardy and long-lived, possibly one that can push 8-9 years or more. Here’s what I am thinking so far, but feel free to make comments and suggestions. My tank will have the best mesh cover I can find (hopefully with spaces of 1.4” or less) and I also want to optimize the overflow so my fish won’t jump or escape. I’m thinking of getting 3-3.5cm Clowns and the other fish I will try to get as small as possible. My Ocellaris will be captive bred.


1. Ocellaris pair + YWG

2. Ocellaris pair + Halichoeres genus Wrasse-I will get them below 6cm (Yellow Coris, Melanthurus, Adorned, Red Lined, Christmas)

3. Ocellaris pair + Basslet (Royal Gramma or Swissguard Basslet)

4. Ocellaris pair + Lined wrasse species (Four-Line, Six-Line, Mystery)

5. Ocellaris pair + Yellow Candy Hogfish (

6. Ocellaris pair + Golden Assessor * (these guys are shipped from Indonesia to HK, then to Guangzhou)


*I want to know more about this fish. Its hardiness, diet, temperament, longevity etc. They do sell for fairly high prices (around 55 USD) here so if I lose one it’ll be a financial loss too.


7. This is a risky one but..... Ocellaris pair + Coral Beauty / African Flameback (I’ll try to get the Coral Beauty in the 4-5cm or 5-6cm range, and the African Flameback only gets to 7.5cm or 3”)


This will be a completely new tank. It’ll have a sand be down of 2-2.5”. It will have only soft corals, no stony corals as I can not afford the more expensive equipment needed to keep them.

Dimensions: 32” x 22” x 24”


I’m still worried about fish like Wrasses jumping because I’ve read they can fit into the most unimaginably tiny spaces. Should I be put off by the idea of having one?


The Chinese dealers get most of their fish (save the Atlantic species) from Indonesia and PH. I can find captive bred Clowns (Ocellaris and some of the slightly bigger varieties like Maroon, Tomato, Cinnamon etc.) without much of a hassle.
 

SeaMonkeys

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So I have a 180 gallon mixed reef tank and am looking to add a few more fish to the mix. Currently I have the following:
2 ocellaris clowns
2 bangai cardinals
1 blue hippo
1 sixline wrasse
1 yellow watchman goby
1 chromis
1 zebra bared dartfish
1 scooter blenny
1 royal gramma
1 midas blenny

Here is a list of possible fish. What do you guys think and what order would you add them. Also open to suggestions.

1 or two more zebra bared dartfish
1 blue throat trigger
1 yellow tang
1 flame or coral beauty angel
1 foxface
1 starry blenny
1 flamehawk
1 engineer goby
a group of anthias
 

Wee Mad Arthur

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What are my options for a 24G bare bottom tank? All soft corals. Ideally I’d like active swimming fish in the daytime that I won‘t have to separate out at any point due to aggression.
 

Sebastiancrab

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Hi everyone! I am setting up a new 29 gallon and would like to have one or two clownfish and solid blue or yellow tale blue damsels. Would I be making a mistake with the blue damsels?
 

Wee Mad Arthur

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Would just pyjama Cardinals be suitable for my 24G? Always liked the look of them, mixed opinions on how active they are in the day. How many would be a safe number to have bioload wise?
 

SeaMonkeys

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Hi wee Mad Arthur. You could go with either one or two pajama cardinals. They don't necessarily swim around much but float in the water column. I personally like them along with the bangai cardinals.
 

Wee Mad Arthur

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Hi wee Mad Arthur. You could go with either one or two pajama cardinals. They don't necessarily swim around much but float in the water column. I personally like them along with the bangai cardinals.

Thanks for the reply. Bit surprised though as I thought with my larger upgrade tank that fish would be more of an option but it seems it’s just as limiting as my previous 13.5G.
 

Steven91

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Hello everyone,

I used to have a leopard wrasse (and had success at keeping one for sometime until it decided to jump through a little hole in my top, said hole has been fixed) and would love to get another one, though im worried about my 3 other wrasses picking on.

I have a Cleaner wrasse (least of my worries), an orange dot dash wrasse and a melanurus wrasse and would love to add the leopard wrasse. I have a 120 gal tank with a good sand bed for them all to hide in. The orange dot dash has been in the tank the longest and is the biggest, when i add the melanurus the 2 went at it for a little and now they are happen together.

What you guys think?
 

a;lksdjf

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my valentini puffer died which was hard, but because of that, i've finally been able to get myself a CUC and get this tank reef ready and i finally added a couple corals (candy cane, duncans, palys, GSP, mini maxi carpet anem) and i'm going to get this tank into top shape, but i want to add 3 or so new fish to liven things up further. my current fish are:
2 ocellaris clowns
1 exquisite fire fish
1 tailspot blenny
and 1 pink-streaked wrasse
inverts are 4 trochus snails, 6 nassarius snails, 3 red legged hermits, 1 hairy pincushion urchin, and 1 emerald crab.
the fish i want to add are:
1 royal gramma
1 blue reef chromis (Chromis cyaneus)
1 yellow coris wrasse
tank is a 45 gallon bowfront. 36 in wide. 50 ish lbs of rock. as for filtration i have a fluval c4 HOB and reef octopus 1000 classic HOB protein skimmer. any foreseeable problems with this stocking, other than aggressive clowns and yellow coris wrasse eventually getting a bit big (I have a tank set up for the clowns to go in while everyone settles in and i'm planning an upgrade to a 75 gallon in the next year or two at the latest)?
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.0%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
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