NPS Nano Fish Suggestions

[Cammy]

Hi all,

First message here so pleasure to meet you. I have been slowly planning my new NPS tank for a while and would love some input for fish/invert selection. I am going towards a PhD in Medical Physics but thankfully work part-time in my LFS so have a good accessibility to a wide variety of species.

The tank itself is an old-school (sumped) reefer nano, and plan on having it setup with an oversized Deltec 400i skimmer that I own, a biopellet reactor and a large amount of siporax/bio blocks. I will be having a sand bed of decent depth, and setting up the liverock somewhat like a pillar/mushroom/tree growing some macro algae (and possibly soft corals/lps that I can’t have in my sps reefer 425 because my 3yo copper and changed his mind a month ago and decided he LOVES acans) on top while the trunk/column and sand bed underneath will have my NPS corals.

The key part is smaller fish that would thrive in a temp of a deepwater reef. I had set my eyes on around 72F/22C but this could be changed for the right fish.

I had already had suggestions of…

- Catalina Gobies
- Some deepwater Lioproma
- Blue Spot Jawfish (kinda heart set on this)
- Some species of cardinal fish (yet to hear back about specifics)

I’d happily go without fish, as they’ll only be there to compliment the corals but I’d love to hear from the hive mind of R2R about any species I hadn’t thought of…

Cammy

 

[blaxsun]

I like the blue-spotted jawfish. You'd have to confirm the temperature range, though.

 

[Cammy]

I like the blue-spotted jawfish. You'd have to confirm the temperature range, though.

From what I’ve read on reef builders they thrive between 72-76F, so a *hopefully* great choice

 

[blaxsun]

From what I’ve read on reef builders they thrive between 72-76F, so a *hopefully* great choice

I know my tank is too warm (78-78.5) otherwise I'd probably have one. I've seen some makeshift dens made of a slurpee (etc.) lid where they glued sand and rocks all around the outside.

 

[Zionas]

(1) Candy Basslet (L. carambi)
(2) Swissguard Basslet (L. rubre)
(3) Swales Basslet (L. swalesi)
(4) Cave Basslet (L. mowbrayi)
(5) Rose Island Dottyback (P. rosae)
(6) Fine-Scaled Dottyback (L. Multisquamis)
(7) Chalk Basslet (S. Tortugatum)
(8) Ring Eyed Dottyback (P. Typus)
(9) Shrimp / Goby Combo
(10) High Fin Perchlet (P. Inermis)
(11) Royal Gramma (G. Loreto)
(12) Cuban Gramma (G. Dejongi)
(13) Black Cap Basslet (G. Melacara)
(14) Yellow-Lined Gramma (G. Linki)
(15) Yellow Assessor (A. Flavissimus)
(16) McNeill’s Assessor (A. Mcneilli)
(17) Randall’s Assessor (A. Randalli)
(18) Pink Streak Wrasse
(19) Possum Wrasses
(20) White Spotted Pygmy Filefish
(21) Radial Filefish


Borderline but they don’t get *as* big in captivity: Golden Angel, Colin’s Angel, Multicolor Angel.


I love people that go for deepwater style setups. Report back and let us know how it goes!

 

[Cammy]

(1) Candy Basslet (L. carambi)
(2) Swissguard Basslet (L. rubre)
(3) Swales Basslet (L. swalesi)
(4) Cave Basslet (L. mowbrayi)
(5) Rose Island Dottyback (P. rosae)
(6) Fine-Scaled Dottyback (L. Multisquamis)
(7) Chalk Basslet (S. Tortugatum)
(8) Ring Eyed Dottyback (P. Typus)
(9) Shrimp / Goby Combo
(10) High Fin Perchlet (P. Inermis)
(11) Royal Gramma (G. Loreto)
(12) Cuban Gramma (G. Dejongi)
(13) Black Cap Basslet (G. Melacara)
(14) Yellow-Lined Gramma (G. Linki)
(15) Yellow Assessor (A. Flavissimus)
(16) McNeill’s Assessor (A. Mcneilli)
(17) Randall’s Assessor (A. Randalli)
(18) Pink Streak Wrasse
(19) Possum Wrasses
(20) White Spotted Pygmy Filefish
(21) Radial Filefish


Borderline but they don’t get *as* big in captivity: Golden Angel, Colin’s Angel, Multicolor Angel.


I love people that go for deepwater style setups. Report back and let us know how it goes!

I think the only consideration will be the possibility of eating LPS if I also add them, and the space since it is only a reefer nano cube... would love some of those angels though. Hadn't considered the geometric pygmy perchlet so thanks for that one as I actually have one in the nano at the moment

I'll hopefully be starting a tank thread for it in the coming weeks

 

[NotReefsafe]

Jawfish would be great, provided right tank size. Could also consider seahorses.

 

[Cammy]

Jawfish would be great, provided right tank size. Could also consider seahorses.

I hadn’t considered them, I’ve only kept (and bred) blue striped pipefish, what species would you suggest?

 

[NotReefsafe]

That's amazing...can you give some more info on the pipefish?

Hippocampus Erectus are apparently the easiest. seahorsesavvy.com is the trustworthy source for info.

 

[Cammy]

That's amazing...can you give some more info on the pipefish?

Hippocampus Erectus are apparently the easiest. seahorsesavvy.com is the trustworthy source for info.

Want to take the pipefish discussion to messages to avoid hijacking the thread? Will happily share anything on them.

Also, I've had luzonichthys waitei or similar species of small peaceful anthias suggested to me, if anyone has any opinions or suggestions there