Show me your active but not aggressive fish!

[nim6us]

I’ve had some bad luck with aggressive fish. I love active fish like chromis and anthias, but they have been real ******s! Sniping each other bullying tank mates. If you have an active but not aggressive fish I’d like to see them, or hear about it.

 

[SchrutesReefs]

I have a pink streaked wrasse that is always zipping around the tank and picking at the rocks. No pics since she won’t stay still, or the nosey clowns just photo bomb.

 

[JayA]

My solarensis wrasse was active, and my striped blenny is active.

 

[TuxUrchin07]

Cleaner wrasse are nice to have and active but if you add something similar looking after they are in the tank they go crazy

 

[G Santana]

This guy is Super Chill, the tangs go after him on occasion and he easily outmaneuvers them and goes about his business as if nothing happened.

 

[Quietman]

I strive to keep a peaceful tank and select accordingly. Hard with a nano (37 gallons). Some fish are peaceful in large tank that aren't in small. Plus peaceful might mean fantastic with fish and corals - but love to munch on shrimp (Hawkfish).

My personal experiences:

My chromis is a good tank mate..could be the other fish. I only ever had one so no schooling behavior.

I kept my tank to one clown. I do not buy the "they get lonely", or "they're happier in pairs"...I think people anthropormophize clowns a bit too much. When they pair up is when you have aggressive mating/breeding behaviors. Mine is a model citizen, has a territory but limited to the anemone only and really doesn't defend that aggressively at all. He's very active, eats well, gets along with others...no signs of being "lonely" - doesn't pine away in the corner writing bad poetry and drinking too much. I also selected an Oscellaris and not a heavily bred variant that tend to more aggressive.

Yellow Watchman goby with tiger shrimp was excellent (recently died) for activity. However, the tiger shrimp had a tendency to use live snails to decorate their den...he didn't kill them outright, but stuck them securely so they couldn't get out. I would go with smaller pistol next time. Goby defended burrow, but never to point of nipping.

Tailspot blenny is just adorable - lots of movement extremely peaceful. Firefish as well but less movement.

Bangaii Cardinalfish are supposed to be semi- aggressive - never saw it. Just hid in back (both ones I've had did that) so not too active for me.

Also had a pink streaked wrasse (hard to find lately as I want another). Again, peaceful with lots of activity always hunting for morsels.

Hope this helps...Good Luck!

 

[RobB'z Reef]

This red fin fairy wrasse I have is flasher type I believe and he's awesome darting around the tank displaying his cool spiked fins all the time.

 

[Arabyps]

Your experience with anthias is not mine. But, I don't have chromis with them. My anthias (3 Dispar) are model citizens and very active albeit you need to have a regular feeding schedule (at least twice per day) to keep them satiated and healthy. They are among the best and most beautiful group of fish in the tank. They live with a diverse group including: Yellow Belly Blue Tang, Marginalis Butterfly, Regal Angel, Blue Throat Trigger, bonded pair of Red Hawkfish, bonded pair of Snowflake Clownfish, 2 black mollies, 2 striped dartfish, and a blenny. During the day they are generally all out and about except for the dartfish (which tend to hide until feeding) and the Hawkfish which perch and wait.

 

[PeterC99]

Here’s a Sohal Tang I added with Foxface, Orange Shoulder, and Sailfin Tangs. Added him after the others were well established and got him a smaller than the others. Behaves very well!

 

[Jimbo662]

Scissor Tail Gobies. I had 5 that, once comfortable in the tank and around me, swam together in open water.

 

[Waters]

Can't go wrong with any of the non aggressive wrasses.

 

[Zionas]

Sorry about the loss of the wrasse and goby. How long did you have them and what happened to them?

 

[X-37B]

My 120 has 6 blue green chromis, going on 2 years, 2 blue eyed anthias, and my most active is my convict tang.
Also 2 clowns
Pajama cardinal
Tomini tang
Pixi hawkfish

 

[uhgster1]

Canary and Midas blennies. Always out and don’t bother or are bothered by anyone.

 

[nim6us]

Wow thanks for all the great suggestions! From the consensus it sounds like a few wrasse may be the ticket!

 

[BostonReefer300]

Wow thanks for all the great suggestions! From the consensus it sounds like a few wrasse may be the ticket!

I have lots of fish in my 300G---love some, neutral about some, and hate some. In the love category are my three yellow coris wrasses. They are very peaceful with each other and other tank mates. Very active and add great color to the tank. Very functional as they will eat many pests (I'll never have a flatworm problem). Fun to watch them hunt solo, in a group, and tagging along behind any sand sifters. Only problem: mine will murder any small nassarius snail that pops up. You also definitely need sand for them to burrow at night.