Small open water fish option/small group 3-4

[Joe13374]

Im looking for a little more active swimming fish in the open water and will be final fish addition. Smaller size would be better.

Tank: 145 Gallon Red Sea S 550

Current stock:
- 2 Clownfish
- 1 Royal Gramma
- Bristle Tooth Tang
- Foxface
- Lawn mower Blenny
- Diamond Goby
- Six Line Wrasse

I was going to do a few Chromis but worried about disease.

Would a Flame Angel be a good open swimmer?

Or can you recommend the last fish that are active and compatible with my tank, that are on the smaller side.

 

[littlefoxx]

Im looking for a little more active swimming fish in the open water and will be final fish addition. Smaller size would be better.

Tank: 145 Gallon Red Sea S 550

Current stock:
- 2 Clownfish
- 1 Royal Gramma
- Bristle Tooth Tang
- Foxface
- Lawn mower Blenny
- Diamond Goby
- Six Line Wrasse

I was going to do a few Chromis but worried about disease.

Would a Flame Angel be a good open swimmer?

Or can you recommend the last fish that are active and compatible with my tank, that are on the smaller side.

Flame angels like to swim around a lot and pick at rocks all day, much like your tang. Cardinals are good too, they really like to just float in the water! Or damsels/dottybacks. Your sixline just might be an issue adding new fish depending on how mean it is. Mine wasnt mean, but people say they are the devil

 

[littlefoxx]

I also got a fang blenny for my tank. He is really cool, open swimmer too!

 

[twentyleagues]

I like my scissortail dartfish. They do hide in the rocks from time to time but they are out a lot too. They typically hang out together and can be kept in groups. If I could get a healthy 8 or so of them they will go in my 180 for open water swimmers. The issues is one they dont always make it through QT and they "dart" sometime in a bad direction...so have a lid and make sure your overflow is covered with a way back to the water ask me how I know. Sorry dartfish that was my fault. The way the rub on each other and swim together makes them worth it though.

 

[Joe13374]

Flame angels like to swim around a lot and pick at rocks all day, much like your tang. Cardinals are good too, they really like to just float in the water! Or damsels/dottybacks. Your sixline just might be an issue adding new fish depending on how mean it is. Mine wasnt mean, but people say they are the devil

Yeah I have to be careful with the six line. He so far after 2yrs has been a model citizen in the tank. I was looking at cardinal fish too guy at the store told me they don't move around too much

 

[Joe13374]

I like my scissortail dartfish. They do hide in the rocks from time to time but they are out a lot too. They typically hang out together and can be kept in groups. If I could get a healthy 8 or so of them they will go in my 180 for open water swimmers. The issues is one they dont always make it through QT and they "dart" sometime in a bad direction...so have a lid and make sure your overflow is covered with a way back to the water ask me how I know. Sorry dartfish that was my fault. The way the rub on each other and swim together makes them worth it though.

I was so close to buying a few of these guys a while back. When you clean your tank have you ever had issues with them jumping out?

 

[littlefoxx]

Yeah I have to be careful with the six line. He so far after 2yrs has been a model citizen in the tank. I was looking at cardinal fish too guy at the store told me they don't move around too much

Yeah they dont really move around but mine always float out in the open and just hang out. I really like how they float personally, they look super cool!

 

[karsa]

I was so close to buying a few of these guys a while back. When you clean your tank have you ever had issues with them jumping out?

I’ve had a few of these and really like them but you have to be real careful. I have a tight lid and lost a few that jumped without notice during feeding or short time I lifted the lid. This was during the first few weeks of having them. After they settled down the ones I have left never jump. They’ll swim around my hand the whole time I’m doing tank maintenance.

 

[twentyleagues]

I was so close to buying a few of these guys a while back. When you clean your tank have you ever had issues with them jumping out?

Yes it can happen.

I’ve had a few of these and really like them but you have to be real careful. I have a tight lid and lost a few that jumped without notice during feeding or short time I lifted the lid. This was during the first few weeks of having them. After they settled down the ones I have left never jump. They’ll swim around my hand the whole time I’m doing tank maintenance.

This was my finding for the most part too, until the 3rd of my trio went missing the other day. I dont know what happened its just gone. It can not get in the overflow, it can not get out of the tank except on top of the overflow and that has a smooth acrylic lid that is angled now. My Tang sometimes charges other fish but never out right attacks so its possible he spooked it, but I have no body. Its possible that it just died and was taken care of by cuc. It was the largest of the 3. Yeah when feeding or doing tank maintenance they swim around and against my hand its pretty cool.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Anthias like to swim out in the open, very active, mostly peaceful, and colourful.

 

[jonelder68]

Anthias like to swim out in the open, very active, mostly peaceful, and colourful.

Just came to recommend ignitus Anthias. Smaller of the Anthias and are quickly becoming my new favorite fish. 3-5 females would be my suggestion.