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I think I’ve discovered the best reef inhabitant, if you asked me before I’d probably say one of the many Labrids, and yes they’re beautiful fish but I think these beat them for many reasons.
Let’s see if you can guess it from this description.
Small, Shoalers, Unique Swimming habits, Peaceful and of course Reef Safe.
Did you guess it?
I’m talking about the Trimma species, specifically Trimma tevegae. These are stunning fish and actually instead of being like other trimma’s they’re more of an orange colour instead of red or brown. I introduced a pair to my RS Max Nano yesterday and have had no regrets at all. They’re rather shy at first however once settled they are excellent reef fish. Whilst Trimma species prefer to be kept in small groups of 3-5, they can be mixed with other species from the Trimma genus.
Now, whilst Anthias, Chromis and Wrasses can be kept in groups in most cases it doesn’t last long and they all begin killing eachother off, Trimma species don’t do this and make the hierarchy without all the aggression.
The way they can do this is Trimma species can change from male to female and female to male depending on what gender is needed. Now I’m pretty sure I have a mated pair as they have never left eachothers side however even when in groups, they all seem to stick near to eachother.
I also mentioned about how these are small, well Trimma species range in size from 1 inch to 2 inches so they are a great small shoaling fish for a nano tank. Due to their size, it is often recommended to keep them in nano tanks where there isn’t much flow however I believe you can keep them in larger tanks as long as there’s enough dead spots or weaker areas of flow (Such as in between large Acropora Colonies). Another issue with their size is getting food to them however as long as you have pods and enough micro fauna as well as the time to keep an eye on if they’re getting skinny or not I believe you should be alright. I have personally found that these will grab food going past them when settled and it does help if they’re CB however if WC then you should make sure they eat before taking them.
My favourite thing about them though is the swimming behaviours! Many of the Trimma species will often swim and be upright hovering in the water column. I have never seen a fish that swims quite like this and looks like it is just hovering in the water column with no signs of movement. The other thing is how they dart around instead of calmly swim to another area. You may see them in one spot but then even in just one blink they can vanish and be in another area. I look forward to building my acropora collection because of these guys, I would love to watch my pair darting around the branches. Another interesting thing is how my pair of Trimma tevegae seem to love over hangs and perching under them (Even more of a reason to build up my Acropora collection). If I remember correctly in the last photo, one of my pair is hanging upside down in their cave (Which actually had both of them in at the time - Only when the second poked its head out did I know it was a deep cave).
And here’s what we’ve all been waiting for… Photos!
Let’s see if you can guess it from this description.
Small, Shoalers, Unique Swimming habits, Peaceful and of course Reef Safe.
Did you guess it?
I’m talking about the Trimma species, specifically Trimma tevegae. These are stunning fish and actually instead of being like other trimma’s they’re more of an orange colour instead of red or brown. I introduced a pair to my RS Max Nano yesterday and have had no regrets at all. They’re rather shy at first however once settled they are excellent reef fish. Whilst Trimma species prefer to be kept in small groups of 3-5, they can be mixed with other species from the Trimma genus.
Now, whilst Anthias, Chromis and Wrasses can be kept in groups in most cases it doesn’t last long and they all begin killing eachother off, Trimma species don’t do this and make the hierarchy without all the aggression.
The way they can do this is Trimma species can change from male to female and female to male depending on what gender is needed. Now I’m pretty sure I have a mated pair as they have never left eachothers side however even when in groups, they all seem to stick near to eachother.
I also mentioned about how these are small, well Trimma species range in size from 1 inch to 2 inches so they are a great small shoaling fish for a nano tank. Due to their size, it is often recommended to keep them in nano tanks where there isn’t much flow however I believe you can keep them in larger tanks as long as there’s enough dead spots or weaker areas of flow (Such as in between large Acropora Colonies). Another issue with their size is getting food to them however as long as you have pods and enough micro fauna as well as the time to keep an eye on if they’re getting skinny or not I believe you should be alright. I have personally found that these will grab food going past them when settled and it does help if they’re CB however if WC then you should make sure they eat before taking them.
My favourite thing about them though is the swimming behaviours! Many of the Trimma species will often swim and be upright hovering in the water column. I have never seen a fish that swims quite like this and looks like it is just hovering in the water column with no signs of movement. The other thing is how they dart around instead of calmly swim to another area. You may see them in one spot but then even in just one blink they can vanish and be in another area. I look forward to building my acropora collection because of these guys, I would love to watch my pair darting around the branches. Another interesting thing is how my pair of Trimma tevegae seem to love over hangs and perching under them (Even more of a reason to build up my Acropora collection). If I remember correctly in the last photo, one of my pair is hanging upside down in their cave (Which actually had both of them in at the time - Only when the second poked its head out did I know it was a deep cave).
And here’s what we’ve all been waiting for… Photos!
