The TOP 3 fish for your saltwater reef aquarium are...

[SeaMaiden92]

a. Hagfish (Myxini) - It has a slime that it expels in a defense mechanism. I guess I'd prefer not to channel Peter Venkman and have to say, "He slimed me!" The cleanup would not be pretty either.

b. Angler fish (Linophrynidae) - I prefer not to have a carnivorous fish with large teeth that can reach 3 feet in length. Beyond preservation of my limbs that may enter the tank, if I wanted a "night light" in the tank, I'd get luminous jelly fish or shrimp.

c. Monkfish (Lophius) - Another fish that grows from 3-5 feet; however, it has the major negative of being able to swallow fish its own size or slightly bigger due to an extensible stomach. Strangely enough, I prefer fish that do not consume the rest of the tank population. The shape may enable it to hug the bottom and vacuum up my friends and tank budget.

Luckily, there are plenty of beauty challenged fish that are size appropriate, non-slimming, and will not eat your other inhabitants. You should find a "cute" one among them.

Yours in no fish shaming,
Jim

Hahaha yeah they don't sound like much fun! There are some dwarf anglers that would fit in my tank, but they wouldn't be compatible with my current fish. I really want to find a cute "ugly" fish eventually though.

 

[Reef_prop88]

1) Blue Hippo Tang - Ever since I was a kid I always thought this was one of the coolest looking fish with its dark blue coloration and it's also really cool to see them constantly grazing on the rock.

2) Lightening Maroon Clownfish - Mainly for their color and the fact that a clownfish in their Anemone is one of the coolest things you can have in a tank.

3) Green Chromis - Even though I already picked a clownfish which is technically in the damsel family I'm gonna go with the Green Chromis mainly because I enjoy their peaceful nature and the fact they like to school. The way the lights hit them in a properly lit reef tank gives them great coloration also in my opinion.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Sea maiden said
I really want to find a cute "ugly" fish eventually though.

I used to have a Starry blenny, it is cute, but definitively not beautiful. I had it about 3 years, but returned to the store, because I wanted to grow macroalgae, and it would eat it.

My 3 favorite are difficult to choose. I voted for clown, foxface and wrasse, I have a six line.
But my elfli angel and hyppo tank are tied in a very close 4th place.

But my wish fish though would be
Achiles Tang, any butterfly and seahorses.

 

[Bepis]

Gotta go with these

Angelfish: tie between bandit and scribbled

Tang: Achilles white cheek hybrid

Wrasse: lineatus wrasse

 

[SeaMaiden92]

Sea maiden said
I really want to find a cute "ugly" fish eventually though.

I used to have a Starry blenny, it is cute, but definitively not beautiful. I had it about 3 years, but returned to the store, because I wanted to grow macroalgae, and it would eat it.

My 3 favorite are difficult to choose. I voted for clown, foxface and wrasse, I have a six line.
But my elfli angel and hyppo tank are tied in a very close 4th place.

But my wish fish though would be
Achiles Tang, any butterfly and seahorses.

Starry blennies are really cute, but I don't know if would it would be compatible with the two spot blenny I already have.

 

[The Fry]

1. Maroon clownfish - When I went to get my bottled bac yesterday, I fell in love with these guys even more. The female was a full grown 6 incher! And the personality these guys have...... I used to wonder if saltwater had a replacement of oscars (till yesterday were my fav fish, and i kept 4 of em for 8 years before a power shortage wiped them ), turns out, maroon clowns are the saltwater oscars. Right now, Im half considering stopping my cycling 13.5 gal and getting a 30 gal JUST for a pair of maroons. The gold nugget has to be my fav variety. The white stripe is a close second. That doesnt mean I hate percs and occys. I love them too! It would be the platinum perc and the darwin occy (just two of the many that i love). Just love all the clowns xd.

2. Gobies - The derpiest fish on Earth. Just love their stupid little faces and the symbiosis with pistol shrimps (shrimp gobies). WIthin gobies, this is my list : a. Yasha Goby b. Engineer Goby c. Neon Goby

3. Angelfish - Again, I might not be able to keep these in the near future. But I love dwarf angels. The midnight dwarf angel, the flame angel, tibican angel, pygmy angel etc. I love the monstrous biggies too, the Koran, the emperor, cortez, scribbled and the west african. Ive come to learn a lot about saltwater fish over the past 5 months, and Ive started loving a lot too! But its a shame that i cant keep 90% of them maybe in the future, maybe.......

 

[i cant think]

My top three are:
Wrasse (Tied): Both variants of my lubbocki fairies are in my tank and thrive together, I can’t pick between just one though so it has to be both the Cebu and Indonesian variants.
Foxface: My magnificent foxface is my favourite fish in the tank but my second favourite is a VERY close tie, the two fairies are my third favourites.
Other (Tilefish!!): How can you forget the fish we all love and hate for their jumpiness? I love my flashing tilefish and have never seen so much character in such a small fish, even blennies can’t compare to these guys.

 

[Squidward]

I know tangs are very much loved , but why is it every time I buy a tang it’s like I just wiped my butt with a $50 bill ? they seem to be preloaded with diseases like Ick ! they just die for no reason even in an aquarium with algae in it . Tangs are too fragile and too expensive . the algae eating they’re supposed to be about I never see it and I always end up in the tank with my hands and a toothbrush doing what they’re supposed to do . Ranting here .

If you qurantine, you can keep any tang successfully ...that is as long as you provide a big enough tank for them.

 

[Elliott ll]

I think everyone here should rethink Butterflyfish and add them to your tank... I have a Margined Coralfish, Copperband, and Yellow Longnose butterfly in my new reef tank. Their movements and abilities to fight aiptasia in a reef tank are very important. Their snouts are also able to clean between rockwork where no other fish can access. In my opinion you are really missing out without Butterflyfish...

If you ever have issues getting a Butterflyfish to feed all you need are some clams or cockles.

Would have to put Regal Angelfish and my baby Emperor Angelfish at #2 spot. Followed by the tangs at #3: Purple, Naso, Blue.

 

[randalli]

1 - Dragonets - fav: S Ocellatus - I love me those little creatures. They hop around in my tank like little dogs. They are friendly as hell and even though they are mostly grey/white the male can become a real colourful beauty within seconds. These fish don't need flashy colours to be beautiful
2 - Blennies - fav: E. Stigmatura & E. Bicolor - Those beautiful cheeky little jerks with their big eyes. Can you be mad at them? They always think they are the king in of the reef but really aren't. I just love when they lay around on their Monti-balcony and watch the tank like old people look out the window and watch the street all day
3 - Gobies - fav: Symbiotic Gobies - They are always on the lookout for their weaponised friend while looking bored as hell even when the Shrimp is pushing them around or almost burying them under sand. Their mouths are formed in a way that makes them look a bit ticked all the time. My Yellow Watchman is called "Jaque" because all he misses is a moustache and a hat while he constantly look like "Sacre bleu I don't like it here. Merde"

 

[The_Skrimp]

Well I only have five fish total so I picked just one. Even though my other fish actually earn their keep (eating algae or pests) my yellow watchmen gobi is the only one who is a model citizen. He doesn’t steal food from coral or bully other fish. He just sits on his stoop all day looking after his shrimp and yells at anyone who gets to close.

 

[Bpb]

Provided the tank is large enough, you cannot beat anthias for color, and tangs/rabbitfish for algae control. If forced to only pick from 3 types, those would be the ones.

 

[DDMN]

Powder Blue Tang
Potters Angelfish
Mystery Wrasse

 

[jmorignot]

Coral Beauty - I love its colors and character - He is the big boy
Diamond Watchman Goby - He is not the most beautiful, but I love the attitude - He is looking straight at you "You've got a problem?" and he keeps my white sand super clean. Really fun fish
6-Line Wrasse - He is the police officer of the tank. All my fish are semi-aggressive, he keeps everyone in check.

 

[Hud]

Clownfish because what’s a reef tank without clowns

Tangs really any tang they are active, colorful, and have a lot of personality

Niger Triggerfish they have a dog like personality

 

[Sleepingtiger]

1. Regal Angel
2. Pyramid Butterfly
3. Pink Square Anthias
4. Asfur Angel
5. Copperband Butterfly
6. Sohal Tang
7. Emperor Angel
8. Flame Angel
9. Orchid Dottyback
10. Powder blue tang

 

[coral_joe]

Coral Beauty Angel - best ever.

6 Line Wrasse - best personality.

Neon Goby - other fish line up for a bath like a car wash!

 

[design.maddie]

Anthias, Wrasse, Dottyback.

I have never kept an Anthias so no real info on them. Wrasse and Dottyback are the same characters in my mind. Both can turn aggressive, both are vibrant, both live in and amongst the rocks.

 

[dhanking]

I really like filefish. The radial filefish is great

 

[Spicy Reef]

If you can get them from a single clutch...