When your wife Hates Wrasses. Whats your go to for smaller reef safe fish ( 72 gallon)

[southerntnreefer]

SO weve got fish in the tank, will be adding more down the line. Hawkfish will be last for many reasons, however were thinking other smaller fish to zoom around. My go to would be 2 or 3 fairy wrasses, but i need other ideas.

Current stock is:

Pair of clowns
Small One Spot Foxface
Bi Color Blenny
2 Captive Bred Kaudrens Cardinalfish
a few reef chromis.

WIll be adding a flame hawk, and we like the looks of the zebra barred darts too, but what else would you suggest... My wife is super into the hobby, so we want the most color we can get.

 

[eggplantparrot]

why she so anti wrasses??

i say drop the wife and get them wrasses!!!

 

[Crashnt24]

Yasha goby/peppermint pistol
Neon goby
Hector's goby
Single lyretail blue eyed anthias
Tomini tang
Pearly jawfish
Flame angelfish
Royal Gramma Basslet
Black cap Basslet
Any of the dottybacks

 

[southerntnreefer]

why she so anti wrasses??

i say drop the wife and get them wrasses!!!

No idea, personally one less pod eater in the tank where we want a mandarin isnt exactly a horrible thing LOL

 

[southerntnreefer]

Yasha goby/peppermint pistol
Neon goby
Hector's goby
Single lyretail blue eyed anthias
Tomini tang
Pearly jawfish
Flame angelfish
Royal Gramma Basslet
Black cap Basslet
Any of the dottybacks

We considered a Coral Beauty as this will be ( soon actually) a coral tank. Taking it slow with this one, so i havent gotten any coral, and i know that Flame are worse about eating, and we both have a expensive acan tooth... and I love welsos and scolys....
Considering a royal gramma. Ive had one before, and one was super active, until it got cut in 2 by a rouge emerald crab. Second one hid all the time....

 

[TheWB]

SO weve got fish in the tank, will be adding more down the line. Hawkfish will be last for many reasons, however were thinking other smaller fish to zoom around. My go to would be 2 or 3 fairy wrasses, but i need other ideas.

Current stock is:

Pair of clowns
Small One Spot Foxface
Bi Color Blenny
2 Captive Bred Kaudrens Cardinalfish
a few reef chromis.

WIll be adding a flame hawk, and we like the looks of the zebra barred darts too, but what else would you suggest... My wife is super into the hobby, so we want the most color we can get.

I have zebra barred dartfish and while I like them their colors really don’t seem to pop if you run your lights on the blue side. My lighting is pretty blue and the detail of the pink bars on the sides doesn’t come out as much. I’ve seen them at the LFS under whiter light and they look better with that IMO. Hope that helps.

 

[garbled]

Bar gobies
any kind of dartfish/dart goby

I have a group of 9 bar gobies, and they are just awesome. They pair up, but are super peaceful, swim all over the middle of the tank, show off, and have really nice coloration, with some deep electric blues. They like to sleep in the sand, but are mostly out and about all day long.

 

[Crashnt24]

We considered a Coral Beauty as this will be ( soon actually) a coral tank. Taking it slow with this one, so i havent gotten any coral, and i know that Flame are worse about eating, and we both have a expensive acan tooth... and I love welsos and scolys....
Considering a royal gramma. Ive had one before, and one was super active, until it got cut in 2 by a rouge emerald crab. Second one hid all the time....

I have never had a coral beauty, but the two flame angels I had never nipped at any of my corals. Maybe I just kept them fat because of my overfeeding lol.

 

[southerntnreefer]

I have zebra barred dartfish and while I like them their colors really don’t seem to pop if you run your lights on the blue side. My lighting is pretty blue and the detail of the pink bars on the sides doesn’t come out as much. I’ve seen them at the LFS under whiter light and they look better with that IMO. Hope that helps.

My lights are on the bluer side, but i do run my whites at like 36ish percent on my Hydras. How active are they?

 

[southerntnreefer]

I have never had a coral beauty, but the two flame angels I had never nipped at any of my corals. Maybe I just kept them fat because of my overfeeding lol.

I like the idea of a captive bred coral beauty... never seen the ocean or a coral... My wife loves Flames, but the flame hawk will give us that red pop.

 

[Bfragale]

We considered a Coral Beauty as this will be ( soon actually) a coral tank. Taking it slow with this one, so i havent gotten any coral, and i know that Flame are worse about eating, and we both have a expensive acan tooth... and I love welsos and scolys....
Considering a royal gramma. Ive had one before, and one was super active, until it got cut in 2 by a rouge emerald crab. Second one hid all the time....

Hello- just wanted to share- I’ve had two different coral beauties in two different tanks- both were model citizens. When it comes to angel fish- personally I think the coral beauty it the best bet. Although ANY angel fish can pick at corals- just my experience is the coral beauty’s I’ve had have not bothered any corals. If you’re going to try an angel I think a Cora beauty is a good choice. And it’s a beautiful fish and both mine had cool personalities and are very active.
Good luck and happy reefing!

 

[Crashnt24]

I like the idea of a captive bred coral beauty... never seen the ocean or a coral... My wife loves Flames, but the flame hawk will give us that red pop.

Yeah I'm lacking a good red pop in my tank currently. Thinking about a red mandarin

 

[TheWB]

My lights are on the bluer side, but i do run my whites at like 36ish percent on my Hydras. How active are they?

Mine are pretty active. I have two and they spend a good amount of time swimming in the water column. They do like to dart in and out of their burrow as well. They will school as I believe was mentioned by someone else, so if you get several that can be a real nice feature of your tank.

 

[PeterC99]

Melanurus Wrasse is very colorful and has rid my tank of bristle worms. Requires sand and does stir it up every so often - which helps keep it clean. Doesn't bother other fish or corals.

 

[sp1187]

swallowtail/lyretail damsel.
black with blue & yellow trim

 

[nereefpat]

Any of the Meiacanthus blennies would be a good substitute

 

[southerntnreefer]

Yeah I'm lacking a good red pop in my tank currently. Thinking about a red mandarin

Those are super cool too!

 

[southerntnreefer]

Melanurus Wrasse is very colorful and has rid my tank of bristle worms. Requires sand and does stir it up every so often - which helps keep it clean. Doesn't bother other fish or corals.

Had one in my 90, and then in my 220. Likely my favorite Wrasse of all time! its a good replacement to me for a leopard, that im scared to keep

 

[southerntnreefer]

Any of the Meiacanthus blennies would be a good substitute

I have a bi color already, will that work?

 

[nereefpat]

I have a bi color already, will that work?

Yes, it shouldn't be a problem. These are open water plankton eaters.