Reef safe fish that swim around??

[linelife1474]

right now I have 2 true percula clowns 10 hermit crabs one emerald crab and about 12 ghost shrimp my clowns don't move too far from left corner of tank and looking for something to add color and that will move around and that is reef safe any ideas would be greatly appreciated As I am new to the hobby

Thanks

[heathlindner25]

Tank size?

[vhuang168]

How big is your tank? Dimensions would help determine what fish you can have which will help narrow down what suggestions you will receive.

[linelife1474]

55 gallon with 30 gallon sump\ refugium

[fairl80z]

Angelfish , a Pygmy angel

[dowjones1221]

Dottybacks have some really nice colors and the common ones are on the cheaper end. Dartfish/Firefish also have some really nice colors, also on the cheaper side.

[linelife1474]

Was looking at the pygmy are they really reef safe?? Any experience with them

[reefbroao]

Angels are not reef safe. people may have luck with them but they will nip at corals by nature. You're looking at a 50/50 shot that they'll eat your corals .

[linelife1474]

Dottybacks and dart\firefish are jumpers correct don't have a lid and last thing I want is to find on floor and my cat eating them lol

[linelife1474]

Yah 50/50 is not something I want to risk thanks

[fairl80z]

I've never had a problem with any of my pygmys , they are reef safe with caution .

[Taahirs]

Most fish can jump. Best you get a cover. Fairy wrasse are awesome.

[reefbroao]

Yes with caution but i'm not about to say oh well when it eats my cali tort. At least my LFS says that its just not worth it if you have expensive corals.

[vhuang168]

Angelfish , a Pygmy angel


Not always reef safe.

Blennirs, Royal Gramma, Chalk Bass (any of the basslets), Pygmy wrasse, flasher wrasse, cardinal fish. Lots of choices.

Look through liveaquaria.com and take note of the recommended tank sizes, find some that you like then come back with a list because not all fish get along well together and you can easily overstock a tank.

[eddiereefs]

Royal gramma

[b7fig]

Most of your smaller reef safe wrasses swim around.

As firefish recommendations, all of mine have always hid all day until feeding time. I see them maybe once or twice a day for 5 minutes.

[reefbroao]

My melanurus is active when hes not burrowed. My foxface is also quite active. McCoskers are great wrasse as well very active.

[linelife1474]

Thanks guys for all the help got some more information to search with thanks again

[linelife1474]

What kind of cover? I see many tanks with no cover on them

[Dkuhlmann]

I agree with the McCosker's wrasse and I also suggest a Golden Midas Blenny. I've got both and the Midas Blenny is fast becoming my favorite fish.

Here is a crappy phone picture of my McCoskers I can post a picture of the Midas Blenny if you would like.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=335777&thumb=1&d=1449659070

[gone fishin]

Just to be clear Angels of the Genicanthus genus are reef safe. However IMO they would not be suitable in a 55g. Good luck just my 2 cents

[AcroNewbie]

If your tank parameters (nutrient level in check, good lighting, flow etc.) are good you can always try adding an anemone so the clowns will host them, it is very interesting to watch, but do research on an anemone first to make sure you can keep one in your setup, as they are pretty delicate.

Easier options might include blue-green chromis (be careful as a school will eventually dwindle down to 1 or 2), a trio of the smaller anthias (resplendents, dispar, barlett's, they however require more frequent feedings of at least 3x a day), yellow-belly damsels (or "Azure damsels" on liveaquaria, make sure you get this kind as other types of damsels are more aggressive, this may not work with your clowns however), tomini tang are nice too and they eat algae.

Dwarf angels are nice but they may nip at your corals, so if you want a tank focusing on corals then angels are risky, if you want a tank focusing on fish then they will make great additions as they are colorful, active, and can be kept in a tank your size.

[linelife1474]

Tank is only a month old everything ammonia is 0 ppm nitrites is 0ppm nitrate is 0 ppm high range pH is 8.2 and have 2 powerheads + returns plenty of flow.. lights are the only thing I need to upgrade right now running two fluorescent bulbs. What is the purplish color I can't remember what it's called the other one is 6500 K white

[linelife1474]

And from what I've read you need at least 6 months of tank running and good parameters to have a anemone

[linelife1474]

McCosker's wrasse are beautiful I'm just worried that they will nip at corals will do some more research on them before I make any decisions and I love gobys and Benny's but they eat pods correct? I know that a tank my size will not reproduce the pods to keep them happy and full..

[anthonys51]

wrasse are jumpers. So if i were you , if you get any, i would get a plastic see threw screen cover

[AcroNewbie]

And from what I've read you need at least 6 months of tank running and good parameters to have a anemone

True I would wait on the anemone and go with other fishes/options for now, but a year down the line maybe consider an anemone if your parameters are still stable and good. Good luck!

[Dkuhlmann]

McCoskers do not nip on corals, they're totally reef safe in that regard.

All fish can and usually will eat pods if they're available. It all depends on the fish you're talking about. Don't lump all gobies and blennies in the same group as they're all different with different eating habits.

[linelife1474]

OK I'm sorry really new so lots to learn I will see if any lfs have any in stock this weekend thanks for all the help

[linelife1474]

wrasse are jumpers. So if i were you , if you get any, i would get a plastic see threw screen cover

Where can you find these not having any luck with Google search or is this something I need to make?

[anthonys51]

I went to bulk reef supply and bought the plastic screen. But assemble required fyi

[reefbroao]

mccoskers wont nip, blennies and gobys will eay mysis and algae depending on the species.

my favorite was my flametail blenny he would eat algae strips from my hand.
stary blenny, lawnmower blenny.

wrasse hasnt tried to jump at all but its all for piece of mind. I bought a sheet of egg crate for $14 cut it to size and thats my lid so it doesnt effect my light plus its fits perfectly AND i have a ton left over for if I want a diy frag rack.

[linelife1474]

I went to bulk reef supply and bought the plastic screen. But assemble required fyi

I built my stand so I think I could take it on at least I hope so thanks

[BrickFishHouse]

So here's the challenge:

The nature of reef keeping being a hobby means that there is a lot of information and opinion on every subject. So it is easy to get overwhelmed, confused, or even misled.

To add to it, there are exceptions to just about every accepted norm. LOL!

So you're going along the right path... and if you can see some other people's tanks and hear their experiences, you'll get an even deeper understanding.

You can learn a lot in a conversation with someone about their tank.

Myself, I like to keep things simple and functional. I like having a sand sifting goby, and a tang which isn't yellow. I'm a sail fin and kole junkie.

I really like the yellow fox face.

A small fleet of cardinals is nice (although there will most likely be some losses).

I've grown to like melanarus wrasse, but too many like to play "flip the snail."

Blennies can be pretty cool, too.

Hope this helps!
(and that it doesn't add to the confusion!!!)

[linelife1474]

So here's the challenge:

The nature of reef keeping being a hobby means that there is a lot of information and opinion on every subject. So it is easy to get overwhelmed, confused, or even misled.

To add to it, there are exceptions to just about every accepted norm. LOL!

So you're going along the right path... and if you can see some other people's tanks and hear their experiences, you'll get an even deeper understanding.

You can learn a lot in a conversation with someone about their tank.

Myself, I like to keep things simple and functional. I like having a sand sifting goby, and a tang which isn't yellow. I'm a sail fin and kole junkie.

I really like the yellow fox face.

A small fleet of cardinals is nice (although there will most likely be some losses).

I've grown to like melanarus wrasse, but too many like to play "flip the snail."

Blennies can be pretty cool, too.

Hope this helps!
(and that it doesn't add to the confusion!!!)

Ha yes I agree so much info it's hard to keep up with it all. But I know to learn u have to ask ? And do research and I appreciate e everyone's opinion and options makes it a lot easier to know what to look for and what not to thanks everyone

[A1t2o]

I had a yellow coris wrasse that was really cool. He didn't survive the tank transfer when I moved, but he was really cool and I have been thinking about getting another. They are bright yellow and swim a lot. They eat bristle worms, but can eat small feather dusters too. It was really fun to watch him swim. Just make sure you have a couple inches of sand bed for him to sleep in.

[igot2gats]

Occellaris Clownfish

[Bent]

55g is too small for any tang including Bristletooths. I went down that path. Just not enough room.

All red firefish I've ever had just either hide until time to eat or sit in the corner. However, some other darts can be active like zebras.
My clown just chills under the overflow all day.

I suggest a school of smaller anthias like threadfins. Just know you will have to make sure they eat dry and set up an auto feeder. I use the Eheim. It's cheap and effective.

I have a single lyretail male in my 55g and he is very active. But he's too big and I may try to gift him to someone with a larger tank.

[ViktorVaughn]

I'd recommend a fairy or flasher wrasse. Best fish out there in my opinion. Most stay small, all are very colorful and active. My lineatus, exquisite, and solerensis fairy wrasse are all model citizens and my favorite fish. They are very agile and swim through crevices in my rock I didn't know existed. Check out the solerensis, ought to be a good fit for your tank and meets all the requirements of your original post.

[BlackTip]

Flasher Wrasse. Awesome mid tank swimmer.

[babyduke]

Dottybacks are pretty mean. Firefish burrow under a rock and are sometime not seen for weeks. Royal gramma only swims around during feeding. I always find dwarf angels like bicolor or coral beauty to be pleasant to watch as they freely swim around like happy go lucky ways.

You want swimmers so I would stay away from any perching fish.

[Clownfish Chris]

55g is too small for any tang including Bristletooths. I went down that path. Just not enough room.

All red firefish I've ever had just either hide until time to eat or sit in the corner. However, some other darts can be active like zebras.
My clown just chills under the overflow all day.

I suggest a school of smaller anthias like threadfins. Just know you will have to make sure they eat dry and set up an auto feeder. I use the Eheim. It's cheap and effective.

I have a single lyretail male in my 55g and he is very active. But he's too big and I may try to gift him to someone with a larger tank.

Yah, I am holding a sailfin that was in a 75 with several other fish. There were problems with nutrients and aggression. Once the fish was removed, all the smaller fish were much happier. Once the tang has a new home im sure he will be much better off as well.

I like Dottybacks, Anthias, and Basslets like were mentioned above. Dartfish are pretty cool too! I feel you should always have a screen or canopy. I learned that lesson the hard way.

[Bent]

Yah, I am holding a sailfin that was in a 75 with several other fish. There were problems with nutrients and aggression. Once the fish was removed, all the smaller fish were much happier. Once the tang has a new home im sure he will be much better off as well.

I like Dottybacks, Anthias, and Basslets like were mentioned above. Dartfish are pretty cool too! I feel you should always have a screen or canopy. I learned that lesson the hard way.

Yeah those yellow basslets are cool!

[atraperegrinus]

my chalk basslet is all over the tank all the time, between him and my orchid dottyback it keeps my tank pretty lively.

[CStrickland]

My chalk bass is my fav swimmer. He was my first fish and tolerated a lot of dumb mistakes like untreated tap water, temp swings, salinity fails etc.

My melanurus has been very hardy too, and def adds color and movement, but idk, I think he is going to be happier when I upgrade. A 55 is supposed to be enough but he just goes back and forth all day. It looks boring. Wrasses don't need pods like some fish, they just eat them if they are around.

My firefish are chill, they don't hide. They don't swim around much either, they sort of hover in the flow from a powerhead and glide across the tank once in a while. Really pretty fish though. Even the really cheap ones are awesome looking in person.

blue-green chromis were cool while they lasted, but they didn't last.

Note that when you say reef-safe it means that they won't eat coral, but you might want to consider your CUC as well. My melanurus assassinated all my snails, one day he flipped a switch and started eating them. I'm down to a conch, urchins and chitons plus an algae blenny. I got lucky in that he timed it for after my uglies had passed, I needed the snails more in the first couple months to eat my diff algae blooms so its nbd now.

[jrr98002]

+1 on a few of the things said above: angels risky for reef tank, get a top of some kind, my wrasses are colorful and fun and swim everywhere, dartfish too (both of these are notorious jumpers moreso than others so do so after the 'get a top' suggestion), my Banggai cardinals tend to just hover but are still neat, blennies also tend to be good (my Midas was a blast until he passed)

[linelife1474]

Wow so much to look at and so many decisions.. another ? Guys my clown don't like food I am giving them

[reefbroao]

just get frozen mysis

[Dkuhlmann]

I highly recommend NLS (New Life Spectrum) pellets. If your clowns are small get the .5 mm as the 1 mm might be too large for them. I also agree with the frozen mysis and there are prepared frozen mixes LRS is one of the best known ones and they are a very good mix of frozen seafood. My clowns won't eat flake food but gobble up the NLS pellets. My Hector's goby will only eat the NLS pellets and doesn't touch any of the frozen that I feed my tank.

[callsign4223]

You might check out the Lemon Chromis on live aquaria. I just picked up a few as an alternative because they were out of blue/green chromis on black friday when I made my purchase. I have had blue/green before and I can say I really like the look and activity of these Lemons better. I am only hoping that they don't pull the usual chromis trick and start killing each other. I got 3 for a 110 gallon 48lx30hx18d and that seems like about the right density.

The yellow coloration on them is VERY faint under my lighting, but that doesn't bother me.