If only one fish?
 

If you could choose just one fish (no others in a nano) for a 12 gallon SPS/LPS nano, what would it be?

It of course would need to be the highest possible reef safe fish - knowing they all have their own personalities and there are no promises/guarantees...

Harbour

I would either go with an angle fish or a dwarf lionfish.

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Picasso Clown

Thanks!

Keep those choices coming!

Harbour

something unique that you dont usually see in tanks. Granted such a small size limits you to what you could get, but i would think outside the box

I was on a similar hunt, and have chosen my fish, but have yet to find one to buy. I was repeatedly told that a yellow clown goby is perfect for tanks in the 10-gallon range. Reef-safe, hearty, colorful, full of personality, and gets along with everyone. My tank has been fishless for a loooong time waiting for one of those.

I had a yellow clown goby but it started nipping on my SPS! Didn't wait to see if he was actually causing damage.

Your mileage might vary.

Harbour

Any kind of clown fish

I wouldn't do a dwarf lion, a 7 inch carnivore is a big bioload. Look into red bandtail waspfish (Paracentropogon zonatus). Beautiful and unusual little waspfish, the only grow to around 3 inches so not a big bioload.

Clown


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Black capped basslet.

Boxfish


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Cool fish, I loved mine, but there is a good chance they'll nip SPS and also they are pretty small and fairly stationary. I had mine in a 19L (5 gal) pico tank and it didn't 'fill' the tank.

Good to know. I don't have any SPS, so hopefully it doesn't end up nipping anything else once I get it. I think a nice little splash of yellow will look good in my 9-gallon.

Appreciate all the suggestions.

Keep them coming...

Harbour

If you go yellow clown goby, I believe you *could* do a mated pair. They're bi-directional protogynous hermaphrodites....which means that "any two will do." They start out female and change to male, but it's not permanent; they can change sex to become a pair if the sexes aren't matched up right to begin with. The one caveat is that some folks say they're more likely to go to town on SPS to carve out a nesting site if they're a pair and start spawning...

I would go something very unusual. Either a Tanaka's Pygmy Wrasse or a very fancy variant of a clownfish

Yellow Prawn gobie or Orchard Dottiback
if clowns has to be pair

the 'designer' clowns are awesome. If you do clown(s), i would get 1 or 2 nice ones. Def dont get the cheap 10 false perculas lol

Thanks everyone. Had a designer clown that became a jumper. May consider another.

Are Orchard Dottibacks known to be jumpers, say like firefish?

Harbour

For the love of god do not get a yellow clown goby -- I am 3/3 with them nipping SPS coral.

Whoever says they are coral safe is smoking crack.

You can't go wrong with a standard clownfish if you are looking for a single fish. Get a cool designer one. Could also do any type of dartfish (firefish).

That said, if I were to do a single fish tank I would probably go with something unique like a wartskin angler =). Then with one of those in your tank you can get all the yellow clown gobies you want..

I've had my yellow clown goby in my SPS tank for about 1.5 years, no sign of him nipping yet! Sorry you had a poor experience.


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It is their natural behavior; my understanding is they naturally nest/lay eggs in acros.

The impact is fairly minimal if you have a large tank but if you only have a few frags you will see PE vanish with a goby around -- at least that was my experience and I have tried them 3 separate times now. I don't learn lessons apparently.

I would get a goby/pistol shrimp pair of your choosing. So much fun to watch, but not much in the water column. My favorite is the Black Ray Goby, but lots to choose from.

If you want more of a swimmer I would go with a Firefish or Clown.

I also like the goby/shrimp idea. I love my YWG and tiger pistol. My YWG comes out enough that it doesn't feel like I'm keeping a ghost, but is also elusive enough to add constant intrigue.

Love my orchid dottyback, which never seems to venture near the top at all, if you're worried about jumpers. Love the bright purple and black face mask. It skulks around the rockwork like a bandit, but will also come out into the open on occasion.