WEEKLY DISCUSSION : Recommend a fish or two

[jman785]

What kind of fish, would you recommend for a beginner?
(If you list a fish, please include its information, like a profile, aggressive, reef compatible...etc)

I'll start with these two fish :fish: :fish: :D

Banggai Cardinalfish:
Minimum Tank Size: 30 Gallons
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Size: Up to 3" Max
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Meat eater (meaty frozen foods, and some flakes and brine)
Origin: Indonesia

Blue/Green Reef Chromis:
Minimum Tank Size: 30 Gallons
Temperament: Peaceful (normally)
Size: Up to 3" Max
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Omnivore (frozen foods, and herbivore flakes and brine)
Origin: Indonesia, Tahiti , Coral Sea

[gman0526]

Royal Gramma
Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallons
Temperament Semi-agressive (Territorial)
Size: Up to 3"
Reef compatible: Yes
Diet: Omnivore mainly meaty foods
Origin: Carribbean

Clarkii Clownfish
Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallons
Temperament: Aggressive towards other anemonefish/ peaceful with others
Size: Up to 5"
Reef compatible: Yes
Diet: Omnivorous
Origin:Indo-Pacific

[Sugar Magnolia]

Bicolor Blenny
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperment: Peaceful
Size: Up to 4"
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Herbivore
Origin: Indio Pacific

Yellow Watchman Goby
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Temperment: Peaceful
Size: Up to 3"
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Maldives, Sri Lanka

[Frick-n-Frags]

royal gramma or other basslet.(see description above :D) easy to care for, eat well

I am very biased against anything in the damselfish family as they tend to kill each other off, although clownfish seem very easy to care for and not vicious fish, so I would say a clown.(see description above)

Loinfish are easy as heck to care for too. They only have to eat once or twice a week.
-small ones like the dwarves can live in small tanks
-totally reef friendly
-size 2" to 15" depending upon species
-fearless and quickly learn who feeds them then they are beggars :D

*caution poisonous spines


My overall recommendation is to not select fish that have competing niches.

For example:
Pick a rock habitat fish(royal gramma for ex) and a water column fish like a Banghaii and they will ignore each other, but a hawk and a RG will often have problems if they both like the same rock etc. If fish don't naturally compete, they will get along better.

[jman785]

For example:
Pick a rock habitat fish(royal gramma for ex) and a water column fish like a Banghaii and they will ignore each other, but a hawk and a RG will often have problems if they both like the same rock etc. If fish don't naturally compete, they will get along better.

I like this explanation. Never thought of it that way...I'll have to add that into an article I'm writing soon, if you wouldn't mind :)

[raynoldsk]

Would someone comment on the following fish, please? (I'm planning ahead, here.)

Purple pseudochromis

Green clown goby (These sound as if they might be microscopic)

Neon goby (Says they act as cleaners. I like a fish that works for a living.)

Six-line wrasse (Do these fish jump? Most of the other wrasses have a caution to cover the tank, but not this one. Is this the only non-jumper, or did they just leave that past out of the description?)

[Frick-n-Frags]

It's all yours jman :)

[Sugar Magnolia]

Six Line Wrasse

Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Temperment: Peaceful
Size: Up to 3"
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Fiji, Indio-Pacific

Neon Goby

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Temperment: Peaceful
Size: Up to 2"
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Mostly tank raised

Green Clown Goby

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Temperment: Peaceful
Size: Up to 1 1/2"
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Indio-Pacific

Purple Pseudochromis

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperment: Semi-aggresive
Size: Up to 3"
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Indio-Pacific

Six lines tend not to be jumpers. Clown gobies are tiny, but awfully darned cute!

[raynoldsk]

Thanks, Sugar. Green clowns are cute and tiny, aren't they?

And thanks for telling me the six-lines aren't jumpers--don't want any Houdini fish.

For reef tanks those are some pretty good recommendations all. Since you all have pretty much covered the reef set up....I will recommend a couple of an agreesive or FO or FOWLR.

For FO/FOWLR, I really like the Miniatus Grouper if you have a 100 gallon plus tank. They can potentially reach a length of 16 inches bust as far as groupers go one of the smaller ones, especially when compared to a Panther Grouper! They are really colorful, active for a Grouper as they dont spend too much time hiding and skulking. They seem to have a lot of character personality wise too.

For the Eel Freaks out there with FOWLR a good Eel that I like other than the Snow Flake which is so common its a staple im most LFS's is the Jewel Moray Eel. Nice little Eel that stays under about 24 inches and is a true Moray Eel. It has a nice Gray back ground that has a little bluish hue to it, with pale yellow spots all over, thats the best way to discribe it.

I have both and they have been wonderful additions to my collection.