What is the Most Vivid Colored Fish Thats Reef Safe

[Heater_Engineer]

Hi all, maybe you can help me with my problem:

My wife and I where at the LFS and she spotted a Coral Beauty and she wanted it. I explained to here what these pygmy angels could do in my reef tank with corals and such. I must say she was disappointed. So in your opinion what reef safe fish can I purchase the duplicates or surpasses the vivid colors of the pygmy angels.

My current set up is 125 gal stocked:

(1)fire fish
(1)fox face
(1)harbor goby
(2)percula clowns<mated>
(1)spotted hawkfish
(1)cleaner shrimp
(3)peppermint shrimp
(1)mithrax crab.

Everyones help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks..............Stacy

[Mermaid]

She should like a Six Line Wrasse which would be good in your tank if you have some Copepods. They also pick on Hair Algae.

I have not had one of these, but would like to one day: Scott's Fairy Wrasse. I know some on this board have them and love them.

Royal Gramma is a beautiful and hardy fish that is Reef Safe. They are cave-dwellers, so make sure you have a nice piece of Live Rock with a big cave in it for the fish to live in.

If you get another Cleaner Shrimp, you will have constant plankton from the eggs, which you already have from the Peppermints, but it is only good for the tank.

Mandarin Goby is good, but only if you have a good live sand bed full of copepods.

[Canadian]

It's rather small and inconspicuos but a Mandarin in a tank that size should fare well and is quite nicely colored. Not nearly as active, but certainly would be a nice addition if properly catered to.

Andrew

[goldengator]

H_E,
I dunno if you can say that pygmy angels are not reef safe. I have a cherub pygmy angel in my 37 gallon reef with no picking of corals. A friend has another type of pygmy angel in his 29 gallon reef with no adverse affects.

I think all individuals, be they fish or people :), have their own individual traits. JMO.

keith

[Heater_Engineer]

Keith, your right, not all pygmy angels will pick at coral. My concern would be that I would purchase an individual fish that would tend to enjoy munching my corals. I've got a friend who kept a flame for several months with no problems. I don't want to take the risk.

Thanks.......Stacy

[Dave]

I have a coral beauty who never picks.
He does eat of the back glass on some algae thats growing. Also the 6 line wrasse is great and they both look good.

[JennieK]

My coral beauty has behaved as well. From everything I've heard and read it's an individual fish kinda thing but I've consistently heard that generally coral beautys behave themselves, however, I don't blame you if you don't want to chance it! It's hard to solve the problem if you get a picker! Happy hunting!

Karen

[coralhound]

I have the same problem,
I am wanting more SWIMMERS
the two canidates at the top of my list are the madarin and the six line
the madarin is so cool looking, but doesnt swim around much, the sixline swims alot and also eats those pyamilde snails on clams (but he might eat some good smaller snails I have going as well)
I have a royal gramma and its very colorful but a bit reclusive (in his cave alot)
SO any suggestions for attractive swimmers out there?
I have a yellow tang, hippo tang and the royal gramma in a 75 reef thats 2 years old.
TIA
CH


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Please BUY captive bred marine life...
My website: Moon Tide Reefs (http://www.qis.net/~ckkuehn)

[coralhound]

oh forgot to say I was thinking of some percula clowns as well...

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Please BUY captive bred marine life...
My website: Moon Tide Reefs (http://www.qis.net/~ckkuehn)

[Staceon]

An orchid dottyback, plus they look real colorfull under the actenics, they almost look like a "black light" is on them.

[Joez]

Strawberry gramma

[Vins Fins]

red hawk fish

Vinny

[David Grigor]

Heater Engineer,

I agree totally with your logic. Dwarf Angels can be reef safe but no guarantee.

I commend you for not given into temptation with the Coral Beauty........

My recommendation may not quite fit the colorful fish bill as good as some but I really like the Bangaii Cardinals. It would do well with your firefish becuase it doesn't move about the tank as hyper as tangs, angels etc..... and stays quite visable most of the time.....




[This message has been edited by David Grigor (edited 04-25-2000).]

[rupture]

Are orchid dottybacks reef safe? I have a pair in my fish only, and I agree that the color of these fish is amazing. (tank raised fish, btw, from inland aquatics)

Plus having the pair is very cool. They spawn every 6-7 days!

[Evets]

Color...activity...one of the Flasher Wrasses may fit the bill. There "flight"iness is a concern, however.
-Steve

[bmw]

Well, Evets nailed it. But like he indicated,
better have a covered tank. Surprised no one else mentioned these.
b.

[Agu]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a tang for a 125. There is nothing more YELLOW than a yellow tang, and they're always out and about. Another choice would be a red sea purple tang, but they're kinda pricey. Either of these fish would add a lot of color and motion to a reef.

[goby]

for a 125?

what about tilefish? they are quite amazingly colored... radiant blue body with a striking yellow tail... long, sleek, torpedo looking reef safe fish..

I would worry about the tangs and the foxface getting along. Seems that they are known to squable

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It's all fun and games until someone looses and eye....
www.iag.net/~vigg (http://www.iag.net/~vigg)

[Ermin]

Check out Sunburst anthias....I'm planning to get two for my tank....

[coralhound]

will a pair of orchid dottybacks get along with a resident royal gramma in a 75?
again other mates would be hippo and yellow tangs.

Evets,
Flasher Wrasse? DO TELL DO TELL, I need to see what one looks like.

Ermin,
I will have to take a look at those Sunburst anthias is there a picture of them in any books? or online?

TIA
CH

------------------
Please BUY captive bred marine life...
My website: Moon Tide Reefs (http://www.qis.net/~ckkuehn)

[coralhound]

^
I have my REEF FISHES 500+ but niether are in there.

ANYONE?

------------------
Please BUY captive bred marine life...
My website: Moon Tide Reefs (http://www.qis.net/~ckkuehn)

[Macimage]

Coralhound-There are nine different flasher wrasses pictured on pages 306-309 of 500+. Joyce

[Bubafat]

psuedochromis diadema (spellings probably wrong but oh well). Its a dotty back that's yellow and purple, really cool. He was semi seclusive but i eventually got him to eat out of my hand, and he was very inquisitive. Hawkfish are way cool but they'll eat your shrimps, or even if it's too big they'll pick at it untill it stresses out enough and dies. Be careful with putting more then 1 psidochromis (dottyback or gramma) in a tank, they'll sometimes fight to the death. I wouldn't go with anthiases because of the fact that they get pretty big and they're a schooling fish (if my memory serves me right) so you're looking at a lot of big fishes if you want anthiases. No one has mentioned tangs!! Come on, a purple tang would look great, as would a longnosed black tang (same genera as yellow, zebramosa something something, can't spell that word). Or even something as simple as a group of 3 yellow's, that'd look way cool.

What ever you do, make sure you QUARENTENE your fish. It'd be real bad to have a nice setup, then throw in a fish and wipe out all the fishies.

Have fun
Buba

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Have fun and happy reefing. "The goal in life is to reach pure happieness." Aristotle

[Ermin]

Coralhound,

Check out the Sunburst anthias from FFexpress. Look under marine fish and anthias. They are listed. They don't get very big (2 1/2" max) and are very colorful.

[coralhound]

Ermin what I have been reading and hearing is that anthias, need 4 feedings a day MIN as they consume so much energy swimming around all the time.

I dont know about you but that would be quite difficult for me to accomplish.

CH

------------------
Please BUY captive bred marine life...
My website: Moon Tide Reefs (http://www.qis.net/~ckkuehn)

[Ermin]

Coralhound,
I think that's what they say about all anthias. Only thing about this anthias is that you'll need to acclimated them to stronger lighting. However, I have seen them under tanks with bright MH without any problem.

I know couple of my friend have kept anthias in their reef tanks for several years and only fed once a day. I'm not saying that's the way to do it...but in a reef tank, there are more things for them to find to eat. I feed my fish 3 times a day. Twice with a auto fish feeder and once at night with me putting in frozen food.