reef safe fish

[redemer123]

hey guys i was just wondering your opinions on some fish that would be good for a fish only tank to start with but are also reef safe because i want to upgrade to a reef tank eventually

[ETBReefer05]

You can never go wrong with clowns. They don't need corals to thrive, but when you do add corals, it can be even more fun to watch them. I would start with an Ocellaris, they're very hardy and easy to maintain and they will survive most beginner mistakes. I've seen instances where a tank has crashed, but the clown fish survived. Just remember if you want more than one Clownfish, you should add them at the same time as they can be aggressive toward fish of the same species.

A Coral Beauty was my first fish. They are considered Reef Safe "With Caution." This means that they may nip at some corals, but mine hasn't been a problem at all. These are just gorgeous fish and have a great personality.

The old school of thinking was to start with a Damsel, but I advise against this because they are generally aggressive and can start to think they're running the tank when you start to add other fish.

[EMUreef]

hey guys i was just wondering your opinions on some fish that would be good for a fish only tank to start with but are also reef safe because i want to upgrade to a reef tank eventually

well since you have a 55g tank, not to many options as far as larger fish go.

-No large angels.
-Dwarf Angels are hit or miss, some are reef safe some arn't it always depends on teh fish, this is a risk you'd have to decide for on your own.
-Clown fish are a good choice.
-Firefish
-Gobies
-Blennies
-Reef Safe Wrasses. like fairy wrasses

to start, it'll give you an idea what to look at.

[shovelhead91701]

My favorite fish at the moment is my horned blennie.... fun to watch!

[Rabidgoose]

I really like anthias. They're very colorful, active and open swimmers. With a 4' tank I wouldn't get more than 3.

[Frank143]

Tail Spot Blennies are really cool, I also like a goby and pistol shrimp pair they put on quite a show.

[cephalotus]

Bangaiis are also a good starter fish.

[Rabidgoose]

Agreed....kind of....:big_grin:....IME (lyretail anthias) they require no special treatment, they do enjoy several small feedings per day and will eat just about any food type they see in the water column. They can be stubborn about a feeding response when first added but I would recommend purchasing from someone with large numbers available and buy all females. I certainly agree chort that they don't need to be the first fish bought but I think it is worthwhile to consider leaving room for them down the road if ones not comfortable early on.


Beautiful fish for sure, but not sure I would suggest them for a new tank and new hobby member as they do need to eat quite a bit (leading to more waste) because of their energy consumption from all that swimming they do... and its already hard enough to keep parameters good on a new tank for many as it is ;)

Tank gets established a bit and the owner is comfortable and has a good understanding of how to keep things balanced and beneficial bacteria is built up by all means add them if you like them as they are super sweet fish for sure and add some nice color and alot of activity :)

[rmalone]

I would add that the dwarf angels aren't really beginner fish either, great fish and suitable for the tank size but not early on. The rest of the stuff on the list all makes sense. Keep in mind 6-line, 4-line and 8-line wrasses can turn into evil turds to fish added after them but otherwise are awesome. Tailspot blennies are awesome I would add early on but they are so quick and observant it probably wouldn't matter when in goes in the tank.