what fish can i put in my reef?

[reefNewbie]

I have room for one more nice sized swimming fish. something that will swim around a lot and not hide. I was thinking something maybe a little more risky like a niger triger or possibley even a puffer. But what would some one recommend to me as a nice showy fish? maybe something with personality. i would like to go with something that is reef safe, but if i cant find anything then ill take a chance with something risky....thanks guys.

btw this is replacing the flame angel that has been eating all my softies and gorgonian. I currently have a yellow tang, royal gramma, 2 chromis and 2 b+w clowns.

 

[mountainbiker619]

How about a nice fairy wrasse...maybe a Scott's.

 

[Len]

I second the Fairy Wrasse nomination. Scott's, Flame, Orange Bar, Red-Margined .... all good choices. You can probably even keep a pair as they won't occupy as much space and "bioload" (I hate that word but it is so convenient ) then a trigger or puffer.

If you don't have shrimps, Hogfish are great fish with lots of personality. They never hide and are always on display.

Pyramid or Bannerfish Butterflies?

 

[reefNewbie]

problem with the wrasses is they like to jump and I have an open top.

 

[Len]

FWIW, I've seen many puffers spit out water from the tank .... it's comical only until a MH explodes

 

[reefNewbie]

what is likely to be killed by the butterflies? just smaller crustations?

 

[mountainbiker619]

most butterflies are not reef safe. I tried a Myers in mine and it picked at everything.

 

[reefNewbie]

Can any of the puffers be put into a reef or just the porcupine. What could he eat that I would have to watch out for?

 

[Len]

The two butterflies I listed are fairly reef safe. The most comon thing they might bug is worms. Shrimps, crabs, corals, etc. are all off their menu (although rogue specimens do occur )

Puffers aren't coralvores, but they'll eat small crustaceans and can do some rearranging. They aren't exactly the most graceful fish

 

[teevee]

There are many different species of Heniochus (bannerfish). H. acuminatus, the most common, is not considered reef-safe. H. diphreutus, which is almost identical, and more rarely offered, is.

 

[Len]

H.acuminatus is commonly regarded as not-reef safe, but I'm not quite sure why as I have never seen either species pick on corals or clams. Both are, by nature, mid-water feeders. I'm curuious if anyone has tried H.acuminatus and had it eat corals before.

BTW, nice bannerfish you got there, teevee

 

[reefNewbie]

I am planning on keeping clams, would i have to worry about any of the ablove listed fish eating these?

 

[tazdevil]

Hey Len, where can you get good pyramidal butterfly's? They are supposed to be one of the only one's that will not go after soft or hard corals, including polyps-according to Scott Michaels.

 

[Len]

I've seen them offered by several vendors, ranging from The Marine Center to Marine Depot Live to LiveAquaria. They aren't common, but they're not rare by any means. I think fishfanatic2 just bought one recently, although I have no idea where it came from.

They are the most reef safe Butterflies I know.