Fish with personality!

[Playdope]

Looking for a "plopper" fish (what I call the ones that move and then stop, heh) OR a fish that pokes its head up from rock and looks around...... something with LOTS of personality! I don't want something that adds a lot to the bioload though. Any recommendations?

I looked into a biocolor blenny, and it seemed like a good choice, until i read they eat some sps and may bit some lps. Also saw a midas blenny, which didn't seem to have that problem, but I wasn't sure if it was colorfull enough for me.

Btw- there are ornamental shrimp in the tank... that I intend to keep =)

Any input?

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

I have a midas blenny and love this fish. Definitely a "plopper." This thing will eat from my hand and is always front and center. Verycolorful IMO. Gets a lot of comment from those who see the tank.

 

[ChrisRD]

I'll move this into the main discussion forum (with a shadow in the NRF as well) so you'll get more feedback...

 

[HClH2OFish]

I like scooters, but make sure you've got enough microfauna for them to thrive on...

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I've had a bicolor for about 1 1/2 years and have never seen it nip at any of my corals other than one section of my gorgonian that was dying. it was eating the dying skeleton. once he got it cleaned up he hasn't touched it since. been about 8 months since then, so I would think if he was going to continue eating corals he would have. he was just being a helpful reef janitor.

great fish! I love the bicolor's personality.

 

[blastermqn]

Ditto on the bi-color. Great fish.

Watchman Goby.

Yellow headed jawfish, although they require a fairly deep substrate for their burrows.

You might call my marine betta a 'plopper' since he 'plops' out of his cave every time somebody walks by the tank becase he thinks he'll get a scrap of dried brine shrimp.

 

[Playdope]

Thanks for the responses.

Any pictures of Midas Blenny or Bicolor Blenny?

I'm also considering a sixline wrasse or a Christmas Face Wrasse ... even though they dont have the "plop"-factor

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses.

Any pictures of Midas Blenny or Bicolor Blenny?

I'm also considering a sixline wrasse or a Christmas Face Wrasse ... even though they dont have the "plop"-factor

Three words: Google image search.

Ecsenius midas

 

[Anonymous]

Have you considered a lawnmower blenny? When I think of personality in a fish, I think of these guys.

 

[Juck]

Lawnmowers are great fish,,, I love my Redlip Blenny too,,, he mostly lives in a monti cap but is always poking his head out of some hole or other. Redlips are small and don't seem to poop as big as Lawnmowers,,, he's a good algae eater too. At night they change color so they have black and white stripes like a zebra. Cool.

 

[Len]

I agree Blennies have personalities Atrosalarias fuscus is another blenny to consider. I find tangs have personality too. Dogface puffers definitely have personality, but not exactly ideal for reef tanks.

 

[Playdope]

Atrosalarias fuscus.. lookin it up

Do gobies "plop" like blennies? I think the Court Jester is pretty attractive.

 

[Anonymous]

The Court Jester (A. rainfordi) is a swimmer, not a percher. It will slowly ramble around the tank sampling algae and fine sand, but there is no "plopping". Clown gobies are perchers, though.

jayo

 

[Playdope]

Ok, then I'm leaning towards the Midas blenny. I've only seen the bicolor at the lfs, so i may have to mailorder it. Do the Midas and biocolor behave very similarly?

 

[Entacmaea]

WHile this fish has special needs, I love a Mandarin. Might not "plop" but its endless combing of the substrate and rock is great to watch. And of course, one of the most beautiful fish in the trade, to me.

 

[Playdope]

Plans to get a manderin later, when the pod population increases. They are sweet fish. The midas and manderin are compatible right?

Thanks

 

[Terry B]

If you want an interesting fish with personality then read about these:

http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/puf ... _face.html

Terry B

 

[Playdope]

This is a reef, but puffers are cool.

 

[Playdope]

I'm pretty well decided on the Midas... I have a 29 gal tank I'm gonna quarantine it in, but what else should I get ready in addition to saltwater. Should I run an extra remora I have with that tank?

What + how often should I feed the midas in the QT tank?

Should I provide it with only a piece of pvc in there?

Lights off during the whole quarantine period?

Any diseases/parasites should I look for on this particular specimen?

 

[mutley29]

Try a flame hawk fish, i had to move him to my 46 gal FO as he was too fond of expensive shrimp, but TONS of character, i can even hand feed him, he sits in the palm of my hand and eats mysis, very cool fish