Banner Fish

[MrsFish]

Does anyone have experience of adding banner fish to a newly establish reef as the main species?

I am considering using this fish as my last addition, after a pair of ocellaris clowns, possibly a flame angel (but getting less keen on this species by the minute), a yellow tang, a few shrimp (cleaners & peppermint), starfish and probably a few cardinals or anathis for grouping.

Thank is 110, reef with MH lighting and 20 gallon sump, uv ster, protein skimmer, the works.

The banner fish look stunning ... seem peaceful from what I read and appear to make an ideal dominant species as they are not known for nipping or eating coral, etc.

Comments ... everything I have read may of course be wrong!!

Mrs Fish

 

[Sue Truett]

I have kept a heni in my reef tank several years ago and it was an ideal fish. I just recently got some fish removed that had outgrown their welcome and have seriously thought about getting another heni. They are a beautiful fish and mine was a quiet a fish and never bothered anything. I kept sps corals and clams. It also was not a fighter.. HTH..

 

[MrsFish]

Is a Heni a banner fish? Sorry for my ignorance!

 

[Anonymous]

Heniochus. I haven't had one for 20 years but it is one of my favorite fishies.

They have a nice reef tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the kids section that has a bunch of them.

 

[Sue Truett]

Is a Heni a banner fish? Sorry for my ignorance!

Yes, the heni, heniochus is a bannerfish. Another nickname is the poor mans morrish idol.

 

[Anonymous]

...and, as a rule, they are NOT reef-safe.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Sue Truett]

Chip, really, mine was a super fish, never even tried any of my sps corals or clams. There was a guy that I knew several years ago that had a small school of them in his big sps reef. It was a very cool sight to see the bold black and whites and all the big sps corals.

 

[Anonymous]

I know...and I know someone who's had a clown triggerfish in their reef for 4 years.

There are exceptions to every rule.

Peace,

Chip

 

[AstroCreep]

ive seen banner fish too ... they look awesome! but would a 65g tank be large enough for one? ive heard they can grow to a decent size