Help me pick last fish

Cment · Mar 20, 2019

Looking for an easy and active fish to add to my peaceful 40b. Tank has been running for about a year and is currently an LPS/softie tank. Im open for just about anything. I was thinking a yellow coris wrasse, carpenter wrasse, flame hawkfish, or even a springeri damsel. Let me know your thoughts...

Current fish list:

-pair of clowns
-royal gramma
-midas blenny
-flame back angel

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

What about a melanurus instead of the yellow coris? Since you already have a yellow fish with your Midas... might add a different pop of color than what you already have.

Plus, hardy, active, and good pest control.

Flame hawkfish are pretty personable little fish too, but don’t really swim around.

Jesterrace · Mar 20, 2019

I would go with a Lubbock's or Tricolor Fairy Wrasse as it would be a better fit for the 40b than the Yellow Wrasse and it will be more likely to stick up for itself if the blenny or flameback angel gets pushy. They are gorgeous to boot:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1926+376&pcatid=376

Pictures don't do it justice, here it is in action:

Jesterrace · Mar 20, 2019

ngoodermuth said:
What about a melanurus instead of the yellow coris? Since you already have a yellow fish with your Midas... might add a different pop of color than what you already have.

Plus, hardy, active, and good pest control.

Flame hawkfish are pretty personable little fish too, but don’t really swim around.

Melanurus gets too big for a 3 foot long 40 breeder tank though.

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

Jesterrace said:
Melanurus gets too big for a 3 foot long 40 breeder tank though.

You could keep it for a good while if you bought it smaller, I have one going in my 40b shortly (once it is out of QT) but, I have a 4ft frag tank and a 120g tank as well so relocation options are there.

Honestly though, it would probably be ok for longer than you think in a 40b. They care more about scavenging live rock then open swimming room, not like tangs or other large fish. Live aquaria rates them for 50 gallons. I’ve kept a few over the years, one was in a 56g column.

Eventually though, it would definitely look out of place there.

Jesterrace · Mar 20, 2019

ngoodermuth said:
You could keep it for a good while if you bought it smaller, I have one going in my 40b shortly (once it is out of QT) but, I have a 4ft frag tank and a 120g tank as well so relocation options are there.

Honestly though, it would probably be ok for longer than you think in a 40b. They care more about scavenging live rock then open swimming room, not like tangs or other large fish. Live aquaria rates them for 50 gallons. I’ve kept a few over the years, one was in a 56g column.

Eventually though, it would definitely look out of place there.

I know, I have a Melanurus Wrasse that was very small and I kept it for a few months in my old 36 gallon bowfront, but recognized that was not a good home for it long term and then upgraded to my 90 gallon a few months later. That's why I recommended the Lubbock's/Tri-Color Wrasse as it's much better suited to a tank of that size and it should be good long term. I never recommend a fish for a tank that it will outgrow, even if it might take a couple of years to get to that point. My Melanurus Wrasse is only half grown at this point but it definitely makes full use of the space in my 90 gallon.

sfin52 · Mar 20, 2019

Jesterrace said:
I would go with a Lubbock's or Tricolor Fairy Wrasse as it would be a better fit for the 40b than the Yellow Wrasse and it will be more likely to stick up for itself if the blenny or flameback angel gets pushy. They are gorgeous to boot:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1926+376&pcatid=376

Pictures don't do it justice, here it is in action:

I agree with this wrasse

ngoodermuth · Mar 20, 2019

Fair enough. If you don't care for the look of the lubbock's and have a bit of a larger budget, any fairy from the lunatus complex (lunate, isosceles, brunneus, johnsoni) would work as well. My LFS has been getting isosceles pretty regularly here lately for around $100...I love mine! Also, most any flasher will work as well. Any of these would require a top of some sort, if you don't have one already.

Jesterrace · Mar 20, 2019

Flasher I would agree with (for the McCosker's and Carpenter's anyways). The other fairy wrasses tend to be quite a bit larger though if memory serves me correctly (not to mention pricey).