Help me pick my next fish

roger saltwaters · Jul 11, 2016

Who goes in next? I have a 45 gallon JBJ reef with a skimmer and I'm pretty particular about water quality and maintenance. So far I have the following.

1 flame angel
1 watchman goby
1 juvenile clown
1 pajama cardinal
2 Chromis

What do you think? Looking for color and character.

reeferfoxx · Jul 11, 2016

Mixed reef? LPS only? SPS only? Softies only?

roger saltwaters · Jul 11, 2016

Mixed reef.

Bosco83 · Jul 12, 2016

Royal Gramma, Falco Hawkfish, Midas Blenny

TaylorPilot · Jul 12, 2016

+1 on Royal Gramma. They are fun to watch....

eatbreakfast · Jul 12, 2016

Stigmatura blenny, flame hawk, pearly jawfish.

Alexcyf · Jul 12, 2016

How about some wrasse? A pair of flame wrasse to bring some yellow into your tank? Or maybe my favorite potter's leopard wrasse?

Alternatively, you can also consider some anthias? Barlett or sunburst? A combination of pink and yellow

eatbreakfast · Jul 12, 2016

Alexcyf said:
How about some wrasse? A pair of flame wrasse to bring some yellow into your tank? Or maybe my favorite potter's leopard wrasse?

Alternatively, you can also consider some anthias? Barlett or sunburst? A combination of pink and yellow

I would recommend against adding prs of wrasse, especially in a 45g. As females have a tendency to transition to male, even with a male present and this will lead to aggression issues. A single specimen would do just fine, however.

Sean Shimer · Jul 12, 2016

I would go Six Line Wrasse to help keep coral clean and it provides a good color to the tank

eatbreakfast · Jul 12, 2016

Sean Shimer said:
I would go Six Line Wrasse to help keep coral clean and it provides a good color to the tank

I recommend against sixlines. They can be quite aggressive once established. I have had to remove sixlines from tanks more than any other fish.

If you want a good pest predator, look at the pink streak wrasse, yellow coris wrasse, or greyhead wrasse.

JakeK · Jul 12, 2016

In that size tank, a long-nose hawkfish would add a lot of personality. Same goes for a Midas Blenny. Those are my two recommendations.

jcosta26 · Jul 12, 2016

Jawfish of some sort

nex64 · Jul 13, 2016

As others suggested , add a wrasse or something that is going to keep your ecosystem in check. For example vermetid snails and other hitch hikers start to get annoying and certain species keep these hikers at bay

Rob's Reef · Jul 13, 2016

Not trying to hijack your thread but is a leopard wrasse as effective at pest control as a six line?

nex64 · Jul 13, 2016

Rob's Reef said:
Not trying to hijack your thread but is a leopard wrasse as effective at pest control as a six line?

I'm sure if you can get a leopard wrasse to sustain life in captivity, it could be just as effective as a six line. I haven't had much luck with them though in my experience. :mad:

eatbreakfast · Jul 13, 2016

Effective pest control species for a 45g can be found in the following genera: Pseudojuloides, Pseudocheilinus(they can be jerks), Pseudocheilinops, Macropharyngodon, Wetmorella, and smaller species in Halichoeres.