Help me pick my next fish!

[Rtaylor]

I've seen your posts, I have a near empty 80 gallon cube style w/ sump and I want one so bad. I'm worried about it nipping an eventual clam and the SPS though. Super cool. I also run "HIGH FLOW" so that's a concern.

They were born for high flow. Their natural environment is acro colonies. It wouldn’t nip a clam. It literally can’t nip anything as it’s mouth is a tube like a straw. It doesn’t have an upper/lower jaw for opening it’s mouth. It’s really only capable of sucking (like a straw). It would pester SPS, but won’t damage it if it otherwise has an adequate food supply and is eating prepared food. They are nearly 100% reef safe if properly converted to prepared food. Here’s a view of their specialized mouth.

 

[BanjoBandito]

They were born for high flow. Their natural environment is acro colonies. It wouldn’t nip a clam. It literally can’t nip anything as it’s mouth is a tube like a straw. It doesn’t have an upper/lower jaw for opening it’s mouth. It’s really only capable of sucking (like a straw). It would pester SPS, but won’t damage it if it otherwise has an adequate food supply and is eating prepared food. They are nearly 100% reef safe if properly converted to prepared food. Here’s a view of their specialized mouth.

Do you think they do better in groups?

 

[Rtaylor]

Do you think they do better in groups?

I’ve always had at least 3, so I can’t say for sure on just one, but I think it would be totally fine on it’s own. There is aggression with groups of them. Primarily just chasing. But they still always hang out together. Males will chase other males as well as females. Females primarily only chase each other. I would try to keep more females than males if you get more than two. If two, I’d recommend 1 male and 1 female.

 

[i cant think]

I’ve always had at least 3, so I can’t say for sure on just one, but I think it would be totally fine on it’s own. There is aggression with groups of them. Primarily just chasing. But they still always hang out together. Males will chase other males as well as females. Females primarily only chase each other. I would try to keep more females than males if you get more than two. If two, I’d recommend 1 male and 1 female.

How do you sex them?

 

[Rtaylor]

How do you sex them?

 

[i cant think]

That’s interesting, I’ll see what I do with my reefs and the path they take but so far I have gained an interest in filefish.