Reef Safe With Caution Fish (best and worst)

[Karen00]

I have a few of these in my mixed reef.

My Copperband butterfly has been a good fish so far, he eats frozen mysis and no corals so far...

Then I have a coral beauty from biota, which is too small for anything at the moment haha. We'll see what happens.

Then there's the blatantly not reef safe choice... I got a tassled filefish when he was very small. He is three or four times the size when we got him, and he's actually not bothered anything (knocking very hard on wood right now). I love that fish so much -- super fascinating, very underrated fish.

What a beautiful fish! I didn't even see it at first. I said to myself "where's the fish in the pic?". Haha. It was like playing "where's Waldo". Haha.

 

[jtf74]

Recently we talked about "reef safe" angelfish but today I want to expand the conversation to all fish that are considered reef safe, but with caution. Thanks to @Gtinnel for the QOTD idea. So let's talk about these fish!

1. Do you keep "Reef Safe with Caution" fish? If so what fish and what's your experience with them been?

2. What would you say are some good fish to take a chance on and some that are a bad bet?

Cuban Hogfish image via @reefs4less

Flame and bicolor angel and copperband with softies, nems, zoas, frogspawn, hammer, xenia, green star, green and pink kenya

 

[Billldg]

I think the biggest problem with the label of Reef Safe with Caution is that 50 percent of the reefers have no issues while the other 50 percent do. Reefers have a tendency to feel that if 50 percent don't have issues then I won't either. THEN, when they do they ask why. I actually dislike this label and wish is wasn't used for that simple reason. Their are several, so called, reef safe with caution fish that I would love to have in my tank, BUT, I will not take that chance.

 

[design.maddie]

I'm so glad I read this thread! I have a green clown goby (but no corals yet) so it's good to know about the "possibility" that these guys might be trouble. Haha. I love my guy so he'll never go. I just have to choose corals wisely.

I agree, I absolutely love mine and couldn't imagine the tank without her (they are all females).

 

[bnord]

I have a coral beauty. Have never seen it nip at any of the coral!

I'm bumming over my loss today. I got home from golfing and had to bring my wife to the airport. I checked the fish and decided to feed them when I got back. When I arrived home I got the food ready and fed them. Something was wrong, My Gem Tang not present. I was only gone 2 hrs and I'm puzzled at what happened.

Lo siento - how long had you had it?

 

[Karen00]

I agree, I absolutely love mine and couldn't imagine the tank without her (they are all females).

Are all clown gobies females? If so, how does that happen? (It's true about learning something new everyday). I haven't gotten into sexing any of my inhabitants yet. They're all generically "he" in my mind for some reason. Haha. I guess I will have to change that for my clown goby!!

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I have a Fiji Puffer/Blue Spotted Puffer in a tank with a couple leathers, Xenia, zoas, a Goniopora and a tube anemone. There are a couple shrimp as well - fire shrimp, Coral Banded shrimp & a peppermint shrimp. He has been very well behaved and I haven’t noticed any nipping at all. I keep him well fed and give him clams on the half shell once or twice a week.
I had a Valentini Puffer in this tank previously and he was very well behaved also.

 

[Buckster]

Lo siento - how long had you had it?

6 Months. Has been a model fish!

 

[MnFish1]

1. Do you keep "Reef Safe with Caution" fish? If so what fish and what's your experience with them been?

Yes - angelfish, Harlequin Tusk, many others over the years (various butterflies). The experience is - if you have a clean up crew - the Tusk will clean it up. If you want shrimp in your reef tank, a harlequin tusk is not 'reef safe' - it, however does nothing to any corals, etc. Some angels eat specific corals - while not touching others. So - if you want to keep those corals - certain angels will not work. etc etc. I had a lemon peel angel that within 1 day ate a lobo - and started on the second. After finishing it (before I could catch it) - it touched no other corals, etc - in the tank (Soft or hard). So - IMHO - with caution means - this fish might eat something in your 'reef tank' that you might want to keep.
2. What would you say are some good fish to take a chance on and some that are a bad bet?
I have not seen any problems with Angels (except the one above) - including large angels. I have not had major issues with butterflies Like Semilarvatus - that are 'reef with caution'.

 

[HB AL]

The majority of my fish are labeled "not reef safe", "Reef safe with caution" etc... my hermits and snails are all geniuses and have learned to become nocturnal to survive the predators. I have 16 fish total right now.
Clown trigger
Assasi trigger
Hawaiian Black trigger
Niger trigger
Huma trigger
Pinktail trigger
Red sea broomtail wrasse
Harlequin Tusk
Yellow Tang
Purple tang
Hippo Tang
Gold stripe Maroon clown
Tomato clown
Squirrel fish
Big ugly damsel
Miniatus Grouper

 

[design.maddie]

Are all clown gobies females? If so, how does that happen? (It's true about learning something new everyday). I haven't gotten into sexing any of my inhabitants yet. They're all generically "he" in my mind for some reason. Haha. I guess I will have to change that for my clown goby!!

I believe in a group of them the dominant female will change to a male.

 

[GHOSTLY]

Does my aggressive clown fish count? I’m joking but my lion fish before

 

[bnord]

6 Months. Has been a model fish!

Sorry bud

 

[Steve and his Animals]

I've had numerous butterflies in reef tanks with varying degrees of success. Longnoses I find to be the most reef safe. Semilarvatus picked specifically at zoas and one hammer in the tank, not the other. Had a Heniochus varius that did the same.

Similar story to others here, had an Indian black triggerfish in my tank. He was actually fine even with inverts, but if I missed feeding for a day something would disappear. First it was the sally lightfoot crabs. Then the camel shrimp. Then the cleaner shrimp.

Oh yeah, had a group of camel shrimp that didn't bother any corals. They did kill a tiny rock flower anemone though.

Have had a couple princess parrots in reefs before. Never bigger than 6 inches, but even so didn't show any interest in coral.

Had a few different morays in my reef, mainly juveniles though, so that doesn't say much.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

I've had numerous butterflies in reef tanks with varying degrees of success. Longnoses I find to be the most reef safe. Semilarvatus picked specifically at zoas and one hammer in the tank, not the other. Had a Heniochus varius that did the same.

Similar story to others here, had an Indian black triggerfish in my tank. He was actually fine even with inverts, but if I missed feeding for a day something would disappear. First it was the sally lightfoot crabs. Then the camel shrimp. Then the cleaner shrimp.

Oh yeah, had a group of camel shrimp that didn't bother any corals. They did kill a tiny rock flower anemone though.

Have had a couple princess parrots in reefs before. Never bigger than 6 inches, but even so didn't show any interest in coral.

Had a few different morays in my reef, mainly juveniles though, so that doesn't say much.

Very old pic of when I had my semilarvatus

 

[Hadla]

Yes! But then my tanks are all fowlr ;Woot

puffers and eels are my favorite fish… Mantis shrimp and octos are my favorite inverts!

 

[design.maddie]

Yes! But then my tanks are all fowlr ;Woot

puffers and eels are my favorite fish… Mantis shrimp and octos are my favorite inverts!

I have a gaming bud who is obsessed with mantis shrimp. I can sometimes get him talking about pistol shrimp but mantis shrimp. This man knows his stuff. And for no other reason than he learned about then years ago and just became obsessed with them. He ties it to Satellite tech and all sorts of stuff. Love the guy.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I have kept caution fish many times. Just have to decide what the caution means: coral, inverts, destruction, clams, etc. You also need a plan if they do not work out.

 

[Hadla]

I found out about them in 2013 maybe? And have been obsessed with them since! I was all about puffers before that and now I’m all about octos more than mantises haha

where in Louisiana are you? I’m originally from chackbay (near thibodaux) if I have asked you this before, I apologize!

 

[linkedsilas]

bi color blenny, never had an issue with eating coral