Small fish, maybe schooling?

[MixedFruitBasket]

I'm wanting to add a pair or trio of colorful fish to my lagoon tank but I'm not sure what will do well. I like anthias but have had terrible luck with males or females who turn male. They become increasingly nasty to each other and other fish in the tank. Granted I've had lyre tails which seem like some of the more aggressive ones so I might try another kind IDK. Anyhow, I would like some suggestions on brightly colored out and about fish. I have a very easy going tank with well behaved residents who all get along and are very passive. (Leopard wrasse, canary wrasse, starry blenny, fire fish, gama. I do not want a fish that will get any larger than what I have. I also need fish that are 100% trust worthy (okay 99%) for coral. I have a zoa/leather/shroom garden. I would loves something orange, red, bright blue maybe? I looked at the clown gobies but they aren't very colorful. Also, something that is non venomous. The gumdrop fish are cute but sting. I also have a couple ornamental shrimp so non shrimp predators please.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mattzang]

what size tank?

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

90 gallons. 48 long 24 deep 12 tall.

 

[PatW]

Fish really do not school in an aquarium. They will shoal. But getting a bunch of small fish to hang out and not murder each other is often problematic.

You can often do better with a bunch of nano fish of different species. You will have far less aggression. Just pick species that are peaceful, reef safe and easy.

 

[WMR]

Get some pteroeleotris dartfish( blue, green, zebra),they stay together, decent size, passive, good color & stay out quite a bit.

 

[jp_75]

zebra dartfish gets another vote! very cool fish. they always stay together too

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Fish really do not school in an aquarium. They will shoal. But getting a bunch of small fish to hang out and not murder each other is often problematic.

You can often do better with a bunch of nano fish of different species. You will have far less aggression. Just pick species that are peaceful, reef safe and easy.

Well by schooling, I meant fish that can live in a group.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Get some pteroeleotris dartfish( blue, green, zebra),they stay together, decent size, passive, good color & stay out quite a bit.

Won't it fight with the fire fish?

 

[jp_75]

should not be a problem.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

Can I mix/match the Ptereleotris? Or will the be aggressive to each other? Can you have more than one of the same then? I tried two fire fish and well that didn't go very well even though they were different colors and put in at the same time.

 

[KenO]

I picked up 5 Royal Grammas from Phillip at KP Aquatics in Florida. I do have a 250 and all of them get along well together. They each have their own cave, but will come out at the same time and hang together usually earlier and later in the day. I'm also going to get 10-12 chalk bass when the weather cools and add them to the tank. I've had multiple chalk bass in the past and they would even exhibit mating behavior with the males digging a shallow pit in the sand and trying to get the females to come over to it. They would spar with each other but nothing serious.

 

[jp_75]

i believe only firefish is intolerant to each other.

 

[malacoda]

If you want bright, you can go with a trio of disco fang blennies (aka Smith's blenny or meiacanthus smithi). They white with a black stripe. Should get along fine with your other fish. Are about as reef safe as you can get (nothing is 100% reef safe but I've yet to see them bother anything as small as a sexy shrimp).

And while they may spend some of their time bickering with or chasing one another (hierarchical bickering) they spend the rest of the time searching the tank for pods/food on their own, or just hanging out together.

Their may be other fang blennies that are more colorful that get along in groups. But it can be hit or miss. Some types -- like smithi or kamohara -- often do well in groups, other don't.