I've got a 60 gallon aquarium that I've been running for a bit with just coral and few gobies for a while now, but I want to add all the current live stock to my main display and do a deep water aquarium with deep water acros, gorgonian and things like that. Kinda want a pair of candy bassets for it, but can't think of too many other deep water fish that would fit in that size aquarium. Any suggestions?
Stocking ideas for deep water reef
- Thread starter Cichlid23
- Start date
- Tagged users None
How deep/what range of deep water are you thinking (i.e. 10+ meters, 50+, 100+, etc.)? Candy basslets, for example, are considered deep water, but they range (depending on the source you look at) anywhere from 15-25 meters deep to 100 meters deep. Typically, as I understand it, they’re collected around at 200-300 feet though (~60-90 meters). Ocellaris clowns (on the other hand) are found down to 15 meters, Diamond Watchman Gobies down to 30 meters, etc. so having some sort of depth minimum for this could help narrow your list.
LaloJ
Well-Known Member
If you are referring to deepwater species and you have no problem with the cost of these fish, do you have a wide range to choose from, anthias and basslets are quite attractive, or do you mean a completely cold water tank?
Cichlid23
Community Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2019
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 48
Thinking more in the 200-300 foot depth ideally. In my opinion anthias get to big for that size tank and I already have a basslet picked out. Probably will be cold water but not set on exact temperature yet.
Miami Reef
10K Club Member
I was going to suggest Bellus Angel, but I’m not sure if it would work with your tank goals. Someone can chime in about that.
i cant think
Wrasse Addict
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
UK Reef Club Member
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
It’s not 200-300 but it’s close to 200, I’d recommend looking into the waitei anthias personally. They come from around 179 feet.
There are also countless deep water wrasses such as Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus and Cirrhilabrus johnsoni.
You also have the Cook Islands Helfrichi Firefish and the Regular Helfrichi Firefish.
Also look into the genus Prognathodes, many of them are deep water but small species too.
There are also countless deep water wrasses such as Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus and Cirrhilabrus johnsoni.
You also have the Cook Islands Helfrichi Firefish and the Regular Helfrichi Firefish.
Also look into the genus Prognathodes, many of them are deep water but small species too.
Jay Hemdal
10K Club member
Staff member
Forum Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
Fish Medic
Dynasty Marine makes deepwater collections in Curacao. I've gotten fish from those special collections for a public aquarium, but I think some of these make it into the pet trade (very expensive though). Here is a link to their current stocklist, deepwater species are on page four:
Jay
i cant think
Wrasse Addict
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
UK Reef Club Member
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
Do you know whether the peppermint and/or Seminole gobies make it into the hobby?
I’ve always seen photos of the Peppermint and they really look beautiful. I’ve also always been intrigued by many of the Microgobius species but wonder whether they ever find their way into this hobby.
i cant think
Wrasse Addict
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
UK Reef Club Member
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
+1 to this and actually most if not all Paracentropyge are deeper water species.
michael_cb_125
Active Member
Are you wanting to stick to a specific region, or just lump fish from different areas? This can help with suggestions.
Some fish you can find for sale (some might be out of stock for the moment) that are relatively common in that depth range (the lower Mesophotic Zone) that should work for your tank size:
Nemateleotris magnifica (Firefish goby)
Coryphopterus personatus (Masked goby)
Antilligobius nikkiae (Sabre goby) - this one is rare and expensive
Chromis insolata (Sunshine chromis)
Centropyge argi (Pygmy/Cherub angelfish)
Chromis scotti (Purple reeffish)
Serranus tabacarius (Tobacco basslet)
Serranus tortugarum (Chalk basslet)
Edit: also, as mentioned there are handful of wrasses from that depth (most seem to be too large), and a few Prognathodes spp. butterflyfish that might work (I didn't list these since butterflies are generally not coral safe, and you mentioned possibly keeping Acros and Gorgonians in your initial post).
Nemateleotris magnifica (Firefish goby)
Coryphopterus personatus (Masked goby)
Antilligobius nikkiae (Sabre goby) - this one is rare and expensive
Chromis insolata (Sunshine chromis)
Centropyge argi (Pygmy/Cherub angelfish)
Chromis scotti (Purple reeffish)
Serranus tabacarius (Tobacco basslet)
Serranus tortugarum (Chalk basslet)
Edit: also, as mentioned there are handful of wrasses from that depth (most seem to be too large), and a few Prognathodes spp. butterflyfish that might work (I didn't list these since butterflies are generally not coral safe, and you mentioned possibly keeping Acros and Gorgonians in your initial post).
i cant think
Wrasse Addict
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
UK Reef Club Member
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
IME butterflies will normally go for fleshy LPS instead of Softies and acros/SPS. Also deeper water fish will be more reef safe.
That's fair - I've just heard a lot of mixed results on the boards here about them.
Also, OP, if you're looking for coral suggestions, this article has a table way down by the bottom that lists a ton of different corals in the mesophotic zone and their maximum depths, so you could select corals generally from that same 200-300 ft range based on their max depth (they have a little table after the big one that lists a few gorgonians and such too):
Mesophotic Coral Reefs: Life in the Deep
We are all familiar with shallow coral reefs. Growing in warm, clear waters, these colorful ecosystems are easily accessible to divers and snorkelers alike. What is less known is that coral reefs extend into deeper waters, up to almost 200 meters. In these gloomy depths, corals have adapted to...
reefs.com
