What fish should I get next?

[Sordfish]

I am finally getting into salt water tanks. I have been keeping various height tech planted tanks for 7 years.

I just set up and cycled my quarantine tank. It is 15g. I bought some inexpensive beginner frags - couple of Zoas, GSP, candy cane, cyphestria and a lepto.

While getting those corals, my daughter noticed that the lfs had some biota baby yellow tangs (transparent at this point). She had been asking for one for months and they are never available so I got the last one.

Any thoughts on what I should get next. The LFS suggested a pair of tank raised clowns. I was wondering what else I should consider. The display tank is a RS peninsula 500. My freshwater approach is always to get the smallest and most peaceful fish first and the more aggressive larger ones later. I know, I really did it backwards with the tang but he is tiny so hopefully when moved to the DT he will still be too small to claim it all as his own, even though he’ll be the first fish there.

Any suggestions you may have are welcome. Please note that I’d like to stay away from challenging fish like the ones that only eat live foods.

 

[Lineatus]

What sort of fish do you like?

 

[Sordfish]

I prefer individual fish on the larger side - freshwater is full of small schooling fish with no real personality, so would prefer individuals who are relatively interactive. I already love the baby tang. Beyond that, I don’t really know enough to have a preference.

 

[joseph scott]

How many gallons is an Rs500? If big enough I would get a hippo tang that’s close to the same size as the yellow tang.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I am finally getting into salt water tanks. I have been keeping various height tech planted tanks for 7 years.

I just set up and cycled my quarantine tank. It is 15g. I bought some inexpensive beginner frags - couple of Zoas, GSP, candy cane, cyphestria and a lepto.

While getting those corals, my daughter noticed that the lfs had some biota baby yellow tangs (transparent at this point). She had been asking for one for months and they are never available so I got the last one.

Any thoughts on what I should get next. The LFS suggested a pair of tank raised clowns. I was wondering what else I should consider. The display tank is a RS peninsula 500. My freshwater approach is always to get the smallest and most peaceful fish first and the more aggressive larger ones later. I know, I really did it backwards with the tang but he is tiny so hopefully when moved to the DT he will still be too small to claim it all as his own, even though he’ll be the first fish there.

Any suggestions you may have are welcome. Please note that I’d like to stay away from challenging fish like the ones that only eat live foods.

Sharknose gobies as long as you dont get any predators, they are personable and clean fish

 

[Sordfish]

How many gallons is an Rs500? If big enough I would get a hippo tang that’s close to the same size as the yellow tang.

It is 500 litres. Roughly 120G - 4'x2'x2'. Hippo Tangs look awesome. Would this be a large enough tank for them though?

 

[Sordfish]

Sharknose gobies as long as you dont get any predators, they are personable and clean fish

Thanks. Looks really awesome. Have you kept them? How shy are they? Would I ever see it in a 120G tank? If they don't need sand, I might even consider putting one in the 15G tank once it stops bing a hospital tank and turns into a frag tank.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Thanks. Looks really awesome. Have you kept them? How shy are they? Would I ever see it in a 120G tank? If they don't need sand, I might even consider putting one in the 15G tank once it stops bing a hospital tank and turns into a frag tank.

big, bold, getting one. for a 15 gallon use a blue neon goby, basically the same as shark-nose but a little smaller. Rather hardy and will accept most food as long as they are captive bred

 

[Radman73]

Look at the fairy and flasher wrasses. Anthias. Royal gramma would be a good add as well. Clowns are also a great choice. You have a lot of options with that size tank. Dwarf angels. Hop onto a site like liveaquaria and see what you like, make a list, and then you can get better feedback regarding compatibility.

 

[nereefpat]

It is 500 litres. Roughly 120G - 4'x2'x2'. Hippo Tangs look awesome. Would this be a large enough tank for them though?

I wouldn't. That species gets pretty big.

My usual suspects, to add to your tang and clowns, for tanks around this size would be:
Flame hawk
Coral beauty dwarf angel
Pink spot watchman goby
Halichoeres wrasse like chrysus or melanurus
Midas blenny
Meiacanthus blenny
Yellow tail damsel
Orchid dotty
Bangaii cardinal

 

[Sordfish]

Look at the fairy and flasher wrasses. Anthias. Royal gramma would be a good add as well. Clowns are also a great choice. You have a lot of options with that size tank. Dwarf angels. Hop onto a site like liveaquaria and see what you like, make a list, and then you can get better feedback regarding compatibility.

Thanks. I like the idea of making a plan. I posted here first though, since there are so many choices; it felt overwhelming looking at a site like live aquaria. I'll do a plan and put it here once I get a better sense of what to get.

I researched the Royal gramma, and I love it. I think it'll be my next fish.

Anthias look interesting - are they are ok with pellets so that I could use auto-feeders for the multiple feedings a day?

I'll get a pair of clowns later on - I guess they are a staple in every tank . I just want to start with the more peaceful fish first.

I do like the Angels a lot but I thought they were not good with corals.

 

[Sordfish]

I wouldn't. That species gets pretty big.

My usual suspects, to add to your tang and clowns, for tanks around this size would be:
Flame hawk
Coral beauty dwarf angel
Pink spot watchman goby
Halichoeres wrasse like chrysus or melanurus
Midas blenny
Meiacanthus blenny
Yellow tail damsel
Orchid dotty
Bangaii cardinal

Thanks. That was my thought re hippo tangs - though they look awesome.

Thanks also for the suggestions. It gives me a lot to research.

I am familiar with couple on this list.

Flame hawks: I actually wanted one as my next fish. However, I was told by my LFS that they can be aggressive towards smaller fish and would kill all invertebrates. Was that your experience? Based on that advice, I decided not to get one.

I like the cardinals as well. Though I think I might go for the pajama cardinal because of the coloring.

 

[Jedi1199]

My baby YT has done very well with clowns, Blue Chromis, Talbot's Damsel, Magenta Dottyback, a few pajama Cardinals, Hippo Tang, and a couple bicolor damsels for months in my 55G

That said, I intend to move the YT into my 180g in the future.

Nothing wrong with getting juvenile fish you like, as long as you have a plan for them when they get too large for your tank.

 

[i cant think]

If you like this and you have a lid (I would say for the species I have they really need Atleast 3’ of tank because he actually rarely uses the whole 4’ tank), can I recommend a tilefish? They are VERY peaceful, mine went in after my blue eye kole tang and he is still with me I think 3 weeks later. I wouldn’t recommend a clownfish unless you truly like them (I prefer them alone than in pairs because it’s so common to see them in pairs). If the tank is a 4’ tank and you want risky fish, a dwarf angelfish (Genicanthus, Paracentropyge or a Centropyge) could work. Do you want any zoas but also a venomous fish? If you don’t want Zoas then the smaller foxfaces (Magnificents or the commons) will do well. Here’s my magnificent;

My tilefish (He is the flashing tilefish so he’s on the rarer side of the tilefish genus - Hoplolatilus);

And my Genicanthus Angel (G. melanospilos);

Although they’re relatively rare, I would say my personal favourite fish for a reef tank are the tilefish and foxfaces. If I could redo my tank I would have my two Lubbock fairy wrasses (For wrasses and their care, there’s a thread that shows a bunch of them), two Halichoeres wrasses (Radiant and cosmetus) then a group of tilefish and probably the topping of a foxface.

 

[HomebroodExotics]

I love freshwater but unlike freshwater the small fish from the reefs are really personable for their size and it's amazing. Flasher wrasse might be my favorite so far.

 

[Sordfish]

I love freshwater but unlike freshwater the small fish from the reefs are really personable for their size and it's amazing. Flasher wrasse might be my favorite so far.

Good to know that smaller fishes are personable. Flasher wrasses look really pretty. Do you keep multiple of them?

 

[Spieg]

Maybe look at a Marine Betta. They're good size and really mellow.

 

[i cant think]

Maybe look at a Marine Beta. They're big and really mellow.

I agree however, they also hide most of the time in the rocks/coral. You’ll find that with some of the larger fish, they’re more secretive. These guys are also said to Eat smaller fish but I don’t think that’s true, I would be able to believe one could eat a small enough shrimp (Not the lysmata genus of shrimp).

 

[HomebroodExotics]

Good to know that smaller fishes are personable. Flasher wrasses look really pretty. Do you keep multiple of them?

No experience with multiple of them yet. I'm sure someone else around here can help with that though. They seem pretty mellow for the most part. Their idea of fighting is opening up their fins and floating really goofy like.

 

[i cant think]

Good to know that smaller fishes are personable. Flasher wrasses look really pretty. Do you keep multiple of them?

Multiples of these fish are not recommended but who am I to talk? I completely ignored the rules of fish in my 4’ tank. If you get multiple they often stress eachother out and two males of the same species isn’t ideal unless in a large tank. Females will often always become males in captivity with Flasher and fairy wrasses.