What your must have fish for your reef?

[Sk8erSpanky]

I figured I would start a general discussion on some must have fish for your reef tank. I run a acro heavy tank so a six line is a must for me. Whats your must have fish for your tank? It doesnt have to be strictly for utility purpose. Can be for looks, personality, size etc.

 

[tiggs]

When I have larger systems, I have a standard "foursome" that I deploy, then fill in with various smaller fish. These are my centerpiece fish though..

- Copperband Butterfly
- Powder Blue Tang
- Yellow Tang
- a member of the bristletooth tang family (traditionally a Chevron, but I think I'll go White Tail next time)


When I'm in the nano world, I must have at least one of the following..

- Yellow Clown Goby
- Tailspot Blenny

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Bonded Yasha pair with pistol shrimp and a designer clownfish pair.

 

[ca1ore]

Depends on the size of the tank, of course, but every large tank chez moi would have a dusky wrasse (general pest control), either a chevron or Kole tang (prefer the former; but either for slime and film algae control) and a convict/zebra (former more expensive, but both are may favored tangs for general algae control).

I'm also a big fan of clowns (not 'designer' though) paired with an appropriate host anemone; though perhaps beyond the novice reefer. Also a fan of groups of small fish, whether royal grammar or the less aggressive damsels.

 

[ZachR32]

Yellow coris wrasse and mandarin. Great microfauna control team and very pretty!

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Clownfish no doubt.

 

[AnakinReefWalker]

Yellow Coris Wrasse for looks and for pest control, at least one tang (show fish), and a bunch of smaller fish to add life to the tank (chromis, damsels, clownfish). I think a tank with one or two big fish and multiple small fish is far more beautiful than a tank with just a couple big fish.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

After a bout with velvet my must have fish is anything ALIVE!!!

Still trying to figure out my stocking list, but plan to watch this thread, there might be something posted I haven't considered yet.

 

[Maacc]

I go heavy pest control for my sps, so possum wrasse, yellow wrasse, melanurus wrasse. I skip the 6 line because they are such jerks. Must have tang is a kole and a rabbitfish of some kind, keeps bubble algae mowed down better than my emerald crab.
I'm a wrasseoholic so high end wrasses to fill in for looks and I am a huge fan of neon gobies and yellowheaded jawfish for personality.

 

[swebb]

Blue Green Chromis: It's a super cheap dither fish that is light on the bioload meaning it will make the other fish more confident without wasting any space in the aquarium.

 

[Talo’s Reef]

Female watanabe angel. Just beautiful.

 

[oldfishman]

Yellow head jaw fish, I find fascinating to watch

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

Love my Tomini tang. Great algae control

 

[Hulley]

Purple Tang.

 

[Nuclear]

Clowns!

 

[Jam-reef]

Six line

 

[Junglejim]

I like a good sand bed, so for me it's a diamond head goby

 

[Janci]

A brown tang for algae control. I know the yellow o e have more pop but the detail on these Brown tangs is just gorgeous.

 

[Eastlake]

Since getting my meleagris leopord wrasse, almost three years ago now, I can't imagine seeing my tank without that little girl flitting around hunting pods and just the overall carefree way that she moves about the tank.

 

[Will Milberger]

Royal Grama