Which is the better reef safe fish?

[telsonman]

I'm looking to add just one more fish to my 75g tank, I just don't know which way to go. This is a reef set up, with softies, LPS, and SPS. I really don't want anything that would nip at my expensive corals. Originally, I was going to try either a dwarf flame angel or coral beauty, but based on my research, both can nip at corals, and it seems to be a lottery if you get a reef safe one of the above. Those fish are so pretty, but I'm not sure if I want to take a chance. Next I was thinking of a yellow tang or a blue regal tang. Seems like everyone has these though. My debate with a blue tang (ignoring my 2yo daughter who loves dory) is that they seem to be prone to stress and disease. Not that I have disease in my aquarium, and the only semi aggressive fish I have is a maroon clown who more or less keeps everyone in check, so my tank is rather peaceful. I'm leaning towards a yellow tang I guess, but I'm open to ideas. The current inhabitants are a maroon clown that is paired with a snowflake ocellaris, a chromis, a six line wrasse, a royal gramma, diamond goby, and lawnmower blenny. I've thought about the bioload, and I'm not worried at all, as my nitrates stay low, to the point where I may have to start dosing it for my corals. My corals are doing fantastic, again why I need a trusted reef safe fish.

 

[R€€F @DD¡ÇT]

Any shrimp? Maybe a marine betta, they're interesting and not too expensive.

Tomini tang
Melanarus wrasse
Chalk bass

Some other options

 

[Humblefish]

Since you seem less than enthused about the YT; how about a Tomini, Kole, Bristletooth or even a YT/Scopas hybrid?

 

[Fishfinder]

Pink square anthia
Divided wrasse
Chevron tang

 

[spiraling]

watchman goby / pistol shrimp combo are pretty fun to see together

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

I think I'd probably go for the Yellow Tang. I'm not sure I've seen someone on here say something bad about them. A possible solution for your Blue Tang issue might be getting a captive bred one from AlgaeBarn.

 

[Baby Ray]

Have you thought about a flasher wrasse?

 

[Kmsutows]

I'd stay away from the blue tang for a 75... I just had the tang police yell at me on another thread for having one in my 150. Yellows are great, chevrons... I've had a potter's angel and a flame angel, neither ever looked at coral.

 

[saltyhog]

I wouldn't add another wrasse with the 6 line.

Tank is way too small for a blue tang. I like Humblefish suggestion and would add a white tail bristle tooth tang. Beautiful fish and very peaceful.

 

[ngoodermuth]

+1 to a bristletooth tang being a good choice, and no more wrasses with a six-line.

What about a single sunburst, blotchy, or bimac anthia?

 

[Dennco2000]

I took a chance with the flame, I am probably going to regret saying this but he has turned out to be a model tank mate.

But they are 50/50

 

[telsonman]

I thought about some lyretail anthias, but trying to broaden the spectrum

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Maybe a Caribbean tang. Mine has been thru hell and back and he's made it thru everything... overheated in shipping and lying on his side gasping for air, extremly under weight when I got him, lymphocytes, now beging treated for velvet in QT. He has to be the toughest tang out there from what I've read of others and my experiences with this guy.

Maybe also a sailfin tang... those are pretty.

 

[4FordFamily]

+1 to a bristletooth tang being a good choice, and no more wrasses with a six-line.

What about a single sunburst, blotchy, or bimac anthia?

X3 here. Kole tang is a good choice.

 

[4FordFamily]

Maybe a Caribbean tang. Mine has been thru hell and back and he's made it thru everything... overheated in shipping and lying on his side gasping for air, extremly under weight when I got him, lymphocytes, now beging treated for velvet in QT. He has to be the toughest tang out there from what I've read of others and my experiences with this guy.

Maybe also a sailfin tang... those are pretty.

The problem with these fish is that they grow very, very fast. For instance, my 2" juvenile I bought less than two years ago is a massive 6"

 

[leahfiish]

I'd go with a Kole tang. Another idea is a Hawkfish like a flame Hawkfish or a long nose hawkfish.

 

[$andy]

I'd go with a Kole tang. Another idea is a Hawkfish like a flame Hawkfish or a long nose hawkfish.

Hawkfish will kill your shrimp if u have any

 

[telsonman]

I'm guessing pretty much all tangs are reef safe

 

[Dburr1014]

Purple tang, same size as a yellow and love the colors.

 

[Dburr1014]

Purple tang, same size as a yellow and love the colors.