Good focus fish for a nano

[tlhood]

I have a 30 gallon display, and am looking for a nice colourful fish that likes to swim in the water column, that isnt a clown.

I have a firefish, but she is super shy and spends most of her time near the back end of the tank or under an arch.

I also have a YWG, but he stays in his cave.

[misty s]

I have a royal gramma that I love. Its out swimming in the center of the tank a lot, very colorful, and easy to feed. I haven't had any issues with aggression from it, but it was one of the last fish I added. :)

[FishingGoalie]

If you have a good lid fairy wrasses are very nice peaceful and colourful fish, also flasher wrases

[ThisGuy12]

Green chromis, yellow tang (albeit the tank is small for it and it will eventually outgrow it), royal gramma, clownfish :), diamond goby, skunk or red shrimp (these are cool and glow under the right lights).

Not a fish but look at blue sea urchins they are colourful and clean your tank.


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[Proteus]

Yellow assessor, blackcap basslet, midas blenny

[darb]

pygmy angels may deserve consideration; active and personable.

[tlhood]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I like the idea of the pygmy angel, however my research suggests that 30 gallons is too small a tank, also in the case of a tang.

As my YWG and firefish are both yellow (and purple on the fire fish) I am leaning towards something more in the blueish-green colour, like the chromis or with a funky pattern like a wrasse of some sort.

My YWG is also a cranky pants so I am leaning away from most blennies, since they tend to be similar in appearance and I don't want to risk having someone get killed.

[Skimmer Juice]

I would recommend getting a small yellow boxfish , takes them a long time to get big. Best personality's IMO.

[Taipan]

If you can track one down - a Flame Hawkfish. Very animated and personable. Most are peaceful and won't stray towards smaller fish/inverts. Like any other fish; it depends on its personality - every fish is different.

[tlhood]

Boxfish are pretty neat, I really want a cowfish. But I wouldn't get one until I upgraded my tank.

Based on suggestions, I am thinking a couple blue chromis (the dark blue with black), a blue damselfish, or a black cap basslet.

[matt_C]

solorensis boxfish is the only boxfish that i would say for a 30 gallons as there max size is only 4 1/2 inches
Serranus tortugarum or chalk bass they have awesome reddish and blue color
max size of about 3 inches
Almost any blenny would be great if you want one that stay smaller. I would say ember blenny, tail spot blenny, or bicolor blenny. Blennies have great personally.
dottybacks get to aggressive.
Almost any hawkfish. i would add them last though.
Yellow candy hogfish or a peppermint hogfish.
As fars as Wrasse go. Sixline is always a great choice, as they are great little hunters. Lubbocks fairy wrasse have great color and stay small.
pygmy wrasses are good but very shy at first.


If your looking for something a little different go with a blue spotted puffer or any of the Canthigaster species. Although they eat anemones, so all anemones would be out. i've also heard of some nipping on polpys. The two i own only eat anemones and they love pellets.

[Samw]

I like the Cherub angelfish.

[tlhood]

Matt I saw you guys got some new fish in today?... Maybe I will stop by on the weekend to take a look.

[tlhood]

I saw a photo of a really beautiful fish, a springer's damsel, and have been trying to find some more information on it.

As I have an anemone (which is frustratingly massive) I can't take the puffer fish route, and I am quite hestiant about getting a boxfish as I am fairly new to the reefing scene and I heard they are quite easy to stress.

Here is a pic of the kind of damsel that caught my eye.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y224/tabkatz/IMG_0274.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/tabkatz/media/IMG_0274.jpg.html)

[pinkreef]

That's a cute little fish in the photo of the month

[tlhood]

That's an anthias isn't it? (in the POTM)

I'm pretty sure they need more room than what I have.

[neoh]

you should see the lemon citron goby.. I really like that guy. Out of the 30+ fish I have, he's by far my favorite.

They swim and just sit and stare at you, but they are pretty personable. Mine will eat out of my hand!

[tlhood]

Thanks for your suggestions everyone.

As I already have quite a few fish with yellow, purple, and black, I wanted something that had a nice contrast with the other fish and the corals (most of which are red/pink).

Over the weekend I found Stu, a blue sapphire (aka springer's) damsel. He is a beautiful electric blue with black markings. The picture doesn't even come close.

I chose one of the smallest of the bunch, as my research shows that younger springer's damsels are much more peaceful, while springers as a whole (adults too) are one of the most peaceful of the damsels.

So far there have been no issues with introduction with the other tank mates (unfortunately I hadn't planned to get Stu so early, just happened to find myself in the NE after missing my turn off Deerfoot.... and my QT wasn't set up, with the pump and heater being broken when I tried.) He set up shop around my monti caps, and is small enough that he hides between them and the rock when he is startled.

So far he eats like a pig, and loves to swim around the column.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y224/tabkatz/stu.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/tabkatz/media/stu.jpg.html)

[gtreef]

Nice choice, he's lovely!

[tlhood]

Thanks! He has his little spot of caves, but he isn't aggressive at all. He does his strut and is a little territorial, but he just fans his fins and presses up against others. No bitting or anything.