View Full Version : Small fish for reef
105man
10-07-2003, 8:54 PM
I have a yellow tang, flame angel, copperband butterfly and mandarin fish in a reef tank with soft corals only (mushrooms, polyps, leather).
Interested in adding a couple of small fish. Any suggestions?
Chromis? Clowns (and, which type)?
Guy W
10-07-2003, 11:43 PM
well provided we are talking about a fairly large tank here (over 90 gal because your pretty close to max if not) I would look at...
6 line wrasse
Royal Gramma
Percula clowns (if you want more than 1)
maroon clown (only 1!!!)
long nose hawk (iffy)
green chromis (schooling fish)
just a few ideas...
kreblak
10-08-2003, 9:03 AM
I agree with Guy on the wrasse and the green chromis. With the chromis, you will probably want to get around three, so that they can school together. Besides being beneficial for the fish (they get to behave naturally) schooling is great to watch.
105man
10-08-2003, 10:24 AM
Thanks. Do Maroon clowns fight if a pair?
kreblak
10-08-2003, 10:35 AM
Unless you can get them to become a mated pair, yes they do fight.
Originally posted by 105man
Thanks. Do Maroon clowns fight if a pair?
I'm currently trying to breed clowns and I bought a non-matted pair (i.e. 2 sperate maroons that had not bonded previously). I had hoped they would bond.
I've had them in a 29 gallon tank for about a month now without incident. So I think it's feasible that you can have 2 (i doubt more than 2).
But follow a few rules if you do try this, and be prepared to seperate them if fighting occurs.
Because clowns are hemaphradites they go through the following lifecycle. They are born asexual. Reach maturity and turn into males. The largest most dominate male because a female.
So what I did was purchase a wild caught 3 inch Maroon and a tank raised 1 inch Maroon. My hope was that the 1 incher was either a male or not sexualy mature, while the wild caught was a female. I don't know if I'm correct yet because they haven't spawned, however they do get along very well and have not fought once.
It's a big risk however and unless your hoping to breed them I wouldn't do it. I would either get 1 or get a different type if you want a group (false percula or true percula).
Guy