Beginner Fish for Your Reef or FOWLR

[Germanman]

Clown Goby

(Gobiodon citrinus)
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallon
Care Level: Easy
Temp: 74-80°F
Adult size: 2"
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: most meaty foods.
Origin: Coral Sea, Sri Lanka
These little fish are a great starter fish for a nano aquarium and are a bit shy but a great colorful community fish. They like to perch onto of corals or branching rock pieces and tend to hide in them for a feeling of security. They shouldn’t be kept with large or aggressive fish that might eat them. They can be kept in pairs of small groups but do fine signally.

[Germanman]

Mushroom Coral
(Discosoma sp/Rhodactis sp.)
Care Level: Easy
Light: Moderate/ 4+wpg
Water Flow: Low to Medium
Placement: anywhere where it will receive good light
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; SG 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Origin: all around the tropics
These corals are one of the best for the beginner and aren’t very demanding at all. All they need is good lighting and decent flow. They will spread through asexual reproduction and will readily do this. They will benefit from supplementation of iodine and calcium bur can get by without it. The tend to be some of the more forgiving corals, but even though they should only be added to an aquarium after the cycle has completed and the parameters are stable. They come in many color and texture morphs in the aquarium ranging from all colors to bumps and spots or stripes.

[yothereyo]

Toadstool Mushroom Leather Coral, Green
(Sarcophyton sp.)



Care Level: Easy
Light: Moderate to High
Water Flow: Medium
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Color Form: Green, Yellow among others
Temperament: Peaceful
Ideal Supplements: Iodine, Strontium, Trace Elements
Origin: Indonesia, Tonga
Family: Alcyoniidae

The Toadstool Mushroom Leather Coral is referred to as Sarcophyton Coral, Mushroom, Leather, or Trough Corals. They are found in various shades of brown, tan or green, with white or gold polyps. It is difficult to identify many species because they all have the similar appearance of a mushroom or toadstool, each with a distinct stalk and capitulum (cap). As they grow older, they develop a folded appearance.

The Toadstool Mushroom Leather Corals are relatively peaceful, but adequate space should be provided between them and other corals in the reef aquarium. Some can produce toxins which are harmful to other reef inhabitants. The more plain Sarcophyton Leather Corals from Idonesia are easy to maintain in the reef aquarium and make an excellent coral for the beginning through expert reef aquarist. The colored Sarcophyton Leather Corals from Tonga are much more difficult to ship and maintain, and are only for expert aquarists. Toadstool Mushroom Leather Corals require medium to high lighting combined with medium to strong water movement. For continued good health, they will also require the addition of iodine, strontium, and other trace elements to the water.

[Catpicklesdog]

Lawnmower blenny

Otherwise known as: Rock blenny, Jewelled Rockskipper, Leopard Rockskipper, Algae Blenny.

Habitat: Most blennies flourish in the reef aquarium as well as fish only
Min Tank: size 25 gallons (30 US Gallons)
PH: 8.1-8.3
Temp:25-26C (77-79F)
Ammonia: zero
NitrIte:Zero
NitrAte: 25ppm NO3 - klower if possible
Specific Gravity: 1.020-1.024
Dissolved Oxygen: 6-7ppm

Feeding: Nearly all blennies will readily take frozen or live brineshrimp as well as other finely chopped pieces of marine fare and algae.

Health: Although capable of contracting all the common marine diseases and ailments, blennies tend to suffer less than most fish species.

Their lips are rough like cats tongues!!

[musho3210]

Volitan Lionfish

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.021-1.023; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 1' 3"
Color Form: Black, Burgundy, Red, White
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Reef Compatible: With Caution
Caution: Venomous
Diet: Carnivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Africa, Indo-Pacific, Sri Lanka
Family: Scorpaenidae

Also known as the common lionfish. They are easy to find in lfs's.
They are easy to care for fish once acclimated. Being carnivorous they may eat smaller fish and may nibble a bit on sessile invertebrate therefor caution should be taken if placed in a reef tank. They are normally raised on feeder's at lfs so once in your tank you need to change there diet. Feeding live saltwater feeder shrimp will help as well as chopped up fish, shrimp or crustacean flesh.

The spines are poisonous and if touched it will deliver a sting similar to a wasp sting therefor care should be taken when handling.

[Germanman]

Leather Corals

Care Level: Easy
Light: Moderate to High 3+wpg
Water Flow: Medium
Placement: most areas
Tank Conditions: 76-80°F; SG 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Temperament: Peaceful, some aggressive
Food: phytoplankton, microbes, and photosynthetic
Most leather corals are great for the beginner and tend to be very forgiving. This include colt corals, tree corals, toadstools, and similar corals. They all benefit from phyto and tend to do well under prime conditions. They grow fast and are easily propagated. Always check for predatory snails when one is bought and look for open branches and don’t by closed ones, but the commonly will open and close depending of feeding and time of day.

[Dwarf Puffers]

Neon Blue Goby:

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallon
Care Level: Easy
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 2"
Color Form: Black, Blue, Neon Blue
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Carnivore

The head and sleek body of the Neon Blue Goby, also known as the Neon Goby, are dark blue with a striking horizontal light-blue stripe on each side beginning above the eyes and running the entire length of the body. The Neon Blue Goby is a very hardy fish, and because of its small size, is a great addition to a small reef tank.
It should be housed in a 10 gallon or larger aquarium. It is a cleaner species which will service tank mates and help control some diseases. Rarely will it become aggressive towards other fish, but it is territorial, and will fight with its own kind unless they are a mated pair.
It is common for the Neon Blue Goby to spawn in an aquarium, laying its eggs in a crevice or empty shell.
It feeds on a variety of live and frozen brine shrimp, frozen mysid shrimp, table shrimp, and frozen food preparations for carnivores. If kept in a reef tank, the Neon Blue Goby should be fed once per day.

[Robin Alv]

Great info for me as a beginner. I have a 37 gallon and just some live rock to cycle (one week old). I may get a better light for coral down the road but have been looking into fish and everything you posted is great! Thanks so much.
Robin
canister filter,
two power heads
skimmer

[Solastsummer]

I have heard that the bi-color blennies can be gnarly aggressive guys, i like the way they look (they look grumpy and i like it) what is your opinon on that?

[Reefscape]

I have heard that the bi-color blennies can be gnarly aggressive guys, i like the way they look (they look grumpy and i like it) what is your opinon on that?

There are so many mixed reviews from people who have added one of these to their system and had some aggression shown from the blenny towards other species of fish like goby or similar looking blenny...So, its a case of add with caution in my opinion...