Our next fish?

[Melonbob]

We have absolutely no idea what to get for our next fish. We only have a 46G so we won't be able to have alot of fish to begin with, so we want our choices to count. Thing is, most of the visually attractive fish (to us) of course need larger tanks (tangs, Angels and Butterflies) Help me out here, my tank looks soooo deserted with only Shampoo and Conditioner in there!

 

[reeffreak]

How about a dwarf angel.....a coral beauty or flame angel?
Even the small pygmy angels aren't always 100% reef safe by the way.

Purple firefish are pretty,what about one or more of them?A Fridmani dottyback are nice too,they can be aggressive at times though.

 

[Oscarsdad608]

What are shampoo and conditioner. If it were me I would get fish that do jobs. Maybe a sixline wrasse they tend to eat nudibrachs and other pest. A lawnmower blenny helps with algae. Those are just two chooses but there are alot of cool small fish that surve a purpose in your reef.

 

[Melonbob]

Shampoo and conditioner are our clowns. I'm not sure how many fish my tank will hold over time, so I want to be selective. We were looking at a flame angel, are there larger fish that do well in smaller tanks?

 

[reeffreak]

are there larger fish that do well in smaller tanks?

Not really,all the fish you listed Large Angels,Tangs etc need lots of swimming room-6ft long and 125 gallon at the least for most of them.

 

[Melonbob]

I kind of figured that, I was just hoping for something with a bit of size

 

[Oscarsdad608]

Then you should have got a tank with a bit of size. just kidding

 

[Melonbob]

Oh well, gives me an excuse to get a second one......(;

 

[Oscarsdad608]

I see your from Canada you can afford three with that free health care.

 

[Bifferwine]

Oooh I know from experience, do not bring up the free health care issue with Canadians! You will never hear the end of it!

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

Technically its not free heath care its universal health care. I love America but we can spend 3 trillion dollars on a stupid war and not a couple billion to make sure our citizens are healthy! Come on!

 

[Doc]

lets see, pretty fish for a 46? Foxface rabbitfish? neon dottyback? drawf lionfish (fu-manchu - just not with some shrimps, cleaners are OK)? you might be able to pull off three anthias. If you don't stuff it full of live rock you should be able to have enough swimming room for three Bartletts

-Doc

 

[Doc]

oh, and don't forget about the fairy and flasher wrasses, they are quite pretty

-Doc

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

lets see, pretty fish for a 46? Foxface rabbitfish? neon dottyback? drawf lionfish (fu-manchu - just not with some shrimps, cleaners are OK)? you might be able to pull off three anthias. If you don't stuff it full of live rock you should be able to have enough swimming room for three Bartletts

-Doc

A foxface would be a little to big for a 46 in the long run.... same with anthias. What about a pair of purple fire fish?

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

oh, and don't forget about the fairy and flasher wrasses, they are quite pretty

-Doc

Agreed

 

[Doc]

Bartletts need about 50 gallons. If the top third of the tank was open, he could have them. Bicolors get gi-normous (as far as anthias go) and would not work, but threadfin or Bartletts would be fine IMHO. There are also Longfin and those fathead anthias that woud for sure fit, they only need 30 gallons as they barely reach 3 inches. They are schooling fish, so if you went with anthias, you would need to commit your tank to them, but there really isn't a prettier small fish for your tank. Just ask Biff and Reef about their anthias and how pretty they are

-Doc

 

[yote]

The foxface would need at least a 75.
How about a watchman goby of some kind.

 

[reeffreak]

I agree most anthias would need much larger tanks but bartletts are one of the easiest and smallest of the anthias.I believe in my limited experience that a trio of bartletts will be fine in smaller systems.One of them is too skittish IMO.

 

[Melonbob]

Just wanted to let you all know you have succeeded in completely confusing me!!!! lol

 

[reeffreak]

Just wanted to let you all know you have succeeded in completely confusing me!!!! lol

Haha!!!!!!
Sorry