Damselfish are some of the most popular saltwater fish, because they are inexpensive, easy to care for, and hardy. But they can also be aggressive towards other fish in a community tank.

Here are 21 Popular Damselfish Types listed alphabetically by common name:

1. Ambon Damselfish	8. Four Stripe Damselfish	15. Rolland’s Damselfish
2. Azure Damselfish	9. Jewel Damselfish	16. Talbot’s Damselfish
3. Blue Devil Damselfish	10. Lemon Damselfish	17. Ternate Damselfish
4. Blue and Gold Damselfish	11. Neon Damselfish	18. Three Spot Domino Damselfish
5. Bluefin Damselfish	12. Regal Damselfish	19. Three Stripe Damselfish
6. Blue Sapphire Damselfish	13. Pink Smith Damselfish	20. Two Stripe Damselfish
7. Blue Velvet Damselfish	14. Princess Damselfish	21. Yellowtail Damselfish

Ideal water parameters for Damselfish in a saltwater tank

Most Damselfish types are hardy, easy to care for saltwater fish that do not have very demanding, specific care requirements. The traditional reef aquarium water parameters will be a great fit for them:

• Temperature: 73 to 84 Fahrenheit
• pH: 8.1 to 8.4
• Salinity: 35 ppt (1.025 specific gravity
• Ammonia: 0 ppm
• Nitrite: 0 ppm

1. Azure Damselfish

The Azure Damselfish is one of the most beloved of the Damselfish Types, because of their bold and beautiful coloration and personalities.

Scientific name	Chrysiptera hemicyanea
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.75 in. (7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

2. Blue Devil Damselfish

The Blue Devil Damselfish is one of the most popular species. As their name suggests, they can be a bit of a devil in your community tank, claiming a large footprint of space in your tank as its own, and “defending it” vigorously.

They are omnivores that will occasionally pick at some algae in the tank, but they should also be fed a varied diet that includes meaty foods and algae-based preparations.

In some varieties, the male’s tail is actually orange.

Scientific name	Chrysiptera cyanea
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.75 in. (7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

3. Yellowtail Damselfish

The Yellowtail Damselfish is blessed with the reputation of being one of the least aggressive damselfish, which, along with their gorgeous coloration, hardy constitution and inexpensive price tag, makes them one of the most popular saltwater fish species.

Are yellow tail damselfish reef safe?

Yellow tail Damselfish are reef safe. They will peacefully interact with the corals, clams, and mobile invertebrates in your tank. They are also one of the more peaceful species of damselfish, which makes them less likely to squabble with the other fish in your reef tank, although some individuals will still be territorial.

Scientific name	Chrysiptera parasema
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.75 in. (7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

4. Blue Sapphire (Springer’s) Damselfish

Are Springer damsels aggressive?

Spring damsels are listed as “peaceful” on Saltwaterfish.com and Liveaquaria.com, but as is the case with most damselfish species, they will likely be aggressive towards peaceful, timid fish and other damselfish, including clownfish. My recommendation is to consider them semi-aggressive and avoid mixing with peaceful species.

Scientific name	Chrysiptera springeri
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2 in (5.1 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

5. Talbot’s Damselfish

Talbot’s Damselfish is relatively mild-mannered, by damselfish standards, although there are frequent reports of certain individuals being quite territorial, despite their reputation. They come from the Indo-Pacific reefs and need a varied diet to remain healthy, like most Damsels.

Scientific name	Chrysiptera talboti
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.25 in. (5.7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

6. Rolland’s Damselfish

Rolland’s Damselfish is an attractive damselfish type with more subdued coloration and markings compared with the other show-offs in the Chrysiptera genus.

Scientific name	Chrysiptera rollandi
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3 in. (7.6 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

7. Princess Damselfish

The Princess Damselfish is perhaps the most strikingly beautiful of all the damselfish types on this list. Their coloration reminds me of the much coveted Flameback Angelfish. If I was going to risk aggression in my tank to add a Damselfish, it would be to add this beauty to my tank.

Scientific name	Pomacentrus vainly
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.8 in. (7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

8. Blue and Gold Damselfish (Goldbelly)

It is remarkable to me to see that there is a Damselfish type with just about any configuration of blue and gold that you can imagine. The Gold belly, or Blue and Gold Damselfish has a gold belly, as the name implies, that starts with the pectoral fin and extends all the way to the tail.

Scientific name	Pomacentrus coelestis
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3.5 in. (8.9 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

9. Neon Damselfish (Allen’s Damselfish)

Allen’s Damselfish, which also somehow secured the name Neon Damselfish (they all seem a bit Neon to me), has brilliant blue coloration on the majority of its body, with gold highlights on the ventral, anal and caudal finds, interspersed with blue flecks. They are quite attractive, and also semi-aggressive, just like the rest of the fish on this list.

Scientific name	Pomacentrus alleni
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.5 in. (6.4 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

10. Lemon Damselfish

If you are interested in having a small, but mighty burst of yellow in your tank, the somewhat overlooked Lemon Damselfish is an attractive damselfish type.

Scientific name	Pomacentrus moluccensis
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.75 in. (7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

11. Ambon Damselfish

Scientific name	Pomacentrus amboinensis
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3.5 in. (8.9 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

12. Pink Smith Damselfish

Having a little fun with the image above, but the Pink Smith Damselfish (also popularly called Demoiselle) is a relatively subtly colored beauty.

Scientific name	Pomacentrus smithi
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	2.75 in. (7 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

13. Regal Damselfish

Scientific name	Neopomacentrus cyanomos
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3 in. (7.6 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Moderate

14. Three stripe Damselfish (Humbug)

The Three Stripe Damselfish has one of the BEST alternate common names–Humbug! They look very similar to the Four Stripe Damselfish, except with no stripe on the tail.

These beautiful fish are often sold as tiny juvenile fish that are commissioned to be the first fish in a new saltwater tank. This causes problems later on, due to their aggressive dispositions.

Scientific name	Dascyllus aruanus
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3.75 in. (9.5 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

15. Four stripe Damselfish

The Four stripe Damselfish is so named because of the three bold stripes on the body of the fish, as well as the fourth stripe of black that covers the tail-end of the caudal fin. Hah! Tail end!. Go ahead, scroll back up, you’ll see. They look almost identical to the Three stripe except for the black tail.

This is a popular and common damselfish type, but they are not always a great choice for the peaceful community tank due to their aggression.

Scientific name	Dascyllus melanurus
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3.25 in. (8.3 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

16. Two Stripe Damselfish

Scientific name	Dascyllus reticulatus
Minimum tank size	55-gallons (208.2 L)
Adult fish size	3.5 in. (8.9 cm)
Aggressiveness	Aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

17. Three Spot Domino Damselfish

The Three Spot Domino Damselfish is one of the larger damsels on this list. They should be kept in a tank that is 55-gallons or larger, because they will reach ~5.5 inches as adults. As you can see in the image, they do like to live amongst the tentacles of anemones, just like clownfish.

There is some risk that any/all damselfish will eat invertebrates small enough to swallow. That risk increases with larger species, like the Domino.

Scientific name	Dascyllus trimaculatus
Minimum tank size	55-gallons (208.2 L)
Adult fish size	5.5 in. (14 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

18. Bluefin Damselfish

Topping the charts at a full 7-inch adult length, the substantial Bluefin Damselfish is one of the largest and most aggressive type of damselfish you will encounter at your local fish store. You likely won’t see a full-sized adult, but rather the tiny, cute, seemingly harmless 1.5-2 inch juvenile. But these fish grow up to be quite large in size and are not afraid to throw around their weight.

With that said, they are hardy, reef safe, and easy to care for.

Unnecessary commentary from the author (me): I find it interesting that the common name for Neoglyphidodon melas is the Bluefin Damselfish. They clearly do have blue highlights to their ventral fins, which is a distinguishing feature, but I’m not sure it captures the essence of the fish.

Scientific name	Neoglyphidodon melas
Minimum tank size	55-gallons (208.2 L)
Adult fish size	7 in. (17.8 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

19. Ternate Damselfish

Scientific name	Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	3 in. (7.6 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

20. Blue Velvet Damselfish

The Blue Velvet Damselfish is a commonly stocked and attractive fish as a juvenile that grows to be very large (6 inches/15 cm) as an adult. They are also one of the less fortunate fish, that like me, becomes less attractive as an adult than as a juvenile :).

The blue neon/velvet stripes fade to become a predominantly drab/dark colored and aggressively dispositioned large fish.

Buyer beware.

Scientific name	Paraglyphidodon oxyodon
Minimum tank size	20-gallons (75.7 L)
Adult fish size	6 in. (15.2 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

21. Jewel Damselfish

Hard to believe we can come to the bottom of the list of popular damselfish types and just be getting to the Jewel Damselfish, but that is a testament to how diverse and attractive these beauties are. The Jewel is another one of the larger fish on this list, growing to about 6 inches/15 cm in total length as adults.

They are reef safe towards corals, but may be a problem if you stock small invertebrates, as they are opportunistic hunters.

Scientific name	Microspathodon chrysurus
Minimum tank size	55-gallons (208.2 L)
Adult fish size	6 in. (15.2 cm)
Aggressiveness	Semi-aggressive
Reef safe	Yes
Care level	Easy

Which is the most peaceful damselfish type?

Based on reputation and personal experience, the most peaceful damselfish types are likely Springer’s, Yellowtail, and the Azure damselfish, which also makes them the least aggressive. However, there is no definitive or authoritative way to rank the aggressiveness of different fish species.

You may notice that these are all members of the Chrysiptera genus, a group of relatively smaller and directionally more peaceful type of damselfish.

There is an ancient Saltwater Aquarium Blog proverb passed down from my elders that states:

“The most peaceful damselfish is the one that is not in your tank.”

Ancient Saltwater Aquarium Blog Proverb etched into a stone tablet found in my deep sand bed

What are the most aggressive damselfish types?

The most aggressive damselfish types are the Blue Devil, Two stripe, Three stripe, Three spot, Four stripe, Bluefin, Velvet, and Jewel Damselfish.

If you’re thinking…that’s a lot of species…you are right. Damselfish can be quite aggressive.

Interestingly enough, Saltwater Aquarium Blog elders also passed down a proverb about this:

“The most aggressive damselfish is the one that is in your tank.”

Ancient Saltwater Aquarium Blog Proverb etched into a stone tablet found in my deep sand bed

Can you mix different damselfish?

Most damselfish are aggressive or semi-aggressive saltwater fish. Mixing different damselfish, or even two or more of the same type of damselfish can be tricky, but it is possible. To do so, here are 5 tips to help:

1. Add them to the quarantine tank and display tank at the same time
2. Combine similarly-sized individuals (both current size and anticipated adult size)
3. Choose similarly aggressive species
4. Add 3 or more from each species
5. Add cleaner fish and shrimp to the tank

1. Add damselfish to the tank at the same time to disperse aggression

Damselfish aggression is generally thought to be in response to a natural tendency to protect and defend their territory from interlopers. If you add the damsels at different times, the incumbent fish will have already established a territory and will therefore be more aggressive in protecting it.

When the fish are all introduced at the same time, they establish a hierarchy and divide up the available space. Assuming there is enough room for everyone, the end result should be a more balanced distribution of territory.

2. Choose similarly sized fish to avoid bullying

The smallest Damselfish species grow only to about 2 inches (5 cm) in le.ngth as fully grown adults, while others grow to 6 or 7 inches (15.2 or 17.8 cm)!

Damselfish can sometimes be tank bullies. Just like all bullies, their first option is to pick on someone they perceive as weaker than themselves. One of the quickest ways to create that imbalance is to mix damselfish species that are different sizes today.

You will also want to be careful not to mix damselfish species that will be dramatically different sizes in a few months. Even though they may all be cute ~1.5 inch juveniles in the tank at your local fish store, mixing a 7-inch Bluefin Damselfish with a ~2-3 inch Azure Damselfish will result in a David vs. Goliath situation before long.

3. Choose similarly aggressive species to strive for balanced aggression

Attempting to manage aggression in an aquarium is a bit like fighting fire with fire. Your goal is to achieve balance. So if you want to mix damselfish species, you will likely have the greatest success if you try to mix damsels with similar aggressive dispositions. Don’t mix semi-aggressive varieties with semi-peaceful.

4. Choose larger, odd numbers of fish to strive for dispersion of aggression

One interesting aspect of aggression exerted by aggressive fish species is that it tends to be relatively constant. As long as the aggressor has energy, feels safe, and can see the threat, they will likely attack and defend.

So one of the strategies to help manage aggression in fish is to have many, similarly aggressive fish all together. When that occurs, there is less ‘picking’ on a weaker individual, and instead, the aggression is spread out on several other targets. Since we also carefully selected those “targets” to also be similarly aggressive, they, too, have their own targets, and so on.

In that way, you create a web of dispersed aggression, which helps prevent any one or two fish from becoming targeted so much that they become sick, injured, or worse.

5. Add cleaner fish and shrimp to the tank

There was a scientific study many years ago demonstrating that cleaner fish reduce aggression in a saltwater aquarium. Essentially, the more the fish in the study got cleaned by the cleaner wrasse, the less aggression they displayed–not just because of the ‘time outs’ but it somehow soothed the savage underwater beasts.

I can’t say for sure whether or not that specific insight could be successfully applied to this situation, but cleaner fish and shrimp are awesome…so why not give it a try?

Do damsels get ich?

Ich, “ick” or “white spot disease,” is caused by a parasite that attacks the gills and skin of saltwater aquarium fish, including damsels and damselfish.

Why is my damsel turning white? 

If you see your damsel turning white at night, looking more pale than during the day, this is a normal, routine event, as part of preparation for rest. If your damsel is turning white during the day, it could be a symptom of stress, illness, or malnourishment.

If your damsel is turning white, you should try to remove the cause of the stress and see if you can improve the nutritional quality of the food.

Can damselfish live with clownfish?

Damselfish and clownfish are likely to be aggressive towards each other and should not live together in the same saltwater tank, unless you have a very large aquarium.

Are damselfish hardy?

Damselfish are some of the most hardy saltwater fish available for a marine aquarium. They are tolerant of less-than-perfect water parameters, eager to eat the majority of available foods and most live a long time. Damselfish are often one of the first fish added to a new saltwater tank because they are so hardy.

Caution is advised though, because most damselfish species can be moderately aggressive, which can cause problems when you try to add your second, third and subsequent fish. So although their constitution is hardy, making them an ideal starter fish, their aggressive behavior is not.

Can damselfish change color?

Damselfish can change color and will change color to a lighter/paler shade at night and to a darker shade when stressed or scared. Springer’s damselfish will turn from blue to almost black when stressed and trying to avoid a predator.

Are damselfish jumpers?

All saltwater fish are somewhat susceptible to jumping out of an aquarium with no lid if they feel sufficiently startled but damselfish a moderate risk of being a “jumper,” similar to that of a clownfish. Dartfish, wrasses, and jawfish are notorious jumpers.

References

Michael, Scott W. Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ 2001

Live Aquaria

A lot of popular LED light models have white and blue lights. Blue light is an important wavelength for photosynthesis (the process where plants turn light into sugar/energy).

Blue light is also frequently used to simulate dawn and dusk light cycles. For example, in an 8-hour photoperiod, an aquarist may choose to run a light with White and Blue LEDs as follows:

1. 12 PM to 2 PM: Blue LEDs only
2. 2 PM to 6 PM: Blue + White LEDs together
3. 6 PM to 8 PM: Blue LEDs only
4. 8 PM until 12:00 PM next day: all LEDs OFF

But the existence of the Blue LEDs, often set up on a different switch setting, as well as the tendency to use those lights in the evening, creates a question I hear fairly commonly.

Can I leave the blue light on in a fish tank?

Blue light in a fish tank should not be left on for more than 12 hours each day. No light in a fish tank should be left on more than 12 hours each day. The fish, invertebrates, and even photosynthetic plants or corals in your tank will be healthiest and grow best with 12-16 hours of darkness each day. If you occassionally forget to turn the blue light off in a fish tank, that is okay, just turn it off next time, or set it on a timer or smart plug, so that you don’t have to remember.

Is blue light bad for my fish?

It seems highly unlikely that normal blue light with typical aquarium use is bad for your fish. There are a few scholarly publications on this and related topics, but the findings across studies seem a bit confounding, at best.

For example, a couple of studies concluded that blue light damages fish eye retinas. This was studied in goldfish and zebrafish (called zebra danios in pet stores near me). They did demonstrate and publish results that showed blue light exposure increased signs of stress and damage to the cells in the retina.

But there are other studies that show blue light actually reduced the stress response in Tilapia, which is a food fish, but is also a Cichlid.

Another study showed that the development of baby guppies was stronger/faster/better in blue light than it was in green or red light.

A different study showed that the species of fish they studied preferentially swam to the areas illuminated with blue or green light, but swam away from yellow and red light.

Why would fish have an instict to swim towards a light that is bad for them.

Here is a table summarizing the studies involving blue light and its effect on fish

Blue light and fish summary conclusion	Study title	Publication	Lead Author
Blue light reduced stress response in tilapia.	Environmental blue light prevents stress in the Nile tilapia	Neurosciences and behavior	Volpato, G.L.
The impact of the color of light on the growth of juvenile fish varied by species. Notably, guppies developed better with blue light. Red light decreased growth in all species.	Influence of Colored Light on Growth rate of Juveniles of Fish	Fish Physiology and Biochemistry	Ruching, A.B.
After 1 week of exposure to blue light from an LED, signs of stress were elevated as well as evidence of damage to retina cells (likely leading to cell death) in goldfish.	Effects of blue light spectra on retinal stress and damage in goldfish	Fish Physiology and Biochemistry	Song, Jin Ah
A species of fish in Tibet swam towards green and blue lights but away from red or yellow, suggesting an affinity/preference for blue and green.	A detailed analysis of the effect of different environmental factors on fish phototactic behavior: directional fish guiding and expelling technique	Behavioral Ecology of Aquatic Animals	Xu, Jiawei
Rearing goldfish under blue light improves their growth rate, immune responses to stress, and behavior	Effect of different monochromatic LED light colors on growth performance, behavior, immune-physiological responses of goldfish Carassius auratus	Aquaculture	Noureldin, Salwa M.

Blue light has also been demonstrated to be extremly important to the growth of corals. Most of the facilities that grow corals commercially use a light spectrum combination that is heavily skewed towards the blue light part of the spectrum called AB+ that has been shown to produce the best growth in corals. The top of the line reef aquarium lighting manufacturers, like the Radion XR 15 BLUE lights above my tank, provide templates to automatically use this spectrum and are specifically designed with EXTRA blue LED diodes.

Finally, if you have spent any time snorkeling, or in a deep pool, you noticed that the lower you go, the bluer the light gets. Now, I know not every fish comes from a blue ocean environment, they may spend their time on the surface, where the light would be more white. Also, many freshwater species are in yellow/brown/turbid waters. So perhaps they would be more impacted, but I’m not sure that study has been performed.

One final note–zebrafish are used in studies often as a developmental biology model. My hunch, suspicion, hypothesis is that the studies showing blue light damage to fish eyes were intended more to inform understanding the impact of the blue light from electronics on our eyes than they were intended to show that you shouldn’t leave a blue light on over your fish.

Will plants grow better if I leave the lights on?

Plants and other photosynthetic organisms grow best when they have both light and dark periods. During the light period, plants and photosynthetic organisms like zooxanthellae harness the energy in light to make sugar with carbon dioxide and water. During the dark period, these photosynthetic organisms are like any other organism, where they need to consume those sugars for energy. Blasting too much light, out of balance, disrupts the dark phase and results in less vigor, not more.

That is why it is important to establish a consistent and balanced photoperiod for your tanks, or when trying to grow photosynthetic organisms like phytoplankton. A photoperiod of 8 to 12 hours on and 12 to 16 hours off is typically ideal.

Can I leave blue light on in a fish tank to simulate moonlight?

Fish, coral, and other invertebrate spawnings are often tied to lunar cycles. So the notion of recreating moonlight in your fish tank, instead of just total darkness may encourage more natural cyclical behaviors. But blue lights should not be left on in a fish tank for longer than a few hours, to simulate moonlight.

I am currently running the Corallab AB+ template on Radion XR 15 Blue LED lights, and the program is set for a gentle 3 hour moonlight period, which also creates another interesting viewing opportunity. I enjoy watching the fish and corals start to get ready for the night as the moonlight program gets closer to ending.

You could also DIY your own moonlight by having a dim blue light, white light, or combination light mounted above the fish tank. If your LEDs are dimmable, you could set them up to brighten and dim in conjunction with a 28 day cycle to recreate the phases of the moon.

Roxanne, you don’ t have to put on the red light

I just like that song. Didn’t understand it until I got older :). I just counted, and that song repeats “put on the red light” 25 times. Yowza!

Related articles

Check out these other related articles:

Growing Phytoplankton at home

Best Reef Aquarium Lights

References

Noureldin, Salwa M., et al. “Effect of different monochromatic LED light colors on growth performance, behavior, immune-physiological responses of gold fish, Carassius auratus.” Aquaculture 538 (2021): 736532.

Ruchin, A. B. “Influence of colored light on growth rate of juveniles of fish.” Fish physiology and Biochemistry 30.2 (2004): 175-178.

Song, Jin Ah, and Cheol Young Choi. “Effects of blue light spectra on retinal stress and damage in goldfish (Carassius auratus).” Fish physiology and biochemistry 45.1 (2019): 391-400.

Volpato, Gilson Luiz, and R. E. Barreto. “Environmental blue light prevents stress in the fish Nile tilapia.” Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 34 (2001): 1041-1045.

Xu, Jiawei, et al. “A Detailed Analysis of the Effect of Different Environmental Factors on Fish Phototactic Behavior: Directional Fish Guiding and Expelling Technique.” Animals12.3 (2022): 240

There are a lot of different types of wrasse available for the saltwater aquarium. This article will cover the 75 Best types of wrasse, including their scientific name, the maximum size they grow to as adults, in both inches and centimeters, the minimum tank size required to adequately care for them in gallons and liters, their care difficulty, relative aggressiveness, diet, and whether or not they can be kept safely with corals.

75 Best types of wrasse: care guide summary table

The table below lists the 75 best types of wrasse, with a care guide summary. If the table is wider than the screen you are viewing it on, you can scroll left and right on the table itself.

Table 1: 75 Best Types of Wrasse

Type of Wrasse	Scientifc name for type of wrasse	Adult size (in.)	Min. tank size (gal)	Care difficulty	Aggressive	Diet	Reef safe (Yes/No)	Adult size (cm)	Min. tank size (liters)
Adorned Wrasse	Halichoeres cosmetus	5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	208
Banana Wrasse	Thalassoma lutescens	12	125	Relatively easy	Yes	Meaty foods	No	30	473
Bird Wrasse	Gomphosus varius	11	125	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	No	28	473
Black Leopard Wrasse	Macropharyngodon negrosensis	4	90	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus cyaneus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Blue Throat Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Bluehead Wrasse	Thalassoma bifasciatum	7	70	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	18	265
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse	Labroides dimidiatus	5.5	90	Difficult and challenging	No	Meaty foods	Yes	14	341
Blunthead Wrasse	Thalassoma amblycephalum	6	70	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	15	265
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus carpenteri	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Chiseltooth Wrasse	Pseudodax moluccanus	10	125	Difficult and challenging	No	Meaty foods	Somewhat	25	473
Darwin’s Glow Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus sp.	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Dragon Wrasse	Novaculichthys taeniourus	12	180	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	No	30	681
Dusky Wrasse	Halichoeres annularis	6	70	Difficult and challenging	No	Meaty foods	Yes	15	265
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus exquisitus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus filamentosus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus punctatus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Formosa Wrasse	Coris formosa	24	180	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	No	61	681
Goldbar Wrasse	Thalassoma hebraicum	9	125	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	Somewhat	23	473
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis	4.5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	341
Green Wrasse	Halichoeres chloropterus	8	70	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	20	265
Grey Head Wrasse	Halichoeres leucurus	6	70	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	15	265
Hardwicke Wrasse	Thalassoma hardwicke	8	90	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	No	20	341
Harlequin Tusk	Choerodon fasciatus	10	125	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	25	473
Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus johnsonii	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Katherine’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus katherinae	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Labout’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus laboutei	5.5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	14	341
Leopard Wrasse	Macropharyngodon meleagris	6	90	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	15	341
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lineatus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus lineopunctatus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lunatus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Lyretail Wrasse	Thalassoma lunare	10	125	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	No	25	473
Marble/Hortulanus Wrasse	Halichoeres hortulanus	11	125	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	28	473
McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus mccoskeri	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Melanurus Wrasse	Halichoeres melanurus	4.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	208
Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lubbocki	3.5	55	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Mystery Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus ocellatus	5	90	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus naokoae	4	90	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Nebulous Wrasse	Halichoeres nebulosus	5	90	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Neon Wrasse	Halichoeres garnoti	7	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	18	265
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis	4.5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	341
Paddlefin Wrasse	Thalassoma lucasanum	8	70	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	Somewhat	20	265
Pearly Wrasse	Halichoeres margaritaceus	5	90	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Pseudocheilinops ataenia	2.5	15	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	6	57
Pinkface Wrasse	Thalassoma quinquevittatum	7	70	Relatively easy	Yes	Meaty foods	Somewhat	18	265
Radiant Wrasse	Halichoeres iridis	4.5	55	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	208
Red Breast Wrasse	Cheilinus fasciatus	16	180	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Somewhat	41	681
Red Coris Wrasse	Coris gaimard	15	125	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	38	473
Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus solorensis	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus adornatus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Red-Lined Wrasse	Halichoeres biocellatus	4	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	208
Redfin Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Richmond’s Wrasse	Halichoeres richmondi	7.5	70	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	19	265
Rose-Band Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus roseafascia	5.5	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	14	265
Royal Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus angulatus		55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	0	208
Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus cf cyanopleura	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubeus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus evanidus	3	55	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Scott’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus scottorum	6	90	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	15	341
Sea Grass Wrasse	Novaculichthys macrolepidotus	6	70	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	15	265
Six Line Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus hexataenia	3	55	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus isosceles	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Two Spot Wrasse	Cheilinus bimaculatus	6	70	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	No	15	265
Two Tone Wrasse	Halichoeres prosopeion	5	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	265
Vrolik’s Wrasse, Male	Halichoeres chrysotaenia	5	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	265
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus filamentosus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse	Wetmorella nigropinnata	3	15	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	57
Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis	3	55	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Yellow Wrasse	Halichoeres chrysus	5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	208
Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus flavianalis	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Yellowtail Wrasse	Anampses meleagrides	9	125	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	23	473

Are wrasses hard to keep?

Most wrasses are not hard to keep. They are generally hardy and relatively easy to care for.

Easy to care for types of wrasse for a saltwater tank

Here is a table of relatively easy to care for wrasse types that are not hard to keep:

Table 2: Easy to care for types of wrasse:

Adorned Wrasse	Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Neon Wrasse	Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse
Banana Wrasse	Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse	Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
Bird Wrasse	Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse	Six Line Wrasse
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Katherine’s Fairy Wrasse	Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse
Blue Throat Fairy Wrasse	Labout’s Fairy Wrasse	Pinkface Wrasse	Two Spot Wrasse
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse	Lineatus Fairy Wrasse	Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse	Two Tone Wrasse
Bluehead Wrasse	Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse	Vrolik’s Wrasse, Male
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse
Darwin’s Glow Fairy Wrasse	McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Red-Lined Wrasse	Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse	Melanurus Wrasse	Redfin Wrasse	Yellow Wrasse
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Rose-Band Fairy Wrasse	Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse
Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse	Mystery Wrasse	Royal Flasher Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse	Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

Which wrasses are reef safe?

Table 3: Reef safe wrasses for a saltwater tank

Reef safe wrasse types (A-G)	Reef safe wrasse types (H-N)	Reef safe wrasse types (N-R)	Reef safe wrasse types (R-Z)
Adorned Wrasse	Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Neon Wrasse	Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse
Black Leopard Wrasse	Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse	Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Katherine’s Fairy Wrasse	Pearly Wrasse	Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
Blue Throat Fairy Wrasse	Labout’s Fairy Wrasse	Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse	Six Line Wrasse
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse	Leopard Wrasse	Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse	Lineatus Fairy Wrasse	Radiant Wrasse	Two Tone Wrasse
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse	Vrolik’s Wrasse, Male
Darwin’s Glow Fairy Wrasse	Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse	Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse	Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse	Marble/Hortulanus Wrasse	Red-Lined Wrasse	Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Redfin Wrasse	Yellow Wrasse
Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse	Melanurus Wrasse	Richmond’s Wrasse	Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Mystery Wrasse	Rose-Band Fairy Wrasse	Yellowtail Wrasse
Green Wrasse	Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse	Royal Flasher Wrasse
Grey Head Wrasse	Nebulous Wrasse	Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

17 Types of wrasse that are not reef safe or are somewhat reef-safe with caution advised

Table 4: 17 Types of wrasse that may not be reef safe

Type of wrasse	Scientific name	Min. tank size (gallons)	Reef safe	Aggressive	Care difficulty
Bluehead Wrasse	Thalassoma bifasciatum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Relatively easy
Blunthead Wrasse	Thalassoma amblycephalum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty
Chiseltooth Wrasse	Pseudodax moluccanus	125	Somewhat, caution advised	No	Difficult and challenging
Goldbar Wrasse	Thalassoma hebraicum	125	Somewhat, caution advised	Yes	Medium difficulty
Harlequin Tusk	Choerodon fasciatus	125	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty
Paddlefin Wrasse	Thalassoma lucasanum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Yes	Medium difficulty
Pinkface Wrasse	Thalassoma quinquevittatum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Yes	Relatively easy
Red Breast Wrasse	Cheilinus fasciatus	180	Somewhat, caution advised	No	Medium difficulty
Red Coris Wrasse	Coris gaimard	125	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty
Sea Grass Wrasse	Novaculichthys macrolepidotus	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty

How many gallons does a wrasse need?

Different types of wrasse will require different amounts of water. The minimum number of gallons to keep the smallest types of wrasse is 15 gallons, and the largest wrasse types require 180 gallons of aquarium water or more.

Types of wrasse for a nano aquarium (minimum 15 gallons)

Table 5: 2 Types of wrasse perfect for a nano aquarium

Type of wrasse	Scientific name	Adult size (in.)	Care difficulty level	Reef safe	Aggressive
Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Pseudocheilinops ataenia	2.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse	Wetmorella nigropinnata	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No

Types of wrasse for a 55-gallon aquarium or larger

Table 6: 24 Best types of wrasse for a 55-gallon aquarium or larger

Type of wrasse	Scientific name	Adult fish size (in.)	Care difficulty	Reef safe	Aggressive
Adorned Wrasse	Halichoeres cosmetus	5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus cyaneus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus carpenteri	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus filamentosus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus johnsonii	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus lineopunctatus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lunatus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus mccoskeri	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Melanurus Wrasse	Halichoeres melanurus	4.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lubbocki	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	Semi-aggressive
Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Pseudocheilinops ataenia	2.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Radiant Wrasse	Halichoeres iridis	4.5	Extremely difficult	Yes	No
Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus adornatus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Red-Lined Wrasse	Halichoeres biocellatus	4	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Royal Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus angulatus		Relatively easy	Yes	No
Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubeus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus evanidus	3	Medium difficulty	Yes	Semi-aggressive
Six Line Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus hexataenia	3	Relatively easy	Yes	Semi-aggressive
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus filamentosus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse	Wetmorella nigropinnata	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis	3	Medium difficulty	Yes	No
Yellow Wrasse	Halichoeres chrysus	5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus flavianalis	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No

Do flasher wrasses need sand?

The following genera (plural for genus) need a sand bed to sleep in hide: and Anampses, Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon, and Pseudojuloides. That includes the Yellowtail, Yellow, Green, and Melanurus wrasses.

Wrasse tank mates: best and worst

Compatibility between saltwater fish types is challenging to review, because individual experiences sometimes conflict. The general disposition and typical aggressiveness level of a species is a primary, driving force, but the behaviors of individuals within a species will sometimes be more or less aggressive than the norm.

The relative size of the fish in any aquarium, as well as the order in which they are added to the tank will also play a role in competition for food or territorial aggression.

That is why we need to take the general advice and reports we read online (including this one) with a grain of salt, and whenever possible, use data to inform our decisions.

Best wrasse tank mates

In 2022, Saltwater Aquarium Blog Newsletter Subscribers who had experience with keeping one of the most popular wrasse species, the Six Line Wrasse, were asked to indicate which fish types they were successful in keeping with the wrasse and which species they had personal experience with being incompatible with their wrasse.

I used the tally of compatible and incompatible votes to calculate the percentage of the time the wrasse tank mate was compatible with the wrasse.

Table 7: The best wrasse tank mates, including a compatibility score

Wrasse tank mate type	Compatibility %	Aquarists with success	Aquarists rated incompatible
Clownfish	96%	65	-3
Tangs or Surgeonfish	90%	45	-5
Gobies	91%	43	-4
Angelfish	91%	41	-4
Blennies	88%	38	-5
Cardinalfish	92%	36	-3
Chromis	92%	34	-3
Damselfish	93%	28	-2
Basslets or Grammas	88%	22	-3
Anthias	95%	18	-1
Dottybacks	81%	17	-4
Rabbitfish	93%	13	-1
Butterflyfish	87%	13	-2
Triggerfish	100%	8	0
Dragonets	89%	8	-1

Worst wrasse tank mates

In general, Saltwater Aquarium Blog Newsletter subscribers had more successes than failures keeping Pseudocheilinus hexataenia with other wrasse tank mates. But here are the worst wrasse tank mates that demonstrated the lowest compatibility percentages:

Table 8: The wrasse tank mates with the worst compatibility scores

Wrass tank mates	Compatibility %	Aquarists with success	Aquarists rated incompatible
Other wrasse types	62%	18	-11
Filefish	67%	6	-3
Dartfish	79%	11	-3
Eels	67%	2	-1
Pufferfish	67%	2	-1
Jawfish	75%	3	-1
Lionfish	75%	3	-1

The most common incompatibility was mixing one type of wrasse with another type of wrasse. Two individual wrasses were successfully kept together only 62% of the time.

While it was not directly specified in the survey (the options were simply to indicate compatibility/incompatibility), dartfish and jawfish are notoriously docile fish. One would expect that the docile fish were likely pestered and harassed by a more aggressive type of wrasse.

Eels and lionfish are predators. I’d exercise caution beyond what it stated here and avoid mixing species, especially given the small sample size of the data here.

Can you have two wrasses in the same tank?

You can have two wrasses in the same tank, but it takes some planning and careful purchasing. Having two wrasses in the same tank was the number one reason for incompatibility between two fish types. Aquarium owners were successful keeping two wrasses together only 62% of the time, in a recent Saltwater Aquarium Blog Survey.

Here are a few guidelines that will help. If you want to keep more than one wrasse in the same tank, don’t plan to keep any of the wrasse types in the Pseudocheilinus or Macropharyngodon genus, as they are notorious for being incompatible with other wrasses. Unfortunately, that rules out the very popular Six-line wrasse, Mystery wrasse, and Leopard wrasse.

Aggression tends to be the worst between males, with more aggression between males of the same species and between males from different types of wrasse. Please keep in mind that, in captivity, it seems that the vast majority (read that as “all”, softened just a bit) of female wrasses turn male eventually, which will likely cause issues later on, so it is generally best to just keep 1 of a given wrasse type.

Which wrasses mix well together?

Here is a presentation from MACNA 2017 that goes deep on these wrasses, including which species can be safely combined in the same saltwater tank:

What to read next

Check out these other great guides:

27 Types of tangs

25 Types of saltwater angelfish

19 Types of clownfish

5 Pufferfish types

References

The Wrasse Guy

Michael, Scott W. Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species. TFH Publications, Inc. 2001.

Whether you have had a freshwater aquarium before or are entirely new to the aquarium hobby, this article will help you sort through all the options to determine what is needed for a saltwater fish tank?

Creating and maintaining a thriving, beautiful saltwater fish tank takes time, patience, money, and the right gear, gadgets, and supplies. Here is a quick summary of what is needed for a saltwater fish tank:

Equipment needed for a saltwater fish tank

1. The aquarium itself
2. A stand: capable of supporting the weight of the tank
3. A lid: to help prevent fish from jumping
4. Lights: set on a timer for 8-10 hours each day
5. Heater and/or Chiller: for temperature control to warm up or cool down water as needed
6. Water circulation pump: for water movement and oxygenation
7. Filter: if the tank is not filled with live rock
8. Gravel vacuum: for water changes and maintenance
9. Hydrometer or Refractometer: for testing salinity/specific gravity
10. Buckets: for water changes and acclimating new fish and invertebrates
11. Plastic containers: for catching, transporting, or acclimating fish and inverts
12. Thermometer: for measuring temperature

Substrate and decorations needed for a saltwater fish tank

1. Live rock: Porous reef rock to create some reef aquascape, provide hiding spots and places to mount corals
2. Live sand: Helps jump-start the biological diversity in the tank and makes the bottom of the tank look nice
3. Decorations: To personalize your tank and give it the look you want

Supplies needed for a saltwater fish tank

1. Reef salt mix: for making salt water, you’ll need a lot of this, and it’s heavy
2. Test kits: for testing critical water parameters
3. Coral dip: for treating corals before adding them to the fish tank
4. Kalkwasser or a Two-Part supplement: for Calcium management
5. Replacement filter media: if using a filter

Food needed for a saltwater fish tank

You don’t need to buy all of these all at once, but over time, it is generally good to provide a variety of options.

1. Live foods: Blackworms, Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp, Feeder shrimp, depending on what animals you are feeding
2. Frozen foods: In your pet store freezer–brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, veggie blends
3. Pellets or Flakes: These nutrient-packed prepared foods help make feeding time convenient

There are a lot more items that will be covered in this article that you could add, but the list above is what is needed for a saltwater fish tank.

Additional equipment that can be helpful for a saltwater fish tank

In addition to what is needed for a saltwater fish tank, there are a lot of optional items that are not 100% necessary but can improve your experience. Here are a bunch of the most popular and useful items to consider supplementing with what is needed for a saltwater fish tank.

1. Protein skimmer: specialized equipment that cleans saltwater; not 100% necessary but helps significantly.
2. Sump: a reservoir below the tank, usually in the stand, that houses additional water and keeps the equipment out of view
3. Refugium: a dedicated area where natural algae and invertebrates grow and purify the water
4. Target feeder for corals: specialized gear to help feed corals
5. Magnet glass cleaner: makes keeping the aquarium glass clear of algae easy
6. Nets: for chasing or catching fish
7. Quarantine tank: for observing fish before adding to your tank and treating parasites
8. RO/DI: A water purification system to turn your tap water into the best possible reef water
9. Reactors: equipment that holds media that reacts with chemicals in the water, removing them
10. Dosers: small pumps that add nutrients/supplements consistently
11. Automatic Top Off: Automatic pump system that replaces evaporation
12. Reef Journal: A place to plan out your fish tank, record your progress and test results
13. New Saltwater Aquarium Guide: A guide to setting up your new tank

Water quality: testing what is needed for a saltwater fish tank

Maintaining high water quality is everything in a saltwater tank. In some respects, success is as much about caring for the water as it is about caring for the fish in the fish tank.

Here are the most important water quality measurements to do what is needed for a saltwater fish tank:

• Salinity: how much salt is in the water, typically measured as specific gravity with a hydrometer
• pH: saltwater needs to have a higher pH than freshwater
• Temperature: saltwater fish come from warm, tropical reef waters
• Ammonia: a poisonous pollutant that needs to be filtered out
• Nitrites: an intermediate compound created when your filter processes ammonia
• Nitrates: the chemical compound created when ammonia is converted in your filter. This waste product is less toxic than ammonia but needs to be managed in a saltwater fish tank.
• Alkalinity: used to estimate healthy levels of an essential compound to corals called bicarbonate
• Calcium: a critical element for healthy corals
• Phosphates: a trace nutrient that becomes problematic in large quantities

To test for and measure these water parameters, you will need equipment, including a hydrometer and thermometer, for measuring salinity and temperature.

You will also need test kits or strips for measuring ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, alkalinity, calcium, and phosphates.

Check out this full-length article on the most important water parameters for more information.

Dealing with potential problems

We all face problems while trying to keep our saltwater fish tanks pristine and clean. The three most likely problems you will encounter are:

1. Nuisance algae: problematic for almost every new tank and periodically even once the tank is established. The biggest algae problems are dinoflagellates, diatoms, cyanobacteria, hair algae, bryopsis, and bubble algae.
2. Parasites: saltwater ich, marine velvet, and other parasites weaken fish and spread in our tanks if we don’t correctly quarantine
3. Unwanted hitchhikers: aiptasia anemones, bristle worms, red bugs, and other creatures travel into our tanks on rocks and corals and can plague our inhabitants.

Related article: 23 Quick Tips for Dealing with Aquarium Algae

Related article: Treating saltwater ich

Related article: Hitchhiker’s guide to live rock

What is needed for a saltwater fish tank: the best first fish

The best first fish for a new saltwater tank will be relatively inexpensive, hardy, and proven by many people to be successful in an aquarium. Specific care guides and lists of the best first fish are their own topics, but to get you started, here are three of the best first fish:

1. Clownfish: 94% of aquarium enthusiasts reported success caring for clownfish
2. Wrasses: 89% reported success caring for wrasses
3. Cardinalfish: 88% reported success caring for wrasses

Related article: Powerful coral care and saltwater fish statistics

Related article: 5 Best saltwater fish for beginners

How many fish for a saltwater fish tank, and what are the best combinations?

The number of fish for a saltwater fish tank will vary based on the size of the tank, the size of the fish, the combination of fish, and the amount of space each one needs. To review custom recommendations, check out these popular stocking guides by tank size:

When to add the first saltwater fish

The first appropriate time to add your first saltwater fish is after the tank has completely cycled. Let’s explore what that means. A fish tank, by definition, is a reservoir of water you keep in your house and ideally doesn’t leak. That means nothing goes in or leaves the tank without you handling the details.

The saltwater fish and invertebrates you add will go about their business and do their own biological functions if you catch my meaning.

You will also add food that won’t get entirely eaten. All of that stuff eventually creates waste. One of the key waste products that will build up (at first) is ammonia. Unfortunately, ammonia is a toxic chemical.

Fortunately, naturally occurring bacteria will colonize your tank, all on their own, or with the help of additives or special products you can buy, like live rock and live sand. Those first, naturally occurring and beneficial bacterial will consume the ammonia and turn it into nitrites (spelling is important there, as you’ll see in a moment).

Those nitrites are problematic in freshwater but not-so-problematic in saltwater. However, either way, we are fortunate that there is another group of bacteria that like to consume the nitrites and leave nitrates behind as a waste product.

Once your tank has built up the natural colonies of bacteria that you need to do all that waste management, your tank is said to have cycled.

That means the tank has been up and running, and you don’t detect any ammonia or nitrites with test kits or test strips, even with waste products (decaying food or ammonia additives) inside the aquarium water, because the bacteria are efficiently converting it via that multi-step process into nitrates.

If you add your first fish before that is done, you will burn them. Chemical burns. Nobody wants to see you create the next Joker (Batman reference) in your tank.

So please check to see that your saltwater fish tank has cycled before adding your first saltwater fish to the tank.

Related: How to cycle a saltwater fish tank

What is needed for a saltwater fish tank: the best beginner corals

If you plan to add corals to your saltwater fish tank, an important first step is to pick those coral types that you are likely to have success with. Success breeds more success in this hobby. Here are a few of the best beginner corals to add to a new saltwater fish tank:

1. Mushroom corals: 92% of people reported success with mushroom corals
2. Green star polyps: success was reported 85% of the time with GSP
3. Toadstool corals: 82% of people were successful with toadstool corals

Related article: 27 Best beginner corals

When to add your first corals

Determining when to add your first corals is a bit of a tricky topic. Some of the best beginner corals will act like pioneers, helping you colonize the new frontier you have created and help carve out a space and compete with the inevitable algae problem.

However, those first corals are also likely to succumb to the fluctuating water parameters and the problems that those nuisance algae will cause.

You certainly could start sooner if you were very eager to get your hands wet with corals, but I think a reasonable starting point estimate would be to wait until your tank has progressed through the various algae stages.

While not every tank will experience all the stages, the first ‘algae’ to pop up are brown dinoflagellates, diatoms, cyanobacteria, hair and bubble algae, and then finally coralline algae and stability.

Once those problem algae are out of the way and the coralline algae take over (should be between 6 months and a year), your tank is in the best shape it is going to be to give you the greatest chance of success with corals.

In all fairness, that might also be doing it the hard way, so if you want to get started a little early, start with that list above of the hardiest beginner corals because they are fast enough to potentially out-compete those problem algae.

Best cleanup crew: what is needed for a saltwater fish tank

One of the coolest things needed for a saltwater fish tank is also one of the most fun–it is called a clean-up crew. What is a clean-up crew? It is a combination of invertebrates that will help stir up the sand, eat unwanted or leftover food, munch on algae and help remove the unwanted things.

Here are a few of the best cleanup crew members:

1. Hermit crabs: able to climb to the hardest-to-reach places, they are great scavengers
2. Cerith snails: MVP of the clean-up crew. They are small but tackle the tough problems
3. Emerald crabs: Make short work of hair algae problems

Related: 23 Interesting invertebrates that also eat algae

Maintenance tasks: what is needed for a saltwater fish tank?

Each day

• Feed your fish 2-3 times
• Wipe down aquarium glass to clean off algal film
• Dump the protein skimmer cup to remove the skimmate

Each week

• Perform a 10-20% water change (at least until you get the hang of it). You want to suck up as much muck, gunk, algae, and detritus as you can, during your change. Extra credit for having a gross bucket of water
• Test your water 2-3 times each with all the kits or strips you own, targeting the major water parameters, and record it in your Reef Journal.
• With a wet rag (fresh water, no chemicals,) wipe away any accumulated salt deposits on the lid (called salt creep, it will keep growing if you don’t get rid of it).
• Replace any water you lost to evaporation with aged, chlorine-free fresh water (RO/DI is best, but aged tap water is fine). Keep track of how much skimmate you’ve removed because you want to keep salinity neutral, and the skimmate removed will be saltwater, not freshwater
• Clean out the protein skimmer cup and neck to aid in efficient skimming
• Feed your corals 1-2 times

Cost and how much money: what is needed for a saltwater fish tank

You can truly spend however much money you want on a saltwater tank, and you will probably spend more money than you think. In a 2022 survey of Saltwater Aquarium Enthusiasts, 18% spent $500 or less on their setups, but the median cost was between $1,000- $1,500.

As you can see from the chart above, however, the initial setup cost was spread throughout the range. In addition, there was a sizeable number of people at every cost threshold, suggesting that the upfront investment cost is somewhat up to the aquarium owner to decide.

Best advice and tips: what is needed for saltwater fish tank success

1. Install a grounding probe: to avoid shocking yourself
2. Nets: better used to chase fish into a clear container than the other way around
3. Save money: by mixing less expensive dry rock with live rock–it all becomes live rock, eventually

Related: Best saltwater aquarium tips for beginners

Quarantine

When I had freshwater tanks, I never quarantined them. I also never worried about it. Sure, diseases and parasites showed up, but I just ran out to the store, bought some meds, turned my tank blue or green for a few days, and the problem was over.

I’m sure I also suffered my share of losses, but freshwater fish are cheap. I don’t mean to be callous. Just saying I never gave it much attention.

When I converted to the saltwater aquarium hobby all those years ago, I brought those bad habits with me, arrogantly reinforced by my self-perceptions of freshwater success.

I’m here to report that things ended badly for me twice. I’m talking total tank crashes due to crazy parasite problems. You can’t treat parasite problems effectively in a reef tank because anything you would use (that works!) will kill your invertebrates and corals.

The only way to treat parasites is in isolation. It is tough to get fish out of a reef tank, and it is challenging to eradicate parasites once they get in your reef tank. The solution to these problems is quarantine. Please read up on it.

Related: How to quarantine for a saltwater tank

What is needed for a saltwater fish tank that is different from freshwater?

There are a lot of similarities between keeping a freshwater tank and a saltwater fish tank, but there are also a few unique elements needed for a saltwater fish tank.

Similarities with freshwater

The fundamentals of managing a saltwater fish tank are essentially the same as with freshwater–you need to understand the care needs of the fish you want to keep, and you need to meet them while also maintaining stable, pristine water conditions in the tank.

• A biological filter converts waste ammonia into nitrates.
• Water pumps help oxygenate and circulate the water
• Heaters warm up the water to tropical temperatures
• Water changes and maintenance keep things stable.

A saltwater fish tank with corals is more like managing a planted freshwater tank and/or delicate fish like discus.

What is needed for a saltwater fish tank that is different from freshwater

Corals are not plants and not exactly traditional ‘animals’, per se, but they have care needs similar to both. That means they need high-quality lighting, like plants, but also need to be fed, like animals, and adequate water flow is essential to helping them get enough oxygen and remove their waste.

Many fish and invertebrates are more sensitive to fluctuations in water quality than the freshwater hobby.

Building and maintaining a saltwater tank is much more expensive.

Parasites, diseases and pests can be catastrophic and cause much more damage in saltwater (which is also much more expensive).

Biological filtration is vital in both fresh and saltwater, but in saltwater fish tanks, special rocks called live rocks, are placed inside the tank and serve as the reservoir for the bacteria that help clean the water. That is very different from a freshwater tank, where those bacteria are generally housed on a biowheel or in the sponge inside the filter.

This may have seemed obvious; salt water is needed for a saltwater fish tank. But, that isn’t made with table salt, or even the small box of ‘aquarium salt’ on the shelf at your big box store. Saltwater is made from a blend of salts and nutrients to recreate the specific levels of major and trace elements as ocean reefs.

Related: How to make saltwater for a saltwater fish tank

Related: Converting from freshwater to saltwater

Is it better to have a small tank or a larger tank?

Many people in the echo chamber reiterate some old standby advice that bigger is better in the saltwater aquarium hobby, but that is not always the case.

Bigger almost always means more expense, and it also almost always means more work- unless you have additional equipment to help make the work more manageable. At that point, you need to see my first point, which means that it means more expense.

Bigger tanks also weigh a lot more, which can often limit your options of where you can keep the tank or even require you to structurally reinforce your floor.

Here’s what my crawl space looks like:

What was that point I was making? Oh, right, bigger is NOT always better.

Smaller can be less expensive and easier to manage. Chores will take a fraction of the time, and you’ll run out of space sooner, which means it will cost you less. In addition, you will need less and smaller equipment, so running costs will also be lower.

With that said, people say bigger is better because water is generally pretty good at staying stable, unless we make it up, and a lot of water is better at staying stable than a little bit of water. So, since stability is a big part of the game here, size has THAT advantage.

But contrary to the norms here, it makes a lot of sense to start out relatively small. You can get a sense of how easy or hard it is to manage a saltwater fish tank without spending a fortune.

You also eliminate the risk that your new hobby feels more like a part-time job that you have to pay for.

You could start with any size tank you want, but for me, the sweet spot is between 20 gallons and 75 gallons.

Styles of saltwater fish tanks

What is needed for a saltwater fish tank will vary a bit based on what style of aquarium setup you want to have. However, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Fish Only

A fish-only saltwater tank is the easiest type of aquarium to set up and is the most like a freshwater fish-only aquarium. You need good filtration, enough aquascape, and decorations to make your tank look great and make your fish feel safe, but it is as simple as you can get.

Having a fish-only tank does allow you to keep certain species that might otherwise be problematic in combination with certain species.

For example, you could create a community of aggressive saltwater fish species that would not be appropriate for a community tank. However, many large, aggressive fish are also some of the easiest to care for (as long as you keep them separate from their prey).

You could also potentially keep some of the more delicate non-reef-safe fish, like large angelfish or butterflyfish. But keep in mind that would be a high complexity/difficulty tank.

Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR)

A FOWLR tank is a Fish Only With Live Rock tank. The name says (most of) it all. You have fish and live rock to create a natural substrate and performing the biological filtration for the tank, but you don’t have corals.

This is often the gateway tank that people start with. Once success has been reached with saltwater fish, people often want to create a mixed reef–and if you start out with a live rock aquascape, the ‘bones’ of the tank will already be there for you to put your corals on when, and if the time presents.

There aren’t any advantages between FOWLR vs. FO other than ease of upgrade and a more natural look/feel.

Community Reef Tank

Many of us dream of that community reef tank–re-creating the coral reefs we see when we snorkel, scuba dive, or watch TV programs. Seeing fish and corals living harmoniously, beautiful colors flashing and swaying in the current.

This type of fish tank requires careful planning, special equipment (detailed above), and patience, but it is a very achievable goal.

Conclusions

Hopefully, you have enjoyed reading this article about what is needed for a saltwater aquarium. There are plenty of links in each section to dive deeper and learn about specific topics. If you have questions not answered here or there, please drop a comment below or join the newsletter to send me an email.

I look forward to connecting with you.

Having your own saltwater aquarium can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Some of the most beautiful animals in the world live on coral reefs. Where should you get started, there are so many options? Here are the best reef aquarium fish for a saltwater tank.

Clownfishes: best reef aquarium fish options

The clownfishes are the most popular saltwater fish in the world, and for good reason. They are gorgeous to look at and relatively easy to care for, which is what makes them some of the best reef aquarium fish.

All clownfish start their lives as male fish, but they are capable of switching genders to female to ensure continued reproductive success. So nearly any two clownfish could potentially create a bonded/breeding pair.

Here are the 4 most popular clownfish types that make for the best reef aquarium fish

1. Ocellaris clownfish

The Ocellaris clownfish is a centerpiece in most saltwater tanks.

• Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful except for other clownfish, damselfish, or when spawning
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in diet
• Adult size: ~ 3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

2. Snowflake clownfish

The Snowflake clownfish is one of the most popular ‘designer’ clownfishes, that gets its name from the unique pattern of the white stripes. They are technically not their own species, they are still amphiprion ocellaris, but they are a premium priced fish due to the desirable nature of the stripes.

• Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris, Snowflake designer type
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful except for other clownfish, damselfish, or when spawning
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

3. Percula clownfish

The Percula clownfish is another orange, black and white clownfish that is very similar looking to the Ocellaris. They are a little less common that Ocellaris and are very slightly more finicky, but are still a good option for most fish tanks.

• Scientific name: Amphiprion percula
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful except for other clownfish, damselfish, or when spawning
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

4. Picasso clownfish

The Picasso clownfish is a Premium “designer” variety of Percula clownfish.

• Scientific name: Amphiprion percula, Picasso designer type
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful except for other clownfish, damselfish, or when spawning
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

5. Maroon clownfish

The Maroon clownfish is the largest, and most aggressive of the best reef aquarium fish on this list. They are very hardy and require a minimum tank size of 30-gallons.

• Scientific name: Amphiprion biaculeatus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: with clownfish, damselfish, and in defense of territory. May bite hands
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 6 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

6. Tomato clownfish

The Tomato clownfish is another one of the best reef aquarium fish, because they are quite hardy, popular and readily available.

• Scientific name: Amphiprion frenatus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: with clownfish, damselfish, and in defense of territory. May bite hands
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Surgeonfish and Tangs: best reef aquarium fish options

Another extremely popular group of the best reef aquarium fish are the Surgeonfish and Tangs. The not to a ‘Surgeon’ is given to these fish because they each have a small, sharp scalpel-like body part on their tails that they flick as a threat in occasional aggressive displays and in self-defense.

Tangs are open-water swimmers that graze algae all day. Due to their relatively large size and need for a lot of swimming room, these larger fish require larger tanks to meet their care requirements.

7. Yellow tang

• Scientific name: Zebrasoma flavescens
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~8 inches
• Minimum tank size: 90 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

8. Blue tang

• Scientific name: Paracanthurus hepatus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~ 12 inches
• Minimum tank size: 180 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

9. Purple tang

• Scientific name: Zebrasoma xanthurum
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~ 10 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

10. Kole tang

• Scientific name: Ctenochaetus strigosus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~ 7 inches
• Minimum tank size: 75 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

11. Powder blue tang

• Scientific name: Acanthurus leucosternons 
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~9 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

12. Orange shoulder tang

• Scientific name: Acanthurus olivaceus 
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~14 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

13. Sailfin tang

• Scientific name: Zebrasoma velifer 
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~15 inches
• Minimum tank size: 180 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

14. Mimic tang (Lemonpeel angelfish mimic)

• Scientific name: Acanthurus pyroferus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~8 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

15. Powder brown tang

• Scientific name: Acanthurus japonicus 
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other tangs and some broad territorial aggression. Will slash other fish with tail spine
• Food: Algae-based, varied, will eat meaty foods if offered
• Adult size: ~8 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Saltwater Angelfish: best reef aquarium fish options

Saltwater angelfishes are another group of open-water swimming fish that rival the Tangs in terms of popularity. These beautiful fish do require ample swimming room, but many of the best reef aquarium angel fish are small species (still referred to as Dwarf species, although I suspect that name may appropriately need to be updated) that grow to around 4-6 inches in length as adults.

That smaller size makes these colorful fish some of the best reef aquarium fish for tanks for a 70 gallon tank.

16. Coral beauty angelfish

• Scientific name: Centropyge bispinosa
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other angelfish and some broad territorial aggression
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
• Safe with corals: Most of the time, occasionally problematic

17. Flame angelfish

• Scientific name: Centropyge loricula
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other angelfish and some broad territorial aggression
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
• Safe with corals: Most of the time, occasionally problematic

18. Bicolor angelfish

• Scientific name: Centropyge bicolor
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other angelfish and some broad territorial aggression
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 6 inches
• Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
• Safe with corals: Most of the time, occasionally problematic

19. Majestic angelfish

• Scientific name: Pomacanthus navarchus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: to other angelfish and some broad territorial aggression
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~12 inches
• Minimum tank size: 180 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, will likely eat certain corals

Wrasses: best reef aquarium fish options

In a 2022 Saltwater Aquarium Blog Survey, the Wrasses were reported as some of the most popular fish, as well as one of the groups that people had the most success with. Wrasses are some of the best reef aquarium fish because they tend to be active and bold, not shy, slow or skittish.

That boldness is important in a community reef tank, because calm or skittish behaviors are a bit contagious between fish. They look to each other to confirm safety and danger, so having some bod and confident fish in the tank exerts a calming effect on the rest, making them a great addition to most tanks beyond their own individual contributions alone.

Many species also eat bristle worms or other tiny invertebrates that are seen as undesirable by some.

If you do decide to start shopping for a wrasse, be sure to confirm the species you want is REEF SAFE. There are a lot of wrasse species that will eat corals, the reef safe ones will not. All of the wrasse species on this list are reef safe, which is an important component of why they are some of the best reef aquarium fish.

20. Six line wrasse

• Scientific name: Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: likely to chase and nip at peaceful fish
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

21. Melanurus wrasse

• Scientific name: Halichoeres melanurus 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~4.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

22. Yellow coris wrasse

• Scientific name: Halichoeres chrysus 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

23. Fairy wrasses

• Scientific name: Cirrhilabrus spp. (which means multiple species in the genus)
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

24. Christmas wrasse

• Scientific name: Halichoeres claudia
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive; may pester timid fish
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, mostly reef safe; will eat invertebrates

25. Red coris wrasse

• Scientific name: Coris gaimard
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: gets more aggressive with age
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~15 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, mostly reef safe; will eat invertebrates

Gobies: best reef aquarium fish options

I don’t know much about our Maker, but judging by the number of species, I’m pretty sure He or She is extraordinarily fond of beetles and gobies, because there are a lot of them. Gobies are great marine fish. They are generally small fish, hardy, colorful, quirky, and peaceful fish.

Their small size makes the gobies also a great choice for those with nano and other smaller tanks.

Here are a few interesting options that are some of the best reef aquarium fish:

26. Diamond goby

• Scientific name: Valenciennea puellaris
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 6 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

27. Yellow watchman goby

• Scientific name: Cryptocentrus cinctus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

28. Clown goby

• Scientific name: Gobiodon citrinus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 2 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

29. Neon goby

• Scientific name: Elactinus oceanops
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~2 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

There are way more gobies than this. In fact, it’s probably worth another article specifically dedicated to them, but for now, let’s see what other great fish the ocean has for us.

Blennies: best reef aquarium fish options

The Blennies are another large and diverse group of fish that are also a good choice for more reef tank aquariums. Within the Blenny family, there are two main ‘types’:

1. Algae-eating blennies that spend their time perching on rocks and ‘kissing’ the glass and rocks to get to the tasty layers of algae
2. Omnivorous “Fang” blennies that boldly swim in the open water column.

Here are a few of the most popular blennies that are also some of the best reef aquarium fish.

30. Bicolor blenny

• Scientific name: Ecsenius bicolor 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Generally mild, peaceful; may nip/chase other Blennies, Dartfish, and Gobies
• Food: Algae-based, varied
• Adult size: ~ 4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, generally reef safe, may nip at corals, clams

31. Midas blenny

• Scientific name: Ecsenius midas 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Generally mild, peaceful; may nip/chase Dartfish and Gobies
• Food: Omnivorous, varied, include plant and meaty foods in the diet
• Adult size: ~ 6 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

32. Tailspot blenny

• Scientific name: Ecsenius stigmatura 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, shy, and prone to being bullied
• Food: Algae-based, varied
• Adult size: ~2.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

33. Lawnmower blenny

• Scientific name: Salarias fasciatus 
• Care difficulty: Easy most of the time; sometimes starvation/acclimation is challenging
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Algae-based, varied
• Adult size: ~ 5 inches
• Minimum tank size: ~30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, generally reef safe, may nip at corals, clams

34. Starry blenny

• Scientific name: Salarias ramosus
• Care difficulty: Easy most of the time; sometimes starvation/acclimation is challenging
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Algae-based, varied
• Adult size: ~ 5 inches
• Minimum tank size: ~30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, generally reef safe, may nip at corals, clams

Hawkfish: best reef aquarium fish options

Hawkfish are a bucket list fish for me. I’ve never kept one, because I always have small invertebrates as part of my clean up crew, but as you will see in the images below, they are gorgeous fish.

What you can’t tell from the images is that they’re also, somehow, adorable. Something about their body shapes and colors, combined with they way they perch on the rocks or other structures, looking around for prey makes them irresistible to many.

Their small size and relatively small swimming area also makes the a great option for small tanks.

35. Flame hawkfish

• Scientific name: Neocirrhites armatus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: may squabble with other hawkfish or gobies and blennies
• Food: Eats, snails, crabs, shrimp; feed meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe, but not safe with shrimp or small invertebrates

36. Longnose hawkfish

• Scientific name: Oxycirrhites typus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: may squabble with other hawkfish or gobies and blennies
• Food: Eats, snails, crabs, shrimp; feed meaty foods
• Adult size: ~5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe, but not safe with shrimp or small invertebrates

Anthias: best reef aquarium options

Anthias are beautifully colored, graceful saltwater fish that display vibrant oranges, reds, pinks, purples, with elegant finnage. It is certainly not hard to understand their popularity.

Anthias fish are moderately difficult fish to care for. They are a bit more delicate and subject to travel stress and establishing themselves in their new environment (your tank). But once established, they are hardy open water swimmers.

Anthias are hermaphroditic fish. In the absence of a male, the largest, most dominant female will generally change genders and take over the role of male in the group. While this is not an uncommon survival adaptation in fish, it is particularly interesting in Anthias because of the dramatic color differences and sexual dimorphism.

Here are two great options as some of the best reef aquarium fish:

37. Ignitus anthias

• Scientific name: Pseudanthias ignitus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods: mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, etc.
• Adult size: ~3.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

38. Lyretail anthias

• Scientific name: Pseudanthias squamipinnis
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: in smaller tanks, fighting for food and territory
• Food: Meaty foods: mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, etc.
• Adult size: ~5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Butterflyfish: best reef aquarium fish options

The Butterflyfishes are gorgeous, delicate and exceedingly popular saltwater fish. But unfortunately, most are notoriously bad reef aquarium fishes, due to their delicate constitutions, special diets, propensity for eating corals and other reef invertebrates and fussy eating habits, often choosing to starve in captivity, rather than acquiesce to prepared foods.

To take on a Butterflyfish is often, to take on a project. But here are two great reef aquarium fish options in the butterfly family:

39. Yellow longnose butterflyfish

• Scientific name: Forcipiger flavissimus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Mild, Peaceful
• Food: Meaty foods: mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, shellfish
• Adult size: ~9 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, not reef safe. Likely to pick at corals and non-moving invertebrates

40. Bannerfin heniochus butterflyfish

• Scientific name: Heniochus acuminatus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, Peaceful
• Food: Omnivorous: needs both plant-based and meaty foods. May eat corals
• Adult size: ~8.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, not reef safe. Likely to pick at corals and non-moving invertebrates

Cardinalfish: best reef aquarium fish options

The large eyed cardinalfish family is a good choice for a community tank. They can sometimes be kept successfully in small groups. Males and females will also frequently pair off and spawn in saltwater tank.

The Banggai cardinalfish, in fact, is one of the easiest marine fish species to breed in an aquarium. Unlike most (all?) other saltwater fish species, BC’s don’t have a larval phase. Instead, the male fish in the pair will hold the eggs and larvae in his mouth for a full month, eventually releasing a perfect, miniature cardinalfish.

41. Banggai cardinalfish

• Scientific name: Pterapogon kauderni 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: Will be aggressive with other Banggais and some other cardinals
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 Gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Learn more about breeding Banggai cardinalfish or Banggai cardinalfish care here.

42. Pajama cardinalfish

• Scientific name: Sphaeramia nematoptera
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, mostly peaceful, may be mildly aggressive with other cardinalfish
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~3.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Dartfish: best reef aquarium fish options

The Dartfish family is popular because of the peaceful nature of the fish and their elegant colors and fins. They are such peaceful fish that they may be ‘taken advantage of’ by the other fish, who may bully it.

43. Firefish

• Scientific name: Nemateleotris magnifica
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, prone to being bullied
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~3.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

44. Purple firefish

• Scientific name: Nemateleotris decora 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, prone to being bullied
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~3.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Basslets/Grammas: best reef aquarium fish options

45. Royal gramma

• Scientific name: Gramma loreto
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, mostly peaceful, will be aggressive towards similar-looking grammas, dottybacks
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

46. Chalk basslet

• Scientific name: Serranus tortugarum 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, mostly peaceful, can be kept in shoals, may eat shrimp when larger
• Food: Meaty
• Adult size: ~3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes

Assessors/Bettas: best reef aquarium fish options

47. Marine betta

• Scientific name: Calloplesiops altivelis 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, may get bullied
• Food: Meaty, will also take algae-based pellets
• Adult size: ~8 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Filefish

48. Aiptasia-eating filefish

• Scientific name: Acreichthys tomentosus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Mild, mostly peaceful, may be aggressive with other filefish
• Food: Omnivorous, varied diet, both meaty and algae-based, will eat aiptasia
• Adult size: ~ 3.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
• Safe with corals: Mostly, may nip corals and clams. My personal experience was totally reef safe, twice

Rabbitfish: best reef aquarium fish options

49. Foxface rabbitfish

• Scientific name: Siganus vulpinus 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, mostly peaceful
• Food: Algae-based
• Adult size: ~9 inches
• Minimum tank size: 125 gallons
• Safe with corals: Somewhat reef safe, may nip at corals and clams

Dottybacks: overview of best reef aquarium fish options

50. Orchid dottyback

• Scientific name: Pseudochromis fridmani
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive: aggressive with other dottybacks, grammas, may pick on mild-mannered fish, may chase fish away from the territory (mostly without damage)
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Squirrelfish best reef aquarium fish options

51. Blackbar soldierfish

• Scientific name: Myripristis spp.
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, may get bullied
• Food: Live shrimp, bristle worms, crustaceans, starfish, and other meaty foods
• Adult size: ~8 inches
• Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe; will eat moving invertebrates

Chromis and Damselfish: a few of the best reef aquarium options

52. Blue green chromis

• Scientific name: Chromis viridis
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive; will fight with other chromis and clownfishes, otherwise peaceful
• Food: Omnivorous, varied diet, both meaty and algae-based
• Adult size: ~4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

53. Blue damselfish

• Scientific name: Chrysiptera cyanea
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive
• Food: Omnivorous, varied diet, both meaty and algae-based
• Adult size: ~3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

54. Yellowtail damselfish

• Scientific name: Chrysiptera parasema
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive
• Food: Omnivorous, varied diet, both meaty and algae-based
• Adult size: ~3 inches
• Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

55. Domino damselfish

• Scientific name: Dascyllus trimaculatus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive
• Food: Omnivorous, varied diet, both meaty and algae-based
• Adult size: ~5.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Deep sand bed fish: best reef aquarium fish options

56. Engineer goby (blenny)

• Scientific name: Pholidichthys leucotaenia
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, even shy
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~12 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe: may cause rock slides from digging

57. Bluespot jawfish

• Scientific name: Opistognathus rosenblatti
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Mostly peaceful, likely to fight with other jawfish
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 3.5 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

58. Yellowhead jawfish

• Scientific name: Opistognathus aurifrons
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult
• Aggressiveness: Mild, peaceful, even shy
• Food: Meaty foods
• Adult size: ~ 4 inches
• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe

Aggressive fish: best reef aquarium fish

59. Dwarf Lionfish

• Scientific name: Dendrochirus spp.
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult; may struggle to accept aquarium foods
• Aggressiveness: Aggressive; Fish and shrimp predator
• Food: Live saltwater shrimp and small fish
• Adult size: ~ 7 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, reef safe, but not compatible with other small fish

60. Clown triggerfish

• Scientific name: Balistoides conspicillum
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Aggressive
• Food: Meaty foods, varied diet
• Adult size: ~ 20 inches
• Minimum tank size: 300 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, not reef safe

61. Picasso triggerfish (Humu humu)

• Scientific name: Rhinecanthus aculeatus
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Aggressive
• Food: Meaty foods, varied diet
• Adult size: ~ 10 inches
• Minimum tank size: 180 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, not reef safe

62. Queen triggerfish

• Scientific name: Balistes vetula
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Aggressive
• Food: Meaty foods, varied diet
• Adult size: ~24 inches
• Minimum tank size: 300 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, not reef safe

63. Niger triggerfish

• Scientific name: Odonus niger 
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Aggressive
• Food: Meaty foods, varied diet
• Adult size: ~12 inches
• Minimum tank size: 180 gallons
• Safe with corals: No, not reef safe

64. Snowflake eel

• Scientific name: Echidna nebulosa
• Care difficulty: Easy
• Aggressiveness: Aggressive
• Food: Meaty foods, small fish and shrimp predator
• Adult size: ~ 24 inches
• Minimum tank size: 55 gallons
• Safe with corals: Yes, safe with corals but not crabs & shrimp

65. Dogface pufferfish

• Scientific name: Arothron nigropunctatus
• Care difficulty: Between easy and difficult; challenging diet and tooth care
• Aggressiveness: Semi-aggressive; will eat shellfish and crustaceans, can be kept with aggressive fish
• Food: Meaty seafood; varied diet including shellfish, crustaceans
• Adult size: ~13 inches
• Minimum tank size: 75 gallons or larger
• Safe with corals: No, may chew corals and rocks to wear down teeth

Conclusions

The saltwater fish families and individual species represent some of the most popular, hardy, easy-to-care-for and best reef aquarium fish options. Hopefully, you found some inspiration here and ideas to incorporate into your own tank build plans.

There is a lot more you can and hopefully will learn about the specific care needs. Be sure to review the species-specific care guides before bringing them home.

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