Centerpiece Fish

marleesan · 03/12/2016, 09:07 AM

I have a 37 gallon tank with an Octopus protein skimmer, HOB filter and 40 pounds of live rock. I plan on adding:
1 x Ocellaris Clown
1 x Sand-sifting goby
1 x Toby or valentini puffer

I want one more fish that is brightly colored that can be the centerpiece fish
Any ideas?

Moray26 · 03/12/2016, 10:20 AM

Dwarf angel? Like a flame or coral beauty? Or royal gramma? Those would be my top picks. There's so many to choose from but your tank is fairly small so your choices aren't going to be huge.

thegrun · 03/12/2016, 10:39 AM

Any of the dwarf angels would not be a good choice, your tank is much too small and you would have serious aggression issues. A Pacific Red Stripe Hog Fish (Peppermint Hog) would be a good choice.

cloak · 03/12/2016, 11:12 AM

A Cherub Angel might be ok. These don't get as big as the Coral Beauty or Flame Angel and they seem to have the best disposition when it comes down to getting along with corals and other tank mates IMO. If it doesn't work out, removing it shouldn't be a problem. With that size tank the High & Dry method should work quite well. GL.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...455&pcatid=455

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/sp/index.php

TangingOut · 03/12/2016, 01:12 PM

Helfrichi firefish

Urchinhead · 03/12/2016, 03:58 PM

Any angel, even the dwarf one's, will be territorial and can nip corals. So it's best to avoid them. The same applies to the puffers. They are not a good fit even though they can technically be put in a 30 gallon tank.

The Helfrichi filefish is a good choice. As is a Tanaka's Mystery Wrasse. Were it me with the fish you have planned already I would suggest dropping the sand sifter and the puffer since the sand sifter isn't going to get a lot of food from your sand bed and the puffer will be both aggressive and will likely eat any corals you put in. I would instead suggest:

Helfrichi
*CAPTIVE BRED* Black & white Ocellaris
*CAPTIVE BRED* Ocellaris
Tanaka's Mystery Wrasse

This way you will have some mid water column hoverers in the Helfrichi and Ocellaris and a fast mover in the Tanaka. And they have a diverse color spectrum. They are also all pretty hardy fish that are not aggressive to each other and to corals. Plus the wrasse will take care of things like certain pest inverts on the rocks.

The thing about the clown's is you need to get them as either juvenile or one that is clearly female and the other male. You can specify from the breeder or Internet site like Live Aquaria and they should be able to handle it. If you are buying locally get the black first and let it get established. Once it is go back for the orange. Look for one that is smaller than the others in the tank and kind of stands on its nose and kind of wiggles. This will mean its either a juvenile or its a male and its showing submission to another fish. Otherwise they can go after each other.

Something else that would be great to add to your tank would be a Tuxedo urchin. They are great for algae control and add some nice deep blue color. But they can be bulldozers so you need to make sure the rock work is stable and corals are as well. The do the work of 2-3 turbo snails (who are also bulldozers).

Another nice to have would be a Stag Horn hermit crab if you can find them and your lighting will support it. They have a coral shell that grows with them so they need good lighting. Also a 2-3 pom pom crabs as part of your cleanup crew are fun. They have anemone's on their pincers, are fish and reef safe, and do the same work as hermits which can be a real pain in the rear.

Urchinhead · 03/12/2016, 04:03 PM

You can have about 4-5 fish of nano size in your tank so I realized there was one more that would fit in that lineup. The Black Cap Basslet. Very hardy and easy to take care of and great coloration. They tend to hide at first like the wrasse but over time they will become much more comfortable and thus out in the open.

And the Urchin, Stag's and Pom Pom's are great fun to watch and so much better than the stock hermit snail combination! You can even spot feed the urchin with nori (plain seaweed) when it manages to remove all the algae in the tank. Which it does quickly. You will also catch the pom pom's on rocks waving their pincers around so the anemone's get fed. They look like little crab cheer leaders.

JammyBirch · 03/12/2016, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

A Cherub Angel might be ok. These don't get as big as the Coral Beauty or Flame Angel and they seem to have the best disposition when it comes down to getting along with corals and other tank mates IMO. If it doesn't work out, removing it shouldn't be a problem. With that size tank the High & Dry method should work quite well. GL.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...455&pcatid=455

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/sp/index.php

I have a cherub dwarf angel as my center piece fish. No problem in a 37 with plenty of rock. If aggression is a concern add it last.

Dkuhlmann · 03/12/2016, 04:31 PM

I agree a Cherub Angel would be ok in that size tank. I've got one in my 40b. I also recommend that you take a look at the Midas Blenny or one of the smaller flasher wrasses like the McCosker's wrasse,. Love mine, actually I've got all three of these and like them all. The Cherub Angel is nonstop picking at the rocks and glass. Depending on the angel some may nip at corals most won't actually eat them, mine however had a love for Pocillipora and then one day decided to not eat them anymore. Why? Who knows but all are great fish. I also vote for the Royal Gramma, err yeah I have that one too

I do say to add the Cherub Angel last as they're on the aggressive side and I wish I had added mine last, he is what I call my "Terrorist" fish

Psychomantix · 03/12/2016, 05:56 PM

Why can't all the fish be centerpieces? In a tank that size, I recommend that you don't put any fish in there that you don't believe to be "centerpiece"-worthy.

And I agree that it might be hard to keep the sand-sifting goby well fed in a new tank that size.

heathlindner25 · 03/12/2016, 05:57 PM

Flameback pygmy angel

tanyamikephil · 03/12/2016, 06:35 PM

We just got a Royal Gamma and LOVE it! Super cool to watch too because it behaves differently than other fish. I absolutely love its personality. Also have you considered a shrimp? We have a scarlet shrimp and he is a great addition to our tank. We can hand feed him and some of our fish will go to him to get cleaned. He jumps right on them. Fun to watch.

I also have a Coral Beauty and as mentioned in earlier posts they are semi-aggressive so I'd stay away from them, I learnt that the hard way.

marleesan · 03/12/2016, 06:37 PM

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I appreciate the help

solidcore · 03/13/2016, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heathlindner25

Flameback pygmy angel

good suggestion

heathlindner25 · 03/13/2016, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solidcore

good suggestion

Love mine

03/12/2016, 09:07 AM	#1
marleesan Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 327	Centerpiece Fish I have a 37 gallon tank with an Octopus protein skimmer, HOB filter and 40 pounds of live rock. I plan on adding: 1 x Ocellaris Clown 1 x Sand-sifting goby 1 x Toby or valentini puffer I want one more fish that is brightly colored that can be the centerpiece fish Any ideas? __________________ 90 gallon FOWLR Valentini puffer, ocellaris clown, cherub angelfish, flametail blenny, falco hawkfish, green wrasse 180 gallon reef: starry blenny, yellowtail damsel

03/12/2016, 10:20 AM	#2
Moray26 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Ontario Posts: 153	Dwarf angel? Like a flame or coral beauty? Or royal gramma? Those would be my top picks. There's so many to choose from but your tank is fairly small so your choices aren't going to be huge. __________________ 75 Gallon Mixed Reef, Reef Octopus BH2000, Sumpless, Maxspect Razor 320w Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Mixed Reef

03/12/2016, 04:31 PM	#9
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	I agree a Cherub Angel would be ok in that size tank. I've got one in my 40b. I also recommend that you take a look at the Midas Blenny or one of the smaller flasher wrasses like the McCosker's wrasse,. Love mine, actually I've got all three of these and like them all. The Cherub Angel is nonstop picking at the rocks and glass. Depending on the angel some may nip at corals most won't actually eat them, mine however had a love for Pocillipora and then one day decided to not eat them anymore. Why? Who knows but all are great fish. I also vote for the Royal Gramma, err yeah I have that one too I do say to add the Cherub Angel last as they're on the aggressive side and I wish I had added mine last, he is what I call my "Terrorist" fish __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

03/12/2016, 06:37 PM	#13
marleesan Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 327	Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I appreciate the help __________________ 90 gallon FOWLR Valentini puffer, ocellaris clown, cherub angelfish, flametail blenny, falco hawkfish, green wrasse 180 gallon reef: starry blenny, yellowtail damsel

03/12/2016, 10:39 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Any of the dwarf angels would not be a good choice, your tank is much too small and you would have serious aggression issues. A Pacific Red Stripe Hog Fish (Peppermint Hog) would be a good choice.

03/12/2016, 11:12 AM	#4
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	A Cherub Angel might be ok. These don't get as big as the Coral Beauty or Flame Angel and they seem to have the best disposition when it comes down to getting along with corals and other tank mates IMO. If it doesn't work out, removing it shouldn't be a problem. With that size tank the High & Dry method should work quite well. GL. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...455&pcatid=455 http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/sp/index.php

03/12/2016, 01:12 PM	#5
TangingOut Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 1,511	Helfrichi firefish

03/12/2016, 03:58 PM	#6
Urchinhead Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: San Gabriel, California Posts: 681	Any angel, even the dwarf one's, will be territorial and can nip corals. So it's best to avoid them. The same applies to the puffers. They are not a good fit even though they can technically be put in a 30 gallon tank. The Helfrichi filefish is a good choice. As is a Tanaka's Mystery Wrasse. Were it me with the fish you have planned already I would suggest dropping the sand sifter and the puffer since the sand sifter isn't going to get a lot of food from your sand bed and the puffer will be both aggressive and will likely eat any corals you put in. I would instead suggest: Helfrichi CAPTIVE BRED Black & white Ocellaris CAPTIVE BRED Ocellaris Tanaka's Mystery Wrasse This way you will have some mid water column hoverers in the Helfrichi and Ocellaris and a fast mover in the Tanaka. And they have a diverse color spectrum. They are also all pretty hardy fish that are not aggressive to each other and to corals. Plus the wrasse will take care of things like certain pest inverts on the rocks. The thing about the clown's is you need to get them as either juvenile or one that is clearly female and the other male. You can specify from the breeder or Internet site like Live Aquaria and they should be able to handle it. If you are buying locally get the black first and let it get established. Once it is go back for the orange. Look for one that is smaller than the others in the tank and kind of stands on its nose and kind of wiggles. This will mean its either a juvenile or its a male and its showing submission to another fish. Otherwise they can go after each other. Something else that would be great to add to your tank would be a Tuxedo urchin. They are great for algae control and add some nice deep blue color. But they can be bulldozers so you need to make sure the rock work is stable and corals are as well. The do the work of 2-3 turbo snails (who are also bulldozers). Another nice to have would be a Stag Horn hermit crab if you can find them and your lighting will support it. They have a coral shell that grows with them so they need good lighting. Also a 2-3 pom pom crabs as part of your cleanup crew are fun. They have anemone's on their pincers, are fish and reef safe, and do the same work as hermits which can be a real pain in the rear.

03/12/2016, 04:03 PM	#7
Urchinhead Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: San Gabriel, California Posts: 681	You can have about 4-5 fish of nano size in your tank so I realized there was one more that would fit in that lineup. The Black Cap Basslet. Very hardy and easy to take care of and great coloration. They tend to hide at first like the wrasse but over time they will become much more comfortable and thus out in the open. And the Urchin, Stag's and Pom Pom's are great fun to watch and so much better than the stock hermit snail combination! You can even spot feed the urchin with nori (plain seaweed) when it manages to remove all the algae in the tank. Which it does quickly. You will also catch the pom pom's on rocks waving their pincers around so the anemone's get fed. They look like little crab cheer leaders.

03/12/2016, 05:56 PM	#10
Psychomantix Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Canada Posts: 120	Why can't all the fish be centerpieces? In a tank that size, I recommend that you don't put any fish in there that you don't believe to be "centerpiece"-worthy. And I agree that it might be hard to keep the sand-sifting goby well fed in a new tank that size.

03/12/2016, 05:57 PM	#11
heathlindner25 Moved On Join Date: May 2012 Location: flowery branch georgia Posts: 3,644	Flameback pygmy angel

03/12/2016, 06:35 PM	#12
tanyamikephil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 129	We just got a Royal Gamma and LOVE it! Super cool to watch too because it behaves differently than other fish. I absolutely love its personality. Also have you considered a shrimp? We have a scarlet shrimp and he is a great addition to our tank. We can hand feed him and some of our fish will go to him to get cleaned. He jumps right on them. Fun to watch. I also have a Coral Beauty and as mentioned in earlier posts they are semi-aggressive so I'd stay away from them, I learnt that the hard way.