ONLINE NEWSLETTER - 5th Edition
Articles by Tammy J.
Keiffer
Fish Care Behavior & Compatibility | February 2011
It's important to stock a marine aquarium with compatible fish. In order to do so one must be knowledgeable about the types of fish available in the aquarium trade and the environment required as well as habits. Some fish are very peaceful while many are extremely aggressive toward all fish or most. Many are vicious to others in the same classification. Others can live peacefully with neighboring fish or those of the same class. The type of requirements vary from where the fish originates from. Some live in deep ocean cooler environments. Many live near shallow and warm waters. Different fish need specific varieties of food. They fall into three types: Omnivores/meat + plant eaters, Herbivores/ plant eaters, Carnivores/meat eaters. Never add too many fish at one time to an aquarium and always use the one inch of fish per gallon rule. This prevents overcrowding, stress, unbalanced water parameters, and disease.
Saltwater fish act very strangely. Most would agree that owning a saltwater aquarium is so very fascinating. Learning and observing is what gets aquarists hooked.
Make certain the fish you chose are reef compatible if corals are being kept. Taking a 50/50 chance will be regretted later when a $20.00 fish just killed a $80.00 coral or many. Catching an incompatible fish in a fully landscaped aquarium because someone else's advice sounds something similar to,"it will be alright with corals if monitored" is not worth it. I see that bad advice often in forums. Anything that has to be monitored is normally not reef safe. Worse case scenario all rock work will have to be torn apart just to catch the critter. If you are lucky you can make a trap and outwit a very fast fish that has hiding places throughout your beautifully landscaped reef aquarium. Advice, don't take the chance. A list of reef compatible fish are listed below.
- Psudochromis
- Anthias
- Blennies
- Gobies
- Basslets
- Royal Gramma
- Jawfish
- Clownfish
- Damselfish
- Chromis
- Tangs
- Wrasse
- Cardinals
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