Nano Reef Fish--Part 2

[Anonymous]

This is the second half of a 2 part list. To view the first half, including Angelfishes, Anthias, Basslets, Clownfishes, Dottybacks, Wrasses, Hawkfishes, Blennies, Cardinals, and Damsels, click HERE

Dartfishes
All the fish in the genera Nemateleotris and Ptereleotris are peaceful zooplanktivores that will ignore fish tankmates. They are at risk of being pestered by more aggressive fish, especially dottybacks and wrasses. They should be provided a tank filled with hiding places to feel more comfortable. All will create a "bolt hole" that they can quickly retreat to if threatened, and not stray far from this area. They usually construct this by digging sand out from underneath a rock in an aquarium so sand should be provided in their tank. Both genera will accept frozen mysis and other small crustaceans and should be offered small meaty foods.

The Nemateleotris or "firefish" should not be kept in groups in nanos (or even larger tanks). Juveniles may get along for a short time in groups, but as they mature they will become quite aggressive to congeners. Some of the species may pair up but I've always found it tricky. Probably best to keep singly in a nano.

The Ptereleotris species can be paired or grouped up a bit easier. Usually several juveniles can be placed together and get along as they mature. Their care is similar to Nemateleotris spp.

Both genera will get along particularly well with the peaceful Stonogobiops spp. shrimp gobies, and may even share a burrow with them.

Red Firefish, Nemateleotris magnifica (3.1")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

By far the most commonly sold member of the genus. It can be kept in pairs in a nano, if the two are getting along initially. You can't just throw any two firefish together and expect a matchup.

Purple firefish, Nemateleotris decora (3.5")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

This is the most "aggressive" member of the genus, if such a term can be applied to a firefish. It should never be kept with congeners in a nano.

Helfrich's Firefish, Nemateleotris helfrichi (2.4")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Get your wallet out! This fish is only found in deep water, and thus is very expensive to purchase.

Photo Copyright Scott W. Michael (Cook Islands color variant of N. helfrichi)

The above fish is a very rare purple faced color variant of Helfrich's Firefish found in Polynesia. You can read more about this unique fish in Scott Michael's blog HERE.

Zebra Dartfish, Ptereleotris zebra (4.5")
Photo Copyright Richard Field

Occurs in aggregations in shallow water in the wild. Hardy, easy to feed, disease resistant, and will readily spawn in captivity in spacious tanks. They show virtually no aggression towards conspecifics.

Lined Dartfish, Pterelotris grammica (4.0")
Photo Copyright Takano Hajime

This is an amazingly beautiful but extremely delicate and shy fish. Keep it in a dimly lit tank in a low traffic area, and feed frozen mysis shrimp and Cyclop-eeze. Like the rest of the dartfishes it should have very peaceful tankmates, such as small gobies or firefishes. It may need a bit of live brine to begin feeding. It may hide for up to a week when placed in the tank, and will spend most of its time hiding if it doesn't feel comfortable.

Curious Wormfish, Gunnelichthys curiosus (5.0")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

 

[Anonymous]

Jawfishes
Jawfishes make their home by digging a burrow in the sand, usually under a piece of rock. The substrate composition and depth should thus be carefully considered, as well as rock aquascaping. A mix of fine and coarse sand with some larger pieces of shell and coral will suffice. For these two species, a depth of at least the fish's length is the minimum. Live rock should be kept to a minimum so that these fish can construct the large burrows they require. Since they constantly maintain their burrow by digging, corals laid on the sandbed may get buried.

Jawfish will defend their burrow from other fish, and are unlikely to get along with other burrow dwellers such as shrimp gobies or dartfishes in a nano. Otherwise, they are relatively peaceful towards other fish, and need to be kept with peaceful species. Jawfish are prone to jumping out of aquariums, especially when first introduced, and when the lights suddenly go out. They will readily accept frozen mysis, flake, and other meaty foods. The care for both species is similar.

Yellowheaded Jawfish, Opistognathus aurifrons (3.9")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Very commonly available in fish stores. This fish is found throughout the Caribbean.

Bluespotted Jawfish, Opistognathus rosenblatti (3.9")
Photo Copyright Gerald R. Allen

A rarity in the aquarium trade, with a price to match. Found exclusively in the Sea of Cortez (Thank you Gresham!).

 

[Anonymous]

Gobies

Shrimp Gobies
There are several genera of gobies that have commensal (and obligate) relationships with Alpheus spp. pistol shrimps. These partnerships make a fascinating addition to a nano reef where their behavior can be closely observed. Pistol shrimp are active diggers and construct a burrow by excavating sand from under and around rocks. The live rock should be placed before the sand or otherwise secured so that their burrowing activities don't bring the rockwork down!

Some gobies will accept Alpheus spp. shrimps other than their natural partner, but it should be pointed out that not all Alpheus shrimps accept gobies. Some large pistol shrimps may even eat them! The only downsides to these shrimp is that they often tangle with other crustaceans, may eat very small snails, and they are terrible shippers. If you can obtain one at a local store it's a wiser choice, and if you can get one already paired with the goby, even better.

The shrimp gobies will do just fine without a shrimp partner, reluctantly digging out a burrow all on their own. They should always be kept on a fine sand/mixed rubble substrate. Some may behave aggressively towards or be pestered by fellow burrow dwellers such as jawfish or other shrimp gobies.

Yellowheaded shrimp goby, Stonogobiops nematodes (2.3")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

The Stonogobiops spp. are the best shrimp gobies for a nano reef. They are rarely aggressive to any other fish and stay very small. The downsides are that they are usually very shy and initially difficult to feed. Any aggressive tankmate will cause them to hide and not feed.

Once they are fully accustomed to their tank, Stonogobiops spp. will spend most of their time a few inches above their burrow swimming in the water column (see picture below). House with firefish, dartfish, assessors, candy and chalk basslets and the like. Due to their passive nature Stonogobiops spp. will often share a burrow with dartfish and firefish. This is another fascinating reltionship to observe and can be easily duplicated in an aquarium. Feed Cyclop-eeze and enriched live baby brine shrimp. Eventually these fish will learn to accept small mysis shrimp and flake food. This fish naturally pairs up with Alpheus randalli (seen pictured).

Yasha or Whiteray shrimp goby, Stonogobiops yasha (2.0")
Photo Copyright Scott W. Michael

This is a great little fish! In nature, this fish pairs exclusively with A. randalli. They sometimes share a burrow with Ptereleotris spp. dartfish, and will also share a burrow with Nemateleotris spp. firefish in captivity. Males can be distinguished from females by the presence of a dark spot on the posterior portion of the pelvic fin. This difference can be seen clearly in a photo HERE. Care is identical to the above species. Scott W. Michael wrote a great article about this fish (before it was formally described) that can be found HERE

Randall's shrimp goby, Amblyeleotris randalli (4.8")
Photo Copyright Constantinos Petrinos

The Amblyeleotris spp. are similar in care to the Stonogobiops spp. although they grow a bit larger and are easier to wean onto frozen foods. They will spend less time in the water column and more time resting at the entrace to their burrow. This species occurs below 25 m in the wild and thus may appreciate a dimly lit tank, at least initially. Occurs in nature with an unidentified tannish colored Alpheus sp. shrimp. I have no information on how readily it accepts substitute shrimp partners.

Spotted shrimp goby, Amblyeleotris guttata (4.3")
Photo Copyright Robert A. Patzner

Similar care to the above species, although it occurs in shallow water.

Wheeler's shrimp goby, Amblyeleotris wheeleri (4.0")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Similar care to A. guttata. This species occurs often in nature with Alpheus ochrostriatus.

Yellow watchman goby, Cryptocentrus cinctus (4.0")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

I have never kept this species but it adapts readily to aquariums. It has spawned in captivity and the larvae were raised on a diet of rotifers.

Tangaroa goby, Ctenogobiops tangaroai (2.3")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Typical of other shrimp gobies, it lives on mixed rubble and sandy bottoms in symbiosis with an Alpheus shrimp partner. I have not read any information on the husbandry of this fish.

Hover Gobies
These gobies often waste away in tanks devoid of microalgae and a healthy population of tiny crustaceans. They often refuse prepared foods. The tank should have no competing substrate or algae grazers as tankmates and preferably a healthy live sandbed. They generally ignore other tankmates and can sometimes be kept in pairs in large tanks. Best kept one to a tank in a nano by an experienced aquarist. More info on their care can be found here in this articleby Scott W. Michael: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/3/fish

Amblygobius hectori/rainfordi (3.3")
Photo Copyright Robert A Patzner

A. rainfordi
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

A. hectori

Clown Gobies
The Gobiodon spp. are quintessential nano reef fish. They are bold, colorful, rarely hide, stay small, readily accept prepared foods, and are entirely peaceful to fish other than congeners.

In the wild clown gobies live exclusively in and among branching stony coral colonies like Acropora and Pocillopora, feeding on passing zooplankton and tiny crustaceans living amongst the coral branches. They will readily accept flake food, frozen mysis, and other chopped meaty foods. In the aquarium they will happily call soft corals, mushrooms, clams, or a cleaning magnet home, often times perching in plain view.

Gobiodon spp. gobies exude a toxic slime coat that deters predators from ingesting them. They are usually completely ignored by other fish. Likewise, clown gobies show little interest in fish tankmates, other than congeners. These gobies can be kept together if accquired as mated pairs, but otherwise one per genus should be kept to a tank. In my experience they will relentlessly chase conspecifics and congeners, even in large tanks.

Clown gobies may harass or even kill small crustaceans (sexy shrimp, xanthid crabs) that associate with stony and soft corals in the aquarium. They also may bite at SPS colonies to create an egg laying spot. This is usually restricted to a small dime sized spot of coral, however.

Green clown goby, Gobiodon histrio (1.3")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

There are several similar species with the common name "green clown goby". The one I see most often is G. atrangulatus.

Yellow clown goby, Gobiodon okinawae (1.3")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

This species should not be confused with G. citrinus, which has blue highlights below the eys and on the edge of the gill plate. G. citrinus grows much larger (3") and becomes a drab tan color as it matures. It makes a fine nano fish but is not as attractive as G. okinawae. A completely yellow body distinguishes G. okinawae from all other clown gobies.

Panda clown goby, Paragobiodon lacunicolus (1.0")
Photo Copyright Tristan Lougher

This genus has only recently appeared in the aquarium trade. These tiny gobies live deep inside live Pocillopora damicornis corals, are extremely secretive and only rarely seen by divers. They apparently feed exclusively on tiny crustaceans within the coral head. Little captive information is available. They will hide much more than the Gobiodon spp. but some may readily accept Cyclop-eeze and live baby brine shrimp.

Neon Gobies
The Elacatinus spp. (formerly Gobiosoma) gobies all make perfect additions to a nano tank. All readily accept captive foods, are peaceful towards tankmates, and will not harm any desirable invertebrates. They will typically perch conspicuously on top of flat domed shaped rocks or corals, even when kept with large, bold tankmates. Several species act as cleaner fish in the wild and will happily perform this service in the aquarium, a fascinating and beautiful behavior. Many species are available captive bred. Mixing congeners and conspecifics should be done with care as they can be belligerent towards each other. Having said that, they will more readily pair up than the Gobiodon clown gobies. Feed these little guys Cyclop-eeze, flake, enriched baby brine shrimp and any other small meaty foods. If kept with aggressive tankmates they should be added to the tank first.

Green banded goby, Elacatinus (Gobiosoma) multifasciatum (1.5")
Photo Copyright "Mogurnda"

Lives under the spines of rock boring urchins. Available captive bred.

Neon goby, Elacatinus (Gobiosoma) oceanops (2.0")
Photo Copyright Mark Rosenstein

Yellow neon goby, Elacatinus (Gobiosoma) randalli (1.5")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Eviota spp.
This genus includes the smallest and shortest lived vertebrates known. A 5 gallon tank would be ample space for a grouping of 3 or 4 of these fish. They can be very shy after introduction but will eventually show themselves more often to snag food. They should be given a tank with plenty of hiding places and peaceful tankmates. These fish will spend most of their time darting from underneath rocks and into caves in an aquarium with other fish. If kept without other fish species they may spend more time in the open. They will feast on Cyclop-eeze and small crustaceans found on live rock.

Transparent dwarf neon goby, Eviota pellucida (1.0")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Twobar dwarf neon goby, Eviota bifasciata (1.2")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Trimma spp.
The Trimma species make ideal additions to a very tiny "pico" reef. In large systems they tend to simply be overlooked, get sucked up into overflows, powerheads, or become food for larger fish. They can be kept in groups in nanos (a grouping of 3-4 in a 10 gallon tank) but they can be quite aggresive to conspecifics, congeners, and other very small unrelated gobies. Some prefer to swim in open water (think firefish) while others prefer to rest on the substrate (think clown goby). They will eventually settle on a preferred swimming spot or perch and rarely move from that exact site except to snag a piece of food or defend it from an intruder. They readily accept flake, Cyclop-eeze, live baby brine shrimp, and other small meaty foods.

Striped pygmy goby, Trimma tevegae (1.5")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Photo Copyright Matt Wandell

This dazzling little fish spends most of its time swimming in a "heads up" fashion, always gazing at the surface. They are bold, easy to feed, and mostly ignored by any larger fish that don't plan on eating them.

Red spotted pygmy goby, Trimma rubromaculatus (1.3")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Unlike the above species, this pygmy goby will rest on a rocky surface in the aquarium, only darting out to squabble with other gobies or snag a piece of floating food.

Candycane Goby, Trimma cana (1.0"")
Photo Copyright K. Sorita

Nearly identical in behavior to Trimma rubromaculatus, although slightly less aggressive.

Aioliops Goby, Aioliops megastigma (1.0")

Dotui Goby, Parioglossus dotui (1.0")

Galzini Goby, Parioglossus galzini (1.0")
Photo Copyright Jeffrey Williams

Blue-eye Goby, Tryssogobius colini (1.3")
Photo Copyright Hiroyuki Tanaka

Elapoides Goby, Pterogobius elapoides (3.5")
Photo Copyright Y. Otsuka

Spikefin goby, Discordipinna griessingeri (1.0")
Photo Copyright Tristan Lougher

This tiny little goby is beautiful but very secretive. In the wild it does not construct a burrow, but is found in areas of rubble and sand. In the aquarium it will typically spend much of its time hiding under rocks. If added to a tank full of boisterous species it will likely pine away and starve to death. It is best kept on its own or with other passive tankmates. Feed enriched live baby brine shrimp and Cyclop-eeze.

 

[Anonymous]

Seahorses/Pipefish

All members of the family Syngnathidae are delicate and difficult to feed. The purchase of one should be done after careful consideration of their requirements. These fish are not for casual or inexperienced aquarists. More information on their care can be found at www.seahorse.org.

Bluestripe pipefish, Doryrhamphus excisus (1.8")
Photo Copyright Richard Field

Because of its small size, this beautiful little pipe can be kept in nano tanks. It hovers in the water like all Doryrhamphus spp., rather than clinging to the substrate. They are adept swimmers, and can be placed in tanks with high flow without issues. It is not absolutely necessary to keep pipefish on their own, but they will definitely benefit from having a tank devoid of substrate pickers such as wrasses. House it with firefish, jawfish, or shrimp gobies. This fish should be kept in a tank with mature live rock of at least 6 months age with a thriving amphipod/copepod/mysis shrimp population and a thriving refugium. Attempt to feed Cyclop-eeze, live enriched baby brine shrimp, and small frozen mysids. In a mature tank this fish may not need to fed more than once a day. Keep a close eye on the fullness and health of this fish. Its belly should not appear pinched. After several months this fish may learn to readily accept nonliving foods. In the wild it is a part time parasite cleaner.

 

[Anonymous]

Sharpnose Pufferfishes, Canthigaster spp.

Ocellated Sharpnose Puffer, Canthigaster solandri (4.0")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Scott Michael wrote a fantastic article about this fish that can be viewed HERE.

Valentini Sharpnose Puffer, Canthigaster valentini (4.0")
Photo Copyright Dave Harasti

Golden Dwarf Moray, Gymnothorax melatremus (7")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

A highly prized and expensive moray that is perfectly suited for a nano tank. Due to its small size, it can be kept with larger shrimp and fish that won't fit in its mouth.

Ghost or White Ribbon Eel, Pseudechidna brummeri (40")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

This eel should not be confused with the "true" ribbon eel, Rhinomuraena quaesita, which almost always fails to eat and dies quickly in captivity. I know what you're thinking: "A 40 inch eel in a nano? Is Matt smoking crack?" This eel is long and slender and will not grow much thicker than a magic marker. Despite its incredible length it can be maintained in smaller tanks. It may need some live ghost shrimp to commence feeding, but it will eventually accept any meaty food offered. Because of its small size and blunt teeth, it can safely be fed by hand. Much more info on the ghost ribbon eel is available in an article by Greg Schiemer HERE.

Ribbon Eel, Rhinomuraena quaesita (40")
Photo Copyright Ole J. Brett

This fish has spawned in captivity at the Steinhart Aquarium, although the eggs were not fertile. Pictures of the eggs can be viewed HERE.

Spotted Garden Eel, Heteroconger hassi (16.0")
Photo Copyright Mary J. Adams

I wrote an article about this fish that can be viewed HERE.

Wartskin Frogfish, Antennarius maculatus (3.9")
Photo Copyright Constantinos Petrinos

Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Photo Copyright Teresa Zuberbuhler

Frogfish adapt quite well to captivity, but may need to be fed ghost shrimp or baby guppies to initiate feeding. This frogfish will eat any mobile tankmates that can fit in its enormous mouth. Consider it to be the only fish in the tank. When selecting this frogfish, make sure you are getting the correct species. The very similar A. pictus gets twice as large and is easy to misidentify. The band behind the eye does not actually touch the edge of the eye in A. pictus as it does in A. maculatus. Click HERE to see a picture of A. pictus.

Fu Manchu Lionfish, Dendrochirus biocellatus (3.9")
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

The most delicate and difficult to acclimate species of a usually rugged group, the lionfishes. This fish ships poorly and usually refuses to feed for the first week or two. Try feeding ghost shrimp or baby guppies in a net placed in front of the fish's face. Once feeding, switch over to frozen or fresh saltwater fish or crustacean flesh. Scott Michael wrote a great article about this fish that can be viewed HERE.
CAUTION: All lionfishes have highly venomous dorsal and pectoral fins and should be treated with extreme caution.

Pink and Yellow Scorpionfish, Sebastapistes cyanostigma (3.1")
Photo Copyright Dennis Ty

Photo Copyright Matt Wandell

This is an amazing little fish! Due to its tiny adult size it can be kept in relatively small tanks. It will easily adapt to captivity and greedily feed on gut packed ghost shrimp, frozen mysid shrimp, frozen krill, and just about anything else that might seem like food (including free floating algae--no kidding) added to the tank. In the wild, it is almost always found tucked into the branches of a stony Pocillopora or Millepora coral. It may spend a significant amount of time hiding for the first few weeks; in time it will become quite bold, perch in the open, and "beg" for food at the water surface when it sees you. I wrote an article about this fish that can be viewed HERE.
CAUTION: All scorpionfishes have highly venomous dorsal and pectoral fins and should be treated with extreme caution.

 

[Anonymous]

Clingfishes

All fishes in the family Gobiesocidae have fused pelvic fins that form a sucking disc, similar to a suction cup. They use this to adhere to rocks, macroalgae, and in some cases the bodies of their crinoid or sea urchin hosts. The bulk of the diet for most species is zooplankton but some have more specialized needs. All are peaceful towards tankmates.

Skilletfishes, Gobiesox spp. (<3.0")
Photo Copyright "Juck"

Photo Copyright Ross Robertson

Skilletfishes have a large mouth that they may use to devour very small gobies and shrimp. They readily accept meaty foods such as frozen mysis shrimp and will graze algae from the aquarium substrate as well. A video of a skilletfish feeding can be seen HERE.

Clingfishes, Tomicodon spp. (1.0-2.0")
Photos Copyright Gerald R. Allen

These fish readily accept small meaty foods such as Cyclop-eeze, and will graze algae from the substrate as well.

Lined Urchin Clingfish, Diademichthys lineatus (2.0)"
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

This is a beautiful fish but one that has a highly specialized diet. The juveniles and adults live within the spines and feed on different parts of Diadema spp. longspine sea urchins, as well as small copepods and tiny crustaceans. They will not kill the urchin, and in large tanks the two can coexist just fine. Diadema urchins are unsuitable for small tanks, however. In my experience this fish will only rarely accept substitute foods such as Cyclop-eeze and live baby brine. It is easily bullied by other fish without the protection of its host urchin. If you attempt to keep it I would treat it like a pipefish or any other obligate carnivore of tiny live crustaceans--no competing or aggressive tankmates, mature live rock with a good population of copepods, amphipods, and mysid shrimp, and a productive refugium.

 

[Anonymous]

The following fish are UNSUITABLE for nano tanks for various reasons. Unfortunately, retailers still sell them to unsuspecting customers. Please don't buy them!

Unsuitable fish for a nano tank:
Sleeper gobies, Valencienna spp.
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

Sleeper gobies feed by swallowing mouthfuls of fine sand and sifting them for minute crustaceans, snails, worms, and other tiny sandbed infauna. The vast majority will refuse prepared foods. They often carry intestinal worms and usually pine away in captivity, slowly starving to death. These large gobies (adult size of the pictured species is nearly 8" long!) can sometimes be kept successfully in large tanks with a surface area of somewhere around 10ft^2 or more and a deep, mature sandbed. This can obviously not be duplicated in a nano. Besides feeding concerns, the feeding activity of sleeper gobies constantly buries any corals near the substrate. Please don't buy them!

Twinspot goby, Signigobius biocellatus
Photo Copyright John E. Randall

This fish is even more delicate than the sleeper gobies. It almost always slowly starves to death in captivity. A terrible choice for a nano or any other tank for that matter. Please don't buy them!

Catalina goby, Lythrypnus dalli
Photo Copyright Ross Robertson

These gobies rock! They're actually very easy to keep in the right conditions--these gobies naturally occur on rocky reefs off the coast of Southern and Baja California, in temperatures around 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to keep one in a nano with a good chiller at these temperatures, go you! They readily accept prepared foods, are peaceful toward tankmates, and are beautiful and endearing. They die within a matter of weeks if kept at tropical temperatures, however. Unless you have the means necessary, please don't buy them!

 

[Anonymous]

A note about Mandarinfishes and "Scooter Blennies" (Genus Synchiropus), and why I believe they are UNSUITABLE for nano tanks:
Photos Copyright John E. Randall

The diet of Mandarinfishes in the wild consists of very small crustacean prey such as copepods that they forage off the substrate. They rarely adapt to prepared foods in an aquarium, and even if they do are usually not fed often enough to sustain their appetite. These fish literally need to eat all day long.

Mandarinfishes actually thrive in mature tanks around 100 gallons or more with a large amount of live rock to sustain their appetite and no competing substrate pickers. They are actually quite easy to keep in such tanks, and usually require no direct feedings. Don't have a tank like this? Then please, please, don't buy a Synchiropus spp.

Placing one of these fish in a small (20 gallon or less) tank almost ensures that they will slowly starve to death. Please, resist the temptation to buy one of these beautiful fish unless you have the means to keep it thriving. As you can see, there are many other hardier, and equally beautiful options to choose from.