1. Six Line Wrasse
Relatively easy to keep in an aquarium, these fish will need plenty of open water to swim. You’ll want to be sure your nano tank has plenty of open space, so you may want to think twice about owning this species if you have an abundance of coral and live rock.
Growing up to about 3 inches, this species has been documented to live for up to 10 years in captivity.
2. Blue Spotted Puffer
A 50-gallon or greater aquarium that is exclusively for fish is ideal. The teeth of this fish actually form the result of a fused beak structure. It could eat invertebrates within a reef aquarium. It gets scared when placed inside a net. Hence it is recommended to use a container to move it. A Blue Spotted Puffer’s diet demands an extensive diet of meaty foods, such as the clams, squid, and krill along with hard-shelled shrimp, to aid in the wear and tear of their growing teeth. Approximate size of purchase:
Small: 1-1/2″ to 2″
Medium: 2″ – 3″
Large: 3″ – 4″ Pair: 2″ to 4″
3. Firefish Goby
In a nano tank, these fish are quite active and will dart in and out of a provided hiding space. It’s no wonder that these fish are also referred to as Fire Dartfish!
You’ll want to provide plenty of hiding spots if you plan on keeping this species. A 20 Gallon aquarium with plenty of coral and live rock will be perfect! As with other goby fish, you’ll want to keep a tight-fitting lid on your aquarium, as these fish are known jumpers.
Growing to be about 3 inches in length, these fish can live for about 3 years.
4. Skunk Clownfish
As with other anemonefish, the skunk clownfish is a protandrous hemaphrodite, and maintains a hierarchy within the host anemone that consists of a mating pair, of which the female is the largest, and non-mating males which get progressively smaller in size.
The Skunk Clownfish are omnivorous and can feed on undigested food from their host anemone. Primarily however they feed on small zooplankton in the water column, such as copepods and tunicate larvae, with a small portion of their diet coming from algae.
Skunk Clown are reef safe, being happier if they have an anemone and are very hardy and easy to keep and are great for beginners. They may pick on passive fishes that have been added after them particularly during spawning . Their relatively small size (11cm) makes them a suitable choice for smaller aquaria.
5. Blue Green Reef Chromis
The Blue Green Reef Chromis is easy to care for, beautiful, and peaceful. In fact, Chromis viridis is one of the preferred marine reef fish amongst aquarists, regardless of their experience level. This member of the Pomacentridae family is most recognizable by its gorgeous light blue dorsal side that slowly fades into a majestic pale green belly. The Blue Green Reef Chromis is desirable not only for its beauty, but also for its peaceful demeanor (despite its designation as a true damselfish) and ability to be kept with almost all other community fish, invertebrates, and corals.
Overall, the Blue Green Reef Chromis is very hardy and can live between 8 to 15 years in aquariums with excellent water quality. For best care, feed several times throughout the day with a varied diet of meaty foods, herbivore flakes, and frozen preparations. Vitamin-enriched foods may also help to preserve body colorations.
Some aquarists have successfully bred the Blue Green Reef Chromis in the home aquarium. Interestingly, the body color of mature males, ready to nest, changes to a muted yellow color. However, breeding success requires perfect water parameters in only the largest of non-predatory aquarium systems.