Top 3 'Reef Safe With Caution Fish': Reef Keeping
- Mar 03, 2021
- Anshika Mishra
- 493 0 0
Every hobbyist in every now and then needs to take a little bit of a punt on the fish that may or may not get along with your corals and cleanup crew to get a real showpiece fish. So, down below are the top 3 "reef safe with caution" fishes according to the Reef Dork:
1. Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Butterflyfish are some of the most jaw-dropping fish in the reef hobby and they are one of the prettiest variants. They are unlikely to bother any of your clean-up crew and they are not a bad shot with corals. As with every fish on this list, there is a fair chance they might take a liking to something you your tank and with these fishes it is more likely to be fleshy LPS corals.
They look pretty much similar to Copper Banded Butterfly but are far easier to keep than their Ginger cousins. As a more reef-safe alternative, you could try Pyramid Butterflyfish which is about the same reef safe as Butterflyfish come, but if you have got the Cojones, the Yellow Longnose Butterfly is the deal in the tank.
2. Harlequin Tuskfish
This fish is illegal in 17 American states are blinks sideways, it is called the Tusk. The Harlequin Tuskfish is a massively underrated fish. But when it comes to corals, they are jaw-droppingly stunning and people will be drawn to them the second they see your tank.
Now well they are coral safe, they are not necessarily inverted safely. they are a member of the Wrasse family and have fairly sizable teeth all of which means Crabs, Shrimps, Snails, and Brittle Stars are all potential meal candidates for this fish.
They might leave the cleanup crew alone, but some specimen have a reputation of wiping out most of the cleanup crew. But if you have decided to take the pump with one of these you should do it in the knowledge that some of your inverts may perish.
Other than that, this fish is absolutely a beautiful centerpiece fish for your reef tank and is surely one of the fish that is worth taking the punt on. As reef keepers, we all aspire to have a sensations tank, and a reef tank with a centerpiece fish or two is a truly spectacular sight.
3. Flame Angelfish
The Flame Angel is one of the most iconic fish in the hobby. With its bright red and orange, the zebra-stripe body leading to an electric blue tail fin. A dwarf angle is suitable for smaller tanks of around 70-gallons, although it will probably be fine in the even smaller tank for at least a year or two.
The good news is that this fish would not eat-up your cleanup crew, but the bad news is that they are known to nip at stony and soft corals Polys. This is also one of the most reef-safe dwarf angles and you have always got a 50-50 chance with these guys.
The right specimen can be the model citizen, but if you are unlucky enough for the coins to come up tails there is every chance of them dining on your corals particularly fleshy LPS corals.
If you are not brave enough to get Flame Angels, the Coral Beauty is a great alternative to the Dwarf Angle family. By reputation, these fishes are the most reef-safe angles and they still look pretty beautiful.
Conclusion
If you ever see your corals retracting or even showing bite marks after introducing a Flame Angle or any other new fish on this list; you can always make a simple fish trap out of a Coke bottle and remove the little scamp. Sometimes it is easier said than done and if you are unlucky, you might get a fish that goes rouge and eats all your corals before you get the chance to catch it. So, if you do decide to go fr a reef safe with caution fish, go with your eyes open and be prepared to act fast with the worst happens.
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