What fish are good fish to start with

[maintman02]

I am new at the hobby and I am ready to start adding fish to my new 180gal. tank. I have done all the stuff that should be done, I have cured my live rock and sand, and cycled the tank with the raw shrimp. Now i need to know what fish a person would reccomend for a new guy in the hobby. I want some fish that are colorful, fun to watch,etc. Can anyone name off a good starter list.

 

[joker_ca]

Well What Do U Want A Community Tank Or A Aggressive Tank? Or Are U Going To Do A Reef

 

[reefiness]

True Percula clownfish
Blue Hippo tang
Yellow Tang
Tiger Goby
Flame Angel
Royal Gramma
Firefish
Purple Tang
Naso Tang
Flame Hawkfish
Flasher wrasses
well i can keep going but you should be able to choose a couple of fish to start off with from this list

 

[bmpumping]

i would start with 3or 4 green cromes thay are cheep and school too gether and if thay die it wont cost you to much

 

[oneradtek]

a pair of percula clowns or tomato clowns....good fish to watch....and if they live for ahwile theyll get big....theyre hardy too

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by reefiness
True Percula clownfish
Blue Hippo tang
Yellow Tang
Tiger Goby
Flame Angel
Royal Gramma
Firefish
Purple Tang
Naso Tang
Flame Hawkfish
Flasher wrasses
well i can keep going but you should be able to choose a couple of fish to start off with from this list
Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. Many of the fish on that list should not be added to new tanks!! Any tang, the flame angel, and the flasher wrasse should definitely not be added to a new tank.
Thus, the goby, firefish, gramma, and hawk would be okay beginners fish. However, like everyone else suggested, I would recommend a pair of clownfish. They are excellent starter fish for a new tank and would look very nice in there.

 

[corally]

Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. Many of the fish on that list should not be added to new tanks!! Any tang, the flame angel, and the flasher wrasse should definitely not be added to a new tank.
Ditto

 

[phixer]

A Queen Angelfish and Moorish Idol... Just joking. Clowns are good, and despite the controversy, I prefer Green Chromis Damsels.
Phixer

 

[corally]

Originally Posted by Phixer
A Queen Angelfish and Moorish Idol... Just joking. Clowns are good, and despite the controversy, I prefer Green Chromis Damsels.
Phixer
'
what's the controversy with green chromis? I thought only the other chromis were mean.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by corally
'
what's the controversy with green chromis? I thought only the other chromis were mean.
Yeah, I don't know of the controversey either, unless you were referring to the fact that some dealers are known to catch them with cyanide...

 

[coachklm]

Originally Posted by reefiness
True Percula clownfish--ok
Blue Hippo tang--no
Yellow Tang--no
Tiger Goby--maybe
Flame Angel--no
Royal Gramma--maybe
Firefish--ok
Purple Tang--no
Naso Tang--no
Flame Hawkfish--ok
Flasher wrasses--no
well i can keep going(--no) but you should be able to choose a couple of fish to start off with from this list
i think your list is a little inappropriate for "starter" fish

:notsure:

 

[peter1215]

I'm also adding fish to my new 120 this weekend . can tomato clowns be kept as a pair or should they be kept alone? also, can i get clowns and green chromis ? do the chromis become as aggresive as the blue damsels?

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by peter1215
I'm also adding fish to my new 120 this weekend . can tomato clowns be kept as a pair or should they be kept alone? also, can i get clowns and green chromis ? do the chromis become as aggresive as the blue damsels?
You can do a pair. As far as the clowns and chromis, only do one fish. Either do a pair of clowns or a small school of chromis. Not both.

 

[corally]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Yeah, I don't know of the controversey either, unless you were referring to the fact that some dealers are known to catch them with cyanide...

really?

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by corally

really?
Yeah, this is what I have heard, plus Steven Pro wrote a very good article over at Reef Keeping magazine on the use of cyanide with catching fish and one of the fish he mentions is green chromis. He does not make direct reference to the fact that they are, but it seems like he believes that they are just as I do.

 

[nereef]

if memory serves me correct, the cyanide makes the fish docile and almost sedated so it's easy to catch.

 

[lion_crazz]

Yes, and since chromis dive into acros and staghorns when they are frightened, they are difficult to catch sometimes if otherwise not "sedated".
I am not agreeing with the use of cyanide at all, I am just giving the reasons as to why people say they "need" to catch them with cyanide.

 

[nereef]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
I am not agreeing with the use of cyanide at all, I am just giving the reasons as to why people say they "need" to catch them with cyanide.
of course. has this been shown to affect tanks?

 

[i likefish]

some fish that are good are:
certain wrasses(not all of them are hardy)
neon dottyback
tomato clowns
gobies
blennies
chromis
there's just an idea of some good, hardy fish

 

[zsalinas]

I started out with 2 green chromis in my tank and they did good plus they just eat flake food so that was a good starter fish IMO. They're very cheap so if you lose them you'll be ok. I now have 2 falst percs and they are doing awesome.