Saltwater Aquarium Animal Selection

Saltwater Fish

Generally speaking, beginning aquarists should chose a fish only aquarium. Until your tank is conditioned (more on this later) you should only populate it with hardy fish. This is not to say your initial display will be boring and colorless. Quite to the contrary, there are a wide variety of animals suitable for the new aquarium or hobbyists that are just getting started. In this section we will cover many of those selections and provide information on which species can help you stabilize your new tank and which you should avoid until your aquarium is well established.

Damselfishes (Difficulty - Easy)

Damselfishes are arguably some of the most hardy of fishes available to the salt water aquarist. These are an excellent choice to populate your new tank and help it along in the conditioning process. There are usually a wide variety of damselfishes available at your local pet shop, and are among the lower priced sea animals available for your aquarium. They come in a variety of sub-species (clown fishes are part of this family) and are usually colorful and very active in your tank. The one drawback to this species is that they are often very territorial and can be aggressive. These are one of the few fish that have actually attacked my hand while I'm cleaning the inside of my tank (don't worry, they don't have teeth and the bites don't hurt a bit.)

Angelfishes (Difficulty - Medium to Moderately Easy)

The most popular angelfishes for the home aquarium are a family known as dwarf angels. These fish rarely grow larger than 4 inches in length and come in a wide variety of brilliant colors. The fish pictured above is a dwarf angel known as a Coral Beauty. They are usually strong fish that can live for years if properly cared for and are usually peaceful to fish of other species. However, they are somewhat territorial and should not be kept with other angelfishes of the same species. That being said, I have had a Coral Beauty, Bi-Color angel, and Lemon Peel angel (all dwarf angels) happily cohabitate in my aquarium. One of the keys is to use decorations that provide plenty of shelter and hiding places so that they can each stake out their own territory.

Surgeonfishes or "Tangs" (Difficulty - Medium )

Tangs are fairly easy to keep in the home aquarium once you have gained a little experience with other species. They are mainly herbivorous and feed mostly on a vegetable diet but should be offered brine shrimp or other meaty foods as well. They are very social and are normally not aggressive to other tank mates of the same or other species. Some sub-species of Tangs can grow quite large over time so make sure you get the facts on the particular fish you are purchasing and make sure your aquarium is large enough to accommodate. The blue and black fish pictured above is commonly known as a "Hippo Tang."

Butterflyfishes (Difficulty - Medium to Difficult depending on sub-species)

Butterflyfishes are very popular with the home aquarist due to their striking beauty and wide variety of colors and markings. They are a very peaceful fish and should not be kept with other, more aggressive species. Most will accept a wide range of foods and should have a variety offered to them including brine shrimp, bloodworms and flake foods. These fish are more suited to the experienced aquarists since they are very sensitive to water quality and tank conditions. They are an excellent addition to your aquarium, but do yourself a favor and wait until you've had plenty of experience successfully supporting other species.

Wrasses (Difficulty - Medium)

Wrasses come in a variety of sizes, colors and body markings, but all generally have an elongated body with a single dorsal fin that usually extends most of the length of their spinal area. They are generally peaceful and most will bury themselves under your substrate at night or wedge under or between rocks to catch a good night's sleep. They are mainly carnivorous but will accept flake food as well. They cannot be kept with live shrimp, clams, mussels or other invertebrates which would quickly become part of your wrasse's diet if they are in the same tank. They are somewhat sensitive to water quality, but are typically a strong fish and well suited for aquarists with at least a moderate level of experience.

Triggerfishes (Difficulty - Medium to Moderately Difficult depending on sub-species)

Triggerfish behavior can vary widely ranging from peaceful to quite aggressive. Do not attempt to keep two triggers of any species in the same tank since they are mainly a solitary species and will be aggressive towards any fish of the same species. Generally they will cohabitate peacefully with other fish species if you follow a couple of basic rules. First, triggerfish will eat almost anything. This includes most small fish, so be sure that tank mates can hold their own and are at least close to or larger in size than your triggerfish. Secondly, they love shellfish and sea urchins. Love to eat them, that is. They will make short work of almost any invertebrate, using their sharp teeth and powerful jaws. Use caution and do your research on the particular sub-species of triggerfish that you are choosing, and in return they will make an excellent pet with a very unique personality. They are active swimmers and are a joy to watch move about your tank and seem to enjoy watching you as much as you enjoy them.

Pipefishes and Seahorses (Difficulty - Advanced)

Seahorses are among the most interesting animals available for the marine aquarium and are a great conversation piece. They are, however, one of the more difficult sea animals to care for. Most lead very quite lives clinging to coral branches or seaweed with their prehensile tails and are not good swimmers. They usually do best in a mainly invertebrate tank where there is little competition for food. They need to be feed two to four times daily on live brine shrimp and live fish fry. One of the more interesting facts about these animals is their method of breeding. The female deposits her eggs into a small pouch on the male's stomach. They are then fertilized and incubated for two to three weeks at which time the male gives birth to the live baby seahorses.

When you're done here, check out some of these other aquarium sites:
Katy's Tropical Fish
Angelfish Revealed
SaltWater Aquarium Advice
Tropical Fish Secrets
Aquatic Experts
Starting A Reef Tank