Help me choose my open water swimmers

[bat21]

I have meticulously crafted a perfect peaceful community to make use of all areas in my 66gallon fowlr. And I'm ready for some open water/upper tank swimmers. I will probably go for 3, or 2. I am leaning towards a McCosker's FW, and a green chromis. But I am open to other ideas.

What do you suggest for very peaceful, small, open water swimmers?

 

[Haffs09]

I have 9 chalk bass in my 370 and at least half of them are always in the open water swimming. I added them a year ago and they filled a void that 8 larger tangs and angels left in the tank.

 

[jalisco]

I'm interested in this as well. I was hoping the peppermint candy cane hogfish would fill that roll in my ultra peaceful 45gal. Unfortunately he was more like a mini red & white barracuda. So fast and insatiable he just out competes every fish in the tank for food. The other fish end up having to follow him around the tank eating the food he throws up from being stuffed. I think he starved my possum wrasse so I'm rehoming him. While I'm waiting for the new owner's QT to mature I had the PCC Hogfish in a floating plastic strainer but he jumped out after a day and ate the candy striped snapping shrimp. He also nips at the clown and Dracula goby.
I love everything else about this fish. He is strikingly gorgeous, a curious interactive flowy swimmer. He always makes eye contact with who ever is in the room. I'd love to keep him but it would cost me most of my other super passive fish.

 

[Aquahallic]

I have a 40g and all of my fish are around or a little under 2" and most swim out in the open.

McCosker's wrasse (all of the time)

Yellow coris wrasse (all of the time?

Yellowtail damsel (all of the time)

Royal Gramma (most of the time)


I currently have a DD's flame angel and tailspot blenny qt'ing. I'm not too sure about their habits yet but from researching them both should be out in the open too.

 

[bat21]

My gramma almost never leaves his cave. I had a yellow tail damsel who just swam in and out of the rocks. A role now filled by a much nicer pygmy wrasse.

I want fish that don't have a cave. That just stay in the water column. I know green chromis are great for this, so are anthias, but I'm apprehensive about getting a single anthias. Mccoskers seems to be a universally loved active swimmer.

Chalk bass is interesting, but it seems not a guarantee that the one I get will love open water. I want a sure thing.

 

[Dombake]

I have some red spot cardinals. They are great, always out together, come right to the front when ever I walk past. Mine take a wide variety of food including flake from the surface.

 

[Nina51]

i second the yellow coris wrasse. mine is always out in the open and really adds lots of color.

i also have a vrolik's wrasse that is gorgeous and is an open water swimmer as is my red velvet fairy wrasse.

keep in mind that wrasses are notorious jumpers so if you don't have a cover, you'll need one. i lost a yellow fin fairy wrasse that way. had one side of the screen cover off for maintenance. turned my back and he jumped. landed on the top of the screen on the other side of the tank but i didn't see it till it was too late.

 

[bat21]

i second the yellow coris wrasse. mine is always out in the open and really adds lots of color.

i also have a vrolik's wrasse that is gorgeous and is an open water swimmer as is my red velvet fairy wrasse.

keep in mind that wrasses are notorious jumpers so if you don't have a cover, you'll need one. i lost a yellow fin fairy wrasse that way. had one side of the screen cover off for maintenance. turned my back and he jumped. landed on the top of the screen on the other side of the tank but i didn't see it till it was too late.

I would love a coris or vrolik's, but I have a very large cleanup crew of hermits and 3 cleaner shrimp. Don't Halichoeres species possibly snack on shrimp? I think my wife would cry if I bought a fish that ate one of our shrimp. She loves the shrimp.

 

[bat21]

I have some red spot cardinals. They are great, always out together, come right to the front when ever I walk past. Mine take a wide variety of food including flake from the surface.

Cardinals sort of just hover in one spot though right? I have considered them, but I already have a firefish that is always out but just remains in one spot, and my clowns never leave their rock. I'm looking for fish that not only stay out but are swimmers that will provide movement and use the upper parts of the tank.

 

[Nanighan]

Nevermind you already have a firefish ( I should read the whole thread before responding).

 

[Nina51]

I would love a coris or vrolik's, but I have a very large cleanup crew of hermits and 3 cleaner shrimp. Don't Halichoeres species possibly snack on shrimp? I think my wife would cry if I bought a fish that ate one of our shrimp. She loves the shrimp.

scratch that idea! yes, they will eat shrimp. i will occasionally buy some ghost shrimp and throw a dozen in the tank for a treat. the wrasses get them before the hawkfish even realize they're in there. LOL

 

[Dombake]

The red spots are constantly moving and are very fast. They are not like the Banggani Cardinal.

 

[bat21]

The red spots are constantly moving and are very fast. They are not like the Banggani Cardinal.

Interesting. Do they have to be in groups?

Edit: Nevermind. My wife says they are not pretty enough.

 

[Dombake]

My wife said the same..... but I think the flashes of red and blue as they dart around is great. When I slide the cover back, they shoot up to the coroner and wait for food and my daughter (4) thinks that is brilliant. They say making sure they feed well is the hard bit but mine will take all sorts of frozen and flake.

 

[Martini5788]

Yeah I would go with a flasher wrasse or a Midas blenny

 

[JohnnyHildo]

The red spots are constantly moving and are very fast. They are not like the Banggani Cardinal.

my bangaii seems to coast around the tank but i'd say about 1/3 of the time is stationary. once the lights go out it's a different story, it seems to dart around and is more active.

 

[bat21]

Yeah I would go with a flasher wrasse or a Midas blenny

I considered a midas blenny. But I have read accounts of them not being so nice. I have some very timid fish.

I think I am going to get the McCosker's FW, and then the bluegreen chromis. And then reassess the situation at that point. Maybe a pajama cardinal. Maybe another wrasse. We'll see what I feel the tank needs. Maybe nothing (doubtful!).

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I have both the McCosker's wrasse and the Midas Blenny and both are model citizens. I highly recommend them both. The Midas Blenny gets along well with all of my other fish. Here is my fish list

McCoskers wrasse
Midas Blenny
Cherub Angel
Pair Mocha Clowns
Matted File Fish
Royal Gramma

My Royal Gramma is always out and about as well. The only A hole in my tank is the Cherub Angel, I call him my terrorist fish!

 

[Darth_Tater]

Interesting. Do they have to be in groups?

Edit: Nevermind. My wife says they are not pretty enough.

I also have Red Spot Glass Cardinals in my 40 gallon. Diver's Den is the only place I've ever seen them and they only come in groups of 5. 8 of my original 10 have made it over 6 months (one was DOA). They are much "prettier" in person than they are in the DD pictures. They're quite active and always out in the open.

 

[bat21]

I have both the McCosker's wrasse and the Midas Blenny and both are model citizens. I highly recommend them both. The Midas Blenny gets along well with all of my other fish. Here is my fish list

McCoskers wrasse
Midas Blenny
Cherub Angel
Pair Mocha Clowns
Matted File Fish
Royal Gramma

My Royal Gramma is always out and about as well. The only A hole in my tank is the Cherub Angel, I call him my terrorist fish!

Ok, I will keep the midas blenny on the table. I wish my gramma was always out. That is the only disappointing thing about my tank. I see him for a total of 5-10 seconds a day, if that. :headwally: