We all have ambitions. Sometimes they don't coincide with budget. Whale sharks are right off my want list. All that plankton...
But if you want a 'look', or 'color' or 'shape', there often is more than one answer in the sea.
For instance, you have a nano and want a sand cleaner. The little high-fin red-stripe gobies can do a fair job on a tiny tank, where a dragon goby would keep the whole sandbed in motion and a yellow-watchman might feel cramped.
You want a tang but you have only a 100 gallon and the type you want takes more tank. A full-grown dascyllus damsel has the shape and the pushiness to take care of himself, but will be pretty ok in a 100 gallon.
You want something blue, but a hippo tang is not appropriate for your tank. Try (100 gallons) the Fiji Blue Damsel or azure or (50 gallons) the yellowtail.
You want anthias, but again, the size and delicacy issue---you might look at the fairy wrasses for color and movement.
You want a yellow fish: the yellow watchman is that color, and can get VERY upfront in his approach to the glass.
You want weirdness but a lion isn't compatible with your tank, the matted filefish is pretty good in weirdness, and is very personable, plus does a job on aiptasia...not spectacularly quickly, but he'll get them. Caution with some corals, safe (so it seems) with lps.
You want a marine tank but find most fish are too big for what you can afford; a reef with a few small-scale fish may be good for you. Softies don't take the high lighting that lps and sps need. And they grow like crazy.
There are a lot of hardy (and smaller) substitutions that are appropriate for smaller tanks.
But if you want a 'look', or 'color' or 'shape', there often is more than one answer in the sea.
For instance, you have a nano and want a sand cleaner. The little high-fin red-stripe gobies can do a fair job on a tiny tank, where a dragon goby would keep the whole sandbed in motion and a yellow-watchman might feel cramped.
You want a tang but you have only a 100 gallon and the type you want takes more tank. A full-grown dascyllus damsel has the shape and the pushiness to take care of himself, but will be pretty ok in a 100 gallon.
You want something blue, but a hippo tang is not appropriate for your tank. Try (100 gallons) the Fiji Blue Damsel or azure or (50 gallons) the yellowtail.
You want anthias, but again, the size and delicacy issue---you might look at the fairy wrasses for color and movement.
You want a yellow fish: the yellow watchman is that color, and can get VERY upfront in his approach to the glass.
You want weirdness but a lion isn't compatible with your tank, the matted filefish is pretty good in weirdness, and is very personable, plus does a job on aiptasia...not spectacularly quickly, but he'll get them. Caution with some corals, safe (so it seems) with lps.
You want a marine tank but find most fish are too big for what you can afford; a reef with a few small-scale fish may be good for you. Softies don't take the high lighting that lps and sps need. And they grow like crazy.
There are a lot of hardy (and smaller) substitutions that are appropriate for smaller tanks.
