Category: Saltwater

Wonderful Coral Beauty Angelfish!
There are many different types of angelfish in the saltwater & freshwater hobby. Most are at least labeled “with caution” when keeping with coral. In my opinion, some angelfish are more prone to nibbling on coral than others. Working in pet stores, I had the least amount of complaints from returning customers about coral beauty angelfish and their coral nipping habits over angels such as the Potter’s or Lemon peel. Take that information with a grain of salt especially if there are high-tier coral dwellings in your aquarium. At the end of the day, it’s a hit or miss with angelfish. I have a coral beauty angelfish that will nibble on fleshy open brain coral but will not bother anything else but who’s to say it won’t turn on my coral and eat away in the future?
Coral Beauty Requirements
The coral beauty will max out at a size of 4″ and is not recommended in aquariums that hold less than 75 gallons of water. They are very active fish and require plenty of space to graze on algae and sponges in the saltwater fish tank. Plenty of live rock and hiding spots should be given to this gorgeous fish.
These fish should typically be the only dwarf angelfish in the aquarium and they should be one of the last fish added into the system due to their aggression. They are highly territorial and can fight with other angels as well as other fish.
The coral beauty is an omnivore so providing marine algae, meaty food, as well as flake and pellet food will keep it happy and thriving! They are quite easy to care for and should happily eat any food provided to them.
As stated previously, most if not all angel fish are either not reef safe or with caution in a reef system. They have a history of nipping corals. They can graze on coral right from the beginning or acquire a taste if no food is provided for a few hours. I once had an Eibli Angel that would sit next to Frag plugs and watch me watch it. It would swim around very innocently and once my head was turned away it would get closer and closer and begin nipping on the coral, so please be mindful about adding an angelfish into you’re reef aquarium.
One final note about coral beauty and many other Dwarf Angelfish is that they can be shy, very very shy. The previously mentioned Eibli Angelfish took 6 months after introduction into the fish tank to finally come around and swim in open water. Otherwise, I was only able to see short glimpses of the fish. My coral beauty angel took about 3 weeks to get comfortable enough with me to swim in open water.
Final thoughts
Even With the coral nipping habits, these are incredible fish with wonderful and unique personalities. I can observe mine swimming and adventuring around my reef tank all day. The colors on this fish are remarkable, that gorgeous mixture of purple, blue, orange, and yellow just can’t be matched! Each one has a little bit of variation to it. If you’re jumping into a hobby and looking for an angelfish, consider a coral beauty!
July 20, 2020
The Alien Like Pearly Jawfish
The pearly jawfish sometimes known as a Yellowhead Jawfish is a very unique marine fish. The white coloring on the body, yellow head, and enormous black/blue eyes make this fish a wonder in a saltwater aquarium. It acts a little different from a goby but is quite a wonderful sand-sifting animal.
Jawfish Requirements
Like many burrowing fish, the pearly jawfish tends to miraculously jump out of the saltwater aquarium. Having a well-sealed aquarium is recommended for this fish due to its acrobatic skills.
When first introduced into the aquarium this fish is quite shy and may get out-competed for food. To guarantee it was eating, I used a long pipette to spot-feed the Yellowhead Jawfish in my home aquarium. At first was timid with the instrument but realized that food came out of it. A Jawfish that is eating is a good sign!
A minimum of 30 gallons is recommended for this fish as well as having a deep sand bed because they love to burrow deep into the sand. The sand should be very fine so they can put it into their mouth to move around. It is also very recommended to have your live rock touching the bottom glass/acrylic of your display tank. This is important because depending on how the jawfish burrows it can cause the rock to shift which can lead it to fall or crushing the jawfish underneath.
These fish are fairly hardy and should take to eating and will happily eat any food provided. A mixture of pellet food, flake food, and meaty food should be given. They will sometimes bolt out of their burrow, grab food, and swim back into their den. They have quite a unique personality.
It will grow to be about a max size of 4″ which is why they require to have a deep sand bed of no less than 4″. This jawfish is a very passive fish and will not bother any other fish. It may get bullied by other burrowing fish so be aware.
Pearly jawfish are perfectly reef safe and will not any coral. Be aware of any coral that may be in your sand bed because there is a chance this fish will completely cover it with sand. There have been many occasions where I had to dig out coral from a 1/2″ of sand because my jawfish decided sand belonged there.
Jawfish Hi-jinx
One funny thing this fish does is it will sometimes build a “fortress” around its burrow. It will collect small pebbles and snail shells and build a small wall. It will try to fight off hermit crabs and snails that may try to get into its home. It will take mouthfuls of sand, swim a few inches away from its burrow, and spit it all back out. They’re a very enjoyable fish to observe and a great addition to a reef aquarium.
Final Thoughts
This fish in my opinion is an incredible addition to anyone’s saltwater aquarium. They have a very unique appearance, they are pretty hardy, and they have incredible personalities. They will eat anything and do a pretty good job of keeping your sand clean because of their sand-tossing abilities. Besides keeping it from jumping and making sure it eats, you can’t go wrong with a pearly jawfish!

July 18, 2020
Yellow Tangs For an Aquarium
Yellow tangs are a fairly common fish in the saltwater hobby. They fall under the category of surgeonfish due to their very sharp scalpel-like appendage right before their tail. They use this to fight other tangs or in self-defense against predators. Their vibrant yellow coloring makes them pop in any home aquarium. They’re very intelligent fish with a large assortment of personalities.
As herbivorous fish, yellow tangs spend their day grazing algae and seaweed in the wild. In the aquarium, there is normally not enough algae growing to sustain their grazing diet. As owners, it is necessary to feed and give the tang enough grazing material (algae sheets) to help keep it full and happy. This fish will happily feed on meaty foods as well but the bulk of its diet should be herbivorous. They can grow up to roughly 8″ and are very active swimmers. It is not recommended to keep them in an aquarium smaller than 100 gallons, and it is preferred to keep only one in an aquarium unless they are introduced together. They do become territorial and will fight other tangs. Their aggression will not only be between themselves and other yellow tangs but other tangs too. They will fight other fish that are very similar in shape and color to themselves. It is especially not recommended to mix yellow tangs with purple tangs or sailfin tangs due to their similarities in shape.
These gorgeous fish should only be added to an aquarium once it is well established. They should not be one of the first fish introduced into the aquarium. They are very prone to getting diseases such as marine ich so having a stable and well-established aquarium will help prevent them from getting infections.
Yellow tangs are reef safe and they should not bother coral. If algae are present in the aquarium, they may graze on the algae growing around the coral. Unfortunately, they will be more than happy to mow down any macro algae put into the aquarium so keep that in mind.
Yellow tangs are very wonderful fish to have in a home aquarium. They’re vibrant and stand out very well from the background and are always the center of attention for visitors. They’re highly intelligent and a pleasure to observe. The one in my aquarium always acts tough but runs into the rocks once my hand is in the aquarium for coral spot feeding. Learn about more saltwater fish by checking out other articles and care guides by following this link.
June 28, 2020
Ocellaris Clownfish for beginners
Clownfish Information
The ocellaris clownfish is one of the first fish saltwater hobbyists add to their aquarium. They’re hardy, easy to care for, and popular beyond belief but sometimes go by another name (Nemo). They can become territorial so if a hand is in the aquarium, don’t be surprised to feel a pinching bite from a clown.
There is a pretty common fact that some may not know. Clownfish are born male and the dominant one in the pair becomes the female. Another interesting bit of info is that female clowns become larger than males. If a female passes away, the male will pair with another female or find another male and will fight for dominance to become a female. If/when a male turns into a female it cannot transform back into a male. Only one pair of clowns is recommended for a fish tank. Any more and there will most likely be quite a bit of fighting which stresses the fish out or can cause harm to them. If one of the fish passes away, it is best to replace it with one of a similar size. For example, try not to introduce a 4″ clown with a 1.5″ clown and hope they pair.
Many new hobbyists begin their saltwater journey with the common ocellaris clown. Once experience is gained and saltwater aquarium knowledge grows, people find interest in the rarer species of clownfish. Such as snowflake clowns or black ocellaris. There are many other variants of ocellaris clowns to choose from. This guide was made to provide a complete care guide to keeping clownfish.
Aquarium Requirements
Ocellaris Clownfish can grow to a size of roughly three inches. It’s not recommended to keep clowns in aquariums smaller than 20 gallons, due to their length at adulthood. Clownfish have very similar water parameters to most other saltwater fish which are:
- Temperatures between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit
- dKH levels between 8 and 12
- pH between 8.0 and 8.4
- Salinity levels between 1.020 and 1.025 sg.
Providing these water parameters is key to keeping a clown happy but keeping them stable is also important for their long-term health.
It is beneficial to provide live rock in the aquarium so your fish has places to hide when stressed. An anemone is a fantastic addition but it is not mandatory to have for your clownfish.
Anemone Hosting
Be aware that many tank-raised clownfish will not automatically go into an anemone and host In it. Sometimes it is quite tricky to get them to do so. There are a few things to try to get them to host in an anemone.
First, if the fish is already in the aquarium, place a video or image of clownfish swimming in anemones against the glass. This may give them the urge to try and do the same. They may see other clowns safely swimming through anemones and instinctively be drawn to them.
Second, if the anemone is in an established aquarium, and new clownfish are being introduced, try to put the netted clownfish into a translucent tube. Make sure the tube is wide enough so the clowns can safely travel through it. Also, be sure the end of the tube is almost touching the anemone. When the fish make their way down, it will force them to come into contact with the anemone which may cause them to host in it.

Third, give it time. Sometimes clownfish will naturally make it’s way to an anemone and host it. I have had them a host in many other things such as frogspawns, torch coral, and green star polyps. Clowns are oddballs but they figure it out eventually.

Lastly, it’s ok if the clowns don’t host in an anemone. It is remarkable to see them spend all day rubbing against the anemone’s tentacles, feeding it, and just doing their thing but if they are being very stubborn and won’t host, it is not worth stressing them out more than necessary.
Clownfish Food & Diet
They should readily eat any type of food offered such as flakes, pellets, or frozen food. Providing different types of food will assist in giving your fish a well-rounded diet! If for some reason your clownfish does not want to eat, try mixing your food with garlic or garlic extract. You can read about feeding garlic to your fish here.
Tank Mates
Clownfish do well with most saltwater fish but do not keep them with fish that will try to eat them such as eels, groupers, lionfish, and most other predatory fish. Instead, try to keep clownfish with more peaceful fish such as:
- Dwarf Angelfish
- Tang
- Gobies
- Chromis
- Wrasse
Most types of marine fish are compatible with clowns. Clownfish are also completely reef safe and will not bother coral or invertebrates! They may occasionally attempt to host euphyllia or other coral with tentacles.
Breeding Clownfish
If a bonded pair finds an aquarium suitable there is a chance of them laying eggs and producing offspring. Eggs are commonly eaten by other animals in the aquarium without human intervention. Clownfish will often breed in a display tank with no additional work required.
Building clownfish breeding tanks are pretty straightforward. Many breeders use a 10-gallon aquarium for a pair of clowns. Connect the breeding tank to a sump for filtration. The aquarium itself should be bare bottom with only a clay pot (3 – 5 inches) or pieces of clay tile. The sump should have a heater, protein skimmer, and live rock.
Keeping water parameters pristine is very important. Also, feed your clownfish a variety of foods at least twice a day to increase their body size to prepare them for breeding. Temperatures can sit around 78 to 80 degrees to motivate your clownfish to breed.
Egg Care
It will take roughly 6 to 8 days for your eggs to hatch! Before eggs hatch prepare live food to give them something to eat right after hatching. Feed live rotifers when eggs first hatch then baby brine shrimp after a few days of growth. Setting up a hatching tank will make it easier to care for your eggs and fry. Clownfish eggs will always hatch at night and require total darkness.
Set up your hatch tank with a heater, sponge filter, and air stone. Seed your sponge in the breeding tank a few weeks before putting it into the hatching tank. Also, be certain that the aquarium, heater, and air stone are cleaned well with hot water before setting up.
Place the aquarium in a dark location and completely cover all sides with black construction paper or anything that will block out the light. Cover the light that’s on the heater with black electrical tape. Provide a light but be sure to have it incredibly dim because too bright light can kill newly hatched fry.
Hatch Day
On hatch day, remove the eggs from the breeding tank and place them into the hatching tank. Before that, make sure the heater’s temperature is the same as the breeding tank. Keep your hatch tank light schedule the same as the breeding tank schedule.
Place the eggs into the breeding tank and adjust the air stone so that air is flowing over the eggs. This is crucial because eggs need movement to stay alive. A few hours after the lights go out, the eggs should hatch. A very dim flashlight can be used to check.
Begin feeding live rotifers many times a day and check the water parameters to make sure that ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates do not spike. Fry are very sensitive to water parameter changes so keeping things low and stable is important!
Final Notes
Clowns are very fun fish with unique personalities. They’re great as introductory fish into saltwater aquariums but also amazing animal companions in the long term. They can get territorial but the little nibbles are worth dealing with. If you’re looking to learn about other saltwater fish, check out the growing list of care guides for saltwater fish.
June 26, 2020