what are some colorful fish that are reef safe?

we have a little O. clown. we will be adding a tiny hippo tang, and yes we know we have to get rid of it when it gets bigger. what other colorful fish will work with coral and clams?

Obviously the mandarin is not going to do the job as I don't believe even with the fuge in the back that they we can produce enough pods to keep it alive in a 28g tank.

I was thinking maybe a warpaint clown goby. are there any other nice colorful choices? angels seem to be hit or miss, coral beauty seems good but still i read reports of them nipping at corals.

 

also there are ways to train mandarins to eat other food..blood worms and new spectrum pellets have had alot of success with them..

 

A 28g tank is quite limiting. Most here will agree it is not suitable for a hippo tang, regardless of size.

Some of the smaller gobies can be quite colorful, and will be suitable for a 28g.

 

No way. Not anywhere near a big enough tank, nor should this guy be added to reef tank without knowing some precautions.

 

yeah my bad i thought it said 128 gallons, and i saw hippo tang...so my mistake..

 

so a warpaint clown goby would work then? I know the hippo is not suitable for the size tank, but I've always wanted one and it will be the smallest one I can find.

 

a hippo tang wont last a week in such a confined space, even a 1 inch juvenile should at least be in a 45 gallon but not for long. its hard to not overstock such a small tank. your stuck to the small fish like cardinals, damsels, clowns, blennies, and gocies.

 

i have a feeling if you get that tang then its gonna get super stressed out being in such a small tank and then get ich and die..theres reasons tangs need large tanks..i have a flame angel and have no problems with it nipping..but have read some peoples have..

 

No worries, just wanted to make sure no miss-information was spread.

Yes, a clown goby should be fine. However, you should know that SPS corals are an essential part of their diet and they may decline over time without them. Also, know that he'll nibble on any SPS you may have.

Again, while I feel I'm making a moot point here, I do want to stress the size of hippo tang doesn't matter. The tank is too small regardless.

 

trust me on the hippo, you will be cursing when it come times to try and catch it. I had a tiny one in a 55g, it grew fast, ate like a pig, began getting very aggresive as it got cramped. I also always wanted one but when the day came for me to get it out, I was cursing up a storm, regretting I ever put it in the tank. And others mentioned it could easily get ich and contaminate your tank.

a few other maybe's:

royal gramma
yellow tail damsel (they have a bad rap so pretty)
Allens/neon damsel (also pretty)
banggai cardinal (best in a pair though maybe too big)
midas blenny
jawfish (blue dot or yellowhead if you have a deep sandbed and top)
Leopard Wrasse (finnicky eater)
Flame Angel (may be too big eventually may pick at SPS/clams)
Potters Angel (finnicky also may be too big for your tank though)
Flame Hawk (funny to watch, may eat your inverts as it grows)
Clown gobies (very small, may pick at coral)

just a few off the top of my head I have had exp with, but stock lightly in a tank that small