What Saltwater Fish Should I Get?

What saltwater fish should I get? Aquatic hobbyists love to choose the swimmers for their aquarium, and this is because the amount of options available for live saltwater fishes is as vast as the ocean itself. Saltwater fishes are the popular choice for aquatic pet lovers especially those who want to showcase their home aquarium. 

The best part about keeping saltwater fishes is that these small swimmers aren’t tough to maintain compared to other freshwater creatures. There are lots of marine fishes that demands specific environment requirements which means that it’s not easy to maintain their habitats. Some fishes cannot survive fluctuating temperatures and would need additional equipment to maintain the aquarium habitat. However, there are also some saltwater fishes that may take some time to adjust to man – made aquarium foods like flakes and pellets since these marine animals are born in the open water. Budding aquarists must keep these things in mind before buying saltwater fishes. The marine creatures listed here along with other relevant information for each species will provide you with a glimpse of how easy and cheap it is to keep such water animals.

Top Ten Saltwater Fishes for First – Time Keepers

Some people may have told you that keeping saltwater fish is harder compared to keeping freshwater fish but in reality, it’s actually the opposite. Though it is true that specific saltwater fishes are also hard to maintain but in general they are much more manageable than keeping freshwater fishes. There are a variety of saltwater species that you can buy from pet stores but for this article, we will only focus on the most common types of saltwater fish that are perfect for first – time keepers. Let’s get started! 

Saltwater Fish #1: Six Line Wrasse

One of the most beautiful among the variety of wrasses species in the Labridae family is the Six – Line Wrasse. It has a vibrant color and it is intensified in males during courtship. The Six Line Wrasse requires a spacious tank and a good diet. They love to eat unwanted pests in the water and live foods. They are quite aggressive towards their own kind as well as smaller and docile fish so make sure to mix them with the right kind.

Saltwater Fish #2: Yellow Prawn Watchman Goby

The watchman goby is famous for its bright blue spots on its fins and head. It’s also called yellow – shrimp goby or the yellow prawn, and sports a yellowish – orange body color. This fish loves to burrow which means you need to provide a sandy substrate to make it happy. It also requires plenty of space to swim in. It’s only a relatively small – sized fish but it’s known for jumping so make sure that the aquarium has a fitted lid. Yellow – Prawn Watchman Goby is quite aggressive especially with their own kin unless they are mated in pair.

Saltwater Fish #3: Klein’s Butterflyfish

Klein’s Butterflyfish is the only fish in the butterflyfish family that is best suited for starters because its cousins have strict requirements when it comes to diet. Compared to other species featured in this article, Klein’s butterflyfish requires a large aquarium and should only be kept with members of the same species otherwise the fish will feel stressed out. They require plenty of space and rocks to hide in. Only keep a live rock and don’t put any reefs. 

Saltwater Fish #4: Firefish

Firefishes are from the family of Gobiidae. Its body structure is unique and it has an amazing color. It’s also known as Fire Goby, Firefish Goby, Fire Dartfish, and has a scientific name of Nemateleotris magnifica. It’s quite shy and timid even in open waters so don’t be surprised if you find this fish always hiding in its hideout because the fish might be stressed at the moment. This fish requires moderate current and lighting environment. It’s also fond of jumping so make sure that the aquarium has a fitted lid.

Saltwater Fish #5: Lawnmower Blenny

Another widely popular variation of blenny fish is the lawnmower blenny. It’s also known as algae blenny or sailfin. It’s a popular starter fish because of its unique colors and large eyes. It’s a peaceful tank mate but it can still nip at other saltwater fishes. It’s best to keep them singularly if you won’t be able to provide a large aquarium.

Saltwater Fish #6: Coral Beauty Angelfish

The Coral Beauty Angelfish is also called the Dusky Angelfish, and the Two – spined fish. Among the angelfish types, it’s the easiest to maintain. It has a deep blue – colored body and head and it comes with yellow highlights. It’s a peaceful tank mate even though it’s quite energetic. They are not picky eaters and loves to graze on the algae. Also known as the Twospined or the Dusky Angelfish, the Coral Beauty is one of the most easy to care for Angelfish.

 Saltwater Fish #7: Bicolor Blenny

Blennies come in different variations, and the most widely used in home aquariums is the Bicolor Blenny, also known as the 2 – colored Blenny. This saltwater fish comes in various colors especially when they are breeding. Male blennies are usually larger than females. You will need lots of scattered rocks as hiding spots, and be aware that they sometimes like to pick their tank mates particularly the smaller gobbies and other blenny fishes.

Saltwater Fish #8: Chalk Bass

Chalk Bass is one of the smallest fish breed of the Serranidae family, and it is also a relatively peaceful tank mate. The Chalk Bass fish needs to have rocky caves to hide in as well as fish caves. It also goes well with different saltwater fishes including its own kinds. Keep in mind though that this fish can be reclusive during its transition stage, and they’re also prone to jumping so make sure that the aquarium has a fitted lid.

 Saltwater Fish #9: Black Molly

Molly species can be acclimated in both saltwater and freshwater. The Black Molly sports an all – black color with short fins. Males usually have pointed anal fins and their dorsal fins are also quite big while females have pregnancy spots.

These fish species prefers to stay in a planted aquarium with a good filtration system because they produce quite an amount of waste. They are peaceful tank mates, and can give birth every 2 months. 

 Saltwater Fish #10: Ocellaris Clownfish

The clownfish has increased in popularity thanks to the movie Finding Nemo. The Ocellaris Clownfish is part of Pomacentridae family and it sports an orange colored with black bands and white outlines. Ocellaris Clownfish is easy to breed in a tank, and the female is quite bigger than the male. They’re not picky eaters as well. Keep in mind that they shouldn’t be kept with aggressive fishes because they will get stress. Make sure to keep them in a spacious tank if you plan on keeping them with anemone. You can now dive into the world of fish keeping since you already have an idea on what saltwater fish you can get. These fishes will surely make your aquarium come alive so whether it is your first time to keep a saltwater fish, or you already have some experience, it’s very important that you know everything from aquarium requirements to other needed supplies. We hope you learned a lot from this article. These vibrant and colorful fishes are now ready to migrate in their new home. Happy keeping!