Need a Fish Suggestion

[Gauge]

I have a 42 gallon tank with 50 pounds of live sand, 20ish pounds of live rock, and the following inhabitants:

1 purple firefish goby
1 sebae clown
1 bi-color blenny
1 arrow crab
2 emerald crabs
5 blue leg reef hermits
1 red leg reef hermit
1 bubble tip anemone
1 cleaner shrimp
1 anemone crab
1 bumblebee snail

I recently had a regal blue tang for about three weeks, but ich grabbed ahold of him after a while, and he went down fast. I'm looking for something similar to a regal tang, but not quite as suseptible to ich. I want something colorful, frequently-visible, of at least average hardiness, and small enough to fit in my tank for about six months.

I was thinking about a dwarf angel. I know they tend to nip at corals, but all I have is a really small patch of star polyps, and they were hitchhikers, so I'm not too concerned if they become a meal for the fish. Does anyone have recommendations?

The LFS has had a really small coral beauty angel in their tanks for a couple weeks, and it's calling my name. I am not totally sold on angels, though, so what do you think?

 

[triggers]

I'm not sold on angelfish either but some do have amazing colorations, but one angelfish that is small and sticks out in my mind is the flame angelfish. Its bright red colorations is outstanding.

Other small fish that would be good is:

jawfish (blue spot, yellow head, and my favorite the dusky jawfish). They have great personalities. They might be in danger due to your anemone.

Anthias are small and have good coloration. Im not a fan of them but I here some people like them a lot.

Filefish. (Blackheaded, Fantail, Blackbar, Tasseled. Tasseled will get to big though) Awesome fish, one of my favorite. Probably because I love triggerfish. Filefish are related to triggerfish but they don't grow as big and they are very passive fish, you can not keep them with aggresive fish. This too may be in danger due to your anemone, however I recommend this fish very highly.

 

[Gauge]

I absolutely LOVE tassle filefish. If they get too big, but not very quickly that's fine. I have a new tank in my not-so-distant future (max one year). I've always heard they were really hard to keep, though. Is that true? Any other useful information on them?

 

[wseaton]

The strange thing I've discovered about angels is the smaller they are, the hardier they seem to be. I'd certainly start with coral beauty being they are among the hardiest of the species, and this includes flames. I'm not entirely sold on bigger Angel's and find them a bit over-rated as well, however I absolutley love the dwarfs. Then again, all my aquarium buddies think Anthias are 'the bomb', while I think they lack personality and look like anorexic goldfish, so maybe it's just me.

I currently have a Cherub Angel in a mixed 55 community tank, and love the little guy. Very similiar to the coral beauty in terms of personality/upkeep. Constantly buzzing in and out of rocks and looking for something to eat. Dwarfs demand a high protein diet with finely chopped variety. Mine will gobble up frozen brine shrimp, beef heart, mysis shrimp, blood worms, and has learned to go after freeze dried brine shrimp floating on the surface. He will, on occasion, nip at my feather dusters, but ignores my mushrooms. New fish added to the tank are instantly challenged for dominance and pecking order status, hence why angels are best added last. Your tank should be established and stable before adding angels.

 

[Gauge]

Wow, thanks for all the info!

Anyone have any more insight on the tassle filefish?

 

[goldy]

scott fairy wrasses are reef copalible and very colorful and so are flasher wrasses.

 

[goldy]

scott fairy wrasses are reef compatilible and very colorful and so are flasher wrasses.i just read an article about flasher wrasses being very hardy to.