Reefer_Madness January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 So my new aquascaping has a lot of holes, nooks, and crannies. I am looking for some fish that go in and out of the holes. I have a bi-colored blenny that I love. I am looking for other fish that like to perch in the holes. Anybody have ideas? FYI - Eels are not an option...hahah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 Yasha White Ray Shrimp Goby (Stonogobiops yasha) Get this guy with a pistol shrimp, great combo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness January 26, 2015 Author Share January 26, 2015 Wow. That guys is beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtelles January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 I'd go with a Randalls goby (pictured below) over a Yasha. I have both (separate tanks), and the Yasha is exponentially more timid than the Randalls. I really only see the Yasha 5-10 minutes after I feed when he (she?) pokes her head out and scavenges. That said, neither really perch on the rock and instead spend most of their time hanging out near the entrance of their ever growing caves (thank you pistol shrimp). I do like both, but if you want to see your fish, I'd go with a randall's. If you want an easy fish to perch on rocks or corals, a yellow or green clown goby is a cool, inexpensive little fish. Mine hangs out in the rock work and perches on various coral (they're only really hazardous to acropora). Firefish are pretty popular and readily available and dart in and out of holes. Same with dartfish. Neon gobies are pretty neat little guys that will clean your fish for you, and when I had one he was in and out of the rocks. You should also check out lawnmower blennies . They get relatively large, but they spend most of their time goofily jumping from rock to rock eating algae and generally staying out of everyone's way (except for watchman gobies. They will attack watchman gobies.) If your tank is large enough and established with tons of pods, mandarins and dragonets are pretty awesome and will scoot around the rock looking for food, but most tanks don't have enough pods and the fish don't last very long. Finally, liveaquaria has a section dedicated to nanofish that you should check out. Many of them will probably fit your criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipg January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 I would suggestBarnacle Blenny - They are really small but I love to watch them especially during feeding time. I have one for last 3 years and transitioned well through my 2 tank moves. I am planning to add couple more. Wheeler's Shrimp Goby - They like to perch in small nooks and crannies....they are bit dull looking compared to Yasha but are always out and about. I have 3 of them in my tank and they all have their own spot. Firefish are great too - had one which liked to stay close to his hole and always slept in that hole but they are also jumpers so make sure you have a canopy or some kind of screen to prevent them from jumping out of the tank. And I agree with rtelles on Yasha White Ray Shrimp Goby, I had one for 2 years and would only see it for couple of minutes during feeding time. Among different gobies I have kept they are the most timid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 I would suggest Barnacle Blenny - They are really small but I love to watch them especially during feeding time. I have one for last 3 years and transitioned well through my 2 tank moves. I am planning to add couple more. Wheeler's Shrimp Goby - They like to perch in small nooks and crannies....they are bit dull looking compared to Yasha but are always out and about. I have 3 of them in my tank and they all have their own spot. Firefish are great too - had one which liked to stay close to his hole and always slept in that hole but they are also jumpers so make sure you have a canopy or some kind of screen to prevent them from jumping out of the tank. And I agree with rtelles on Yasha White Ray Shrimp Goby, I had one for 2 years and would only see it for couple of minutes during feeding time. Among different gobies I have kept they are the most timid. I agree that the Yasha may be a little timid. Maybe I was spoiled since my pistol dug one cave front and center so every time I walked up to the tank Yasha would come out looking for food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness January 26, 2015 Author Share January 26, 2015 I'm going to look up these guys. I built a cool pillar/column in my tank with lots of holes. It's like a floating island with SPSs on top. Having some activity down in the rock would be pretty neat. Otherwise it will be pretty boring, light free area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtelles January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 I guess I should add an addendum since I've only had my yasha about 3 weeks. Maybe he'll begin to associate me with food and come out more, but it only took my Randall a day or two to set up his spot and, though timid, he was out and about almost immediately. Same with a yellow watchman I had awhile back. I literally didn't see my Yasha for a week and had to search the rock work with a flashlight to make sure he was still alive. Very cool looking fish when you can spot him, but possibly not worth the $40-$60 price tag if he spends all day hiding. Not a fish, but adding a few Skunk Cleaner shrimp might add some activity and color to the area (and the tank in general). They also have a ton of personality. I imagine you'd like some fish for the rockwork itself, but my cleaners like to perch under my overhanging rock areas in their respective tanks, and none of the fish pay any mind to them, unless they're being cleaned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 You should also check out lawnmower blennies . They get relatively large, but they spend most of their time goofily jumping from rock to rock eating algae and generally staying out of everyone's way (except for watchman gobies. They will attack watchman gobies.) except for watchman gobies. They will attack watchman gobies frags everything you value. or maybe that was just mine I've always thought the smaller escenius blennies were adorable... and small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 How about a trio of blue or a trio of yellow Assessors? They swim upside down along rock openings and caves and are excellent fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos January 26, 2015 Share January 26, 2015 Another one would be a Royal Gramma. You also see them upside down under overhangs on the reef, and have great color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 I'd recommend a sharknose cleaner goby. The ones we've had were always going in and out of holes, crevices, etc. and got along well with all their tank mates. You could also try an Orchid or Springeri dottyback, although you may not see them quite as much. Then there's a midas blenny, which I think would work well with what you're describing, although I've never owned one myself (although I've wanted to). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainRon January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 I'd recommend the orchid dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani). I have a pair of them in my system and they spend a lot of time in the rocks and swimming out in the open. The first couple weeks they were in the rocks almost exclusively, but over the last couple months, they spend just as much time out in the open as well. Of course they're my favorite fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 Fancy Gumdrop Coral Crouchers like holes/nooks and crannies- Reef safe, does have a venomous dorsal fin, very small (1.5" or so). I love mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness January 27, 2015 Author Share January 27, 2015 (edited) Lots of ideas!!! Now it's time for to do research on each...........and pick a few Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Edited January 27, 2015 by Reefer_Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness January 27, 2015 Author Share January 27, 2015 I absolutely love mandarins, but I don't think I have the pods to support one. The skunk cleaner shrimp idea is good too. I have shelves of monti around the perimeter, so perching and hanging upside down would be great skills for them to have. This is going to be a hard decision. Color is very important. In the past I have only focused on the corals and I have selected fish because of function and availability. Then they live forever and your stuck with them!!! Hard workers, just not much to look at. I was also scared to overload the system with livestock. In my new 60g tank I only have 2 fish. The same two fish I had in my 30g for 2 years. It's time for a couple colorful bold choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lutz123 January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 I second the barnacle blenny suggestion - get 4 or 5 and they are fun to watch. Also, a possum wrasse. Mine wasn't too shy and was in and out of the rocks. Our dottyback is extremely shy - hides in a cave rather than perches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 I'd recommend a royal gramma. They are cave dwelling fish with great colors, social, and low cost. I have five in my tank. They like to hover in my caves upside down. I also like my black combtooth blenny. He is always out perched on the rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness January 27, 2015 Author Share January 27, 2015 Anybody know what this guy is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 Blut Dot Jawfish. I wouldn't recommend it. Not the best survival rate. Likes cooler water temps. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2971+748&pcatid=748 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuffyGeos January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 Blut Dot Jawfish. I wouldn't recommend it. Not the best survival rate. Likes cooler water temps. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2971+748&pcatid=748 +1 and I think you need about 2"-4" of a courser sand bed to let them dig their hole. Beautiful fish. +1 on the Royal Gramma again, Love that little guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness January 27, 2015 Author Share January 27, 2015 Wow that blue dot is expensive!! Pretty, but out of my price range.....or should I say out of my wife's price range. She would kill me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 If you like Jawfish, the pearly jawfish is less expensive, and I think it does well in our tank's temperatures.Everyone I've ever heard that had a jawfish, it was usually the favorite in the tank.and +1 to the dottyback. I had a neon dottyback and he was easily one of the most interactive fish I've owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lutz123 January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 If you like Jawfish, the pearly jawfish is less expensive, and I think it does well in our tank's temperatures. Everyone I've ever heard that had a jawfish, it was usually the favorite in the tank. and +1 to the dottyback. I had a neon dottyback and he was easily one of the most interactive fish I've owned. Funny - I had a pearly jawfish typed out and deleted it...just because. Pearly jawfish are some of my favorites. I've had pairs two different times - and all four are dead from jumping. Yes, I have a lid. Three went carpet surfing, and one died from injuries after jumping into the glass lid too many times. There were no aggressive tankmates. There is no exaggeration when jawfish are termed "jumpers". For what it's worth, $40 for a pair is quite reasonable, but they have such a great personality that it's hard to see them die like that. Maybe in a 24 inch or deeper tank it would be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lutz123 January 27, 2015 Share January 27, 2015 I have a goldline blenny that I really like. Check out kpaquatics - they have a good selection of what you are considering, and priced well, and are very healthy in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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