My Top 7 Favourite Fish (And 1 I HATE)

[@markrawlings5390]

Midas Blennys are such characters, love mine.

[@dartdude2668]

Great fish mine guards his cave from everything.

[@AbsoluteZero6714]

Hey there, am considering one. :) How long have you had yours and how is it doing?

[@neilsreefaquarium9530]

Another brilliant vid Alex, look forward to them each week. Your commentary cracks me up 😂😂😂

[@dominicmosley8283]

Algae Blenny one of my favourites such a character. Also like your weekly videos. Keep up the good work 👍

[@Richs_reef]

Great video as always Alex. My favourite fish is my Royal Gramma so really pleased to see it made your list. For me they are the perfect marine fish as they are beautiful, easy to keep, affordable and very happy with other fish. I also love my percular clowns which host one of my Red Bubble Tip Anemones but they are much more territorial than the Gramma!

[@lindasreef]

A good selection of favourites there. For me the Lipstick or Naso tang is one of my favourites although you need the space. Not brightly coloured but a bit regal looking, pouting lips and a very peaceful nature.

[@michellecrossley4828]

I can't wait to get my Coral Beauty this weekend. Hope it fits In well with all my other fish. 🤞Love your videos. You have helped me a so much with my Marine expedition. 😀

[@JustMyFish]

I like Green Chromis I know nobody says Green Chromis but they are amazing in large groups of eight or more. Will graze on algae, Easy to take care of👍🏻

[@lisaik1996]

that purple tang is the prince of that phenomenal fish tank you have

[@markgarcia6477]

I have a pair of scarlets (I know as ruby reds) . My favourite fish too , especially watching them do courtship dances at dusk lighting in the tank

[@86hillerd]

Wish I could get my zoas to bloom like yours! It's amazing how full and happy they all look.

[@gasp5027]

I love reef symbiotic relationships (not parasitic). I noticed that my goby follows the tuxedo urchin and hides near him when I scrub the glass and the urchin isnt harmed or helped in this relationship, very cool seeing the commensalism relationship along with the mutualistic. Tho i hope never to see a parasitic relationship 😀

[@coldlogic800]

Over a couple decades I've had 3 Pseudanthias Pleurotaenia and they are gorgeous. Two took freshly hatch nauplii to get to feed but after that they settled right in. 2 perished in tank crashes and one lived about 6 years. They are favorites of mine

[@karennation3580]

I dont have that many fish yet but clowns and a scarlet hawkfish and 2 yellow tail damsels. The yellow tail damsels are in seperate tanks. One I just got and is alone as i am just setting up a 20 gallon. Still not done with my 36 gallon either but surprisingly I love the damsels the best! For one they are very active and are constantly out swimming and just kind of grazing around. They both come right up to me and show no fear , while my clowns kind of occupy one back corner and the hawkfish the other. I have only had the hawk for a few weeks and he is about 2 1/2 inches so was probably older when he was robbed from his home! But he is pretty shy so far. I have seen him more today than usual and he didnt dart to the back when he saw my face up close peeking into the tank so hopefully he is coming out of it!

[@professorpheesh6107]

Tank looks particularly excellent in this video. Keep on keepin on.

[@jwebb5657]

Yellow wrasse is my favorite. Mine burrows in the sand and my son named it French fry.

[@davidhughes7180]

Brilliant as always. The foxface-vegan simile being a particular highlight. Here's a question - have you ever been tempted to try any of the angel fish? Ive just added a flameback after much deliberation and so far so good!

[@ReefDork]

I'd love an angel but I value my polyps more! Although I do have my eye on a Genicanthus angel - not as pretty, but reef safe.

[@opethmike]

lol, stoner clownfish, that's great!

[@reefholics1151]

Hi luv your videos it’s one of my highlights for Friday that I look forward to can you do a video on quarantine on how you quarantine fish when you buy them?

[@ReefDork]

I'm not a fan of quarantine - i've done a video about what you should do instead. But Google "ich management reef" and that's what I follow.

[@reefholics1151]

I’ll check that out keep the videos coming

[@adamsavageee]

Great video, just upgraded to 55 gallon what would you advise with regards to the tangs would you have one or not? I’ve heard kole tang would be okay maybe just the one...

[@ReefDork]

Bit small for tangs but yeah kole or tomini might be OK. Others might be OK short term too 🙂

[@Jaaaaayyy]

My velvet hawk fish is so mean I can’t even put another fish with him I’ve tried numerous times full black out for the night next day the other fish is in pieces , picks up snails tries to eat anything I put in that’s alive lol .

[@thomashinchliffe6375]

Love the purple tang can't wait to get mine , setting up a tank just for one 👍

[@krisshray9237]

my personal favourite is my male and female horn shark in my 360 gallon

[@eiurgretarsson9884]

Flame hawkfish been my all time fav for 20 years

[@theblindreefer8718]

Very nice Mate I have a pair of mandarins had done nearly 2 years now so proud of the achievement

[@ReefDork]

👏👏

[@cantusaurus8530]

My clownfish got ich, and my Scarlett dragonet didn’t make it as a result😭 I loved the Ruby/scarlet dragonet

[@MrDon967]

damn i've been planning on stocking my 120g with anthias since they look like goldfish so just like goldfish they change colors also? i like to buy all my fish small if i can

[@rave4ds]

Love those hawkfish. How did you get 3 of them in the tank without fighting? Mine will decimate any new fish same size or smaller than him.

[@ReefDork]

No real secret - I guess they just have enough space to hang out, corals and rocks to perch on, food to eat etc. And maybe I got lucky!

[@gunnykido7213]

I had a beautiful mandarin dragonet, we had 0 issues with him being underfed, always had a fat belly. Sadly he jumped out one night before we could get to him

[@freemansaquatics5326]

Hated my hawk fish he was a bastard.....great video Alex 🍻 have a great weekend

[@Riotshield69]

hi i am planning to do a 20G long do u think a royal gramma will eat my camel shrimps/ sexy shrimps ? i will not be keeping coral really love the royal gramma just afraid it will after my shrimps ( will add the royal gramma last )

[@ReefDork]

No, probably not. Camel shrimp eat coral though.

[@SpiritAquatics]

I don't keep marine fish but I've always loved the falco hawk fish, sailfin tang and flame angel. Also love yellow and purple tangs :)

[@atlantisreef4123]

Great video: side note. You need to feed anthias at least 5 (not saying you don’t know this) but they need a real varied and constant diet. The anthias would be in colour if you did not have those blues on too strong 😂 you would of kept all 9 if feeding was up. Personally I used to feed my squares plankton, copepods (frozen and live) lobster eggs (amazing food source) anthias are great schooling fish in larger numbers and the right lighting 🤪😅

[@Matt-dc8lp]

Wish more of those fish could be aquacultured. I love hawkfish! My favorite fish though is pseudochromis diadema. Perhaps I got lucky and got one that isn't evil like many pseudochromis are known to be. Amazing color, reef safe, great personality, and aquacultured!

[@chrismccombe6961]

Alex was wondering what would you recommend for a refugium light

[@ReefDork]

Low budget - any ufo grow light from amazon (the more watts the better), medium budget - 2 Tunze 8831s, high budget - ai prime fuge or even better kessil h380

[@ethanspruiell2722]

Have you seen Dutch reefers spotted drum It’s a beautiful fish that I’ve never seen in reef tanks in America Was wondering if maybe there just more common across the pond

[@ReefDork]

I've seen it on his channel but never in a shop and I spend a LOT of time in fish shops 😂

[@keithstie]

Great list! I've got to remember those! 😀

[@josemedinasgamefowlpage5988]

I has a strawberry phsudo that was a trouble maker he was a jumper and loved to pick on everything

[@nicholassoong1981]

Good choice brother. Keep it up man

[@danielmaddocks9315]

Have you got another copperband butterfly? Sorry if I'm being thick but I only remember the video you made about why not to get one. Also my favourite is my green mandarin, hes in a 52L tank and iv had him one year almost to the day. Brilliant content 👍

[@ReefDork]

Nope, that was old footage of the last one I had that died!

[@danielmaddocks9315]

@@ReefDork ah I see, was very sorry to hear that. The copperband is definitely a bucket list fish for me but thank you for highlighting the potential issues for us all

[@ReefDork]

@@danielmaddocks9315 they're impossible to resist to be fair!

[@karennation3580]

@@ReefDork They really are. i wanted one until I saw your video about how risky they are and read up a little more on it so i wont risk it but what a shame because they are some nice looking fish and dont get terribly big and I dont think they are very expensive. I bought a royal gramma the other day and the darn fish has disappeared! Its nuts! I saw it get sucked down the drain and it got stuck for about 15 minutes and we finally got it to splash down in the sump but then I covered it so unless he can squeeze through the tinniest of slats then he isn't there. I know for sure he isnt in the sump and we have an inc h wide section that dosnt cover along the back from the light clamp being in the way but he/or she isnt anywhere around the outside either. Unless the hawkfish ate him/her. I know they feed him ghost shrimp sometime at the LFS. Do you think that is possible? She was about an inch and a half long maybe.!

[@Don.keybals]

Love my royal, such amazing colour, my darwin male clown attacks my hand anytime I put it in my tank 😬(reefer 170)

[@sunnygoold9449]

Great List! The Purple Tang is certainly the most beautiful of the tangs (not including hybrids). I thought the Naoke would be No1 for sure. In fact the only thing I don't agree with is that you don't have a wrasse on the list. I need to get a Midas Blenny - I thought getting a Canary Blenny was a better option till it died and I then read they don't last (though I saw on Gallery Aquatica they sell captive bred ones - wish I knew if they were available in Europe. I have most of my sand really at one end and it's only deep in the back corner - so I hope when I get a Goby & Shrimp paid that that is where they stay. The fish I really want is a femininus (out of my budget) or any anampses really - the red tail, yellow tail or the twistii - I haven't seen any of them on De Jongs for ages ;( I asked Michael Aaron in 2 comments and nada There are so many amazing Basslets out there too - the problem it's one and done. The Royal is a great choice - all of them are - every reefer should get one. I want the Liopropoma swalesi - but if I could choose 1 group of fish it's be Wrasses - I guess yours will be Hawkfish.... SO when you getting the Paracirrhites xanthus - it has to be your dream fish right?

[@ReefDork]

I've tried a yellow tail tamarin twice, but no luck. Stunning fish, but I try to avoid anampses now. Femininus would be amazing though! My LFS has a yellow hawk in at the moment! Soooo bright! But got a bigger mouth than me!

[@sunnygoold9449]

@@ReefDork Swap the Shrimp for the Hawke - go on - you know you want to ;) I have never seen them - I thought they were super rare

[@ReefDork]

@@sunnygoold9449 😁

[@harlanmichael7088]

Thanks again!

[@richardloveday4482]

Bluestar leopard wrasse gets my vote for best character in the hobby. But my Lyretails anthias would be a massive loss from my P650 - although glad they've kept their colours

[@absolutecarrot4191]

Great video

[@graham2432]

Where did you get your cabinet lights from please

[@ReefDork]

Ikea - they're called 'Norrfly'

[@graham2432]

Reef Dork thanks

[@squidarcherb9707]

I had a scarlet dragonet for two weeks. Such a personable and beautiful fish. The worst part is, he was eating, and he only died from my own mistake :(

[@ReefDork]

😕

[@Jp-gc6bh]

Man every time I get a royal gramma they die within a few days. I’ve gotten a small one and a really big one before, my last gramma was big fat and healthy. He lasted a week.. he would eat just fine and 2 days later he’s dead. I had him in a 75g with a fox face

[@alfst5546]

Ha Alex, as always, a very enjoyable video, I had 3 female Anthias, eventually, one became a male, his colour got darker and he became aggressive and a real pest to other fish, sadly though something happened and I lost a bunch of fish all at the same time and I decided against getting them again. You have some lovely fish though 👍👍

[@Viocarex]

What kind of glass scraper is that?

[@ReefDork]

Haven't watched this video for a while but it's probably one of these - amzn.to/39rQNuY. Fantastic bit of kit 👌

[@skitf_001]

I love/hate my Midas Blenny because he has the tendency to spit sand all over my corals, but other than that his colors and his goofy personality are worth it

[@ReefDork]

🤣 Mine does that if I put a new cave in! It's annoying but hilarious!

[@jakeschhutz5638]

Every one does top 10 but u do lucky 777 lol 😂 love it 😊

[@ReefDork]

All killer, no filler! 😁

[@ReefSYS]

Are you using new lighting for video recording? Looks clear

[@ReefDork]

No but I'm playing around with the white balance on my camera, trying to make it better 🙂

[@dawnferrara1634]

I love my maroon clown even if he’s a little aggressive at times

[@FCBcubano]

Don't you have to worry with the scarlet hawkish and bleenies?

[@ReefDork]

I had a hawk that used to chase my goby occasionally, but this one has been good as gold

[@swedehog69]

What is the name of the fish you talk about at 5:07? Naoko or....? I can´t quite hear what you call it.

[@ReefDork]

Yep - Naoko wrasse

[@swedehog69]

@@ReefDork Thanks alot, it looks like a real character. Awesome video!!

[@fahadkw92]

What that light?

[@jbarcelona4]

What are your lights? Where to get?

[@ReefDork]

Evergrow IT5012 - try rad aquatics or marine farm.

[@TomsReefs]

in my Reef tank my favourite little character isn't a fish, it's a Peacock Mantis Shrimp and I love him!

[@TomsReefs]

Stephen Dobs nope, got a whole ecosystem. All have been cohabitating well without any fatalities caused by the Mantis

[@keepodoto7126]

Mine is Regal and Flame Angel both of them teaming up to eat my Corals 😋

[@antonarson]

oh you DO have a copper band

[@chaseruss9053]

How big is your tank

[@ReefDork]

4x2x2

[@labryth_9178]

my blue tang is the life of my tank

[@thepenetrator2006]

Black out the back mate do it do it !

[@TheWyattStephens]

My favorite fish in my tank is my flame hawk

[@kawaiizombiegal]

flame hawk, not scarlet hawk , i have never heard them called that

[@karennation3580]

They are called scarlet hawkfish, you must be talking about Flame angelfish

[@kawaiizombiegal]

@@karennation3580 no i am not they are called Flame Hawkfish, i have never once heard anyone refer to Neocirrhites armatus as a scarlet hawkfish, www.liveaquaria.com/product/193/?pcatid=193

[@Eddie47Eddie47]

Hawk fish terrible choice really .. they eat all my shrimps in the tank

[@michaelrib3061]

Great video, but brother you have some ugly wallpaper on your walls.