Top 20 Best saltwater Fish For Your Aquarium

When it comes to choosing a saltwater fish for your aquarium, let us first point out that you will have a versatile palette of interesting options at your disposal. However, there are essentially three factors that you must have in mind while procuring the fish and they are:

1. It should be affordable
2. Should be small or medium-sized
3. They should be able to endure changes in temperature, pH levels, and salinity.

See ALso:

• Difference Between Freshwater and Salt Water

20 best saltwater aquarium fishes for beginners

As we have mentioned in the preceding section, you will be presented with innumerable recourses when opting for a saltwater fish but, the different species will inevitably vary from one another in terms of temperament, activity level, and destructive nature.

To ease out your discrepancies a bit, in the following section, we will be presenting you with an elaborate list of the 20 best saltwater fishes for your tank. 

1- Watchman Goby

Apart from its scintillating golden-yellow body, the best part about Watchman Goby lies in the fact that it is not fastidious as its counterparts as far as its diet is concerned.

This implies that if you pet the fish, you will be spared from the horror of constantly worrying about its food choices. Generic foods that are readily available in pet stores are a watchman goby’s go-to. Additionally, the gobies are extremely peaceful and aren’t likely to wreak havoc when kept with other species of fish in the aquarium.

But, the only catch is that they do not gel well with each other; thereby, if you are planning to get more than one watchman goby, make certain that they are kept away from each other’s domains.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Carnivore

2- Tangs

If you are a fish fanatic, just like us then we can assure you that you are bound to fall in love with a tang the very first time you see one.

Do not judge the fishes by their tiny built; they are tough, resilient, and breathtaking. Well, you will obviously have a lot of distinct varieties too such as yellow tang, blue tang, and Kole tang.

Much like watchman goby, tangs are non-violent with other companions in the tank but, can pick up a brawl with fishes from the same species. If you want your tank to look colorful and enthralling, then we would suggest you place them in an aquarium of at least 100 gallons to make things work in their favor.

• Tank size: 100+ gallons
• Temperament: Aggressive with other tangs
• Diet: Omnivore (predominant vegetarian diet)

3- Dottyback

Another charmer of the saltwater family, dottyback would be perfect for a tank whose capacity is less than or equal to 30 gallons. Aquarists might warn you of their aggressive nature but, if you feed them the right food and leave enough space and interring sites inside the tank then, they will inexorably be at peace.

Another interesting characteristic about dottybacks lies in their color; they are of yellow, purple, royal blue tints and can sometimes even be bi-colored that is a combination of half yellow and half purple. If you have a tang in the aquarium, adding a dottyback would be a brilliant idea as their contradictory body types will accentuate the appeal of your tank.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive
• Diet: Carnivores

4- Chalk Bass

Chalk Bass, as the name itself suggest, has chalky white colored bodies with red stripes along the dorsal side and is an eminent pick for the beginners. What sets apart a chalky bass from the rest is its unique traits; it can strappingly resist common diseases, be feisty and grow even in water conditions that are not as favorable as it should be.

Letting several chalk basses live in the tank together wouldn’t be a problem but, it is recommended that you introduce them in a cluster so that there’s no territorial-fighting in the future.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive
• Diet: Carnivore

5- Damselfish

If you ever come across a tank that stores different species of saltwater fishes then, one way to identify a damselfish amongst them would be through its color.

They somewhat resemble the shape of a goldfish and their bodies are colored with the brightest hues. As opposed to the other fishes that call for 100 or more gallons of water to thrive in thus, making it difficult for the newbies to start with, damselfishes would need only 30 gallons for survival.

Nevertheless, you must remember that the fishes can become a little destructive if crunched together in limited space and hence, must have enough secreting places to slide away whenever they will.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive
• Diet: Omnivore

6- Clownfish

Remember Nemo from ‘Finding Nemo’? What if we told you that you can actually have Hollywood’s favorite and most adorable animated fish in your aquarium? They are small, with wide orange and white stripes across their bodies that are perfectly outlined with black and inescapably, a must-have saltwater species.

The False Percula grouping of clownfish, in particular, is easy to find and care for. They might look very fancy but, they require the simplest of diets as frozen foods and dry pellets are their staple. In contrast to the other fishes in the list, a clownfish is not very fond of hiding and is active pretty much throughout the entire day.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore

7- Talbot’s Damsel

By having a Talbot’s damsel in your tank, you can achieve two objectives; firstly, the aquarium will receive its own share of a vivacious tinge, and secondly, the growth of algae will be immensely controlled. The fish can live on meaty foods for days and maintain amity with their surroundings regardless of how unalike they are.

Unfortunately, this variety of fish is treated like prey in the wild, so if you are intending to choose tank mates for them that do not belong to their clan, go for the less-aggressive ones.

The only necessity for a Talbot’s Damsel is a sandy bottom and some rocks inside the tank that would be suitable for it to take cover beneath.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Aggressive
• Diet: Omnivore

8- Firefish

The name of the fish is derived from its distinct appearance; it happens to be a long and slim creature with a somewhat transparent white-colored body and a contrasting bright (magenta, red, orange) tail.

If you are looking for a companion for your Talbot’s Damsel then firefish would be a great selection because they are great for community tanks and the reason can be attributed to its calm and non-confrontational disposition.

Additionally, they are exceedingly playful and lively and their tendency to swiftly move about across the tank and hide is a treat to the sore eyes.

• Tank size: 20 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Carnivore

9- Coral Beauties

The coral beauties have bright royal blue colored body and fins with bright-orange stripes subtly fading into the former shade. If you have plans of acquiring a larger tank that would be of 70-gallons or more then, coral beauties would be the ideal choice for populating it.

In the case of diet, diverse options that comprise of algae and top-notch meaty foods are desirable. Just because their name has “coral” doesn’t necessarily mean that they will require corals to live; all you will have to do on your part is make sure is there is adequate scope in the tank for the beauties to put out of sight.

• Tank size: 70 gallons
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive
• Diet: Omnivore

10- Pajama Cardinalfish

Pajama Cardinalfishes are justifiably identified as one of the most solitary-looking fishes thriving in saltwater tanks. The upper part of its body is greenish-yellow and the lower part is adorned with pink and blue polka dots with a black band-like portion separating them.

The cardinalfish can be kept in a 20-gallon tank but, for its initial schooling, 30-gallon is indispensable. Considering that they are inherently shy and like being by themselves the whole time, you will be able to predict when they are hungry because it is only then that they will exhibit some signs of activity and restlessness.

You should have some live plants and rocks in the aquarium that the fish could capitalize on as veiling spots.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Carnivore

11- Wrasses

Wrasses are usually quiet and wouldn’t be very notorious as long as they have a lot of spaces to conceal themselves from time to time. Furthermore, they are drawn towards a sandy bed at the bottom of the tank that has a dense spread of live plants and rocks embedded all over it.

The most popular classifications of wrasses are namely the six-line wrasses, fairy wrasses, and flasher wrasses as they are appropriate for community tanks. You can have wrasses in a small tank but, because they tend to get messy at times, larger tanks are better.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore

12- Butterflyfish

Aquarists who take aesthetics very seriously, the butterflyfish is for them. Moreover, butterflyfishes are divided into several sub-species each of which looks from very distinct from the other yet,

flaunt the same set of attributes. Although all of these sub-species are magnificent, some of them have their dietary requirements which must be fulfilled under all circumstances in order to encourage them to live harmoniously in the saltwater tank community.

Thus, before obtaining the fish, thoroughly learn about its type and must-haves to gift it a long and healthy life.

• Tank size: 120 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Mostly omnivore

13- Blenny fish

If you are looking for that one point that makes blenny fish an attractive pick for your saltwater tank then it would be its amiable personality. You will mostly find them minding their own business and hiding behind rocks and plants whenever there’s a chance and occasionally peaking to scan the surrounding.

Despite the verity that they are quiet and passive when paired with other fishes, they can initiate a fight amid the ones from their own troupe. This is why you should never house two blenny fishes inside a single tank.

• Tank size:  30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Herbivore

14- Royal Gramma Basslet

A Royal Gramma Basslet grows to a maximum length of 3 inches but, we can promise you that it will be one of the most gorgeous creatures that you ever come across in your lifetime. One half of their body is bright purple, while the other is of yellow and the two shades are neatly segregated from one another.

The fish will need at least a 30-gallon tank and some rocks, caves, and live plants in the aquarium to conceal behind with dimmed, coupled preferably with dimmed lights. As because the royal grammas are carnivores, the selection of food that can be included in their diet automatically widens; high-quality frozen foods, crustacean flesh, and Mysis shrimps make it to their list, therefore, alleviating your search of nutritional supplements.

The only drawback of the fish is that it won’t get along with cohorts of its kind because of territorial issues but, will smoothly cope with most of its other tank-mates. 

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Carnivore

15- Mollies

First things first, mollies are pocket-friendly and will help you keep with the desired hygiene levels inside the tank because they love feeding on algae. Also, they are very easygoing and can adjust to frequent changes in the environment and can survive in both saltwater and freshwater.

Speaking of mollies, we cannot steer away from accepting that they are available in a large diversity of colors and sizes and most importantly, looking after them is hassle-free. Have down pat that you will need to change the water of the aquarium at regular intervals and supply loads of green food to gift them a salubrious life.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore

16- Longnose Hawkfish

The most striking part of a longnose hawkfish, as it could be inferred from its name itself, is its elongated nose and the intriguing red stripes against the white body.

We will not be able to categorize the longnose hawkfish entirely under the aggressive troop because they will be fidgety only with other long-bodied fishes; nonetheless, give them the right pals and they will keep with the fun spirit of the tank. When you store them in a 30-gallon tank, ensure that its lid is tightly closed because these hawkfishes literally are escapists.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore

17- Green Chromis

If you place a green Chromis in a well-illuminated fish tank you will see that its white luminescent-colored body reflecting the light and brightening up its environs. In addition, you can pet as many of them as you want in the same tank, along with corals, community fishes, and invertebrates and there will be no signs of rivalry. They are easy to care for and incredibly active and are only keen on having ample live rocks.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore

18- Flame Hawkfish

A flame hawkfish, also popularly known as red hawkfish has a deep red-colored body with near-to-black hues around the dorsal fin and eyes. When kept in a tank, they don’t like floating on the higher levels and resultantly, stick around the base of the aquarium.

Undoubtedly, their favorite pastime is hunting for prey, and hence, if you do not want them to switch to their infamous personalities, placing plenty of live rocks is obligatory. Likewise, they are not very friendly towards the other bottom-dwelling fishes like gobies and blennies and must be hosted separately.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive
• Diet: Carnivore

19- Bicolor angelfish

Bicolor angelfishes are regarded as the largest species of the Centropyge dwarf angelfish because they can legit grow up to 6 inches. Their innate nature slides towards the belligerent end but, can be controlled if provided with enough space for movement with abundant live rocks that would successfully allow them to establish their territories.

Bicolor angelfish complies with both the chief prerequisites of a saltwater fish for beginners as they are inexpensive and wouldn’t pose any trouble while maintaining them. But, they are indeed sensitive towards the water, and therefore, the aquarium should be fully cycled and they should be last fishes to be included in the space.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Aggressive
• Diet: Omnivore

20- Lawnmower blenny

Another well-liked blenny fish is the lawnmower blenny which is also sometimes called algae blenny. They can be easily distinguished in a tank with an exquisite range of saltwater fishes as they have large, tan-colored eyes and are peaceful in nature.

They are mostly drawn towards hiding in the tank whenever there’s an opportunity but, can snap at similar-shaped fishes in the aquarium. It is advisable that you keep them in a bigger tank and singularly.

• Tank size: 30 gallons
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet: Herbivore

How often should I feed my saltwater aquarium fish?

The frequency of feeding your saltwater aquarium fish wholly depends on the fact whether it is an herbivore, carnivore, or an omnivore. Omnivores and herbivores should be served with small portions of meals multiple times in a day to reverberate with their natural eating habits in the wild. On the other hand, carnivores should be fed every alternate day because then the schedule would replicate their eating customs when on their own in unconstructed environments.

More than anything else, make certain that the fish is eating the entire quantity of food that you are offering it because if they leave their food unfinished, it can be indicative of overeating and the leftovers can consequently, prompt the growth of bacteria in the tank. 

Which saltwater fish is best for you?

All of the species of saltwater fishes delineated in the preceding segment would work best for a community tank, especially if you are a beginner. There are only two components that must be taken into account if you are thinking of keeping any of these fishes:

• Their compatibility with other fishes
• Size of the tank

If you have had some experience in this domain, going for fishes like tangs wouldn’t be very problematic but, if you are starting from the scratch and only taking up this practice as a hobby then sway towards the quieter ones whom you know will not make a mess in their habitat.

Being careful about the water conditions is imperative to breed saltwater fishes and the reason is, unlike freshwater where you can still get away with slight alterations in its chemistry, the slenderest deviation in a saltwater aquarium can turn it into a poisonous vault.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)