Beginner saltwater fish

A good first saltwater fish is hardy, eats readily and forgives the swings of a young tank. The species here are rated beginner or easy, stay under 6 inches and fit a 30 gallon tank or smaller. All are marked peaceful or mostly peaceful. The six-line wrasse, tomato clownfish, dottybacks and hawkfish can still get pushy once they settle in. Clownfish, gobies, blennies, cardinalfish and the gentler damsels make up most of the list, and each profile gives tank size, reef safety and temperament.

Tank size: 5–30 gal; 5 gal (19 L) to 30 gal (115 L); half the list needs 29 gal (110 L) or more
Temperature: 72–80°F; 22–27°C, most of the list
pH: 8.1–8.4; Most of the list
Temperament: 55 peaceful; 45 mostly peaceful
Reef safety: 87 reef safe; 13 reef safe with caution

100 species and 21 varieties

Start here

The first fish for a first reef

The ocellaris clownfish is the usual first saltwater fish, and the catalog agrees: it is marked beginner at 3.1 inches (8 cm) with a 20 gallon (75 liter) minimum, it eats prepared food from day one and it does not need an anemone. The royal gramma is the other classic, marked beginner at 3.1 inches for a 29 gallon (110 liter) tank. It is a purple and yellow fish that hangs under rock ledges and leaves unrelated fish alone. It is territorial toward its own kind and the blackcap basslet, so keep just one unless the tank is large. The orchid dottyback does the same job in a smaller body. The yellow watchman goby sits on the sand at 3.5 inches (9 cm) in 20 gallons (75 liters) and will pair with a pistol shrimp. The yellowtail damsel and the chalk bass are hardy fish that give a tank some movement. The chalk bass is marked peaceful and the yellowtail damsel mostly peaceful. The yellowtail damsel is calm for a damsel, but it goes in after the more peaceful fish are settled.

The rule

What makes a saltwater fish beginner-friendly

Every fish on this list is marked beginner or easy. It stays under 6 inches (15 cm). It lists a 30 gallon (115 liter) tank or smaller. And it is marked peaceful or mostly peaceful, so the blue damsel, the maroon clownfish and the other easy fish with a temper are not here. Most fish here take frozen and pellet food and forgive the swings of a tank in its first year. The lawnmower and starry blennies need a tank several months old with algae to graze. The dwarf angels take frozen and pellet food but do best in an established tank with plenty of live rock. The six-line and fourline wrasses, the lawnmower and striped poison-fang blennies and the magenta dottyback are listed as one of their kind per tank. The yellow watchman goby, pixy hawkfish, bicolor blenny, Springer's dottyback and both dwarf angels are listed as one male per tank. The dwarf angels, the clown gobies and the bicolor, lawnmower and Red Sea mimic blennies carry a coral caution. The three hawkfish, the sunrise dottyback, the striped poison-fang blenny, the orange-spot prawn goby and the skilletfish carry a reef caution too. They leave corals alone but may eat small shrimp and other small inverts.

01
Marked beginner or easy
Most eat prepared food, but algae grazers and dwarf angels want a mature tank
02
Under 6 inches
Stays at 15 cm or less full grown
03
Fits 30 gallons
Lists 115 liters or less
04
Peaceful or mostly
No damsels with a temper, no maroon clownfish

Clownfish and damsels

Clownfish, then damsels

The ocellaris and percula clownfish are the two marked beginner, both 3.1 inches (8 cm) in 20 gallons (75 liters). The designer forms on this page are the same two species with the same care. The designer maroon clownfish reach 6.7 inches (17 cm) and are marked aggressive, so they are not on this list. Clark's, tomato and cinnamon clownfish are the bigger, bolder cousins at 4.7 to 5.5 inches (12 to 14 cm), marked easy for a 30 gallon (115 liter) tank and rougher with tank mates as they mature. The damsels here are the calm ones. The azure, yellowtail and sapphire damsels are marked beginner and mostly peaceful. The green chromis and the black-axil chromis are the two damsels marked peaceful. They are schooling fish of 3.1 and 4.7 inches (8 and 12 cm) that want a group in 30 gallons (115 liters).

Gobies and blennies

The bottom of a small reef

The neon goby stays at 2 inches (5 cm), lists 11 gallons (40 liters) and cleans parasites off larger fish. The yellow clown goby is a 1.6 inch (4 cm) fish that perches in branching coral, which is also why it carries a coral caution. The tailspot blenny is 2.4 inches (6 cm) in 20 gallons (75 liters) and the midas blenny is the larger, swimming blenny at 5.1 inches (13 cm). The lawnmower blenny grazes hair algae at 5.1 inches (13 cm) and wants to be the only one of its kind in the tank. The firefish is the mid-water fish for a 20 gallon (75 liter) tank, 3.5 inches (9 cm) and a jumper, so the lid is part of the setup.

Cardinals and basslets

Calm fish for the middle of the tank

The Banggai and pajama cardinalfish hang in the water column at 3.1 inches (8 cm) in a 29 gallon (110 liter) tank and are among the few marine fish that breed readily in captivity. The yellow cardinalfish is the small one at 2 inches (5 cm) in 20 gallons (75 liters). The blackcap basslet is the deep water cousin of the royal gramma, 3.9 inches (10 cm) and marked easy. The blue assessor is a peaceful, social fish at 2.8 inches (7 cm) that swims upside down under overhangs. The zebra dartfish and its relatives hover in a group at 4.7 to 5.5 inches (12 to 14 cm). They will find any gap in the lid, like the firefish.

By the numbers

Smallest

Largest

Most peaceful

Fits a 20 gallon tank

Fits a 30 gallon tank

FAQ

Common questions

What is the easiest saltwater fish for a beginner?

The ocellaris clownfish, the royal gramma, the orchid dottyback and the yellow watchman goby are all marked beginner in the catalog. Any one of them fits a 20 to 29 gallon (75 to 110 liter) tank and eats prepared food.

What size tank do I need for a first saltwater fish?

Everything on this page lists 30 gallons (115 liters) or less. An ocellaris pair fits 20 gallons (75 liters), the neon goby and the yellow clown goby list 11 gallons (40 liters), and a 30 gallon tank holds a small community.

Can I keep two clownfish together?

Two of the same species bought small usually settle into a pair, with the larger fish becoming the female. Two different clownfish species, or two adult females, fight.

Are damsels good beginner fish?

The ones on this list are. The azure, yellowtail and sapphire damsels are marked beginner and mostly peaceful. The blue damsel, the three-stripe and the four-stripe damsels are marked aggressive, which is why they are not here.

Do beginner saltwater fish need a reef tank?

No. Every fish here does fine in a fish-only tank with live rock. Most are marked reef safe, so they can move into a reef later. The dwarf angels, the clown gobies and the bicolor, lawnmower and Red Sea mimic blennies carry a coral caution. The three hawkfish, the sunrise dottyback, the striped poison-fang blenny, the orange-spot prawn goby and the skilletfish may eat small shrimp and other small inverts.

How many fish can I put in a 30 gallon saltwater tank?

A clownfish pair, a goby, a blenny and one cardinalfish or gramma is a full tank. Add them a few weeks apart and check the mix in the stocking calculator.

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