Besides being the darlings of Disney pix; the smaller cultured Clown species are a delight to keep; being fine housed in ten gallons when small, twice that as a couple/pair as adults, to much more if being housed with other species of fishes; to grant them all room. As in the movie, one individual out of the two or more you have will “turn into” a female with time, growing decidedly larger and a bit more agonistic than the smaller (male/s). This fish greedily accepts all types of foods, and unless you introduce it to wild pathogens, should remain biological disease free. The smaller Clownfish species are best kept with other easygoing fishes and invertebrates; like gobies, blennies, small cardinalfishes, and gentler wrasses.

These little chubsters are not only cute to observe as they dart about pose on your corals and rock, but they do double-duty as biological cleaners, helping other fishes to keep clean of dead skin and parasites, greatly reducing stress. Do look for specifically labeled “tank raised” specimens, as this fish is also wild-collected. Below; a couple in Key Largo, FLA, and one giving an expensive Butterflyfish a once over at friend Rob Bray’s “House of Fins” in CT.

     Cleaner gobies can be housed by themselves, but they’re much more fun to watch when kept with other peaceful fishes. This being stated, the system size you’ll need will be dictated by the needs of these “others”. A pair of Gobiosoma or Elacatinus species by themselves can be housed in a ten gallon system. Though they will eat dried foods in all formats; flake, pellet, extruded sticks and wafers, these fish need to be offered either live or frozen/defrosted meaty foods on a daily basis to do well. Cleaner gobies can be kept with almost all other fish life; even large basses, wrasses, puffers and triggerfishes recognize them as helpers, rather than food items. I would not trust lionfishes, piscivorous morays or frogfishes however… these might easily cross the line and inhale such small fishes.

This is one of several species of “Shrimp Gobies” that form mutually beneficial relations with different species of Pistol Shrimps in the wild (and captivity if you’d like to match them). Females are bluish in base color, whereas males are yellowish.

     These fish need a good deal of uncrowded bottom space, at least two square feet per individual. Do take care when placing any solid décor as it may well be underminded by this fish’s prodigious digging. For substrate, a mix of finer and coarser material is useful to provide structure for their burrows as well as mouthfuls of digging pleasure. Some folks even place short sections of PVC pipe under rocks where they hope their Cryptocentrus will take up residence. Shrimp gobies are generally fine with all types of livestock; leaving snails and crustaceans alone, and fishes with mouths not large enough to inhale them reciprocating.

Some wild Dottyback species can be too territorial for home-hobbyist use; but this Red Sea endemic (only found there) is on the far end of the families agonistic scale; particularly where one has the sense to purchase captive-produced animals. Fridman’s or the Orchid Dottyback is available most everywhere all times of the year; being successfully aquacultured for the ornamental trade. There are a handful of other Pseudochromid species that are also captive-produced, but make sure to check out their temperament ahead of investing in them. Some are quite “mean”.

     Dottybacks need structure they can get into and hide behind to feel comfortable; and a complete top to avoid them leaving your tank! A singleton can be kept in as little as a ten gallon system; though larger is better, particularly if you intend to keep more than one. This fish readily accepts all foods, but should have some meaty component daily. Dottybacks are quick and smart fishes; and get along with most everything with the exception of other fish species that occupy similar rock-dwelling niches. Leave out grammas, basslets and such in their systems.

Though not as popular (yet!) as other Cardinals like the Pyjama and Banggai; the Yellowstripe is a much better choice; staying small (usually about two inches max.) and being MUCH more peaceful amongst themselves in a school. Below a male with a mouthful of young in Bali, Indonesia. This Cardinal is available more and more from US aquaculture firms and will soon be about in larger numbers from international culturists.

Cardinalfishes, especially captive-produced specimens, are ready feeders on dried-pelleted and frozen-defrosted prepared foods. They get along with all types of livestock that gets along with them; leaving corals and their allies be. Best kept in small schools of 5 or more individuals, they hang around in mid-water, usually facing into your system water flow. This small species is able to be housed in volumes of a few tens of gallons, but I recommend at least a forty gallon tank for housing a small school. Cardinalfishes are like so much aqua-popcorn in the worlds tropical reefs; the usual suspects; lions, basses of size, triggers et al. will inhale them if they can fit in their mouths, attack them otherwise. Hence they should be stocked with life that gets along peaceably; small damsels, basslets, gobies, blennies and such.