Top 5 Beginner Saltwater Fish For A Nano Aquarium
Nano aquariums are a popular choice for anyone who is just getting started keeping a saltwater aquarium and are not quite sure if they want to dive deep into the hobby. A nano aquarium comes with its own challenges – such as frequent water quality monitoring and water changes – and choosing the right fish is important for your success.
Nano aquariums are great for their compact size and minimal maintenance. However, you will be limited on your fish selection. You will want to consider the size of your tank when selecting a fish, how many gallons each fish needs, and their compatibility with other tank mates.
A nano aquarium is any small aquarium typically between 10 and 30 gallons. You can also find smaller aquariums between 3 and 10 gallons which are called Pico Aquariums, but we wouldn’t recommend starting with anything less than a 10-gallon tank for your first try.
1. Yellow Clown Goby
The yellow clown goby will add lots of character to any nano aquarium. Gobies will perch on live rocks or coral and you will also find them to swim around or hovering in the water column. The yellow clown goby is a peaceful fish and will rarely show aggressions towards other fish.
You can keep one goby in a 10 gallon or larger aquarium, preferably with branching coral to best recreate the natural habitat. Clown gobies might start to fight with its own kind especially in smaller aquarium systems so make sure to have at least 10 gallons per goby and lots of rock and ledge for them to perch.
2. Cardinal Fish
Cardinalfish are iconic and captivating to watch in a nano aquarium. There are several species of this nano fish, with the Banggai and Pajama Cardinal being the most popular. Cardinalfish are easy to keep and it is easy to find captive bred fish online or at your local fish store.
Cardinalfish should be kept in small schools (3-5 fish) in a tank at least 30 gallons. Cardinalfishh like to hide between mangrove roots and amongst rockwork and in caves, so it is important to make sure you have lots of hiding spaces for these fish to feel comfortable.
3. Fire Fish
Fire fish are one of our all-time favorite fish for any sized aquarium. The long slender body and brightly colored tail add a streak of color to your tank. The fire fish is calm and even a bit skidish, and will get along with other nano fish. Adult
Adult fire fish will reach about 3″ inches (7.5cm) in size and are a great fish for a 10 gallon aquarium of bigger. Fire fish may be aggressive towards other fire fish if kept in a small aquarium but will do well as a mated pair. Caution,
Caution, fish fish which are stressed or frightened will try jump out of your aquarium. Make sure you have a fitted lid for your nano tank to avoid your fish jumping out, (this will also keep water from evaporating too quickly).
4. Clown Fish
No nano tank is complete without a pair of clown fish. If you would like to keep clown fish we recommend setting up a nano tank around 20 gallons with a big anemone such as a rose tip or sunburst anemone.
Captive bred fish have an advantage over wild-harvested species, as they are very hardy and accustomed aquarium conditions. These clownfish come in lots of unique colors and patterns which making them a great choice beginner and even experienced aquarists. You can easily find several unique captive bred clownfish species online that are perfect for a home aquarium.
5. Blue Green Chromis
The blue green chromis is an essential reef aquarium fish. These bright neon blue fish will live in small schools and swim around in mid water or tuck themselves between branching acropora corals.Blue is very peaceful and will get along well in a community reef tank.
The blue green chromis is very peaceful and will get along well in a community reef tank. These fish need a minimum 30 gallon reef tank to keep a small school of 3-5 fish, and should be fed small amounts of food several times per day.
