Best Reef Safe Fish – Top 11 (That Won’t Eat Corals)

When going to a local fish store (LFS), it can be always tempting to impulse buy a fancy looking fish that you have never seen or heard of before.  Listed below are best reef safe fish fish that are best suited for virtually any community and reef setup.  Equipment is important for this hobby, but proper fish selection is critical for success.  I always would find it frustrating to see LFS sell fish that are for advanced fish keepers or not suited to the tank of the buyer (*cough* Tangs).  In a later post, I will go through the top 10 saltwater aquarium fish you should avoid.

My Criteria For Selecting These Fish

The fish on my list selected using the following criteria:

  1. Does not require a large tank (more than 4 feet tank)
  2. Well known for being reef safe (won’t nip at corals)
  3. Not overly aggressive (e.g. – Damsels)
  4. Hardy fish or fish that is available as tank bred
  5. Does not require a specialized diet 

Reef Safe Fish For Everyone

Here are our candidates. I’ll go over more details below. This is a quick reference point for you.

In a hurry? I recommend Tank Raised Clownfish for any reef tank!

PictureNameMinimum Tank SizeLink
Editor’s Choice
Tank Raised Clownfish
Tank Raised Clownfish

20 Gallons

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Banggai Cardinal Banggai Cardinal

30 Gallons

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Orchid Dottyback Orchid Dottyback

30 Gallons

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Royal Gramma Royal Gramma

30 Gallons

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Blue Green Chromis Blue Green Chromis

30 Gallons

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Firefish Firefish

30 Gallons

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Six Line Wrasse Six Line Wrasse

30 Gallons

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Watchman Goby Watchman Goby

30 Gallons

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Midas Blenny Midas Blenny

30 Gallons

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McCosker's Wrasse McCosker’s Wrasse

55 Gallons

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Azure Damselfish Azure Damselfish

30 Gallons

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The Top 11 For Any Saltwater Aquarium (2023 Update)

Let’s dive into each fish and their profiles. These reef aquarium fishes will be suitable for virtually any saltwater aquarium.

1. Tank Raised Clownfish (Ocellaris or Percula Species)

Editor's Choice
Tank Raised Clownfish

Best Choice For Reef Tanks!

Clownfish are hardy, full of personality, and are safe for all corals. They are an icon for any saltwater tank

Click For Best Price Purchase ORA Clownfish

Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 20 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Peaceful to Semi-Aggressive

The Ocellaris clownfish is the industry’s most popular saltwater aquarium fish.  With the explosion of the tank raised fish industry, all sorts of designer clownfish are now available.  Ocellaris clownfish can be kept in pairs as long as you buy two when young or purchase one larger and one smaller.  They are known to spawn in captivity and will host corals. They are 100% reef safe and hardy fish  Quite simply, a reef tank is incomplete without a pair!

2. Banggai Cardinalfish

Peaceful Fish
Banggai Cardinal

A peaceful and easy going fish. They are very hardy and openly breed in aquariums. Available as tank bred

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Peaceful to Semi-Aggressive

Peaceful tank mates, great personality and striking black lines make up this iconic saltwater aquarium fish. They can also be kept in pairs, will spawn in captivity, and are very hardy.  The Banggai Cardinalfish is the poster child of how hobbyist, industry professionals, and scientists came together to support sustainable production of a marine species in captivity. They are excellent for reef tanks and will not bother any tank inhabitants or corals. They are ideal beginner saltwater fish. 

3. Orchid Dottyback

Orchid Dottyback

Tank bred and very hardy. This is the most mild-mannered dottyback you can purchase

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Semi-Aggressive

Yes, I know this is a bad picture–but the fish is awesome. Dottybacks in general get a bad rap.  This is mostly due to the fact that most dottybacks can channel their inner damsel and create havoc in your reef tank.

Fortunately, the Orchid Dottyback is not one of those. They have a mild temper in a community reeftank and are the great tankmates.  It is not recommended to keep these in pairs unless you can purchase a mated pair.  There is no easy way to identify the differences between a male and female, and they do not change gender like clownfish.  Nevertheless, they are a great saltwater aquarium fish. They are reef safe and actually do a good job at eradicating bristle worms from an aquarium.

4. Royal Gramma

Royal Gamma

Amazing colors and easy to care for. The royal gamma will not bother any coral or invert in your aquarium

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Semi-Aggressive

A striking blend of colors and personality make up this beautiful saltwater aquarium fish.  The Royal Gramma will try to be the boss in your tank, but will generally be kept in check by clownfish, tangs, and angelfish.   They will be aggressive to similar bodied fish and their own kin.  You cannot keep both a Dottyback or Royal Gramma in the same reef aquarium so pick the one you prefer.  I lean towards to the Orchid Dottyback because they are available as tank bred. The Gramma is more mild mannered than the Orchid. They will not bother any corals

5. Blue Green Chromis

Blue Green Chromis

A schooling reef fish. These are great in larger numbers to see their schooling nature

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3.5″
  • Temperament – Peaceful

The Blue Green Chromis hardy long-lived saltwater fish that will school together.  They are the neon-tetra of saltwater aquarium fish. You cannot go wrong putting this fish in your tank.

6. Firefish

Great For Nano Reefs
Firefish

Peaceful and great in smaller fish. Make sure your tank is covered. They are jumpers

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 10 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Peaceful

The Firefish is the go to saltwater fish for nano tanks.  Peaceful, quiet, striking colors, and very hardy.  They can be kept in pairs and generally the pair will be together, but it is best to purchase them young to increase your chances of success.  

They are timid fish that can be harassed by more aggressive tank mates. They are model citizens in a reef aquarium. They are safe for all corals and invertebrates.  

7. Six Line Wrasse

Great For Coral Pests
Six Line Wrasse

A coral pest eliminator that will not harm corals. They are on the aggressive side so add them last

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Semi-aggressive

Wrasses are very active fish.  The Sixline Wrasse is no exception.  A reef safe and hardy saltwater aquarium fish.  The only downfall with this wrasse is they are a on the aggressive side and will harass easily intimidated fish.  It’s best to keep them with other semi-aggressive fish like clownfish and to add them last to avoid any tank drama. They do an amazing job at removing various pests from corals while still remaining reef safe. 

8. Yellow Watchman Goby

Great With Pistol Shrimps
Watchman Goby

A tank bred goby that has a symbiotic relationship with pistol shrimp. Hardy and won't bother any corals

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Peaceful

The Yellow Watchman Goby is considered one of the best saltwater aquarium fish for beginners.  They can be paired with a pistol shrimp and they two will form a pair.  If you are attempting a pair, ensure that you have at least a 2″ sand bed available and purchase a small shrimp like a candy cane shrimp.  Seeing the interaction with watchman goby and a pistol is a joy. The goby works to keep the shrimp safe which the shrimp does it’s work on the sand and gather food.

If you decide not to pair them with a shrimp, they are still a great fish to have on their own and readily eat any prepared food

9. Midas Blenny

Midas Blenny

A beautiful fish with a unique swimming style. They are excellent for any coral setup and are very active in the aquarium

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 6″
  • Temperament – Peaceful

The Midas Blenny is the perfect Blenny.  Colorful, great personality, and completely reef safe. Most hobbyist who have them state they are their favorite saltwater fish in the tank. They have no swim bladder so they are consistently moving and have an eel like look when swimming.

10. McCosker’s Wrasse

McCosker's Wrasse

A lovely and peaceful community wrasse. The males like to flash their fins. They are 100% reef safe

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 55 Gallons
  • Max Size – 3″
  • Temperament – Peaceful

The McCoosker’s Wrasse is only fish on the list that requires a tank larger than 3 feet.  It is generally encouraged to keep them in groups as the male will perform colorful displays to the females in the tank.  However, you will need to introduce the female first or introduce as a group.  They do change genders like clown fish.  

They are one of lesser aggressive tank mates, so if you are going to keep them, make sure they are one of the first saltwater aquarium fish you put in your tank.  These wrasse fish are known to be jumpers so a cover is recommended. 

11. Azure Damselfish

A Sane Damselfish!
Azure Damselfish

The Safest Damsel For Reef Tanks

Damsels get a bad rep. This one bunks the trend if introduced last. They are the least aggressive damsels you can add

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Stats:

  • Minimum Tank Size – 30 Gallons
  • Max Size – 2.5″
  • Temperament – Semi-Aggressive

Also known as the Kupang Damsel, this is easily the most controversial fish on my list. Here me out before you react though. Not all damselfish are horrible. You can check our damselfish article for more details about it. Among all the damels available in our hobby, the Azure is the best option for a community reef fish.

They will still be careful considerations to be made to ensure you have success with their more aggressive nature. If you take the right steps, they make the cut on my list. You cannot have more than one of these per 18 inches of reef tank length as they will bully each other to death. They are great color additions as they contrast a number of reef aquarium fishes with their blue colors. They also look amazing under actinic reef lighting.  

Honorable Mentions

These fish could have made the list, but we ran out of room to talk about them in the article

  • Chalk bass – great fish, hard to find in stores
  • Swallowtail Angelfish – reef safe, moderate difficulty
  • Engineer Goby

Fish To Avoid

  • Powder Blue Tang – Reef safe, but not hardy
  • Leopard Wrasse – Does bad in captivity
  • Mandarin Goby – Tends to strive in a tank unless it’s large and full of copepods
  • Maroon Clownfish – Aggressive as an adult

What Does The Term Mean?

You would be surprised being on this post how confusing this term can be. I’m going to define this for you so you can determine how best you want to build your reef.

What Does It Mean In The Hobby?

The general term reef safe means that the fish you purchase will not brother corals and other sensitive invertebrates. Because the general term means the fish won’t bother corals and inverts, you will get a lot of “with caution” in our trade. To help, Let’s break it down further with fish that won’t eat corals and fish that won’t eat inverts.

The Ones That Won’t Eat Corals

To me, this is what I define as reef safe to truly be. These fish will not eat corals and do not pose a danger to them. The following fish species are generally not going to eat corals:

  • Damselfish
  • Clownfish
  • Most tangs
  • Most blennies
  • Cardinalfish
  • Most wrasse fish
  • Gobies

The Ones That Won’t Eat Corals, But Will Eat Inverts

The list above are the usual fish species you will see listed as safe, but we can take it even further. These fish will not eat corals, but may pose a danger to inverts like shrimp and small fish.

  • Lionfish
  • Reef safe triggerfish
  • Marine bettas
  • Snowflake eels
  • Hawkfish
  • Hogfish
  • Groupers like the Miniatus

Notice that our list got a lot bigger. Yes, you can get pretty creative when you open up your reef tank to fish that will eat inverts, but will not bother your corals. You will need a larger reef tank to house this fish, but you can add more color and more aggression to the tank with these choices. If you don’t believe me, check out this video by Robs Koi Pond. His snowflake eel is happily house in his reef tank.

FAQS

Which Ones Go Well With Corals?

Generally any fish that does not have a taste for corals are your best bet. These types of fish would generally be damsels, clownfish, most tangs, blennies, cardinal fish, most wrasses, and gobies.

Note when it comes to the term reef safe – there are two types. Reef safe meaning they will not eat corals and another classification meaning they will not eat inverts like crabs and shrimp like cleaner shrimp.

Knowing this, there are some fish like Lionfish that will happily eat small fish and small inverts, but will not bother corals.

Which Is The Most Peaceful Saltwater Species?

Most blennies and gobies are considered the most peaceful saltwater fish you can buy. Cardinalfish are also a great choice. Some fairy wrasses are also considered timid and will not bother most fish.

Which Is The Easiest Saltwater Species To Keep?

In general, clownfish are going to be the easiest and least demanding fish you can keep in a saltwater aquarium. They are semi-aggressive, but are generally hardy and come tank bred. They are reef safe and are small enough to be comfortable in most saltwater tank sizes.

What Are Your Recommendations?

I created this list to help starters and I know I did exclude a few excellent choices.  What saltwater fish do you think make a great start for a saltwater aquarium newbie?  Share it with us in the comment section below or you can read more about our blog here.  I’m sure a lot of new and potential fish keepers would love to hear your feedback :).

P.S. – Want more info on saltwater reef tanks? Check out my post title 55 saltwater reef tank words of wisdom

6 COMMENTS

  1. I’m finding out the hard way damsels are jerk fish. I got a pair the other day and one has already killed the other 😔 guessing I’ll be giving the other one away and getting some chromis!!

    Reply
    • Yes many damsels are mean. The Azure damsel is probably the least aggressive of all, though damsels should be one of the least additions to a community reef tank. I’ve had very good luck with Azure damsels as long as they are added last.

      Reply
      • Unfortunately there is no such thing as “last” unless your plan is to stock the tank then wait for them all to die before re-stocking. There is “added after all these other fish” but there will always be another fish you want, or an unfortunate fish you need to replace.

  2. I like all your top ten picks for beginners starting a saltwater tank.One of my favorites is actually a fish I used to cycle a 30 gal tank years ago.It was a group of green sailfin mollies.They not only survived the cycling,they actually flourished.Their colors became more vivid and they also were great algae feeders too.Anyone setting up a tank with peaceful cohabitors should think about this beautiful little switch hitter.

    Reply
  3. Hi Nolan,

    A clownfish is a saltwater fish while a goldfish and betta are freshwater fish. The would not be able to live together, but you can have two clownfish in a 30 gallon aquarium

    Reply
  4. Wow, what a great site for salted aquarium fish. All of the fish are excellent. But I have a 30-gallon aquarium. So can I keep here the clown fish and there is any problem if I keep here the clown fish with goldfish, betta fish. thanks for the share.

    Reply

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