Common Saltwater Aquarium Fish Guide: Top 20 Familiar Species
Walk through any Singapore marine shop and the same 20 or so species appear across the tanks: clownfish, tangs, angelfish, wrasses, gobies, blennies. This common saltwater aquarium fish guide identifies the species most beginners encounter, with honest notes on which suit nano reefs, which need 300 L, and which belong in fish-only systems. Gensou Aquascaping, 5 Everton Park, has stocked and maintained most of these species across two decades of SG marine work.
Clownfish Group
Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) at SGD 30-50 from Qian Hu is the most common saltwater fish worldwide. Captive-bred percula (Amphiprion percula) at SGD 45-70 looks near-identical but tends to stay smaller. Maroon clownfish at SGD 60-90 grow larger and more aggressive, suiting tanks 150 L and above. All are reef-safe.
Damsel Group
Yellowtail damsel (Chrysiptera parasema) at SGD 18-25 is the most peaceful common damsel. Domino damsel and blue devil at SGD 15-20 are bulletproof but turn tyrannical in tanks under 200 L. Green chromis (Chromis viridis) at SGD 10-15 shoal in groups of five or more and suit mid-size reefs.
Tang Group
Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) at SGD 90-150 at C328 Clementi needs 250 L minimum. Blue hippo tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) at SGD 80-200 needs 300 L and carries heavy ich risk. Kole tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) at SGD 80-130 is reef-safer and grazes algae actively. Tangs are not beginner fish despite their visibility in shops.
Angelfish Group
Flame angel (Centropyge loricula) at SGD 130-180 is the most common dwarf angel — may or may not nip LPS, individual-dependent. Coral beauty (Centropyge bispinosa) at SGD 110-160 is similarly coral-risky. Larger angelfish like emperor and queen are fish-only species that outgrow most home tanks.
Wrasse Group
Six line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) at SGD 45-65 eats pests but turns aggressive. Fairy wrasses (Cirrhilabrus species) at SGD 90-180 are peaceful and reef-safe but jumpers. Cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) is unsuitable for home aquaria — rarely survives long-term without large fish to clean.
Goby Group
Yasha goby (Stonogobiops yasha) at SGD 80-100 pairs with pistol shrimp. Watchman gobies (Cryptocentrus species) at SGD 30-50 are hardy sand-sifters. Mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) at SGD 50-80 is not truly a goby but sold as beginner — it starves in tanks under a year old without established copepod populations.
Blenny Group
Tailspot blenny at SGD 60-80, midas blenny at SGD 55-75 and bicolor blenny at SGD 40-60 all graze algae and suit reef systems. Lawnmower blenny at SGD 40-60 is an algae-eating machine for tanks above 80 L. All are coral-safe in most cases.
Cardinalfish Group
Banggai cardinalfish at SGD 35-50 for captive-bred specimens. Pajama cardinal (Sphaeramia nematoptera) at SGD 30-45 suits groups of three or more in tanks over 150 L. Both are reef-safe and peaceful.
Butterflyfish and Other Specialists
Butterflyfish eat coral polyps — not reef-safe. Raccoon butterfly (Chaetodon lunula) and copperband (Chelmon rostratus) are sometimes kept in reefs to eat aiptasia but nip zoanthids and LPS as well. Fish-only systems only.
Lionfish, Puffers, Triggers
Dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus) at SGD 80-130 eats any fish under 8 cm and all shrimp. Valentini puffer at SGD 40-60 nips corals and crushes snails. Triggers grow large and aggressive. All fish-only predator tank species — not beginner picks despite availability.
Choosing Your First Three or Four
The pattern that succeeds in nano SG reefs: one ocellaris pair, one royal gramma or firefish, one tailspot blenny. Four fish total, all reef-safe, all available from C328 Clementi or Qian Hu at SGD 150-250 combined. Skip damsels, tangs, angelfish and wrasses until the tank matures past year one.
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Still Have Questions About Your Tank?
Drop by Gensou Aquascaping — most walk-in questions get answered in under 10 minutes by someone who has set up hundreds of tanks.
5 Everton Park #01-34B, Singapore 080005 · Open daily 11am – 8pm
