Marine Fish

for Beginners
 Stock smart when you shop this featured
selection of Marine Fish for Beginners.
We’ve done the work for you. Each one
is carefully selected and recommended
by our aquatic experts for their hardiness
and overall ease of care.
What are the steps to adding beginner
saltwater fish to my aquarium?
Don’t let the facts that saltwater tanks
are a larger investment and a little
more challenging than freshwater
tanks discourage you. For help in
setting up a saltwater aquarium, our
article on the subject can help “Step by
Step Reef Aquarium”. In it, hobbyists
learn how to set up a marine aquarium
in five simple steps. After set up is
How do I select good beginner saltwater fish?
The experts at LiveAquaria® have
thoughtfully created a collection of
amazing marine fish with easy care
levels, many of which are captive-bred.
There are many benefits to captive-
bred fish. One benefit is because the
fish have been raised in an aquarium,
they will acclimate much quicker than
wild caught stock, and will accept
an array of foods. Another benefit is
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complete, test water parameters
regularly and set up a maintenance
schedule. Once your aquarium
is properly set up with saltwater
parameters met and the tank has
completed the nitrogen cycle, your
pumps are circulating the water, and
you’ve aquascaped, you are ready for
your next addition - FISH!
that captive-bred fish are typically
hardier than wild-caught fish. In
addition to these (and perhaps
most importantly), these fish are
sustainable, viable options that help
ease the impact on natural reefs.
After making fish selections,
introduce them to your tank slowly
while following the LiveAquaria®
Acclimation Guide.
Which fish are good beginner saltwater fish?

All the fish listed below are in This list below is not all-inclusive but
the LiveAquaria® Marine Fish for represent popular choices among
Beginners category. If you are adding beginner saltwater aquarists.
fish to an existing saltwater aquarium,
check each one’s Quick Stats for its
specific requirements and our Marine
Compatibility Chart before making
your selections.

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Coral Beauty Angelfish
A lot of hobbyists get
into saltwater fishkeeping
specifically to keep an Angelfish.
LiveAquaria® has sourced one that
is hardy, has an easy care level,
and vivid coloration: the Coral
Beauty Angelfish. With colors
representing both the coolness
of a deep blue ocean and the
warmth of a setting sun, they
display royal blue throughout
their body, head, and fins. This
royal blue coloration is the base
for an overlay of iridescent orange
color radiating along its pelvic
fins, body, and head. It is hard to
distinguish males from females.
A smaller marine fish, they only
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Coral Beauty
Angelfish
(Centropyge bispinosa)
Common names:
Twospined Angelfish,
Dusky Angelfish
reach 4” in length at maturity but
do require a larger aquarium of 70
gallons or more. This is to ensure
they have a large swimming area
and lots of hiding places. Live
rock should be included, as these
Angelfish eat algae that forms on
them. Fulfilling these suggestions
should reduce aggression.
The Coral Beauty Angelfish is
difficult to breed in captivity.
The diet of the Coral Beauty
Angelfish should consist of
Spirulina, marine algae, high-
quality Angelfish preparations,
Mysis or frozen shrimp, and other
quality meaty foods.
Yellow Watchman Goby
Yellow Watchman Goby are
beginner saltwater fish with a
lot of personality. In addition
to vibrant coloration of an all
over yellow-orange color, they
have small bright blue spots on
their heads and fins. Not active
swimmers, they like to burrow in
the substrate and peek out from
behind rocks.
They have also been known to
form a symbiotic relationship
with certain Pistol Shrimp. The
Pistol Shrimp will create burrows
or caves underneath live rock
in the substrate that both the
Goby and Pistol Shrimp will call
home. Because shrimp have poor
eyesight, the Goby may bring
food home to the shrimp and also
keep guard at the entrance to their
Yellow Watchman
Goby
(Cryptocentrus cinctus)
Common names:
Yellow Prawn, Yellow
Shrimp Goby
home. The Goby reacts when it
senses danger, and the shrimp will
be alerted.
To provide this Goby with an
effective saltwater environment,
the aquarium should be at least 30
gallons in capacity, have a sandy
bottom and plenty of loose coral
rubble for burrowing. They rarely
become aggressive towards other
fish, but are territorial, so will fight
with their own kind unless they are
a mated pair.
The Yellow Watchman Goby will
get some nutrition by eating food
they find in the sand but should
be fed twice daily. Their diet
should include a variety of Mysis
shrimp, brine shrimp, and frozen
preparations for carnivores.
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Firefish Goby
Firefish Goby are one of the more
popular fish in the marine hobby.
They are a hardy fish with brilliant
coloration, a unique body shape,
and unparalleled personality. This
Nemateleotris magnifica has a
yellow head, white anterior, and
pinkish to orange-red posterior
resembling glowing embers. Not
only beautiful, but they are also
heralded as sweet-tempered fish.
Because of their small size (3” at
maturity), Firefish Goby make a
great addition to the smaller reef
system of 20 gallons or more.
They should be provided with
plenty of hiding places in live rock
into which they can dart when
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Firefish Goby
(Nemateleotris magnifica)
Common names: Fire
Goby, Magnificent
Goby, Fire Dartfish
they feel threatened. This member
of the Gobiidae family is generally
not aggressive towards other fish
except those of its own species.
However, a mated pair can live
peacefully together.
To best recreate their wild habitat,
Firefish Goby require a lidded
aquarium of 20 gallon or larger
with moderate lighting and
waterflow.
Along with algae and zooplankton
growing in the aquarium, their diet
should consist of vitamin-enriched
brine fish (live or frozen), Mysis
shrimp, and prepared marine
foods.
Percula Clownfish
In nature, Percula Clownfish
are normally found on the reefs
of Oceania, the Indo-Pacific,
and the Great Barrier Reef
living on anemones. Due to
the popularity of this saltwater
beginner fish, they have been
bred in captivity both to satisfy
the demand and also to protect
the world’s resources. What is the
advantage of captive-bred Percula
Clownfish? They are hardy and
more accustomed to conditions
found in home aquariums. They
are also easy to breed in captivity.
Percula Clownfish are pale orange
and white when they are young.
They mature to a bright orange
color with wide white vertical
stripes outlined with thick black
borders. These striking colors and
Percula Clownfish
(Amphiprion percula)
Common names:
True Percula, Clown
Anemonefish
their likeable personalities make
them a wonderful addition to reef
aquariums. Growing to 3”, they
require an aquarium of 30 gallons
or more.
Clownfish form symbiotic
relationships with anemones and
are one of the first beginner fish
hobbyists want to include in their
beginner saltwater aquarium. It
is not mandatory that captive-
bred Percula Clownfish live
with anemones, and since tank
requirements for anemones may
be more difficult than those for
the Clownfish, you may want to
establish your Clownfish first and
add anemones at a later date.
Omnivores, the Percula Clownfish
will readily accept most meaty
foods and herbivore preparations.
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Royal Gramma Basslet
The Royal Gramma Basslet has
an easy care level and a peaceful
temperament, making it a good
choice for beginner saltwater
hobbyists. In addition to those
benefits, it makes an excellent
choice because it brings a burst of
color to any saltwater aquarium.
Its bright purple-to-violet colored
anterior is in stark contrast to its
vibrant yellow posterior. It also
has a black dot that resembles an
eye on the front of its dorsal fin, as
well as a darker line that extends
from its mouth to beyond its eye.
This member of the Grammidae
family prefers an environment
with subdued lighting and a lot of
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Royal Gramma Basslet
(Gramma loreto)
Common names:
Fairy Basslet
hiding places in rockwork, corals,
reefs, and caves. An aquarium of
30 gallons is sufficient, as it will
grow to only 3” in length. The
Royal Gramma Basslet will exhibit
territorial aggression, so should
not be housed with other Royal
Gramma Basslets or other cave
dwelling fish such as Firefish, even
though they are peaceful toward
other tankmates that are similar
to them in terms of size and
temperament.
Since it is a carnivore, feed Royal
Gramma Basslets a varied diet of
meaty fare, including brine shrimp,
Mysis shrimp, and quality frozen
preparations.
Longnose Hawkfish
The Longnose Hawkfish has a
lot of characteristics that enable
them to stand out from other
marine fish: a plaid red and white
pattern throughout, long nose,
large eyes, and distinctive cirri at
the end of their dorsal fins. With
great personalities, they are active
fish growing to about 5”. They
lack swim bladders, so are able to
change swimming depths easily.
This Oxycirrhites typus is the
only Hawkfish reported to have
spawned in captivity. A hardy,
semi-aggressive fish, it can be
overpowered by larger Hawkfish
so take this into consideration
when selecting tank mates.
Longnose Hawkfish can be housed
in a 30 gallon aquarium that has a
Longnose Hawkfish
(Oxycirrhites typus)
Common names:
Longnose Hawk,
Hawaiian Hawkfish,
Pilikoa
lid. Because they enjoy darting in
and out of hiding, there should be
plenty of areas in which they can
do so. A specific requirement of
these marine fish is that they have
a place to perch. They often live
among Red Gorgonian Sea Fans
that will satisfy both the need for
hiding and perching, but if a Sea
Fan is not part of your aquarium
environment, arranging décor
to create hiding and a perch is
acceptable.
The Longnose Hawkfish diet
should include a variety of marine
meats, frozen preparations, and
live feeder shrimp.
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Flame Hawkfish
Flame Hawkfish have a bright red
body with dark coloration along
the bottom of its dorsal fin and
around its eyes. They are a small
(grow to 4”) personable saltwater
fish that can be a great addition
to your reef aquarium as long as
you don’t also house small shrimp,
Gobies, or Blennies.
Hardy saltwater fish, they can
tolerate slight changes in water
parameters. This member of the
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Flame Hawkfish
(Neocirrhites armatus)
Common names:
Brilliant Hawkfish,
Brilliant Red Hawkfish
Cirrhitidae family requires a 30
gallon or larger aquarium with
plenty of live rock or hard corals
where it can perch and hide,
darting out when they see food.
The Flame Hawkfish carnivore diet
should include a variety of marine
meats, frozen preparations, and
live feeder shrimp. Quality food
not only provides nutrition but can
enhance the fish’s coloration.
How to start a saltwater aquarium?

LiveAquaria® has many articles beginner saltwater aquarist, you

and resources to assist you
as you begin your saltwater
aquarium keeping journey. Once
you’ve established yourself as a
may choose to move on to marine
fish and invertebrates with more
challenging care levels. The sky’s
the limit!
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