What Salt Water Fish Are Compatible?

Saltwater fish (marine fish) can vary greatly in behavior, so an aquarium keeper must be careful to chose compatible fish. Due to aggressive or timid temperments, the results of incompatible tank mates could be fatal.

  1. Aggressive

    • Aggressive fish are not compatible with other fish and should be kept separate, especially ones of the same species. Aggressive fish include surgeonfish, tangs, triggerfish, male mandarins, some clownfish and some hawkfish.

    Mildly Aggressive or Territorial

    • These fish will claim hiding places in the tank or claim the entire aquarium as their territory, and attack other fish that enter it. Territorial fish include damselfish, butterflyfish, most wrasse, grammas, pygmies, blennies, some gobies, some angelfish, some rabbitfish and some hawkfish.

    Docile

    • Docile fish are compatible with eachother. Docile fish include clownfish, filefish, most boxfish and porcupinefish, sqiurrelfish, lionfish and scorpionfish, few wrasse, most bathfish, most groupers, sea horses, some damselfish, some angelfish, some gobies and some rabbitfish.

    Small Fish Should Never Be With Big Fish

    • If the marine fish being introduced to the tank is smaller than the mouths of the big fish in the tank, the small fish will get eaten.

    Intolerant of Own Kind

    • Many types of marine fish are intolerant of their own species, so two completely different fish will be more likely to be compatible.