Interesting critters for frag tank?

[bondolo]

One of the ideas that I had for my frag tank was that I would be able to house one and probably only one aggressive or generally non-community critter separate from the display tank. The more I research it the more things have been ruled out. They either will eat corals, poison the tank if they die, don't like bare bottom tanks, or require lots of solid food feeding that I don't want to be doing with in the frag tank.

I currently have cleanup being done by astrea (which I won't be replacing as they die) , trochus and stomatella snails. I haven't put any bumble bee snails in because they are rockwork specialists and there's no rockwork or sand in the tank. There's a moderate amount of brown slime algae that doesn't get eaten but other than more small snails I wouldn't consider that there is enough to support anything which lives by eating it.

If I do have to put any fish in for the benefit of the tank it will likely be a six line wrasse who will probably only live in the frag tank part of the time. Getting along (ignoring) with corals of all types, snails and the wrasse would be the most important requirement followed by low feeding bioload or amenable to spot feeding.

Any ideas for something interesting that I probably wouldn't want in my display tank but might be interesting as a sole specimen in a frag tank?

 

[Joost_]

Labracinus cyclophthalmus aka "Red dottyback" or "Dampiera grouper"
Too aggressive and territorial for the average reef tank, but the males can be quite stunning bright red. I'm not sure about your tank size but they get around 7in.

 

[sfboarders]

tailspot blenny.

 

[treylane]

hands-down: Choridactylus multibarbus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2mryRzZeUQ

It's like a lawnmower blenny doing mushrooms, and riding a cleaner shrimp. NOTHING beats that.

 

[miles405]

hands-down: Choridactylus multibarbus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2mryRzZeUQ

It's like a lawnmower blenny doing mushrooms, and riding a cleaner shrimp. NOTHING beats that.

Wow
That is a cool fish!

 

[tam]

hands-down: Choridactylus multibarbus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2mryRzZeUQ

It's like a lawnmower blenny doing mushrooms, and riding a cleaner shrimp. NOTHING beats that.

Holy crap! Awesome fish! :8)

 

[CookieJar]

Can't go wrong with a tailspot. I've got on for my frag tank but they're also fine in a community tank.
For a species only frag tank- what about a mantis shrimp? they look very unique.
Or what about a few nano critters like sexy shrimp if you feed small foods and small fish like gobies that wouldn't be able to compete for food in community tanks.

 

[99sf]

I would worry that a six line wrasse could jump out of a shallow tank... planning to construct a screen?

 

[nudibranch]

I would put a frogfish in if it is going to be a tank with only frags. Also if you have any anemones I would put in a porcelain crab.

 

[Gonzo]

Holy crap that Choridactylus multibarbus is friggin awesome!!

I also like the frogfish idea. Get a real crazy one from DD. Saw one from cebu the other day. Legit.