Beginner care
Neon goby
Elacatinus oceanops
Small hardy reef-safe goby that suits peaceful nano and community reefs.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.5
Species checks
Starter reef species with compatibility math
These are not just care cards. Each page connects tank minimums, maturity gates, aggression, reef safety, and bioload back to the planner before a stocking mistake gets expensive.
Fish
Fish stocking checks
36 checks
Beginner care
Yellow clown goby
Gobiodon okinawae
Tiny nano-friendly goby when coral-perching risk is acceptable.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.5
Beginner care
Black ocellaris clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Hardy clownfish variant with the same planning constraints as standard ocellaris.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 1.4
Beginner care
Ocellaris clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
Hardy first fish with strong personality and excellent reef compatibility.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 1.4
Beginner care
Ocellaris clownfish pair
Amphiprion ocellaris
A classic first stocking plan when the tank is at least 20 gallons and future additions are peaceful.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 2.6
Beginner care
Percula clownfish
Amphiprion percula
Beginner-friendly clownfish choice when stocking order accounts for territorial behavior.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 1.3
Beginner care
Pink streaked wrasse
Pseudocheilinops ataenia
Small peaceful wrasse option for covered nano and mid-size reefs.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.8
Beginner care
Purple firefish
Nemateleotris decora
Peaceful, beautiful, and excellent for covered beginner tanks.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.8
Beginner care
Tailspot blenny
Ecsenius stigmatura
Small, useful grazer with enough character for nano and mid-size reefs.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.8
Intermediate care
Yasha goby
Stonogobiops yasha
Small peaceful goby best planned with calm tankmates and secure cover.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.6
Beginner care
Yellow watchman goby
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Hardy bottom-dweller that can pair with pistol shrimp.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.9
Beginner care
Azure damselfish
Chrysiptera hemicyanea
Hardy and bright, but only beginner-friendly when aggression is planned.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1
Beginner care
Banggai cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni
Calm, striking first fish that suits peaceful community reefs.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1
Intermediate care
Flame hawkfish
Neocirrhites armatus
Bold reef fish for tanks where shrimp risk and assertive behavior are acceptable.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1.3
Beginner care
Green chromis
Chromis viridis
Peaceful schooling-looking fish, but group dynamics are less simple than beginners expect.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1
Beginner care
Lawnmower blenny
Salarias fasciatus
Useful grazer when the tank can support herbivore feeding beyond nuisance algae.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1.2
Beginner care
Midas blenny
Ecsenius midas
Active, personable reef fish that fits peaceful mid-size reefs.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1.3
Intermediate care
Orchid dottyback
Pseudochromis fridmani
Colorful reef-safe fish that needs a confident stocking order and rockwork retreats.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1.1
Beginner care
Royal gramma
Gramma loreto
A classic hardy reef fish for adding color without a large tank.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1.2
Intermediate care
Six line wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
Useful and active, but best added after peaceful fish are settled.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1.2
Beginner care
Yellowtail damselfish
Chrysiptera parasema
Durable reef fish that can work when territorial behavior is respected.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 1
Intermediate care
Carpenter's flasher wrasse
Paracheilinus carpenteri
Peaceful display wrasse for covered reefs with calm tankmates and open water.
- Minimum
- 40g
- Bioload
- 1
Intermediate care
Diamond watchman goby
Valenciennea puellaris
Sand-sifting goby for mature tanks with enough footprint and covered tops.
- Minimum
- 50g
- Bioload
- 1.4
Intermediate care
Yellow coris wrasse
Halichoeres chrysus
Bright active wrasse that fits mature covered reefs better than small new tanks.
- Minimum
- 50g
- Bioload
- 1.4
Intermediate care
Melanurus wrasse
Halichoeres melanurus
Useful active wrasse for larger covered reefs where invert risk is acceptable.
- Minimum
- 55g
- Bioload
- 1.5
Intermediate care
Flame angelfish
Centropyge loricula
High-color fish with real reef-caution risk around fleshy corals.
- Minimum
- 70g
- Bioload
- 2
Expert care
Green mandarin dragonet
Synchiropus splendidus
A dream fish for mature systems, not a first livestock purchase.
- Minimum
- 75g
- Bioload
- 0.8
Intermediate care
Kole tang
Ctenochaetus strigosus
Grazing tang for realistic 75g+ systems with oxygenation and swimming lanes.
- Minimum
- 75g
- Bioload
- 2.6
Intermediate care
Tomini tang
Ctenochaetus tominiensis
Smaller tang choice for properly sized mid-large reefs, not nano systems.
- Minimum
- 75g
- Bioload
- 2.3
Intermediate care
Yellow tang
Zebrasoma flavescens
Iconic algae grazer, but only when tank length and long-term space are realistic.
- Minimum
- 75g
- Bioload
- 3
Expert care
Copperband butterflyfish
Chelmon rostratus
Expert-only fish that should not be bought as a beginner pest-control shortcut.
- Minimum
- 100g
- Bioload
- 2.3
Intermediate care
Foxface rabbitfish
Siganus vulpinus
Algae grazer for large reefs where coral-nipping and adult size are acceptable risks.
- Minimum
- 100g
- Bioload
- 3.2
Intermediate care
Purple tang
Zebrasoma xanthurum
Beautiful large-system fish that should be planned late and with aggression margin.
- Minimum
- 100g
- Bioload
- 3
Intermediate care
Blue hippo tang
Paracanthurus hepatus
Popular but commonly under-housed; treat as a large-system fish.
- Minimum
- 125g
- Bioload
- 4
Expert care
Powder blue tang
Acanthurus leucosternon
Avoid for most beginners; this tang magnifies quarantine, space, and stability mistakes.
- Minimum
- 125g
- Bioload
- 3.4
Expert care
Achilles tang
Acanthurus achilles
Demanding large-system tang that should be treated as an expert livestock plan.
- Minimum
- 180g
- Bioload
- 3.8
Coral
Coral placement checks
22 checks
Beginner care
Green star polyps
Pachyclavularia spp.
Hardy movement coral that should be planned like a contained garden bed.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Kenya tree coral
Capnella sp.
Forgiving soft coral that can become weedy in nutrient-rich beginner tanks.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Mushroom coral
Discosoma/Rhodactis spp.
Forgiving low-light coral that suits beginner and nano reef plans.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Pulsing xenia
Xenia sp.
Iconic beginner soft coral, best isolated if the keeper does not want it everywhere.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Zoanthids
Zoanthus spp.
Colorful beginner soft coral, best isolated where spreading is welcome.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Acan coral
Micromussa lordhowensis
Colorful LPS for calmer zones in stable beginner-to-mixed reefs.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Beginner care
Blastomussa coral
Blastomussa sp.
Forgiving fleshy LPS for calm lower-light areas of beginner reefs.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Candy cane coral
Caulastrea furcata
Beginner-friendly LPS when alkalinity is stable and flow is indirect.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Beginner care
Duncan coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
Forgiving LPS that is easier than many showpiece fleshy corals.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.4
Intermediate care
Hammer coral
Euphyllia/Fimbriaphyllia spp.
Classic movement LPS that wants moderate light, indirect flow, and elbow room.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.5
Beginner care
Toadstool leather coral
Sarcophyton sp.
Hardy centerpiece soft coral for beginner reefs with room for growth.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Intermediate care
Birdsnest coral
Seriatopora sp.
Often a first SPS step, but still not a new-tank coral.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Chalice coral
Echinophyllia sp.
Attractive plating LPS best kept in stable lower-flow zones with room.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Favites brain coral
Favites sp.
Hardy brain coral when placed with room for aggression and steady parameters.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Frogspawn coral
Euphyllia divisa
Popular flowing LPS that needs space, moderate light, and stable alkalinity.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.4
Intermediate care
Montipora
Montipora spp.
Often the first SPS step, but still needs a stable reef system.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Montipora digitata
Montipora digitata
Relatively approachable SPS for stable tanks with strong light and varied flow.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Pocillopora coral
Pocillopora sp.
Branching SPS for stable mixed or SPS reefs with high-flow zones.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Red montipora capricornis
Montipora capricornis
Readable SPS growth form that needs room, light, flow, and stable alkalinity.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Stylophora coral
Stylophora sp.
Hardier SPS candidate for tanks that already prove stability.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Torch coral
Euphyllia glabrescens
High-impact LPS, but placement space matters as much as light.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.6
Expert care
Acropora
Acropora spp.
The SPS benchmark: beautiful, demanding, and unforgiving of unstable systems.
- Minimum
- 40g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Invert
Invertebrate compatibility checks
22 checks
Beginner care
Astrea snail
Astrea sp.
Common algae-grazing snail for beginner cleanup crews.
- Minimum
- 5g
- Bioload
- 0.05
Beginner care
Cerith snail
Cerithium sp.
Small cleanup crew snail for film algae and detritus support.
- Minimum
- 5g
- Bioload
- 0.05
Beginner care
Sexy shrimp
Thor amboinensis
Tiny nano invert for peaceful tanks without predatory fish.
- Minimum
- 5g
- Bioload
- 0.1
Beginner care
Blue leg hermit crab
Clibanarius tricolor
Useful cleanup crew crab when stocked lightly with spare shells.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.1
Beginner care
Nassarius snail
Nassarius spp.
Sandbed scavenger that helps consume uneaten food.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.1
Beginner care
Peppermint shrimp
Lysmata wurdemanni
Useful small shrimp when compatibility and feeding behavior are considered.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Rock flower anemone
Phymanthus crucifer
More nano-friendly anemone option than bubble tips, but not first-week livestock.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.4
Beginner care
Scarlet hermit crab
Paguristes cadenati
Common cleanup crew hermit that works best in modest numbers.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.1
Beginner care
Trochus snail
Trochus spp.
Useful algae grazer and a sensible early cleanup-crew choice.
- Minimum
- 10g
- Bioload
- 0.1
Beginner care
Emerald crab
Mithraculus sculptus
Algae-eating crab that should be added for a specific job, not as a default package item.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.2
Beginner care
Fire shrimp
Lysmata debelius
Showy cleaner shrimp for peaceful reefs with careful acclimation.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Beginner care
Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Popular reef-safe shrimp for stable tanks without shrimp-eating predators.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Beginner care
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Popular reef-safe cleaner and scavenger for stable cycled tanks.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Beginner care
Turbo snail
Turbo sp.
Strong algae grazer that needs enough food and secured aquascape/frags.
- Minimum
- 20g
- Bioload
- 0.1
Intermediate care
Bubble tip anemone
Entacmaea quadricolor
Common host anemone, but it belongs in mature systems with guarded pumps.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.8
Beginner care
Fighting conch
Strombus alatus
Useful sandbed grazer for tanks large enough to support it.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Tuxedo urchin
Mespilia globulus
Smaller urchin grazer for mature reefs with enough algae film.
- Minimum
- 30g
- Bioload
- 0.3
Intermediate care
Pincushion urchin
Lytechinus variegatus
Excellent grazer for mature tanks where frags and rockwork are secured.
- Minimum
- 40g
- Bioload
- 0.4
Expert care
Maxima clam
Tridacna maxima
Demanding photosynthetic clam for mature, stable, high-light reefs.
- Minimum
- 50g
- Bioload
- 0.6
Intermediate care
Serpent starfish
Ophioderma sp.
Scavenger for mature reefs where size, feeding, and tankmate risk are understood.
- Minimum
- 50g
- Bioload
- 0.5
Intermediate care
Derasa clam
Tridacna derasa
Hardier clam option, but adult size and stability requirements are real.
- Minimum
- 75g
- Bioload
- 0.8
Expert care
Sand sifting starfish
Astropecten polycanthus
Commonly sold but frequently inappropriate for young starter reefs.
- Minimum
- 100g
- Bioload
- 0.6