Neon tetra of the sea?

[Smurf]

Im very interested in this thread. anyone else wanna chime in and give us more options?

[wombat]

Well, okay, if you really want answers...

 

Check out this awesome tank:

http://www.reefs.org/forums/download/file.php?id=35920

 

This kind of thing is doable in a large enough tank if you can actually FIND these fish. The shoal at the top is Trimma tevegae. There are a few other species of Trimma that will shoal like this (T. taylori is another), but nearly all other species will cling to rocks/corals and keep their distance from each other.

 

The black and white fish shoaling at the bottom are an Eviota sp., possibly E. bifasciata. Again, most Eviota spp. will not behave like this.

 

One species that is probably easier to acquire (although still pretty tough to find) is Tryssogobius colini, which stays under an inch and will shoal much like larger Ptereleotris dart gobies (zebra gobies).

 

Other options are the Aioliops already posted above and the Parioglossus gobies. All the above are pictured in the link in my sig if you'd like to read more.

 

Another very random possibility that I have never seen done in saltwater tanks are the Pseudomugil "blue eyes" that occur in brackish/mangrove/estuarine areas around PNG and AU.

Valid Pseudomugil spp.

 

If you can get a hold of any of these fishes I would love to hear about it!

[johnmaloney]

Ah those are some neat looking fish.

 

+1

 

silversides - i have tried to keep greenies before, (threadfin herring?), a school would need more than a nano, but they are pretty cool and school well. not as flashy as those gobies, but they are a nice fish. However, a nightmare to feed. These silversides needed regular (3-4 times a day) feeding of zooplankton and micro algae and it was just a ton of work, they wouldn't eat anythign prepared so they went back into the ocean.