Best Reef-Safe Fish for a Coral Reef Tank

Marine fish that leave corals and invertebrates alone — safe to mix with an SPS, LPS or soft-coral reef.

By The Aquarium DB Team • 28 species
Clown Goby Clown Goby Neon Goby Neon Goby Banggai Cardinalfish Banggai Cardinalfish Blue Damselfish Blue Damselfish Firefish Firefish Green Chromis Green Chromis Ocellaris Clownfish Ocellaris Clownfish Percula Clownfish Percula Clownfish Royal Gramma Royal Gramma Six Line Wrasse Six Line Wrasse Yellow Watchman Goby Yellow Watchman Goby Bicolor Blenny Bicolor Blenny Yellow Coris Wrasse Yellow Coris Wrasse Lawnmower Blenny Lawnmower Blenny Clarkii Clownfish Clarkii Clownfish Domino Damselfish Domino Damselfish Tomato Clownfish Tomato Clownfish Diamond Goby Diamond Goby Blue Tang Blue Tang Cleaner Wrasse Cleaner Wrasse Kole Tang Kole Tang Mandarin Dragonet Mandarin Dragonet Melanurus Wrasse Melanurus Wrasse Maroon Clownfish Maroon Clownfish Naso Tang Naso Tang Yellow Tang Yellow Tang Purple Tang Purple Tang Sailfin Tang Sailfin Tang
Buyer's guide

How to choose a reef-safe fish

A reef-safe fish is one that will not pick at coral polyps, sift away your clean-up crew or treat ornamental shrimp as food. The fish on this list — clownfish, most gobies and wrasses, tangs, chromis and a royal gramma — earn that label, so you can build a colourful community around live coral without watching it get nibbled to bits.

Reef-safe is about diet and habit, not temperament: a yellow tang is reef-safe but still squabbles with other tangs, so keep checking compatibility as well. And remember "reef-safe" is never an absolute guarantee — the odd individual breaks the rules, and dwarf angels (rated Caution on their profiles) are a coin-flip on coral. Watch any new fish closely for the first few weeks.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does reef-safe mean?

A reef-safe fish can be trusted not to eat or harass corals and invertebrates. It says nothing about how the fish behaves toward other fish — a reef-safe species can still be aggressive to tank mates — so check temperament separately.

Are clownfish reef-safe?

Yes. All clownfish are reef-safe — they will not harm corals, though a pair may "host" and fuss over a particular coral or anemone. They are one of the safest and most popular choices for a reef tank.