🐠 Saltwater (Marine) – Most Vivid, Reef to FOWLR

Notes: “Reef-safe” = safe with corals (some are “with caution”). Many marine fish are jumpers → use a tight lid.

✅ Beginner–Friendly Color Bombs

• Ocellaris/True Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris/percula)
  🎨 Orange/white/black; designer morphs (snowflake, black ice).
  📏 3–4″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 20–30g | 🌿 Reef-safe | 🤝 Usually peaceful in pairs.
• Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
  🎨 Neon purple → yellow gradient.
  📏 ~3″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 20g | 🌿 Reef-safe | 🤫 Shy, cave lover.
• Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
  🎨 White body with red/orange tail blaze.
  📏 2.5–3″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 20g | 🌿 Reef-safe | ⚠️ Jumps—cover tightly.
• Banggai/Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
  🎨 Black/silver with white “pearls.”
  📏 3″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 30g | 🌿 Reef-safe | 🤝 Captive-bred available.
• Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani)
  🎨 Fluorescent violet.
  📏 2.5–3″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 20g | 🌿 Reef-safe | ⚖️ Semi-aggressive toward similar shapes.

⭐ Intermediate Showstoppers

• Flasher/Fairy Wrasses (Paracheilinus/Cirrhilabrus spp.)
  🎨 Electric reds, oranges, purples; males “flash” color when excited.
  📏 3–5″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 55g | 🌿 Reef-safe | ⚠️ Jumpers; moderate flow.
• Dwarf Angels (Centropyge; e.g., Flame, Coral Beauty, Potters)
  🎨 Metallic reds/oranges/purples/blue.
  📏 3–4″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 55g | 🌿 With caution (may nip corals).
• Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
  🎨 Sunset orange to magenta (males blaze).
  📏 4–5″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 75g (group) | 🌿 Reef-safe | 🍽️ Small, frequent feedings.
• Hawkfish (Flame) (Neocirrhites armatus)
  🎨 Glossy red.
  📏 3–4″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 40g | 🌿 Reef-safe with caution (may eat tiny shrimp).

🌀 Advanced Color Icons (Bigger Systems)

• Tangs (Zebrasoma/Paracanthurus/Ctenochaetus) – Yellow, Blue Hippo, Kole, Purple.
  📏 6–10″ | 🧪 Adv. | 🏠 75–125g+ | 🌿 Reef-safe | 🥬 Herbivores; need swim room.
• Butterflyfish (Chaetodon spp.)
  🎨 Masks, bands, neon highlights.
  📏 5–8″ | 🧪 Adv. | 🏠 75–125g+ | 🌿 Usually not reef-safe; finicky diets.
• Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus)
  🎨 Psychedelic green/orange/blue.
  📏 3″ | 🧪 Adv. | 🏠 Mature reef 50g+ | 🌿 Reef-safe | 🍽️ Needs thriving copepod population.

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🐟 Freshwater – Nearly as Colorful (and far easier)

Notes: Many species prefer groups (schooling). Match pH/temp to species; live plants make colors pop.

🌈 Community & Planted Tank Stars

• Cardinal/Neon/Green Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon) – neon blue/red stripes.
  📏 1–2″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 20g+ (school 10–20) | 🌿 Peaceful.
• Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae) – glowing orange.
  📏 0.8″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 10g+ (school) | 🌿 Great nano color.
• Boesemani/Turquoise/Red Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia/Glossolepis)
  🎨 Two-tone metallic bodies (blue/orange, red, yellow).
  📏 3–5″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 40–55g+ (school 6+) | 💨 Like flow & space.
• German Blue/Electric Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
  🎨 Iridescent blue/yellow/orange, red eyes.
  📏 2–3″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 20–29g pair | 🌡️ Warm 80–82°F; gentle tankmates.
• Apistogramma (dwarf cichlids) – agassizii, cacatuoides
  🎨 Orange fins, blues, yellows; dramatic fins.
  📏 2–3.5″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 20–30g pair/harem | 🌿 Leaf litter/hides enhance color.
• Betta (plakats, halfmoons) – every color imaginable.
  📏 2.5–3″ | 🧪 Easy–Mod. | 🏠 5–10g solo | 💨 Low flow; heated.
• Dwarf/Honey/Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster/Trichopodus)
  🎨 Powder blue/neon honey/pearl spangling.
  📏 2–5″ | 🧪 Easy–Mod. | 🏠 20–40g | 🌿 Peaceful, plant-friendly.

🟡 African Cichlid Color (Malawi/Tanganyika)

• Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus) – pure canary yellow.
• Peacocks (Aulonocara spp.) – metallic blues/oranges/reds.
• Demasoni, Saulosi – electric blue/black striping.
  📏 4–6″ | 🧪 Mod.–Adv. | 🏠 55–75g+ | ⚖️ Hard, alkaline water (pH 7.8–8.6), sand & rock piles; manage aggression by overstocking slightly and heavy filtration.

🔴 Discus (South American “reef” of freshwater)

• Discus (Symphysodon spp.) – solid reds/blues/turquoises/pigeons.
  📏 6–8″ | 🧪 Adv. | 🏠 75g+ group (5–7) | 🌡️ Warm 82–86°F; pristine water; calm tankmates (cardinals, corys).

🟥 Bonus Color Pops

• Guppies/Endlers – endless morphs (reds, blues, mosaics).
• Cherry Barbs – deep red males; peaceful for a barb.
• Killifish (Aphyosemion/Nothobranchius) – insane patterns; tight lids (jumpers).

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🐡 Brackish – Underrated & Dramatic

Salinity matters. Brackish is SG ~1.003–1.015; some species transition to marine as adults. Hardscape with wood/rock; true brackish plants are limited.

• Figure-Eight Puffer (Dichotomyctere biocellatus)
  🎨 Black with neon yellow “8s.”
  📏 ~3″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 20–30g solo | 🔪 Nippy; feed snails/crustaceans for beak wear. SG 1.005–1.010.
• Green Spotted Puffer (Dichotomyctere nigroviridis)
  🎨 Lime green with black spots.
  📏 6″ | 🧪 Adv. | 🏠 55g+ solo | 🧭 Juvenile brackish → adult marine (SG 1.020–1.026).
• Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix)
  🎨 Silver with black bars; behavior showpiece (spits at insects).
  📏 6–8″ | 🧪 Mod.–Adv. | 🏠 75g+ group | ⚠️ Jumpers; need open top space; SG ~1.005–1.015.
• Monos (Monodactylus sebae/argenteus)
  🎨 Silver with yellow/black fins; disc-shaped schooling fish.
  📏 8–10″ | 🧪 Mod.–Adv. | 🏠 125g+ (group 5+) | 🧭 Often brackish juvenile → near-marine adult.
• Scats (Scatophagus argus)
  🎨 Olive/red variants with black spots.
  📏 12–15″ | 🧪 Adv. | 🏠 180g+ (group) | 🍽️ Omnivores; brackish → marine trend.
• Bumblebee Goby (Brachygobius spp.)
  🎨 Yellow/black stripes.
  📏 1–1.5″ | 🧪 Mod. | 🏠 10–20g (group) | 🍽️ Prefers live/frozen; SG ~1.003–1.010.
• Mollies (Poecilia sphenops/latipinna)
  🎨 Dalmatian, orange, black, gold dust; thrive in brackish.
  📏 3–5″ | 🧪 Easy | 🏠 20–40g | 🌿 Great color in low-end brackish.

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🎨 How to Max Out Color (works for all three)

• 🍽️ Diet: Astaxanthin, spirulina, krill, quality pellets; for marine, nori for herbivores; for puffers, hard-shelled foods to trim beaks.
• 💡 Lighting: Full-spectrum with good CRI; reef corals need PAR/UV; planted tanks benefit from 6–8 h photoperiod.
• 💧 Water quality: Low nitrate, stable pH/alk (marine: keep alk/Ca/Mg in range).
• 🧘 Stress control: Proper group sizes, territories/hides, compatible tankmates.

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🧩 Sample Colorful Stocking “Recipes”

SALTWATER – 40g FOWLR (color, easy)

• Pair ocellaris clowns, royal gramma, firefish, orchid dottyback (watch aggression).
• Add clean-up crew (snails/hermits). Tight lid.

SALTWATER – 75g Soft-Coral Reef

• Pair clowns, fairy wrasse, banggai cardinal, yellow watchman goby + pistol shrimp.
• Softies/zoas add color under reef lighting.

FRESHWATER – 40g Planted Show

• School cardinal tetras (20), ember tetras (12), corydoras (8), honey gourami pair.
• Carpet/epiphytes for contrast; CO₂ optional.

FRESHWATER – 55g African Color

• Yellow labs (6), peacock cichlids (6–8 mixed), heavy rockwork, sand; strong filtration.

BRACKISH – 55g Show (low–mid SG)

• Figure-eight puffer (solo) or archers (3–4) or monos (5) (pick one theme).
• SG 1.005–1.010; tight lid; feed varied frozen/live.

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⚠️ Quick Compatibility Watch-outs

• Marine: Six-line wrasse & some dottybacks can be bullies in small tanks; dwarf angels may nip corals.
• Freshwater: Tiger barbs nip long fins; rams/discus need warm, peaceful tanks; African cichlids mix best within lake/temperament groups.
• Brackish: Puffers are often solo; many brackish fish grow large and want groups—plan big.