What do you want the refugium for? Nutrient removal, live food or a bit of both? The dwarf angels will generally eat micro algae and probably keep some macros in check. As well, they'll pick at the rock continuously. What they eat while they're picking is probably anything. I'd find some type of mid water planktivore. Firefish kind of thing or maybe clowns. Speaking of dart fish, I saw a curious worm fish at J&Ls this past weekend.

a pair of sunburst anthias.
aka fathead anthias.

come on now Anthias realy need more room that tangs do a 33 would hardly be sutible for them...

Steve

How about a blue Linka starfish or a tiger tail cuk?

uh OK, well i havent had person experience with them so maybe a pair might be too much...but a single fathead would definitely be fine.

"The Fathead/Sunburst Anthias doesn't flit about over an extensive territory like the bulk of other Fancy Basses, but pretty much stays put, waiting for meals to happen by, darting out much the same as the Hawks to secure food."

from what i have read in researching the fish, they do not behave the same way as most other anthias. they are not active open water swimmers, i suppose that is why their bodies are more stubby and not streamlined like other anthias.

If you really feel that you need to put a fish in your refugium I'd suggest something that would make little, if any, dent in your infauna population. Perhaps one of the following: Hawkfish, Clownfish, Dwarf Lionfish, or an Angler Fish (although odds are you'll rarely see it, and some may get too large for a 33g). These fish would tend to leave your infauna and macroalgae alone, and you could just feed them large foodstuffs like krill and so forth (and your bristleworms would appreciate any leftovers no doubt). I'm also assuming that you don't have any shrimp or hermits in the refugium (they'd also be considered "predators" in a 'fuge).

Canadian thanks for your post.
The idea of the refugium is to provide critters for the tank and therefor was looking for something that would have little impact on the pod population. Also looking for something different.

Ahh the fathead.. they are a weird one in there own.. they were clasafies in the hawkfish family untill not to long ago.. you are right they act nothing like there anthias.. they are very delicat, shy and not suited well to shallow wanter tanks of bright lights. they will prefer to hid in the rocks most of the time and a good number of them die because they do not handle decompression well at all..

for normal anthias all the recomendations I have seen say you can keep one by its self in a 55 gal min, but you should keep them in groups consisting of 7 or more females and one male.. nost recomend a min of 135 to 180 gallons to do this in.

I love anthias, and I would love to have them myself.. well maby if the wife gets a new house I can build a big enuf tank.......


Nasco, I think Canadian hit it on the head when he hinted that maby you shoulden't put a fish in the fuge... I am setting mine up this weekend, I think, and I am not putting fish in it.. because I decided this I am just using a rubermade container to build it.. as I don't need to watch it.. I found that making my 25 gal in my stand viewable was in some ways a mistake.. but I would probably do it agan.. but now I have two tanks to keep looking "pretty" so I can see the fish.

Steve