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Small, characterful, reef-safe nano stars
Gobies & Blennies
Gobies and blennies are the personable little residents of the rockwork and sand — mostly peaceful and reef-safe, and perfect for smaller tanks. Many are jumpers, and algae-grazing blennies need a real algae supply, so plan for both.
9 in our library · 9 with a full care guide.
💧 The one thing to get right: A tight-fitting lid (many jump), and for grazing blennies, a mature tank with algae or supplemental nori.
- Firefish GobyNemateleotris magnificaBeginner✓ Care guideAn elegant, peaceful hover-fish with a flame-orange tail — perfect for nano reefs.
- Mandarin DragonetSynchiropus splendidusAdvanced✓ Care guideA living watercolour — gorgeous, but only for mature tanks that grow enough copepods.
- Neon GobyElacatinus oceanopsBeginner✓ Care guideThe tiny cleaner goby — captive-bred, nano-friendly, and it picks parasites off your other fish.
- Yellow Watchman GobyCryptocentrus cinctusBeginner✓ Care guideA charming sand-sifter that forms a famous partnership with a pistol shrimp.
- Bicolor BlennyEcsenius bicolorBeginner✓ Care guideThe two-tone nano blenny with attitude — an eager algae-grazer that may nip corals if underfed.
- Green Clown GobyGobiodon histrioBeginner✓ Care guideA tiny, bold perching goby full of personality — ideal for the smallest reefs.
- Lawnmower BlennySalarias fasciatusBeginner✓ Care guideA goofy, perching algae-grazer that mows film and hair algae off the rocks.
- Midas BlennyEcsenius midasBeginner–Intermediate✓ Care guideThe golden "crown jewel" blenny — it swims out in open water like a wrasse and rarely bothers corals.
- Tailspot BlennyEcsenius stigmaturaBeginner✓ Care guideThe peaceful pick of the nano blennies — a tireless algae-grazer that stays out of trouble.
Plan a gobies & blennies tank
Our free tools run on these species' real, sourced care data — no guessing:
Fish compatibility checker →Stocking calculator →Tank volume calculator →Parameter targets →