Basslets

A popular choice for the saltwater aquarium, the Basslet, is hardy, fairly well-behaved, and excellent for saltwater beginners despite its slightly territorial nature. Basslets are brightly colored fish often found in bright reds, oranges, yellows and purples, sometimes all at once. Their small size makes them ideal for smaller tanks; however they are quite territorial and still need some space. Their sleek, aerodynamic design and half-moon shaped tail make them ideal for sudden bursts of speed necessary when feeding or for defense; however, the Basslet is also a slow swimmer that will school with its own kind in the wild. In the ocean, this species will live in colonies called harems. These colonies will hover over a chosen coral head feeding, a behavior they will readily exhibit in your home aquarium. An interesting thing to note about the Basslet is that it is what is known as a “sequential hermaphrodite”. All fish are born female and develop into males as they mature, with one “supermale” leading the colony until its death.

This is a small fish and as such it is suitable for smaller tanks. However, it should not be kept in a tank less than thirty gallons as it tends to be aggressive and territorial. They are hardy fish that adapt well to tank life. A standard reef tank with good lighting and aeration, pH of 8.1-8.4, and warm waters is appropriate for the Basslet.

Basslets are carnivores and require protein. They prefer live food, but will eat finely chopped frozen food such as shrimp or fish.

Their small size tends to prevent Basslets from being bullies, but potential owners should be careful to research which variety of Basslet they have chosen as some species do well with others of their own kind and some do not, though they are not necessarily aggressive towards other species of similar size.