Anyone ever try to keep a Rock Beauty Angel??

[m3ntal]

I got suckered into buying yet another fish that does poorly in captivity by my friend that knows squat about marine fish....

I bought a cleaner wrasse a few weeks ago and he lasted all of 2 days as well...

Why do LFS insist on selling things that are known to croak in captivity?

Anyhow, it died in 2 freakin days!!! He was eating like a maniac both those days then today i just found him dead...

End of rant...

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Well, the LFS sell these fish because uninformed buyers will buy them.

I would recommend spending 20bucks on Scott Michaels Marine Fish Pocket Guide,

It will pay for itself the first time you do not buy another fish that is going to dye in captivity.

Oh, and here is a thread about the same fish in question.



http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=836451

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7297191#post7297191 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeremy Blaze


I would recommend spending 20bucks on Scott Michaels Marine Fish Pocket Guide,

It will pay for itself the first time you do not buy another fish that is going to dye in captivity.

.

That's such good advice. Around these parts it's more like 30-40 bucks for that book - Still worth it

I've bought quite a few books from the LFS - they are higher priced than online, but it has been a very effective pacifier when I've been about to make an impulse fish purchase

In my experience a new fish book is much easier to acclimate when you get home, also! Especially if "ninja" acclimation is required

 

[Angel*Fish]

BTW do you still have the rock beauty?

If so, when they are juvis they are easier to feed but they do stuff like pick on other fish trying to eat their slime. :mixed: Also sponge, algae & some meaty foods
As they get older they depend more & more on sponge till it's practically their whole diet.

They don't play well with others & are likely to aggravate the heck out of your other fish.

They are very pretty, though. But if they could they would jump out and nibble on the furniture, and your cat & any small children you might have. I know that because of the look in their eyes

If I was in your shoes, I'd be looking for a used 30g to start my sponge tank. Now that may read/sound unsympathetic -- but that is really what I'd do. Seems a shame to waste an opportunity to learn about this fish since surely you won't be buying another one (not to mention the fish's life)

 

[m3ntal]

it died after 2 days

 

[scylam]

i hav mine for over a year from now...growed from 1.5" to now almost 2.5"

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7297191#post7297191 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeremy Blaze
Well, the LFS sell these fish because uninformed buyers will buy them.

I would recommend spending 20bucks on Scott Michaels Marine Fish Pocket Guide,

It will pay for itself the first time you do not buy another fish that is going to dye in captivity.

Oh, and here is a thread about the same fish in question.



http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=836451

The two fish he bought died in 2 days each. Both those fish are generally tough to get to eat. Dying in 2 days has nothing to do with that. They either died from shipping stress, or disease.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

I am not sure what you are trying to say, but he asked why do the stores sell these fish, and I told him.

He was unfamilier with these species, but bought them anyway, I suggested a refernce book so he can make informed choices when buying fish. If he had that book on hand, he would have read that the fish are difficult to nearly impossible to keep, and would probably not have bought them.

 

[RichConley]

I guess my point was that, while these fish are difficult to maintain, none of his fish died because of the things that make them difficult.

If theyre dying in 2 days, it could have been a clownfish, and it still would have been dead.

I think he just needs to look at livestock more carefully before buying.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

you do not know that. They could have died of starvation, due to their eating habits, which makes them difficult to keep.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7300162#post7300162 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m3ntal
it died after 2 days

Oh sorry, I thought it was the just the wrasse that died in 2 days. If he died that soon at least you know it wasn't because you weren't growing a sponge & algae farm for him. He probably was already a goner.

Sometimes the move to yet another tank after all the other stresses a fish has been subjected to, is just enough to push it over the edge. Especially a fish that has had no food.

Now you know some of the pitfalls, don't feel bad, just learn and move on. There are very few on this board who haven't made an impulse purchase they later regretted.

One of the biggest pitfalls is that so many people out there are willing to give advice & they just don't have a clue. Also since the internet & boards like RC, the learning curve has shot sky high. If your "experts" aren't keeping up on a day-to-day basis, their advice may not be worth much.

What was "true" even a year ago, we may know as totally wrong now.

But even your LFS should know about cleaner wrasses & rock beauties - nothing hot-off-the-presses about those 2 fish unless it's how to have long-term success with one of them.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7302374#post7302374 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeremy Blaze
you do not know that. They could have died of starvation, due to their eating habits, which makes them difficult to keep.

Great point - it is so often the fish that are difficult to feed that drop dead after 2 days in your tank. They have to deal with all the stresses that the other fish do + the stress of getting no food at all upon arriving at the LFS.