Buying new fish. I need your help!!

[Carey1465]

My quarantine tank finally cycled a few weeks ago and I'm ready to add the last fish to my tank. Its either going to be a Moorish Idol, Copperband butterfly or a Emperor Anglefish. Which one of these 3 fish will be the easiest to take care of? I know all 3 fish are not for beginners but this isn't my first rodeo if you know what I mean.


Moorish Idol----VS-----Copperband Butterfly----VS----Emperor Angelfish

Who's it going to be??????

 

[MikeandNicole]

Moorish idols have an incredibly low success rate in the hobby due to their diet. I know some people have had success with them over the long term but they are few and far between. A CBB can also be a picky eater and people have had success with live black worms and specialized feeding apparatus to make sure they can eat in peace. Clams on the half shell also seem to be a favorite of thiers.

What size is your DT and how long has it been setup and what other fish do you have in it?

 

[MrTuskfish]

Moorish idols have an incredibly low success rate in the hobby due to their diet. I know some people have had success with them over the long term but they are few and far between. A CBB can also be a picky eater and people have had success with live black worms and specialized feeding apparatus to make sure they can eat in peace. Clams on the half shell also seem to be a favorite of thiers.

What size is your DT and how long has it been setup and what other fish do you have in it?

Yes. Its impossible to even offer a guess without this info.

 

[spieszak]

anytime I've ever heard of people having success with moorish idols, they were collecting fresh sponge for feeding...If you go that route(I wouldn't recommend anyone due to the high difficulty level) you should consider that route if at all possible.

 

[Carey1465]

I currently have a 110 gallon. In the near future I'll probably go to a 150 or maybe a 200. The tank has been set up now for a little over a year. I guess the moorish idol is out of the question. Im not sure on a CBB either. My game plan was to get a medium size emperor and by the time he gets his full size, I should have my larger tank.

 

[MrTuskfish]

anytime I've ever heard of people having success with moorish idols, they were collecting fresh sponge for feeding...If you go that route(I wouldn't recommend anyone due to the high difficulty level) you should consider that route if at all possible.

I agree; I wouldn't recommend an Idol to anyone. I've heard success stories with sponge; but I'm not convinced that is always the key. There are lots of sponge eaters (like many angels, etc.) that do just fine when they accept a good captive diet. IME, the key to Idols is to just get them eating anything. They have a well-deserved rep of refusing to eat anything and finally starving to death. I have 2 now (about 5 yrs) and had two lost to Katrina that were almost 10 years old.I did lose the 1st two I ever tried to starvation many years ago. I've always used a fresh clam to get these fish eating, and admit I've been lucky as well. A big, peaceful QT also helps getting them eating (like most fish), IMO. Mine will eat absolutely anything and the only sponge they get is a bit from occasional frozen angel cubes that have some sponge. I think they need at least a 180 gal tank with good flow, vitamins and lots of oxygen. (just a guess, all fish do better with that stuff). IF they will start eating; I think they are very easy, undemanding, hardy fish. But the odds of getting one to eat are dismally low, according to everything I've heard and read. Just guessing; but I think a lot more folks have tried these fish than we'd think. They either lost them or feel guilty about keeping them. I don't; there are zillions of them in the wild.....but sure not a fish for every hobbyist or every tank.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I currently have a 110 gallon. In the near future I'll probably go to a 150 or maybe a 200. The tank has been set up now for a little over a year. I guess the moorish idol is out of the question. Im not sure on a CBB either. My game plan was to get a medium size emperor and by the time he gets his full size, I should have my larger tank.

IMO, a 110 isn't big enough for even a half-grown emperor. Why not wait until your new tank or re-think your list? Buying a fish based on what you might have is never a good idea, IMO.

 

[sandwi54]

IMO, a 110 isn't big enough for even a half-grown emperor. Why not wait until your new tank or re-think your list? Buying a fish based on what you might have is never a good idea, IMO.

+1. 110 is not big enough even for a 5" emperor. Angelfish, unlike other groups of fish, suffer greatly from lack of space. When placed in a small tank, they get behavioral and physical issues easily, and many die of "unknown" reasons. I also really like emperor angels and have kept a couple of them before. The minimum tank footprint I would recommend is 96" x 30" (typically 300 gallon).

You happened to pick out 3 of the toughest species to care, well, emperor is not as tough as the other two but is close to the "difficult" species too. I would stay away from CBB and Moorish Idol until you become an expert. Too many of these fish are lost in the hands of regular hobbyists and they really are that tough.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

What other fish are in the tank? A yellow longnose butterfly or a smaller non-dwarf angel might be a good choice.

 

[Carey1465]

I have 2 clowns, yellow tang, pallette tang, naso tang, blue spotted puffer and a bar goby. If I get a yellow longnose butterfly, I think my yellow tang will try to attack it. My buddy had a golden butterfly in my tank before and the yellow tang went after him. I thought about getting a flame angel but I already have my 2 clowns that are orange. I really wanted something that was white. Any ideas??

 

[MrTuskfish]

I have 2 clowns, yellow tang, pallette tang, naso tang, blue spotted puffer and a bar goby. If I get a yellow longnose butterfly, I think my yellow tang will try to attack it. My buddy had a golden butterfly in my tank before and the yellow tang went after him. I thought about getting a flame angel but I already have my 2 clowns that are orange. I really wanted something that was white. Any ideas??

I think you're worrying too much about color and aggression. An established YT is likely to assert itself with any new fish, especially a tang of the same genus. I doubt a LNB would be any more/less susceptible to the YTs territorial claims. BTW, LNBs aren't nearly as wussy as they look. I've never heard of orange Flames having a problem with orange clowns. Any pair of clowns will have a territory that they, especially the female, will defend----color has nothing to do with it.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

If you want something white and you don't have coral, an Auriga butterfly is nice and hardy.

I was thinking about a bellus or wanatabi angel when I suggested an angel.