happyface888
New member
Yeah every fish I had always swims near it and gets stinged by them. than they go bouncing against the sand a few times and continue to swim like nothing happened. What are other hardy inverts?
Difficult and Special Care Species List
- Thread starter Peter Eichler
- Start date
Peter Eichler
New member
The problem is people are buying the dyed ones and they're often not aware of them being dyed. That is preceisely why there is a mentionof them on the list. As for your comments about BTAs... In WI and IL I've seen one total BTA that was captively propagated at a LFS compared to hundreds of wild collected. I'd be surprised if even 10 percent of the BTAs in the hobby are captively raised. Perhaps you have someone in your area that had an anemone farm going, but that's by no means common. Hopefully it will be some day soon. The thing about BTAS is that if you get an undamaged specimen they can be pretty hardy, but they seem especially prone to damage during collection. I still contend that anemones aren't a good choice for a mixed reef, but that's not a hard fast rule as it certainly can be done with success.
Kahuna, thanks for the responses you made while I was offline.
Kahuna Tuna
Active member
Your welcome Peter, thanks for doing all that you do. I really hear what Rich is saying with the propagated BTA's and I think these are a viable option for the aquarist who really wants an anemone. I sure see a lot of folks offering propagated rose anemones here in So Cal and I think this is a good start. I am pretty pleased the way this hobby has headed the last few decades with all of the farm raised livestock and the way people are using the internet to find out about unscrupulous practices like dyeing anemones and drug fish collection. There is just so much more information available now than there was back in the day. I am so glad your list is stickied here Peter and I'm going to do my part to get as many folks to read it as possible. Thanks again.
On a side note I think you need to add banded angels (Apolemichthys arcuatus) to the list, I think they are as touchy as a regal.
On a side note I think you need to add banded angels (Apolemichthys arcuatus) to the list, I think they are as touchy as a regal.
Monti
New member
FWIW I think "the list" could do without the cute-sy comment about the stingray barb to the chest.
This is a good list for total newbs I think, but as many have pointed out there are exceptions to every rule, so many of these animals should not be ruled out completely, but those with more experience who wish to attempt to keep them should take into consideration their specific needs. As to the problem with dyed anemones, should we also include colt corals, turbinarias, and the many other hardy corals that turn up dyed as well?
This is a good list for total newbs I think, but as many have pointed out there are exceptions to every rule, so many of these animals should not be ruled out completely, but those with more experience who wish to attempt to keep them should take into consideration their specific needs. As to the problem with dyed anemones, should we also include colt corals, turbinarias, and the many other hardy corals that turn up dyed as well?
Peter Eichler
New member
It really wasn't an intended to be a "cute-sy" comment. It's the truth and for anyone that thinks that was a reference to Stev Irwin he wasn't the first nor was he the last to get hit in the chest by a Stingray.
The list is geared towards beginners but at the same time I know of people that have been in this hobby for many years that don't realize the requirements of a lot of these fish. I ran into someone just last week that has been in this hobby for 7 years and he was looking to add a Twinspot Wrasse to his 75 gallon tank... Perhaps I'll make a general note about dyed creatures, though I can't even recall the last time I saw something dyed besides an anemone.
Peter Eichler
New member
Just making a note to myself to add the Horseshoe crab, Larabicus quadrilineatus, and Bandit Angel (Apolemichthys arcuatus).
pledosophy
Active member
My post was in error. They are legal to trade in the U.S. just no one imports them.
Reading the list again you list seahorses as needing a constant supply of live nutritous food. Aquacultured CB seahorses can be fed frozen food exclusivley through there life. WC's and TR seahorses will be more prone to only accepting live. Just a sidenote.
I agree completely with adding the horse shoe crab. Too many buy them small and don't realize how big they will get.
On the leapord wrasse might also want to add the macrogeoffrey, also called the Potter's Leapord. Same concerns as with the other leapords although not as common.
Last note, I do think using common names would be more helpful to newbs. Most don't know latin and even some LFS owners don't as well. Just a suggestion.
Keep it up. Sorry your getting so much Flak for such an outstanding effort.
RichConley
New member
Peter, I know nothing about the midwest.
But you can't even get wild caught BTAs out here on the east coast. Theyre too expensive to get compared to propogated ones.
You literally cant GIVE THEM AWAY.
Need a BTA in good condition? PAH. I've seen them go through powerheads, and then sprout up all over the tank. Theyre alot hardier than pretty much anything other than Zoos.
But you can't even get wild caught BTAs out here on the east coast. Theyre too expensive to get compared to propogated ones.
You literally cant GIVE THEM AWAY.
Need a BTA in good condition? PAH. I've seen them go through powerheads, and then sprout up all over the tank. Theyre alot hardier than pretty much anything other than Zoos.
zemuron114
In Memoriam
i kept a BTA in a 10 gallon tank with a 10 watt flourescent bulb and it literally quadrupled in size in about 7 months. It was a very simple tank and it thrived. I then tried one in a 29 gallon with PC lights and it hasn't grown at all... I would put them in the hardy category for the most part
Peter Eichler
New member
The majority of them will not live long in captivity because they don't have a large enough supply of their natural food source. On ocassion they will accept prepared foods but I've also heard reports of that just slowing down the starvation process.
Peter Eichler
New member
Perhaps in your area, but I'd be really surprised (pleasantly) if they are that widely available throughout the east coast.
On the flip side of you scenario of BTAs surviving stress like that... I've seen stores get 5 or so of them in and have every single one of the die within a week or two. They're not particulalrly good stores, but they're not awful either. They have no problems keep many types of corals, but they still lose a ton of BTAs. I do agree that they are the hardiest of the clown anemone and I'll make a note of that when I revise the list.
happyface888
New member
Offtopic but what are some other hardy inverts? That are like the tube anemone?
happyface888
New member
Is BTA blue tip anemone or bubble tip anemone and are they available over in Cali?
Peter Eichler
New member
It's bubble tip anemone and they're pretty widely available. Whether or not aquacultured specimens are available mostly depends on if someone has an anemone prop system in their hme in your area. I know of no large scale anemone propagation efforts, though the Bubble Tip anemone could be an excellent speimen for such a venture.
Kahuna Tuna
Active member
In addition to what Peter said there is also quite a bit of evidence that removing cleaner wrasse from wild reefs is very detrimental to those reefs and in those areas where a lot of cleaner wrasse collection is done the fish there are noticeably less healthy. Not only do these fish have a dismal record in captivity but removing them harms wild reefs. The Hawaiin cleaner wrasse is illegal to collect there for these reasons.
Eh? The only study I'm aware of that examined this (from Australia) concluded that removing cleaner wrasses had no discernible negative effects. In any case, nobody complains about collecting cleaner shrimps, which ought to have the same consequences as catching the wrasses.
Overcollecting of yellow tangs probably hurts the reef more than removal of cleaner wrasses, yet they remain one of the most popular species for aquarists. How many of you have a yellow tang in your tank?
Nope. Collecting cleaner wrasses here is perfectly legal. Many divers don't catch them on principle, but there's no law against it.
Cleaner wrasses can learn to eat artificial foods just like other fish, and can be kept in captivity successfully. However, they're delicate fish in general and aren't easy to maintain. They belong in the "expert care only" section, rather than the "absolutely don't purchase ever" section. Other fish, such as leopard wrasses and tamarind wrasses, have similar success/failure rates.
I'm not trying to promote the irresponsible purchase of difficult-to-keep fish, but most of the claims about cleaner wrasses are just plain wrong. It'd make a good Myth Busters eposide.
AFAIK bleach isn't used much for aquarium fish. Occasionally you hear reports of guys getting arrested for it, but they're always targetting food fish.
Quinaldine and clove oil are both used in areas where they're legal. Both are supposed to be safe if used properly, but they can kill fish if the concentration is too high.
Similar threads
