Difficult and Special Care Species List

How hard is it to keep a sweeplip in the long runs? My brother had a few of them but never made it to a month, they only ate live brine.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10337617#post10337617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by happyface888
How hard is it to keep a sweeplip in the long runs? My brother had a few of them but never made it to a month, they only ate live brine.

Pretty tough, they often starve if they don't get large amounts of healthy live foods, and when they do well and get enough food they outgrow large aquariums quickly.
 
Zemuron114: Dragonettes are for any body who meets thar needs. Mostly lots of live rock and no competiters . I have never seen a bad heraldi. I got one with a bad eye, and he was still fine. You hit the nail on the head, you can keep any fish if you can meet it`s needs!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10342199#post10342199 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
Zemuron114: Dragonettes are for any body who meets thar needs. Mostly lots of live rock and no competiters . I have never seen a bad heraldi. I got one with a bad eye, and he was still fine. You hit the nail on the head, you can keep any fish if you can meet it`s needs!

Perhaps you would like to explain the needs of a fish that was collected with cyanide...
 
Every fish will have better odds at living if you can get it from the source. IE: potters angels from Hawaii. But for 99% of the hobby that isn't possible especially from say indo, australia etc.

Cyanide fish are impossible to keep long term. It basically destroys their internal organs so there is no way to keep it alive. Depending on the dosage determines how long it will live, but even very small dosages, they will not live long. Lost cause unfortunately.. people still buy them, so they will keep doing it. And it sucks for the retailer and hobbiest because they will have no clue until its to late (even wholesalers dont know until its to late)

potters angels are curious little buggers in the wild, especially the big ones. They do hide, but if you go near their coral head they will say hello or try to charge you lol. Most of the potters i ship to LFS do well from what they tell me. There is always some die off (with any species) but for the most part they do very well. They are direct from HI though.

Alot of clown triggers (especially small ones) are caught with drugs. Dont buy them from petco - they are usually caught with drugs.

I had a sweetlips for quite some time. but i fed it live ghost shrimp from the ocean for almost a year. I ran out and it ate frozen, but died shortly after. I dont know if it had anything to do with the frozen or live though...
 
peter great list and documentation

although there seems to be alot of "good" butterflies left off your list per bob fenner and wetwebmedia
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10342906#post10342906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clekchau
peter great list and documentation

although there seems to be alot of "good" butterflies left off your list per bob fenner and wetwebmedia

Yeah, like I said, the Butterflies need some work. Also, that listing of Butterflies was made years ago when there was less availability of species which just makes matters worse. Thanks for the props.
 
Just thought I'd update this. My Potter's Angel was found dead stuck to a Tunze nanostream today. He did not appear sick or skinny at all, though he never ate aggressively like my other fish did. I think I'm going to give up on this species. They just seem to die for no apparent reason.
 
Pete: perhaps you would like to explain how to not buy fish collected this way , When reefers stop buying them from a lack of info. Lfs will stop buying them , and smelling the berath of a fish assanine. we all know cyanide is bad for , the hole reef and the men that use it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10345160#post10345160 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
Pete: perhaps you would like to explain how to not buy fish collected this way , When reefers stop buying them from a lack of info. Lfs will stop buying them , and smelling the berath of a fish assanine. we all know cyanide is bad for , the hole reef and the men that use it.

I already provided info on cyanide and possible symptoms, in the end often it's very difficult to tell. The best I can do here is provide a few fish that are commonly collected with drugs. How are local fish stores supposed to tell if a fish was caught with cyanide when most of their ordering consists of looking at an availability sheet and sending in their order? I can assure you that is doesn't say "Lemonpeel Angelfish (caught with cyanide)" on the order sheet...

Lastly, humor is so lost one some people... The only "assanine" thing about "smelling the berath of a fish" is that you thought I was serious. Think hard about why that might be a silly thing to believe...
 
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Sorry peter I hope they come up with some kind of test for cyni. peter what do you know about . The ues of trankwellisers in the caribbean. P.S. sorry for the spelling.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10345802#post10345802 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by happyface888
Does anyone have any info on Mertensii Butterfly? I see them alot at fish stores and wondered if they are hard to keep.

Very difficult to keep and certainly one of those Butterflies in the first part of the list, they're specialized coral feeders.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10345684#post10345684 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hulley
Does anyone know of reputable online retailers that does not sell drug caught fish?

I'm not aware of any that guarantee their fish were not collected using drugs. There have been strides made in testing for fish caught using cyanide, testing the bags and holding facilities is possible, they're just not tested all that often from what I've heard. Also, it used to be that the Phillipines was the only place where cyanide was used regulalrly, but now it has spread throughout the Indo-Pacific.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10345608#post10345608 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
Sorry peter I hope they come up with some kind of test for cyni. peter what do you know about . The ues of trankwellisers in the caribbean. P.S. sorry for the spelling.


I think clove oil is about as bad as it gets in the Caribbean.
 
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Very nice list. Just a few comments.

For the lionfish (dwarf) listed, I'd probably mention that getting one that is eating is key. I got my dwarf zebra from the LFS eating frozen food and have had good luck with it.

I'd probably add all or most scorpionfish are best left for experienced keepers. It took me a while to get mine eating good.

In additon to the canary fang blenny (which is a great little fish), I'd list all the Meiacanthus blennies. I would also put the Plagiotremus blennies on the list under extremely agressive. Pointing out that they can look similar to neon gobies as I've seen a few people here get the blennies when they thought/were told they were gobies.
 
techiegirl78 - I'm curious about your comments on engineer "gobies/blennies" being aggressive.

I understand people getting confused by their juvenile form and then being surprised that they get so big, but I've never read the "extremely aggressive" thing before - can you elaborate?
 
great thread Peter!!!!!!! I have a Potter's since Dec 06, from Drf&S, did and have not had a problem at all, he is in with a Purple and Sailfin tang and some Lyretail Antuis, Reef Chromies, Bluestar wrasse, 6 line, 3 K. Cardinals, and a Mandrin. He is as active and agressive as the tangs, which are the same size. When I feed dried sheet algae he is right there playing tug of war with one of the tangs. Since you are from the area i will email you about a LFS, which I lost alot of LS from before I stated dating an employee there who works in the fish room and got the real stories. Lost a blennie and so di a buddy of mine after are tanks cleaned up. We think they starve to death, even with 150lb of rock in are tanks.
Bob
 
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