Difficult and Special Care Species List

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12638454#post12638454 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tu Ku
This thread should've just been labeled "Reef Keeping for Dummies"
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I don't know if this is a compliment or not:confused:

Do you have issues with what has been said?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12695029#post12695029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sean48183
Nice list and great for all beginners to look at.

One thing I would like to add about keeping fish in tanks they may outgrow. Most saltwater fish are very slow growers and will only reach a max of 3/4 of their adult size with 1/2 being more than likely. Now if you buy a fish at adult size then of course using adult size as a gauge is obvious. But if your like me you buy most fish small and hope they will grow in your tank. Small fish are cheaper and usually acclimate to aquarium life alot easier then adults.

I'll use my sailfin tang that I have had for over 3 years now as an example. I bought him at about 3" for my 50g tank. I feed frozen and flake food twice a day and 2 sheets of seaweed selects or collard greens twice a day. That is probably a heavier feeding schedule than most people that keep reef tanks. I use a big refugium and oversized skimmer for nutrient removal to keep my nitrates to less than 10ppm. After 2 years in my 50g the sailfin grew to only 6". He did get to big for my 50g at that time but mostly because it was packed to dense with rock. Now he has been in my 150g for a year and has only grown maybe an inch to put him at 7". These fish are listed at 15" adult size. He may gain another inch or two but will never get 15". I feel comfortable with him in my 150g for life.

I purchased a small Naso tang(lipstick tang) for my 150g tank figuring that he will probably only get to 9" give or take a couple inches. I feel comfortable with him at that size for life in my tank.

A way I like to figure out if a fish is compatable with my tank is to look at the adult size and half that. That number should be equal to or less than 1/2 my aquarium width. For instance my naso is listed at 18" adult size. Half that is 9". My tank is 18" wide so half that is 9". These to numbers are equal so I feel that this fish in it's adult size(give or take a couple of inches) will have enough room to turn around in my tank gracefully. This seems to work for me. As for length I usually like around 8 times there adult size. So for my naso it would be 9X8=72. So the length should be about 6'.
How much rock you have in your tank as well. If the rock work reduces your tank width by 4" that should be factored in also.

And if this fails and the fish get to big then the only thing left to do is get a bigger tank. Yippee!
Anyways that's my $.02. Happy reefing to all!
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It is not my intent here to be disrespectful to your theory---but it is your theory and IMO it seems to become very close to the age old disputed myth that a fish will only grow to the size of his tank

That I guess is the other side of the discussion--that fish do out grow their tanks and do become both physicallly and socially stressed if they are raised in a tank that is just too small to their needs.
Also I think there is an inherent danger in trying to put a mathematical calculation into figuring out what size a fish will grow to in a particular tank

Very interesting concept though and I am glad you posted it:smokin:
 
No disrespect taken. I am not stating this formula as fact only that it works for me and my fish seem happy. I haven't had an ich outbreak in 3 years, all my fish eat and act very normally and I have only had one die in 3 years and he died 4 days after purchase so he must have been already sick.

But what is fact is that fish will not grow in captivity at the same rate as they do in the ocean. It is not a matter of tank size but more a matter of food. The ocean has an unlimited amount of food where as our tanks rely on us feeding a usually small amount. Some people only feed their tanks every 3 days. This is not even close to the type of eating a fish would do in the ocean.

My formula may not mean the fish are ultra happy but it does show that you can keep fish alive for a very long period in less than the recommended tank size. Anyways it is just something that works for me and hopefully someone else will benefit from it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12829353#post12829353 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Endy0430
I wish I would of read this list before I bought my twinspot goby...hopes he makes it.....
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thanks for posting--you just moved it back into the light where it should be and other can read it
 
I'll bump this thread. Good read. Just my experience but I kept two Catalina gobies for over a year in my old tank before I sold it. They ate great and that tank ran constantly around 84*. I was never told when I bought them that they are a cold water fish but they must have adapted to my tank or something and quickly became my favorite fish.
 
Peter ,
Great list I learned a lot from it .
How about a good list of reef safe fish , I've been looking but haven't seen anything definative . People seem afraid to commit to writeing a list because there's always one little guy who has to be the exception to the rule .
But a general guidline list would be great .
Thanks ,
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13101185#post13101185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by costaricanGuy
Peter ,
Great list I learned a lot from it .
How about a good list of reef safe fish , I've been looking but haven't seen anything definative . People seem afraid to commit to writeing a list because there's always one little guy who has to be the exception to the rule .
But a general guidline list would be great .
Thanks ,
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Perhaps after I get around to doing some of the editing on this list I'll work on something for you. Happy to hear you found the list useful.

Take Care,
Peter
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13101185#post13101185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by costaricanGuy
Peter ,
Great list I learned a lot from it .
How about a good list of reef safe fish , I've been looking but haven't seen anything definative . People seem afraid to commit to writeing a list because there's always one little guy who has to be the exception to the rule .
But a general guidline list would be great .
Thanks ,
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this might be of help to you:

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=285

to access other articles on the Capn's Log Book:
http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=252
 
you are almost inculding ANYTHING.I MEAN,THESE LISTS SUCK!
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No Boris, they don't.
Peter is right on with all of his recomendations in the first post. Especially because he lists the reasons for the fish being "difficult".
I don't think there is a fish on here that I have not kept or tried to keep. He is not saying these fish can not be kept. This thread is called "difficult" fish not impossable fish. Of course with the right conditions we can keep any animal in the world alive.
We keep Panda's alive but have to import bamboo to feed them. You can even keep my favorite fish alive, an orange spotted filefish but you would have to import the particular coral that it eats and is the only thing it eats. It is probably an easy fish to keep if you could do that. I have had remora's, a very easy fish but in 3 months the things grow to about 3' long and I had to give them to the New York Aquarium. If I had a swimming pool I could easily keep the things. Trumpetfish, another easy fish, same problem. When I started in the hobby they sold in a store in Manhattan baby green sea turtles. Not the little fresh water slider turtles, I mean ocean going turtles. They were not even that expensive. I almost bought one. Another easy animal to keep. Of course they grow to a few hundred pounds but they are "easy" :lol:
 
Centropyge heraldi (almost always caught using drugs)
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You're telling me! I saw one smoking crack in a back alley the other day. They just can't stay off the drugs!

(i'm sorry, I couldn't help it)
 
Thank you for this list, I'm brand new to the hobby and have been trying to research for myself so I'm not at the mercy of my lfs. I was just wondering if this thread could be stickied in the newbie forum with the other threads by waterkeeper. It took me quite a while to find this and it should be one of the first things a new reefer reads!!!

thanks again for the info!!!
 
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

But I won't sticky threads that condone use drugs.

The reason I've been off site for awhile is that I was the coach for the U.S. Olympic Checker team this past Aug. When I found the Chinese used marbles instead of checker chips, my team was lost on what to do when they made a King. Using my RC knowledge I gave them Super Glue Gel. Little did I know it was a banned substance according to the International Olympic Committee. The entire team was ejected from the games and I was held in a Chinese prison. Not once did I get Peking duck for dinner and was glad they traded a spy to bring me back home.
 
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