Fish Stories

[digidana]

i've been doing some shopping getting ready for the group order, but i'm having some trouble. it seems like everything that i like is either not reef safe or eats inverts or they're expert keepers. i like the butterflies, love the batfish, the angels, the rabbitfish, etc. someone told me that the Centropyge (dwarf) angels don't really eat the corals. is that true?

i like some of the wrasses but i have a hood, not a tightly fitting cover. will they jump into the lights? :fun5:

and what the heck does "with caution" mean under reef safe? they carefully eat the corals? or if you keep them well fed, they'll stay off of them maybe? or you're taking a 50/50 chance?

and another question. what's the difference between diver's den and collectors corner? i know collectors corner is wysiwyg...is that the only difference?

what are some of your favorite reef safe fish? i'd like to get a couple unique ones.

 

[SilkyJ]

I can answer some of those questions...

Dwarf angels are hit-or-miss - they are beautiful fish that stay relatively small, but they may 'nip' at corals. In my experience they were fine except they kept 'nipping' at my softies and leathers which made them retract. You can never really guarantee a fish is or is-not reef safe. You can try to keep them well fed, but some fish still 'nip' at corals.

"With Caution" is basically what i said - they're always a chance they eat inverts or 'nip' at corals.

What size fish/price range are you looking in for unique fish?

 

[digidana]

thanks! that's kinda what i was afraid of. yeah, there are some really pretty angels....

the tank is a 240, so i'm not too too concerned about the size. i'm actually not sure about the price range either. the more expensive the fish is, the less fish i will buy i guess. i don't really have a set budget, but i can't see spending $400 on a fish.

what about anthias? some are beautiful, but i've heard they're hard to keep too? its better to keep several together, correct?

 

[ct_vol]

Anthias are fickle... Some people have problems keeping them, and others do not... They need to be fed fairly often, but need pristine water, so a decent skimmer is a must have...

If you're looking for an angel, the only completely reef safe family are the Genicanthus...

You must understand that there are risks with most every fish... Tangs and Rabbitfish have been known to mow down zoanthids... Wrasses will often go after inverts... Angels/Triggers will nip at corals... You just pick the fish that are least likely to do so... If you put up a more specific list, I can help to point you in more of a direction... If it makes you feel better, Kim is always asking me what I think about a certain fish... I'll tell her, yay, nay, or proceed with caution and then list the cautions...

I have 4 anthias in my 120g and will likely get another with this order... I have had 2 for about 2 years and the other 2 for about a year... I know Chris has had his for a while too... So Anthias are not impossible to keep...

 

[GPhiAce]

In my limited experience..... the pygmy angels are hit or miss. I loved my cherub and he never nipped, but the lemonpeel was..... not a smart decision. It nipped the candy canes and acans, and once you touch my acan, you are gone. No experience with anthias, I need a bigger tank. I love my Carpenters and I want a McCoster's flasher. I think my flasher wrasse is great. Doesn't nip at anything, and I have 4 shrimps, 3 clams, tons of small starfish and tons of crabs and snails. A small group of different flasher wrasse may be nice. Mine flashes every once and awhile. Make sure you check out the food source and compatability of fish and corals as a forewarning. That took me a little time to fully get the scope of making a healthy and happy system. And I am still learning.

 

[EvilMel]

Anthias are apparently fairly notorious for not eating once you put them in your tank and slowly dying while you try to figure out how to get them to eat.

Guys, isn't it true that anthias often need to be fed live foods (like shrimp) at first, then they can be trained to eat frozen foods. I've also heard that you need to feed them a few times a day, especially at first. Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly but I thought that those were the general things to expect from Anthias.

You know my opinion on it...GOBY GOBY GOBY. Stick a BUNCH of gobies in that tank. hah hah...just not yellow clown gobies.

 

[ct_vol]

Fairy and Flasher wrasses are great Reef Aquarium candidates... However, if you decide to keep a Mandarin, a wrasse can decimate the pod population in your system, there by starving the mandarin... Wrasses are also known to steal food from LPS if you choose to feed yours...

You do have to feed anthias a couple/few times a day when first aquiring them... I have never had to feed live foods though... Mine have prefered Cyclopeeze or like foods upon introduction... I literally bought about a dozen different types, of flakes, pellets, and other dried foods, and tried them all to see what the Anthias eat... I think having the a few anthias in there helps with the introduction of another group, because they ate right off... My anthias will eat Mysis, but they do not prefer them to some of the pelleted foods I feed... But I know that Live Aquaria recommends the feeding of Ghost Shrimp for fickle eaters...