Recommendations for centerpiece fish?

[reefkoi]

how about some anthias? they are cheap and 3 or 4 would be a showpiece. the mass of 3 or 4 would be less than 1 naso anyway so I wouldnt be too worried about bioload. They dont mess with anything, just keep them fed and you'd be fine. If $100 is too much then go with half a dozen green chromis you could get them for under $30
Chris

 

[Crit21]

I have 2 chromis. I tried adding 3 more a while back and the old ones gave them hell until they croaked.

I would definitely like a male anthias and its harem. Fishy business had some when they first opened for $15 each, but I haven't seen the same kind since. I got 2 males from them that lasted a few months, but they disappeared weeks apart without a trace (jumpers?).

No, it's not the water.

 

[reefkoi]

how often and what were you feeding them?

 

[Crit21]

Apparently not often enough and not the right stuff. They did eat well, though. Their stomaches never looked tucked-up.

 

[tominicane]

I will start from the beginning. Keep in mind that these fish are SUPPOSED to do these things, but may not in some people's tanks. I witnessed ALL of them acting the aforementioned ways, both in nature and in tanks.

All Wrasses are jumpers, I have seen at least 4-5 that have done it from nearly every readily available species. Including Mysteri. If you have a hole in your tank - they will find it. Both of the above triggers will eat clams. Actually most of them will pick at mantles. Orange shoulder is a widely available fish, also extremely hard to acclimate. If you decide to get one, ask the guy that has one how he went about it. Clown tangs are aggressive, but you usually only have to worry about tangs in the same species (it's about 50/50 with if they will bother other fish). Potter’s Angel would be a no-no for a reef and so would a Moorish Idol. With the Moorish Idol and the Heniochus , neither is actually good for a reef.

If you are looking for a centerpiece fish, you also might want to look into Angelfish in the Genicanthus species. You can just google that. Then with Butterflyfish you can get a Yellow Zoster Butterfly (one of my favorite fish). Then when it comes to Tangs, nearly every one gets over a foot long with the exception of the Lieutenant and Kole Yellow Eye tangs. I would suggest Hawkfish, but I take it that you want something more active?

 

[Mustang394]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8584847#post8584847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tominicane

Potter’s Angel would be a no-no for a reef and so would a Moorish Idol. With the Moorish Idol and the Heniochus , neither is actually good for a reef.

I have had a Potter's Angel that I got from Trey in my reef tank for about 6 months. No problems what so ever, a friend has a Heniochus in a reef mixed sps & lps with clams no problems.

 

[Crit21]

Active, yes. You can see the list of what's in my tank above.
My criteria:
- Compatibility with my tank inghabitants
- Color or pattern (something that immediately catches your eye)
- Activity would be good, but not necessary if it's eye-catching
- Hardiness and disease/parasite resistance
- Cost--this is a significant wife factor, for sure
- Not commonly seen in the local area. It's nice to have something unique.

A male genicanthus personatus would be great, but would it be a problem in the same tank as my coral beauty?

A female genicanthus bellus would also be nice, but since it's a deep water fish (160 feet), I wonder if it would survive.

The yellow zoster (pyramid) butterfly would definitely be a top pick, but I read that it likes crustacean flesh. Would it be likely to bother anything in my tank?

 

[tominicane]

You are lucky then. Must also feed your tank a good deal. However these are opportunistic fish. They will eat what you feed them, but in the event that they get hungry, THEY WILL pick at clams, LPS corals and other sessile inverts.

Yellow Zoster should NOT mess with anything, no. Also both of those Genicanthus, I think they get rather large without looking. The Bellus MIGHT be a smaller one. They are all relatively peacfull in that species though.

 

[Mustang394]

Actually only feed once a day, it has always been my experiance that it's a 50/50 on most angel and butterfly's those that shouldn't sometimes do and those that should don't always, captivity can greatly change what would be normal behavior in the wild.

 

[tominicane]

IMO you feed A LOT!!!! I mean a HUGE amount. Fish in the wild will normally eat every 5-7 days. Corals usually once a day because of the free floating plankton that is so readily available.

 

[tkeracer619]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8586337#post8586337 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tominicane
IMO you feed A LOT!!!! I mean a HUGE amount. Fish in the wild will normally eat every 5-7 days. Corals usually once a day because of the free floating plankton that is so readily available.

LOL, huh what. That is the most wrong statement I have seen today on R/C

 

[tominicane]

How is that hard to understand? What part should I spell again? If you call any aquarium on the planet or any marine biology institute, they will tell you the same thing. Feeding once a day is a MASSIVE amount of food for a fish from the wild. And the fish that we are talking about, are not "produced in captivity" LOL. You want some numbers? There are several places in South Carolina that would more then correct you.

Thanks for the response. It was articulated beautifully.

 

[tkeracer619]

It was worded nice wasn't it. How about you call them, I have been around fish long enough to know they eat more than once per week. Species like anthias eat all day long.




I think a good centerpiece is one you really enjoy. I have a green clown goby that gets more attention than the 6" powder blue by some people. It just depends on what you like.

 

[tominicane]

You have "been around fish" long enough? LOL DeDeDe. I graduated from one of them, why would I need to call them. I have over 17000 hours of dive time logged. I have contributed to several of books and been published in a number of papers. I did internships in Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, Seattle, Florida, Africa and the Caribbean.

How many times have you dived on a reef or stayed shallow breathing for nearly a week to watch a fishes natural feeding patterns in the wild? I think I have been scared off.

 

[Crit21]

17000 sure beats my 8 hours snorkeling.

Anyway, I think the difference in perspective here is between actual feeding opportunities in the wild vs artificially induced feeding rates in a home aquarium.

 

[tkeracer619]

Ok, a qoute from this issue of reefkeeping magazine. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/ac/index.php

Feeding is another great challenge with Anthiines. The main obstacle has been that many feed almost constantly on zooplankton in the wild. It is difficult, if even possible, to replicate in home aquaria the nature and frequency of the matter they feed upon in the wild.

I don't have time to prove my point with you b/c it would be pointless, I could care less if your fish starve to death but will try to make a point so some one else doesn't think they have to feed fish once a week. In all those times you went diving I suppose you followed the same fish around for one week to make sure he only got his weekly meal. I'm sure some species are like that but not all or even most for that part.

Horah for you papers and snorkling.

If it will make you happy, yes I have opened my eyes under water.






I think a pair of Wantanabii (sp) angels would be sweet!!! It would be over your budget but its a pair =]

 

[Mustang394]

Thats almost 2 years under water wish I had that kind of time. This has gotten kind of ugly fast. So going back to the threads original purpose.

Anyways Dan I have to agree your centerpiece fish will depend greatly on personal preference. What some people are in awe with others think are ugly. I would go with what makes you happy as your the one who looks at the tank everyday. MHO

 

[tkeracer619]

LOL DeDeDe.

leave that at home! You offend a lot of people when you clown mentally and physically challenged people.


I don't see the point. Trying to prove you are a jerk? Maybe. It's working.

 

[tominicane]

Feed your Anthias all that you want. They are water column feeders, free floating particles. Like is said, CORALS eat daily in the wild. Anthias will also take the opportunity to column feed when they can in order to keep good health. THIS is the reason that they should NOT be brought into the hobby. They are pack hunters, they have ways of manipulating the movement of the water. 100’s of fish at a time. If you want to feed your tank Zooplan once a day, so be it. I hope you have A LOT of corals though. And your nitrates are where again? They can’t be zero in a tank that large that is fed daily.

However even if you are feeding that much, I can only hope it is not flake or pellet food before your tank gets Old Tank Syndrome and implodes in about 2 years.

 

[Crit21]

Ok, back to your corners. Some discussions are better off when they don't occur.

I considered watanabes, but they seem a bit plain to me. I do like the idea

I don't really have a budget. It's more of a fuzzy limit per fish that I have in mind. I'm considering the "wife factor". You know: "You spend more time and money on that tank than you do with me!"