So why do people keep large fish?

I love angelfish which I suppose are on the "larger side" but most tangs don't do much for me. I truly want to understand. Crosshatch triggers also appeal, but I keep reefs so there are some issues with those.
 
MrTuskfish said:
Yeah, this is a big part of reefkeeping, IMO. I have a nice little 55 reef and can study the little things for hours. I've tried to keep bigger reefs a couple of times; but just don't have the patience. There is a lot that goes on in a well-stocked 55 reef tank, though. My oldest daughter calls my big tanks, all are built in, "Living Murals"; that's the way I see them too, much of the time. Sometimes I see the entire tank as one big picture, but I can focus in on individual fish too.

A very interesting & thought provoking topic!
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Too late to edit:
I ignored the obvious; taking nothing away from the beauty of small fish, larger reef are incredibly beautiful & interesting. 3 adult Purple tangs, swimming 8 feet across the living room is breathtaking..... and sure beats people-watching at Wal-Mart. They also interact predictably and have individual personalities. (Careful, I don't want to get carried away with the human-type traits, they are still fish) A bonus: people, especially kids, can "watch the fishies" without getting their little mitts all over the glass.
 
While a nano and or species tank has it's merits I would always want my bigger tanks for my triggers. It's their very interesting behaviour and constant antics. Sometimes I'm not sure who is keeping who :spin2:
 
i personally love some of the larger angels but only in juv form
eg queen and emperor due to colouration but think they are ugly in adult form

I guess the appeal of larger fish is they stand out more especially if a colourful variety and it immediateley catch the eye

I also dont understand the appeal of people who like large sacro etc IMO they are ugly but each to their own.
 
I think some people (not necessarily on RC) get a big fish in a small tank because 1) they simply don't know any better; 2) mean to upgrade in the future; 3) want to "fill up" the tank; 4) they saw it on "Finding Nemo"; or 5) that fish would really look good in their tank. IME, I was/am guilty of more than one of these reasons, but did finally upgrade.
 
aleonn said:
I think some people (not necessarily on RC) get a big fish in a small tank because 1) they simply don't know any better; 2) mean to upgrade in the future; 3) want to "fill up" the tank; 4) they saw it on "Finding Nemo"; or 5) that fish would really look good in their tank. IME, I was/am guilty of more than one of these reasons, but did finally upgrade.
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Yes I agree. Unfortunately I see more than 90% of upgrades not happening.
 
The thing that bugs me the most is the aquarist who finally gets his big tank (180+) and then overstocks it with large angels and tangs.

Ive been in FW and SW for over 30 yrs now and have learned over the yrs that you dont need to cram every fish you love into your tank.

Some members with large tanks need to show some restraint and stop adding fish to their already overstocked tanks.

I have 2-3 times the water volume of some of these people and yet I only have a few large fish.

I guess I'm old school but I dont like to see too many fish in a tank... to busy for me.
 
IMO the larger fish seem to have a better personality ie they and are more interactive with their keepers. Vlamingi's often seem to work their way into the hearts of their owners. If you decide to take the one from your freind you might find the big grey submarine becoming your favorite fish.
 
audiowerks said:
IMO the larger fish seem to have a better personality ie they and are more interactive with their keepers. Vlamingi's often seem to work their way into the hearts of their owners. If you decide to take the one from your freind you might find the big grey submarine becoming your favorite fish.
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+1

My Vlamingii was like a pet dog. He would always be right there looking right at you when you get in his eyeshot of the tank. He would let me pick him right up out of the water without even a wiggle. He was my fav fish for personality.
 
evsalty said:
+1

My Vlamingii was like a pet dog. He would always be right there looking right at you when you get in his eyeshot of the tank. He would let me pick him right up out of the water without even a wiggle. He was my fav fish for personality.
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So what happened to him?
 
I just have a passion for tangs, even if they stayed 2" I would still enjoy them. With that being said I tend to regard my tangs by their full grown size rather than their current size so that I can plan my stocking accordingly.
 
How can one be a "scorp nut" without at least one P. volitans?

There's nothing like an adult volitans for sheer beauty and presence, especially if you raise it from a little "peanut" of a fish:

THEN (use the thermometer for scale):

lionin5.jpg


NOW:

volitansitting700.jpg
 
snorvich said:
Yes, too busy does not appeal to me either. Very unnatural.
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Yet, a shoal of anthias is "busy" in some sense, but stunning (and "natural," sort of).

I personally think that a nice mix provides the most visual interest: quite a fair number of smaller free-swimming fish (like a couple of species of anthias together), along with just a couple larger free-swimming fish (like an appropriately-for-the-tank tang or rabbitfish, a butterfly pair, or maybe a large angel), with a couple/few fish that tend to "perch" on rocks and corals (blennies, gobies, etc.). I also enjoy watching various inverts of varying sizes and colors like sea stars, urchins, hermits, shrimps (I also have an incredibly cryptic reef lobster that I see maybe once a month - but it's kind of a treat because he shows himself so rarely).
 
I believe it has to do with the challenge, beauty, and variety of fish. I started out with a nano tank and when trying to choose a fish for it I had a really hard time finding one that not everyone has, like clownfish pairs, one that I would enjoy the colors and personality, and one that would be comfortable in my fish tank. Now that I have more options I really enjoy researching all of the fish that I find interesting such as wrasses, tangs, and the sort. They have beautiful colors and personalities and I love just watching them swim. I really think that we just try to pick the fish we enjoy.
 
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