I see frequent posts about stocking lists, picking fish, and also many posts about problems with fish that usually can avoided. I can assure you that avoiding problems is almost always better than fixing problems especially since some problems cannot be fixed. So, with that in mind, here is my criteria for picking fish; I hope it adds value to some of you who are in the process of selecting fish for your tank.
Size. While this seems obvious, from many postings it is not always considered. If you have a huge tank, very, very small fish may not be seen or may establish a territory out of view. On the converse side putting huge fish (relative to tank size) in a tank makes the tank look "œawkward". As an example, I absolutely love Vlamingii Tangs (Naso vlamingii) but even in my 350 gallon tank, a fish that grows to two feet in length is not a good choice.
Diet. There are two aspects to this decision: first, can you supply the food your fish needs and secondly what will it eat that you don't want it to eat. Fish which eat corals as their primary diet are going to be difficult to maintain but equally problematic will be ambush predators that want to eat your fish and invertebrates. Always investigate diet for your aquarium inhabitants before buying.
Aggression. I am a huge fan of fairy and flasher wrasses, but adding Scott's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus scottorum) as an example but there are others, to a tank would mean constant aggression and perhaps even mortality. Some fish simply have a behavior that makes them bad roommates. There are other fish, such as certain tangs, that become progressively more aggressive as they get larger and their perceived ecological niche begins to subjectively shrink. On the converse, are fish easily intimidated (such as firefish) and will hide and not eat?
Movement. Do you want fish that move around through the water column such as anthias or are more sedentary such as certain gobies?
Area of the tank they frequent. Top, middle, or bottom? Is there competition for that space?
Interesting Behaviors. Do they interact with their environment in interesting ways or detructive ways? Clownfish will associate with anemones (what some people call hosting) but they will also associate with corals sometimes leading to the corals demise or in rare cases to the demise of the fish. Shrimp goby interactions are always interesting but moving the sand around can be dysfunctional to your corals that are on the sand bed. Cleaning behavior is common and interesting but obsessive cleaning can sometimes bother fish.
Remember, the more fish you have in a tank, the more subjectivel important an ecological niche becomes to any given fish and when that happens crowding can be an issue. This may not be obvious to us, but it is to a fish. Don't overcrowd, you will be happy you didn't. I never impulse buy (in fact I don't buy from LFS, partially to avoid that problem but for other reasons as well). Do your research first, then pick a vendor, quarantine (almost always but not without exception) or have the vendor quarantine for you. Then enjoy your tank. Remember, if a fish is thriving it can live for years and that will provide enjoyment as well as save money for replacements.
Size. While this seems obvious, from many postings it is not always considered. If you have a huge tank, very, very small fish may not be seen or may establish a territory out of view. On the converse side putting huge fish (relative to tank size) in a tank makes the tank look "œawkward". As an example, I absolutely love Vlamingii Tangs (Naso vlamingii) but even in my 350 gallon tank, a fish that grows to two feet in length is not a good choice.
Diet. There are two aspects to this decision: first, can you supply the food your fish needs and secondly what will it eat that you don't want it to eat. Fish which eat corals as their primary diet are going to be difficult to maintain but equally problematic will be ambush predators that want to eat your fish and invertebrates. Always investigate diet for your aquarium inhabitants before buying.
Aggression. I am a huge fan of fairy and flasher wrasses, but adding Scott's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus scottorum) as an example but there are others, to a tank would mean constant aggression and perhaps even mortality. Some fish simply have a behavior that makes them bad roommates. There are other fish, such as certain tangs, that become progressively more aggressive as they get larger and their perceived ecological niche begins to subjectively shrink. On the converse, are fish easily intimidated (such as firefish) and will hide and not eat?
Movement. Do you want fish that move around through the water column such as anthias or are more sedentary such as certain gobies?
Area of the tank they frequent. Top, middle, or bottom? Is there competition for that space?
Interesting Behaviors. Do they interact with their environment in interesting ways or detructive ways? Clownfish will associate with anemones (what some people call hosting) but they will also associate with corals sometimes leading to the corals demise or in rare cases to the demise of the fish. Shrimp goby interactions are always interesting but moving the sand around can be dysfunctional to your corals that are on the sand bed. Cleaning behavior is common and interesting but obsessive cleaning can sometimes bother fish.
Remember, the more fish you have in a tank, the more subjectivel important an ecological niche becomes to any given fish and when that happens crowding can be an issue. This may not be obvious to us, but it is to a fish. Don't overcrowd, you will be happy you didn't. I never impulse buy (in fact I don't buy from LFS, partially to avoid that problem but for other reasons as well). Do your research first, then pick a vendor, quarantine (almost always but not without exception) or have the vendor quarantine for you. Then enjoy your tank. Remember, if a fish is thriving it can live for years and that will provide enjoyment as well as save money for replacements.
