Chitownpw
New member
Based on personal experience, below is a list of the top ten things I wouldn't put in my mixed reef tank if I could do it over again. I realize people are going to hate, but these are just my views.
1) Green star polyps. While this coral is easy to care for and can add a unique (relative to other corals) look to your tank, it grows like a weed and is noxious to other coral species around it. I had this coral in each of my tanks. Realizing it has a tenacious desire to grow and move towards the top of the tank, I tried to isolate it from my main rock structures but it still found its way over.
2) Pulsating Xenia. This coral is interesting for about five minutes until (like the green star polyp) it starts growing like a weed and irritates the hell out of everything around it. To get it out of my 90 gallon, I had to treat it like some sort of evasive species and take extreme measures.
3) Mushrooms (primarily, Discosoma). Like the corals above, these are good beginner corals but they spread uncontrollably. I find they like to colonize next to my most expensive SPS and irritate them, and they are extremely difficult to remove.
4) Long-spined black sea urchin. Good workers but just didn't make sense in my tank. Constantly knocking things over, and I kept forgetting how close they were whenever I stuck my hand in my tank.
5) Green / Blue Chromis. I like the fish and have one in my tank. They made this list because they have a tendency to bully the hell out of each other until there is only one left "“ hence the reason why I only have one "“ the sole survivor.
6) Foxface. These are generally good workers, but they are extremely skittish and other tank inhabitants cue off it. Plus, I had one that decided to start eating all my LPS.
7) Powder Blug Tang. Love the fish but extremely susceptible to ich. Plus, 9 times out of 10 they are true bullies. This is one fish, however, I likely would put into a larger system.
8) Mandarin Dragonet. Like the PBT, I love this fish; however, they just don't really seem compatible with your typical home reef tank. I've never been able to keep these fish alive for more than a couple of years, even when I kept a good supply of a live food source.
9) Conchs. Like them but they don't seem to live long.
10) Filter Socks. Just because I hate cleaning them.
What would you exclude if you could do it over again?
1) Green star polyps. While this coral is easy to care for and can add a unique (relative to other corals) look to your tank, it grows like a weed and is noxious to other coral species around it. I had this coral in each of my tanks. Realizing it has a tenacious desire to grow and move towards the top of the tank, I tried to isolate it from my main rock structures but it still found its way over.
2) Pulsating Xenia. This coral is interesting for about five minutes until (like the green star polyp) it starts growing like a weed and irritates the hell out of everything around it. To get it out of my 90 gallon, I had to treat it like some sort of evasive species and take extreme measures.
3) Mushrooms (primarily, Discosoma). Like the corals above, these are good beginner corals but they spread uncontrollably. I find they like to colonize next to my most expensive SPS and irritate them, and they are extremely difficult to remove.
4) Long-spined black sea urchin. Good workers but just didn't make sense in my tank. Constantly knocking things over, and I kept forgetting how close they were whenever I stuck my hand in my tank.
5) Green / Blue Chromis. I like the fish and have one in my tank. They made this list because they have a tendency to bully the hell out of each other until there is only one left "“ hence the reason why I only have one "“ the sole survivor.
6) Foxface. These are generally good workers, but they are extremely skittish and other tank inhabitants cue off it. Plus, I had one that decided to start eating all my LPS.
7) Powder Blug Tang. Love the fish but extremely susceptible to ich. Plus, 9 times out of 10 they are true bullies. This is one fish, however, I likely would put into a larger system.
8) Mandarin Dragonet. Like the PBT, I love this fish; however, they just don't really seem compatible with your typical home reef tank. I've never been able to keep these fish alive for more than a couple of years, even when I kept a good supply of a live food source.
9) Conchs. Like them but they don't seem to live long.
10) Filter Socks. Just because I hate cleaning them.
What would you exclude if you could do it over again?
