What Fish Should I Get? - I hate those threads

[o2manyfish]

This is part rant and part showing off.

I have been a member of numerous boards for decades. And I am always thrown off by people who post...

"... Hi, my new salt water aquarium is cycled. It's 150 gallons. What fish should I get?"


I hate these kind of posts/threads/questions.

Now before you scowl at some old codger who hates newbies and doesn't want to help people be successful, that's not what's going on.

I love this hobby. I am an addict to it. My father put an aquarium in my nursery when I was born. And throughout my entire life the longest I have not had an aquarium is the first week of college until I went home and brought back a new 40g salt tank.


But how can you invest the time, money and effort to get into this hobby and not know what you want?

I understand if you have flame angel and want to know can I get a flame hawk -- or are fish like gang members and you can't have 2 'flames' in the same tank.

But when people ask, what fish should I get.... I don't get it. There are so many beautiful fish that I have always dreamed of having. And for me price tag is not necessarily part of a dream fish.


And with this hobby, you don't know what fish you are going to be able to get or when. I am spoiled I live in Los Angeles and have access to the millions of fish that come into the United States every week.

But if I lived in the middle of Nebraska and there are 3 fish stores within a 100 miles. I wouldn't know which fish I was going to get till I got to the store and saw the inventory and health of the fish.


I am happy to help people out in making decisions of which fish to add next to their collection. Or sharing the knowledge I have acquired through decades of putting fish into aquariums and seeing what happens.

But when I see someone who has a box of saltwater - and they are asking a group of strangers to create their fish list. It makes no sense to me.


But lets turn they tables. Here I am a life long fish addict.

If you have read to this part of the post, now I ask the same question to you....

"What fish should I get?"

Tank Parameters -
400 Gallon Display Tank
100 Gallon Sump
5' Fluidized Sand Filter
250g Rock Sump/ refugium
1500lbs+ live rock
180g Frag Tank
UV
Ozone
Bubble King Skimmer
Heavily stocked SPS corals.
All parameters are good. Test kits are undetectable (This means I don't have test kits). Tank finished it's cycle in 1990.

Existing Fish List

Angels Qty
Goldflake 2
Bellus 3
Golden 1
Yellow Belly - MisBar Regal 2
Flame 1
Venustus 3
Colini 2
Flameback 2
Tangs
Black 1
Gem 1
Achilles 1
Purple 1
Yellow 9
Hippo 1

Clowns
Percula 3
Black Perc 2
Midnight 1
Misbar 1
ORA Stubby 2
Wyoming 2
ORA Longfin Percula 2

Damsels
Starki 3
Orange Tail 3
Springeri 8
Kupang 6

Misc
Bangai 6
Spotted Mandain 2
Red Scooter 2
Mandarin 1
Jans Pipe 2
Dragon Faced Pipe 1
BlueStripe Pipe 2
Royal Gramma 3

Lawnmower Blenny 1
Escensius Blenny 1
Tailspot Blenny 4
Bicoor Blenny 1

Orange Prawn Goby 1
Pink Stripe Goby 1
Misc Gobies 4
Dispar Anthias 3
Firefish 2

PseudoChromis
Arabian Pseudochromis (ORA) 3
Flaviritex (ORA) 2
Sankeyi (ORA) 2
Indigo Pseudochromis (ORA) 2
Sailfin Molly 1
Frimandi (ORA) 8

Yellow Assessor 6
MacNeil Assesor 1
Randall Assessor 1


Out in the frag tank the fish list is:
Puple Tang 1
Naso Tang 1
Chevron Tang 1
Flame Fin Tang 1
Yellow Tang 7
Powder Blue Tang 1
Tomini Tang 1
Desjardini 1

Imperator Angel 1
1.5" Orange Regal Angel 1
Colini Angel 2
Venustus Angel 3
Navarchus 1

Dragon Faced Pipe Fish 1
Kupang Damsel 5
Springeri Damsels 8
Bangai Cardinals 6
Mandarin Gobies 3
Filer Fish 1
Designer Clowns 8



The next fish I am waiting to add (when available and looking healthy are):
2-3 Golden Angels
2-4 Borbonius Anthias
1-2 African Flameback
1-2 Joculator Angels
4-6 Springeri Pseudochromis (ORA)


So everyone --- What fish should I get?


I have a live web cam on both the display tank and the frag tank. It's PTZ with a decent zoom. You can take a gander at either tank and make sure I'm not fibbing on the current fish list.

o2manyfish.com/webcam and o2manyfish.com/fragtank

Nothing is for sale (fish or corals).

What fish should I get?


Dave B

 

[billdogg]

Yes.

hth!

 

[Jekerry]

I can’t even begin to imagine what you would add to that collection! It is like a professional aquarium!

I do not have a ton of experience in fish, but dog training and competitions I am pretty well experienced in. Actually my husband even started as my student! I fell in love with his dog before I even noticed him.

Like you, I cringe when people ask me what kind of dog they should get. My cello teacher asked me that the other day. My answer was a cat! So much goes into a selection of a living creature to share your home with. And I think the question back to them should be, what is your motivation for getting this dog? Do you want to snuggle in the couch, go on long walks, compete in agility or obedience, do therapy visits to nursing homes? What do you want.

When we got our tank I wanted corals, an anenome and clown fish. My husband wanted a yellow tang. We got some corals, some fish including an adorable goby and my anenome. The anenome first killed the goby. Then it moved over to the gongonian coral and started harassing it. I then realized it was not in the right tank. So it was returned. Oh well! I plan to set up a smaller tank just for my future anenome and clowns! So you don’t always get what you want right away, but we are enjoying the tank so much it is ok.

I mean to say, great post and I have no idea. Maybe, like my cello teacher, a cat might be the best answer. The cat would enjoy watching your beautiful tank.

Jane

 

[o2manyfish]

Jekerry,

I'm deathly allergic to cats. So no cats.

The dog question is similar. I have 2 Brussels Griffons and have done agility with 3 of my Griffs in the past.

And if you like corals - then I agree corals go in reef tanks and anemones go in anemone tanks.

No matter how many people of photos you see of big reef with a gorgeous anemone in the middle. In my experience one day they move and then you have a trail of death and damage.

Our clowns are happy hosting in Clams, elegance corals, clavularia and duncans. They are spawning - So I don't think they mind.

Thanks

Dave B

 

[BigT75]

Holy snot bubble nice list [emoji1303]! I've been here a couple months and have learned a bunch and met some cool ppl I agree with that what do I get Deal I'll be digging thru the forums for pics of your tank I'll take a BP pill before thou lol


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[der_wille_zur_macht]

But when I see someone who has a box of saltwater - and they are asking a group of strangers to create their fish list. It makes no sense to me.

I think you're just seeing different motivating factors and/or different styles of hobby enjoyment.

Some people like learning and deciding on their own. Other people are much more socially driven, and regardless of their own knowledge or passion, they get the most enjoyment by involving other people in the process.

Also, I think that when you've been in the hobby for a very long time, it's easy to forget how vast and overwhelming it can be for newbies. When you're just starting out, it might just be the case that you know you want a marine tank but you don't yet have a good grasp on all the specific livestock that's available or possible. Asking people for ideas is a great way to figure out what's possible.

To each their own I guess.

 

[Fiver]

I think you're just seeing different motivating factors and/or different styles of hobby enjoyment.

Some people like learning and deciding on their own. Other people are much more socially driven, and regardless of their own knowledge or passion, they get the most enjoyment by involving other people in the process.

Also, I think that when you've been in the hobby for a very long time, it's easy to forget how vast and overwhelming it can be for newbies. When you're just starting out, it might just be the case that you know you want a marine tank but you don't yet have a good grasp on all the specific livestock that's available or possible. Asking people for ideas is a great way to figure out what's possible.

To each their own I guess.

I agree completely with this post. I tend to have a strong sense of what I want before I begin any project, but I completely understand why it's fun for others to throw out a question like that.

Involving others and starting such an open-ended conversation helps feed/maintain interest in the hobby. We all have our favorites, our old/former favorites and we all want more fish/corals/inverts than we have space for, so we all have a good answer for the "which fish" question. It's just fun.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I would liken this to clothes shopping. I'm totally happy to go buy clothes on my own and I generally know what's out there and what I like.

My daughter, on the other hand, pretty much HAS to have one of her girlfriends along when she goes shopping, and they practically pick out each other's outfits. When we can't find one of her friends to play that role, She talks me in to playing it. We walk into a store and she asks me what she should try on. It's not that she doesn't know anything about clothes or can't pick out her own clothes, she just really enjoys having someone pick things out for her, or at least with her.

 

[pinnatus]

I agree with wondering why people ask to pick out fish. That is the thing I like the most, deciding which fish to get.

As for your tank, I recommend a Moorish Idol. I had one for 8 years, and it was the most beautiful, most interesting fish I have ever kept in my 43 years in the hobby.

 

[Dmorty217]

I have asked similar questions in the past when I had basically had my mind made up before posting, just to get others opinions (which may or may not be followed) I agree with the time, money and effort invested in this hobby, you should be educated enough to make your own stocking decisions. Some info about compatibility isn't easily accessible via books and only comes from first had knowledge. Fish wise I guess the question is what is your budget?? I suggest a rare angel of some sort since they always steal the show.

 

[pinnatus]

Asking about compatibility is one thing. Asking what fish to get is another. Of couse, the answer is G. Personatus.

 

[chaudhry]

Don't intend to hijack the thread in any way.
I have a 100 gallon tank established for last 2 years. Mixed reef.
I had a quick question,
What fish should I get?


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[Jekerry]

Dolphin

Dolphin

Don't intend to hijack the thread in any way.
I have a 100 gallon tank established for last 2 years. Mixed reef.
I had a quick question,
What fish should I get?


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Totally a dolphin! Or is that not a fish, lol:rollface:

 

[heathlindner25]

Doctor Seuss soap fish are pretty ....

 

[davocean]

I hate I hate threads, cause I usually don't care what others hate, except today for about a second.

HTH

 

[WVfishguy]

I get ****ed when pet owners don't know squat about the critter they own or want, whether it's a mule, a lizard or fish. Growing up, I had one book on tropical fish, the Innes Book, and Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. Now we have the internet, all the info in the world at your finger tips. No excuses today.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I get ****ed when pet owners don't know squat about the critter they own or want, whether it's a mule, a lizard or fish. Growing up, I had one book on tropical fish, the Innes Book, and Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. Now we have the internet, all the info in the world at your finger tips. No excuses today.

So, you think newbies have a responsibility to learn about fish, and you're suggesting they could use the internet to accomplish that. But, when someone posts a question on the internet, in an attempt to get other people's input (so they can learn), you're upset?

 

[WVfishguy]

So, you think newbies have a responsibility to learn about fish, and you're suggesting they could use the internet to accomplish that. But, when someone posts a question on the internet, in an attempt to get other people's input (so they can learn), you're upset?

Boy, did you miss my point. Don't know where you got that. I'm saying with the 'net, there's no excuse for ignorance. I've been in dozens of shops dozens of times when customers tell me they don't know what kind of fish they have - although they have access to the 'net. It's the people too lazy to use the 'net that tick me off. Not just fish, but any living thing. And/or they purchase an animal BEFORE they know anything about it. And the animal suffers.

 

[chaudhry]

I started my saltwater journey in 2015. Before that i had a tropical fish tank off and on. In 2015, i bought a 55 gallon bow front from craigslist. Seller was a super nice guy and hander me a red sea salt bucket for free along with the tank. Initially i did not know, what to do with it.
And then my journey started on the internet. Each step of the way, it had ben a learning curve. I guess the website that got me most interested in the hobby was vividaquariums.com. And the site that helped me most with learning was reef central. There is a wealth of knowledge out there. I remember spending insane hours on the forum. I lost my interest in watching late night movies, and would just sit on website and read multiple threads and get those views from different people. Be it an Alkalinity dosing or choice of a salt, its a learning curve. Choice of fish and there compatibility with corals. If you are not entering this hobby well informed, you will end up hurting both the animals and your pocket!
I, by no means consider myself an expert in the hobby but it has been a hell if a journey that i have enjoyed every moment off.



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[HippieSmell]

So, what fish SHOULD I get?

I have a question. Are all of those fish currently in your 400 gallon? That's...maybe too many fish and not possible? You'd need some sort of quantum fish superposition to fit them all.