Why does nobody keep High Hat Drums?

[fishfreak2009]

Why doesn't anybody have one? I love mine, he's a greedy feeder, gets along with everything, leaves coral alone, and just looks awesome.

 

[SushiGirl]

I've never seen any for sale, I'll have to keep an eye out.

 

[mbd521]

I've never seen one! pretty cool looking fish!

 

[tcmfish]

They get large, are rather dull as adults, and will probably eat small fish and inverts...

But if you are in the market for a fish like that the spotted drum is much nicer IMO.

 

[fishfreak2009]

They get large, are rather dull as adults, and will probably eat small fish and inverts...

But if you are in the market for a fish like that the spotted drum is much nicer IMO.

They only get 8-9 inches, so about the same size as most tangs, and they really don't have the mouth to eat small fish. Fishbase has the diet listed as "other benthic invertebrates" and I doubt it could even try to eat coral, the way the mouth is shaped. Mine likes to chew through the sand. And the adults aren't that bad looking. They just have more dark stripes. To top it off, these are captive bred as food fish, so there is no need to remove them from the wild.

IMO and IME, this is an ideal fish for captivity, as long as you have a larger tank with a sandbed.

 

[MrTuskfish]

8" fish bred as a food fish. Interesting, have a source, I'd like to know more. I know Red Drum (Redfish) are being home-grown, but never heard of these fish being aquacultured.

 

[CHSUB]

i would catch them and put them in my 55 galllon with other local florida fish and inverts; i always ended up releasing them after a short time!!! not to colorful, but nice fish....

 

[fishfreak2009]

8" fish bred as a food fish. Interesting, have a source, I'd like to know more. I know Red Drum (Redfish) are being home-grown, but never heard of these fish being aquacultured.

Fishbase.org says, "Has been reared in captivity." They cite it as coming from Martin Moe's Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder

I also found this: http://www.marinebreeder.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=148

And this: http://www.mbisite.org/Search.aspx?Species=79

 

[tcmfish]

They have been reared before, but aren't commercially raised. So yes they do have to be taken from the wild. Though most marine aquarium fish are.

 

[fishfreak2009]

My experience with this fish makes me wish they were commercially reared then. IMO and IME, no large tank with sand should be without them. Mine is such a character, begging for food and getting along with everyone.

 

[fishfreak2009]

They get large, are rather dull as adults, and will probably eat small fish and inverts...

But if you are in the market for a fish like that the spotted drum is much nicer IMO.

I just searched the spotted drum and found a video about them and how underrated they are as aquarium fish. I will be looking into one for my tank, seeing as they have an adult with an adult high hat drum in the video. What they say about the reef safeness of the spotted should apply to the high hat drum as well though.

 

[rachenbrazil]

They are somewhat sensitive to ich... But are nice and cheap. Jacknife is also a pretty member of family.

 

[fishfreak2009]

They are somewhat sensitive to ich... But are nice and cheap. Jacknife is also a pretty member of family.

A 6 week Quarantine with Cupramine seems to solve any ich problems perfectly for me.