Candy Basslet... Is it worth it?

[Luke13]

I’ve been wanting a Candy Basslet for a while now and I’d like to hear some insight from others who have owned one or a similar species. Is it worth the price? I’ve thought about pulling the trigger here recently since Liveaquaria has a couple on Diver’s Den.
I’ve got a cycled IM 10 gal tank ready for livestock now that I’d like to dedicate to the Basslet if I do decide to get one. Any information, pointers, or guidance on this fish would be greatly appreciated!

 

[mattzang]

no idea on the fish, but a nice 10 gallon dedicated solely to it would probably be cool so that it won't just hide all the time lol

but i'd just throw in there liveaquaria frequently has some decent discount codes so i'd look around for one of those. 20% off a $600 fish would make the price a little more palatable at least

 

[Gareth elliott]

Their price is their collection depth. All deep water fish get a pretty hefty price tag.
Acclimating and shipping issues are what make it an expert fish from my understanding.
Not quite the same but a swiss swales is also a very pretty fish at a fraction of the cost.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Personally for a 10g if i was willing to spend on very pretty live stock i would probably do a helfrichi fire fish and a colorful goby species like a yasha with pistol shrimp. Save the rest of the $600 for corals

 

[64Ivy]

I had one for 6+years as the only fish in a 20g "LPS" tank. I recall it being fairly cryptic at first but as it became more comfortable, I'd see it out and darting around pretty often. No problems with eating either though I would recommend a lid on your tank as these guys can become pretty 'excitable', especially at mealtimes. And trust me, you do NOT want to find a fish that expensive dried up and on the floor. Otherwise, my experience has them doing quite well as a smaller tank 'Show Fish'. Final thing though: Remember, these are deep water fish. Be extra diligent keep your parameters stable, your water slightly on the cooler side, and try not to blast them with a lot of light. Therefore, not the best choice to keep with an 'SPS' dominant set-up.

 

[ca1ore]

I had one a while back (before they got crazy expensive). Not a good fish for a boisterous tank - really needs a quiet environment as others have noted.

 

[Dsnakes]

You can also checkout the Swissguard Basslet, a good bit less expensive and fairly similar. I recently saw it referred to the ‘poor man’s candy basslet’ on a forum here.

 

[Luke13]

Definitely a lot to think about. I’ll update with what I ultimately decide to do here soon. Appreciate the help everyone!

 

[takayan]

I have two of them for a couple of years. I believe that the key to keep them is to maintain low temp not more than 74F. I keep the water temp around 72 or below. They are from deep water.

 

[ccoffel81]

no not to me

 

[Hypan]

I have had one in my reefer 250 for about a year. Although he hides a lot I see him every now and then. I also have a helfrich in there too and he is out all the time. It would be a good fish for a nuvo 10. Just expect it to hide a lot. I’ll be moving him to my frag tank soon.

 

[WallyB]

Personally for a 10g if i was willing to spend on very pretty live stock i would probably do a helfrichi fire fish and a colorful goby species like a yasha with pistol shrimp. Save the rest of the $600 for corals

2nd the VOTE on the Helfrichi Fire Fish. I have one and it's beautiful and very peaceful too. Had two but one got killed in a pump.
My Helfrichi does hide to sleep, but comes out like clockwork same time each day, and swims peaceful out in open, till lights go out.

This is him or Her?



However if you want a nice Less Expensive Basset, I also have and recommend, and BLACK CAP BASSLET. (Not multi colored, but if you ever see one in person, it's special Looking, and Great Personality too)

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

I had one years ago and like noted above, it was cryptic at first, but eventually became the boss of the tank. Granted, I kept it only with other small fish, purposely so it couldn't be bullied. It was one of the best fish I have ever kept and I was 100% happy that I got it.

 

[Esage]

Their price is their collection depth. All deep water fish get a pretty hefty price tag.
Acclimating and shipping issues are what make it an expert fish from my understanding.
Not quite the same but a swiss swales is also a very pretty fish at a fraction of the cost.

My Swiss is my favorite fish, bright orange and purple , beautiful fish. I’ve had mine about five years.

 

[BigNick24]

I had mine in a nuvo 20 with a pair of gold nuggets and a flaming prawn goby. In my experience he was very outgoing, not to mention that pictures do these fish no justice when it comes to the colors. Well worth the price if you can spend the $$.

 

[srad750c]

I’ve been wanting a Candy Basslet for a while now and I’d like to hear some insight from others who have owned one or a similar species. Is it worth the price? I’ve thought about pulling the trigger here recently since Liveaquaria has a couple on Diver’s Den.
I’ve got a cycled IM 10 gal tank ready for livestock now that I’d like to dedicate to the Basslet if I do decide to get one. Any information, pointers, or guidance on this fish would be greatly appreciated!

I wouldn’t keep in less than 30 gals, room to grow and less water quality issues. They’re fairly hardy fish if fed properly. But for that price, I could find better stuff for my tank. Wait until they reach $250-300, if not no big loss. I’m a cheapo, I never pay more than $150 for anything.

 

[WetPets]

One of the best fish we have had. The one I had was a great eater and out a lot.

 

[Steelersfan]

This pair has been with me for over two years now. They are pretty much bulletproof. IMO, they are worth it.

 

[soundless]

Im fairly new to keeping a reef tank (3 months new) and the guy who helped me set up told me he had something cool for me. Turns out it was a candy basslet - the even better part is it was priced around USD 50. I've set up a 16 gallon Ocean Free aquarium and only planned for 2 or 3 fish maximum with the main focus on some softies and LPS. Here it is together with his only other tank mate after 2 weeks.

He is eating mysis and pellets. Sticks to the darker niches but will find him swimming about occasionally. Cool little guy and happy I picked him up because I was told they are quite rare to find for sale.

 

[Steelersfan]

That is a Swissguard Basslet. Very nice fish!!!