Fish you have/had kept but wouldnt keep again

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Pink skunk clownfish are another fish i wouldnt keep as a pair terrorised my nano tank, however i would be willing to try then in a larger tank again as they were beautiful

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Snowflake eel. Was great at keeping detritus clear from under the rocks. That means there was always a sand storm and the rock work was constantly being destabilized. It also required special feeding compared to the rest of the fishes.
I’d put one in a Fowler/ predictor tank though.

Thats unfortunate, did he ever eat any other fish

 

[Lorenzo Angotti]

Was just wondering if anyone has any they'd like to share, as i have a trio of lyretails and while they aren't hell raisers they are just quite annoying as such in that they think they are the boss and would prefer a different species if i had to chose, but wouldnt give them up as i dont have a good enough reason to and have grown quite attached to them especially the male lol

Had a yellow tail Tamarin Wrasse lovely fish but was constantly turning over my rocks or Frags that I had placed on the sand bed deciding where to place them eventually, kept hunting all the time. Would be ideal in a bigger tank that had larger rocks. Here is a pict.

 

[Lorenzo Angotti]

Other than clown fish, I'll never, ever put another damsel in my tank. Pretty fish, but they are the devil fish of a tank. I had a blue velvet damselfish that killed three of my fish. He was put into a witness protection program, where a tank crash caused his demise.

3 years now, I still have have 3 blue damsels and 2 velvet fish in my Reef tank they tend to bicker between themselves and leave the rest of the fish. I did have 12 at one point, because I was told that you would have a better chance of keeping them as they would not likely to squabble too much.

 

[Thomashtom]

Now that is one mean fish. I think even Jaws wouldn't have attempted that.

Queen triggers have been known to out of nowhere wipe out an entire tank!!!! Definitely should be kept in ocean!!! LOL

 

[Nep2n]

Citron Clown Goby. Beautiful fish but a real pain. Perched on acros kept them irritated to the point where they wouldn't extend polyps. Caught it and transferred it to a tank with no sps. It then started landing on and irritating my Derasa clam to the point where is stayed semi closed up half the day. Would even peck at the mantle from time to time. Caught and returned to the lfs, just gave it back.

Also dwarf angelfish. Have had mixed results with fish that started out fine but as the got older started pecking at acros. Had a Lamarck's that had never touched anything decide that it liked tenuis all of a sudden. Cost me dearly before I was able to catch him. Just not worth the risk imho.

Purple Tang. This guy was a real terror, but I believe more my choice of tank mates than the fish.

Interestingly I have a tank with many of the repeaters. I have a Kole Tang that pals around with my Magnificent Foxface, both are the largest fish in the tank and give no grief to the others. I have a pair of bonded Lightning Maroon clowns that keep to themselves (no anemone in the tank). I have a Six Line Wrasse that's almost 2" long that's no trouble. A Neon Dottyback that is an awesome fish, gives no one any grief. He'll swim to the glass and stare eye to eye with me for minutes on end. Other fish Fathead Anthias, Green Chromis, mated pair of Bangaii Cardinalfish, 2 1/2" Ocellate Damsel. Tank is a 220g to LOTS of live rock and hiding places so I think my success with these fish may be related to everyone having a spot they don't feel the need to compete for. I also feed 3-4 times daily so everyone stays fat and happy.

As for the Firefish and Mandarine, I have a 35g with 3 Firefish, 1 Green Mandarin and a Tailspot Blenny that all get along great. All very docile fish. The 35 is tied into a 2 year old system with loads of pods so the Mandarin stays fat and happy (also will eat Can-O-Cyclops that I feed daily).

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Had a yellow tail Tamarin Wrasse lovely fish but was constantly turning over my rocks or Frags that I had placed on the sand bed deciding where to place them eventually, kept hunting all the time. Would be ideal in a bigger tank that had larger rocks. Here is a pict.

That is infact a species of coris wrasse, not a tamarin wrasse which are from my experience a lot more delicate than that lol. Sorry he turned out to be such a messer, do you still have him?

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Citron Clown Goby. Beautiful fish but a real pain. Perched on acros kept them irritated to the point where they wouldn't extend polyps. Caught it and transferred it to a tank with no sps. It then started landing on and irritating my Derasa clam to the point where is stayed semi closed up half the day. Would even peck at the mantle from time to time. Caught and returned to the lfs, just gave it back.

Also dwarf angelfish. Have had mixed results with fish that started out fine but as the got older started pecking at acros. Had a Lamarck's that had never touched anything decide that it liked tenuis all of a sudden. Cost me dearly before I was able to catch him. Just not worth the risk imho.

Purple Tang. This guy was a real terror, but I believe more my choice of tank mates than the fish.

Interestingly I have a tank with many of the repeaters. I have a Kole Tang that pals around with my Magnificent Foxface, both are the largest fish in the tank and give no grief to the others. I have a pair of bonded Lightning Maroon clowns that keep to themselves (no anemone in the tank). I have a Six Line Wrasse that's almost 2" long that's no trouble. A Neon Dottyback that is an awesome fish, gives no one any grief. He'll swim to the glass and stare eye to eye with me for minutes on end. Other fish Fathead Anthias, Green Chromis, mated pair of Bangaii Cardinalfish, 2 1/2" Ocellate Damsel. Tank is a 220g to LOTS of live rock and hiding places so I think my success with these fish may be related to everyone having a spot they don't feel the need to compete for. I also feed 3-4 times daily so everyone stays fat and happy.

As for the Firefish and Mandarine, I have a 35g with 3 Firefish, 1 Green Mandarin and a Tailspot Blenny that all get along great. All very docile fish. The 35 is tied into a 2 year old system with loads of pods so the Mandarin stays fat and happy (also will eat Can-O-Cyclops that I feed daily).

That sounds like a colourful tank, im scared to put a clown goby in my tank but they are so cute its hard to resist. Do you have any angels still

 

[Nep2n]

That sounds like a colourful tank, im scared to put a clown goby in my tank but they are so cute its hard to resist. Do you have any angels still

No, I have what would technically be referred to as a mixed reef although it's probably 80% sps corals. I only had the Lamarck's because a friend that sets up and maintains tanks recommended it as being possibly the "least likely" dwarf angel to revert to eating coral polyps. But he also added that NO dwarf angel could be considered without risk. (This gentleman has a degree in marine biology, he's my go to person for animal compatibility.) Most of the fish in my 220 were recommended by him.

 

[Shluffer]

Clown sweetlips. Beautiful. Stunning, entertaining, needed to stay in the ocean. Had him eating on day 1. By day 3 he wasnt eating lasted about 3 weeks.

 

[Lorenzo Angotti]

That is infact a species of coris wrasse, not a tamarin wrasse which are from my experience a lot more delicate than that lol. Sorry he turned out to be such a messer, do you still have him?

Thanks for the correction, no sadly took back to the shop Mermaid Aquatics.

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Thanks for the correction, no sadly took back to the shop Mermaid Aquatics.

Sorry about that, i once was going to get a juvenile of them but decided i would research them and it turned out theyd get a lot bigger thsn i expected for my tank lol

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Flame angels.. love em but they cant handle hyposalinity or copper and im not buying them again and risking ich in my tabk.. sucks but ive lost 4 of em.

Fire gobies.. or purple gobies.. love em.. but they just die too easily.. or they jump out even with small half in gaps.. they find a way.. stupid fish.

Lawn mower blenny, unless you have tons of algae (except hair algae i noticed they dont touch it) they usually end up atsrving and dying.

Kole tangs.. ive gone through 4 of them.. they are cool fish but die from starvation or whatever.. tired of it.. so i got a tomini tang and hes doing amazing and eats food i put in the tank. And on my rocks

I wont buy damsels anymore..Even in a 135g tank they manage to kill themselves off until there is only 1 or 2 left.

Coral beauties.. I got lucky with the one i have.. he hasnt starved because he eats food... but every coral beauty ive had starves because they dont eat any food but algae on the rocks. Or they die too easily from disease.

Green chromis. Wont bother with them anymore either.

6 line wrasse ive gone through 5 of the... they jump.. or just suddenly are dead the next morning.

Bangai cardinals.. can only keep 1.. if you 2 or more they kill eachother.

I wont buy blue tangs because they are all like 1 inch big.. too small and fragile at that age.size.

I wont touch starfish, seahorses,


Most fish i notice just starve because they eont eat anything.. wont touch any prepared food.. and most fish was algae on rocks... The tangs and other herbavor fish i hsve now.. i got lucky they eat anything i put in the tank. So its reslly just plain luck on alot of fish.


I hear alot of bad things about yellow tangs.. but mine are really docile.. in thr morning when the ligjts come on.. mine fights with my sailfin tang but after 30 minutes they stop and dont care about eachother

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Flame angels.. love em but they cant handle hyposalinity or copper and im not buying them again and risking ich in my tabk.. sucks but ive lost 4 of em.

Fire gobies.. or purple gobies.. love em.. but they just die too easily.. or they jump out even with small half in gaps.. they find a way.. stupid fish.

Lawn mower blenny, unless you have tons of algae (except hair algae i noticed they dont touch it) they usually end up atsrving and dying.

Kole tangs.. ive gone through 4 of them.. they are cool fish but die from starvation or whatever.. tired of it.. so i got a tomini tang and hes doing amazing and eats food i put in the tank. And on my rocks

I wont buy damsels anymore..Even in a 135g tank they manage to kill themselves off until there is only 1 or 2 left.

Coral beauties.. I got lucky with the one i have.. he hasnt starved because he eats food... but every coral beauty ive had starves because they dont eat any food but algae on the rocks. Or they die too easily from disease.

Green chromis. Wont bother with them anymore either.

6 line wrasse ive gone through 5 of the... they jump.. or just suddenly are dead the next morning.

Bangai cardinals.. can only keep 1.. if you 2 or more they kill eachother.

I wont buy blue tangs because they are all like 1 inch big.. too small and fragile at that age.size.

I wont touch starfish, seahorses,


Most fish i notice just starve because they eont eat anything.. wont touch any prepared food.. and most fish was algae on rocks... The tangs and other herbavor fish i hsve now.. i got lucky they eat anything i put in the tank. So its reslly just plain luck on alot of fish.


I hear alot of bad things about yellow tangs.. but mine are really docile.. in thr morning when the ligjts come on.. mine fights with my sailfin tang but after 30 minutes they stop and dont care about eachother

Thats a long list sorry for all the fishies who didnt make it for you

 

[Bill Hogan]

For me; no 6lines, no angels, no damsels besides Rolands or Talbots, no diamond gobys, no jawfish, no thalasomas, definitely no clowns, and my most recent unfortunately, no triggers, they eat way to much and really make nutrients difficult to manage when not in a monster tank.

That is good to hear about Rolands damsels. I'm moving up from a few nano tanks to a 75 gal as soon as I finish building the stand. I want to cycle first, then add either Rolands or Starki damsels, or Barrier Reef Chromis, if I can find them.

 

[Bill Hogan]

Wow thanks for all the responses, never thought id get this many,
A lot of fish i love have made this list like damsels, my starcki is quite mellow but likes to think shes queen of her side, and dwarf angels, i think i got lucky finding a multibar who eats and a coral beauty who both dont nip to damage.... well maybe a trumpet coral but we can forget that lol

Happy to hear about the Starcki. I want Starkis!

 

[Bill Hogan]

Blue Reef Chromis. They kill each other off till there's only one left and then the one's thats left turns into the biggest bully. I had to drain my tank to catch him.
Purple Dottyback. Meanest fish I ever had.
Firefish- Bullied by everyone.

I had 3 Blue Reef Chromis and I agree they are killers.

 

[Shannan]

Big eyed squirrel fish!!!

We have one named Jeff who attacks EVERYTHING!!! I broke down half the tank trying to get him and a damsel out (got the damsel, not him). After 2 days I gave up. Even tried a shop vac and a fishing hook.

He's still in my tank. Eats non-stop. Attacks everyone else during feedings. Will randomly attack other fish for no reason. Hides when he sees me come near the tank.

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Big eyed squirrel fish!!!

We have one named Jeff who attacks EVERYTHING!!! I broke down half the tank trying to get him and a damsel out (got the damsel, not him). After 2 days I gave up. Even tried a shop vac and a fishing hook.

He's still in my tank. Eats non-stop. Attacks everyone else during feedings. Will randomly attack other fish for no reason. Hides when he sees me come near the tank.

I thought they were peaceful lol, im sure he looks cool though

 

[Lorenzo Angotti]

I thought they were peaceful lol, im sure he looks cool though

Yes not a shy fish, was cool to see him swim in all his glory.