I wrote this years ago, I forget where it was published - certainly not an exhaustive list, but the criteria used still stands up I think:
There are a number of freshwater and saltwater species that simply will not survive in a home aquarium"
A successful aquarium serves to beautify a home while at the same time revealing to the hobbyist various aspects of aquatic biology and animal husbandry that he or she would otherwise never have an opportunity to see. For some aquarists, however, probably too many, the hobby is simply a large hole into which they shovel money until a breaking point is reached.
Obviously, both groups of hobbyists set out to be successful aquarists. What, then, separates those who enjoy the hobby from those who despair of ever succeeding at it?
For those who are not successful, the reason most consistently given as the cause of dissatisfaction is the excessive loss of animals. The causes for losing an organism to unforeseen problems are varied and difficult to categorize. Virtually every article in this magazine offers information that will help aquarists eliminate the majority of typical problems that they are likely to encounter. Topics such as disease control, filtration techniques, nutrition and so on have all been examined thoroughly in past issues. The beginning hobbyist, having read and understood these articles, cannot help but be a more effective freshwater or marine aquarist.
There is, however, one area of the hobby that has not been examined in great detail in this magazine: The suitability of commonly sold species, in terms of relative hardiness and general behavior, for life in a home aquarium. It is unfortunate but true, for example, that some marine species commonly offered for sale are so demanding in their requirements that even advanced hobbyists have difficulty maintaining them in a home aquarium for any length of time. Other species grow too large or are unsuitable for any number of reasons.
To help you avoid those aquatic animals that are most likely to cause you trouble, I have assembled a catalog of species that beginning aquarists (and even intermediate aquarists) would do well to leave at the store. In constructing this list, I have drawn on my own personal experiences with these species, as well as reports gathered from other hobbyists around the country.
The format I have chosen for listing these species will help eliminate most of the potential flaws concerning blanket statements about aquatic animals and their relative abilities to adapt to the confines of a home aquarium.
Keep in mind that this is a negative, rather than a positive, list. In other words, unless an animal has a long history of doing poorly for many people, it is not included.
The animals are cataloged by scientific name in order to eliminate confusion over common names. To assist those who might not have access to the scientific name of the animal in question, some of the most common names are also given.
In the sidebar entitled "Reasons To Avoid"
sidebars are at end of article are seven basic areas of concern. These are numbered. Each animal listed in the three sidebars
"Marine Invertebrates," "Marine Fishes" and "Freshwater Fishes" has one or more of these numbers by its name, which can be used to determine what problems are most likely to be encountered when attempting to maintain that species in captivity.
There are a few species of animals that are listed not because they are difficult to maintain but rather because they are inappropriate for other reasons. For example, one reason might be that the exporting country has deemed the sale of the organism as being harmful to the health of wild populations. Some animals should be avoided due to their potential for causing harm to the aquarist, such as the extremely toxic stonefish. Fish that are likely to outgrow the confines of a home aquarium are also listed.
Two groups of people will take major exception to these three lists of animals to avoid. The first group consists of dealers who sell these species. The motives of dealers who routinely sell animals from these lists must be critically examined. After all, they are profiting from the sale of these species. In contrast, I have no motive for including a particular species on a list other than to prevent potential problems for hobbyists who inadvertently purchase these animals. I also wish to discourage the capture and sale of these species, which are almost doomed to an early death as a result of being kept in captivity.
The second group consists of hobbyists whose own experiences differ from those presented here. For hobbyists who have had consistent success with one or more of the delicate species listed here, you should give yourself a pat on the back! At the same time, perhaps you are not the typical hobbyist for whom these lists are intended.
It may also be that your dealer has a particularly good supplier for the species in question, better than what is considered the norm in other regions of the country. Concerning this, you should be aware that with saltwater species, not all marine fish of the same species are equal when it comes to condition.
It is well known to those in the business that marine fish suppliers grade their fish, and preferentially supply the better fish to particular dealers. This begins overseas, where collectors endeavor to sell their best fish to the staging station that offers the the best price. Those fish that are rejected are taken to a discount broker. The same practice continues in this country, where wholesalers hold their highest-quality fish for sale to their high-volume customers.
This process can even continue at the retail level. A pet shop owner would be foolish to sell a poor-quality fish to a long-time customer, whereas the same sale to a person they have never seen before might pose little problem. Suffice it to say that for a fish to make one of these lists, there is a high probability that its husbandry requirements are not at all routine and/or its life expectancy in a home aquarium is likely to be less than a year regardless of the care given it.
In summary, with these lists in hand, both the beginning and the experienced aquarist will be better able to choose animals for their tanks that have the best chance for survival. That is not to say, of course, that all of the species
not listed here are therefore going to do well in home aquariums. There are many species, some of which are rarely seen, that are almost as demanding in their requirements as those listed here.
Any species, whether purchased in poor condition or kept in an overcrowded tank with poor water quality and given an incorrect diet, will live no longer than many of the "difficult" species noted in this article.
REASONS TO AVOID
1 = This species possesses one or more physical characteristics (e.g., toxins, teeth) that can be used to seriously injure or harm an aquarist. Extreme caution must be exercised when handling this animal.
2 = This species has extremely specific food requirements that are not possible to meet in the normal home fresh or salt aquarium. Specimens will generally starve to death once their energy reserves are exhausted.
3 = This species will often accept foods offered by the aquarist but still wastes away within a few months, probably as a result of the inability to assimilate the foods being offered.
4 = this species may exhibit characteristics of either of the two previous categories, but not to such an extreme degree. Certain individuals will adapt to long-term confinement.
5 = This species is less of a problem when it comes to feeding but is very demanding in terms of water quality and other physical requirements.
6 = This species is considered threatened or endangered in some of the countries of origin. As a result of these environmental concerns, this species should not be purchased.
7 = this species may be quite hardy but is capable of quickly outgrowing the largest of home aquarium.
| FRESHWATER FISHES | | |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Status |
| Arapaima gigas | Arapaima | 6,7 |
| Osteoglossum ferrari | Black arowana | 4 |
| Scleropages formosus | Asian arowana | 6 |
| Scorpienidae | Butterfly "goby" | 1 |
| Murenanidae | "Freshwater" moray | 2 |
| Channa sp. | Snakeheads | 7 |
| Sphaerichthys osphromenoides | Chocolate gourami | 4 |
| Osphronemus goramy | Giant gourami | 7 |
| MARINE INVERTEBRATES | | |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Status |
| Scleractinia | Stony Corals | 5,6 |
| Scyphozoans | Cassiopeia jellyfish | 5 |
| Cirripeds | Barnacles | 4 |
| Cyphoma gibbosum | Flamingo tongue | 2 |
| Conus sp. | Cone shells | 1 |
| Lima scabre | Flame scallop | 3 |
| Nudibranchs | Sea slug | 2 |
| Hapalochalaena maculosa | Blue ring octopus | 1 |
| Crinoids | Feather stars | 2,5 |
| MARINE FISHES | | |
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Status |
| Ginglymostoma cirratum | Nurse shark | 7 |
| Triakis semifasciatus | Leopard shark | 7 |
| Taeniura lymma | Blue spot stingray | 1,4 |
| Gymnura sp. | Butterfly rays | 2 |
| Taenioconger sp. | Garden eels | 2,5 |
| Rhinomuraena sp. | Ribbon eels | 4 |
| Synganathids | Sea horses/Pipefish | 4 |
| Synanceia verrucosa | Stonefish | 1 |
| Hoplolatilus sp. | Tilefish | 4 |
| Gnathanodon speciosus | Barred jack | 7 |
| Plectorhinchus sp. | Sweetlips | 4 |
| Platax pinnatus | Orange-rimmed batfish | 2 |
| Chaetodon ocellatus | Atlantic butterfly | 4 |
| C. lavartus | Coral butterfly | 2 |
| C. triangulum | Coral butterfly | 2 |
| C. ornatissimus | Coral butterfly | 2 |
| C. trifasciatus | Coral butterfly | 2 |
| Chelmon rostratus | Copperbanded butterfly | 4 |
| Pygoplites diacanthus | Regal angelfish | 2 |
| Holocanthus tricolor | Rock beauty angelfish | 3 |
| Apolemichthys arcuatus | Bandit angelfish | 2 |
| Anampses meleagrides | Guinea fowl wrasse | 2 |
| Labroides sp. | Cleaner wrasse | 4 |
| Zanclus canescens | moorish idol | 5 |
| Siganus sp. | Rabbitfish | 1 |
| Oxymonacanthus longirostris | Orange spot filefish | 2 |
Jay
