Fish you will never keep... Nope Fish

[vlangel]

Groupers and snappers! Back in the day when I had a big FOWLR in our basement I accepted one each as rescues. Due to caring for my mother in law I too had to re-home them but they are just not that exciting and they get huge.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Just added one immediately killed snails

I was recently told blue throat will not go after inverts - true?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Gonna have to say chromis.
Between uronema and picking each other off it just doesn’t seem worth investing in a school.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Let's bump this back up for 2023! What fish are you guys NEVER gonna keep? For me it's anything freshwater. Haha! #Reefer4Life!!

Here is my revised list:


Aspidontus sp. False cleaner fish
Chaetodon austriacus Exquisite butterflyfish
C. baronessa Triangular butterflyfish
C. melapterus Arabian butterflyfish
C. meyeri Meyer’s butterflyfish
C. ornatissimus Clown butterflyfish
C. triangulum Triangle butterflyfish
C. trifasciatus Red-fin butterflyfish
Exallias brevis Leopard blenny
Labroides phthirophagus Hawaiian cleaner wrasse (except that Disney has done this)
Plagiotremus sp. Mimic blenny
Pseudanthias pascalis Forktail anthias
Solenostomus spp. Ghost pipefish
Stethojulis spp. Orange shoulder Wrasse

Fishes almost never known to survive past the year mark in home aquariums


Centropyge (Paracentropyge) multifasciatus Many banded angelfish
Chaetodon citrinellus Citron butterflyfish
C. lavartus Masked butterflyfish
C. reticulatus Reticulated butterflyfish
Holocanthus tricolor Rock beauty angelfish
Gorgasia preclara Gold-banded garden eel
Ostracion sp. Boxfish
Oxymonacanthus longirostris Orange-spot filefish
Platax pinnatus Red-rimmed batfish (except captive raised)
Pseudanthias tuka Tuka anthias
Pygoplites diacanthus Regal angelfish (Except Red Sea)
Rhinomuraena quaesita Ribbon eel
Scarus sp. Parrotfish

Fish that rarely survive past the year mark in home aquariums


Jay

 

[Maximus]

Sad to say, ventralis anthias. I wish I could keep them alive.

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse - Can't get out of QT and now they are being captive bred on and off, so will probably try a tank with them at some point

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse

If you have any questions please <a href=https://www.tankstop.com/inquire/1230/ title=Inquiry target=_self>contact Eric Cohen</a> TankStop owner and well respected industry veteran.<hr style=border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #808080; width: 90%; margin: 0 auto; />The Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse is a...

www.tankstop.com

Also would love a Dragon Eel, but I'm sure it would love all my fish as well...

Japanese Dragon Eel

The Japanese Dragon Eel is the most beautiful of all the moray eels. Japanese Dragon Eels have a long and slender orange body covered in white, black and brown markings. They also have distinctive “horns” which are their distinguishing feature.Japanese Dragon Eels reach a maximum size of around...

www.tankstop.com

Green moray as well... but yeah, like my fingers...

Green Moray Eel | Oceana

Although appearing green, moray eels actually have brownish or grey skin that mixes with a layer of yellow mucus, causing a green hue. Learn more about the green moray eel and how to protect its habitat.

oceana.org

 

[pulpfiction]

Fire fish. They ALWAYS find a way to jump. Last time I kept them was a little over 10 years ago and I'm still put off by them.

 

[Perthegallon]

I was recently told blue throat will not go after inverts - true?

Oh im not sure my tank is to small for one of those

 

[4FordFamily]

Panther grouper (get too big and eat everything). Really most groupers. Sixline wrasse, arceye hawk (watched one swallow a goby the same length as the hawk fish and still bitter LOL).

 

[Brooklands]

For whatever reason, there are fish that just make us say nope. Aggression, fragility, bad luck, just plain ugly, etc...A great big ole pile of nope.

What is your "nope fish" and why?

Mine are the eared eel blenny or wolf eel and the yellow damselfish.

The wolf eel was one of my first predatory fish. From the start, the fish just gave me the creeps. Vicious and ugly, with a face that looks like an old thug mobster... lazy until times called for violence... that one specimen put me off and I have never desired to keep another one.

The Yellow Damsel I picked up as a kid, while i was learning about the hobby, was the first fish introduced to my 75 gallon aquarium. Alone, it was personable and interactive...always seemed to greet me when i came into my room. And then i decided to add more fish. I had always loved huma huma triggers and my mother picked up a small one. In the tank it went and the yellow damsel did what damsels do...bullied the equal sized trigger constantly. Woke up the morning after introducing the fish only to find it finless and near death...the yellow damsel making harassing passes at the little thing while it attempted to hide behind the heater. I caught out the little trigger and put it in my Q tank but it was too far gone. I tried then to find something that could hold its own and possibly eat the yellow monster...a lionfish came to mind. I got one that was definitely large enough to eat the damsel...but like david and goliath, the smaller fighter felled the giant...this time before it was beaten to death, i pulled the lionfish out and held it in my Q tank until i could convert a 45 tall that i had for the lion. I tried an eel, an undulated trigger, a grouper...all repelled and beaten by the 2 inch long yellow tyrant. Ultimately i had to break down the tank and catch the critter out before i could add anything else. I swore never again.

Cheers!

Filefish fish. Ate all of my pods and the tentacles on my lps. Massive disaster the moment it ran out of aptasia.

 

[Zionas]

1. Pajama Cardinalfish (they lose their colors as they get bigger and turn ugly, have seen many of them)

2. Designer Clowns (I hate them with a passion, wild variants all the way- yes I do know Clowns with “designer” patterns have been found in the wild before)

3. Captive hybridized / non-natural hybrids of any species

4. Fish with physical deformities

5. “Koi” Scopas Tangs

6. Corallivore butterflies (can’t keep them alive)

7. Predator fish / live food feeders (not really my thing, I know it is the focus for some)

8. Chromis (uronema prone, and not interesting / appealing)

9. Expensive Fairy / Flasher Wrasses (not really my favorite Wrasses to begin with, I am more a fan of Halichoeres, Bodianus, and some others)

10. Monos / Scats

11. -glydon Damsels (big, ugly, aggressive)

12. Dascyllus Damsels (aggressive, most are ugly to me)

13. Sergeant Majors (aggressive, get big, look like food fish)

14. Dartfish / Firefish (I don’t find them all that interesting and they’re just too skittish for most systems, Firefish are pretty but still the same issue, too timid for most tanks)

15. Achilles Tangs (disease prone, aggressive)

16. Naso Tangs / Unicorn Tangs (too big for me, too active, although I know many love them)



Fish I would keep if I had the $$ and they were available:

1. Mauritius Blue Angel
2. Nahackyi’s Angel
3. Resplendent Angel


Fish I would keep if I had the $$ and patience to set up a specialized system for:

1. Peppermint Angel
2. Narcosis Angel

*A hobbyist in Japan has kept a Peppermint in a dimly lit Deepwater tank by itself (with 2 Cleaner Shrimp) for 21 years and counting.


Angels I would never keep (yes they do exist):

1. Pacific Pygmy / Fisher’s (Centropyge Flavicauda / Fisheri)

2. Multi-Spined (Centropyge Multispinus)

3. Half-Black (Centropyge Vrolikii)

4. Easter Island (Centropyge Hotmatua) (they’re no longer attainable)

5. Old Woman Angel

6. Grey Angel

7. Abe’s Angel (rare, deepest living species of Angel, but frankly not all that attractive)

8. Nigrocella (rare, almost impossible to get, but again, not all that attractive)

9. Cream Angel (Apolemichthys xanthurus) (they stay smaller than many, but not attractive, their Red Sea cousin the Xanthotis is more interesting appearance wise)

10. Clarion / Clipperton Angel (another case of looks don’t justify the prices)

11. West African Angel (Holacanthus Africanus)

12. Yellow Angel (Centropyge Heraldi) (what does it have over a Lemonpeel?)

 

[Miami Reef]

Domino damsels. I hate them. I had an awful experience with one.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Why are 6 line wrasse evil?

They are not. I love my 6line wrasse. It is my third and I never had problem with any of them. It just mind its own business, and weaves thru the rocks constantly, and check for pest or food on them. I really cannot understand why they are considered so evil

 

[Zionas]

Like they weren’t ugly jerks to begin with!

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Glad to see not everyone hate the same fish.

I would never have predatory fish, filling my tank with fish killing my fish or my invert...not for me

No designer clown fish, or any other designer any fish.

No delicate or difficult fish as I do not want to watch a fish die.

I disagree with many hated fish mentioned there.
I love my 6 line wrasse, and my ocelaris clown fish. Never any problems with them.
I also love my green chromis. have 7 of them for 5 years now, they spawn regularly and do chase each other, but there are still 7 and provide a lot of actions in the tank.
Cardinal are slow moving, but they do not hide. On of my PJ cardinal chase the other.
I have no regret on any of my purchase. At one time, the only one fish I inherited gave me problem, it was a 4stripped damsel, and it killed one or 2 fish. But it had quieted now and no longer is a problem.

 

[Zionas]

Screw designer Clowns (and fish)!

They belong in a predator tank.

 

[Rtaylor]

27 months and counting!

 

[Blknovass]

Filefish. Dam thing ate a few hundred dollars worth of zoas in 18 hours.

 

[Blknovass]

They are not. I love my 6line wrasse. It is my third and I never had problem with any of them. It just mind its own business, and weaves thru the rocks constantly, and check for pest or food on them. I really cannot understand why they are considered so evil

They are extremely territorial which is why they get a bad rap. However they are a very active and fun fish to watch.

 

[sharkyahd]

1. Pajama Cardinalfish (they lose their colors as they get bigger and turn ugly, have seen many of them)

2. Designer Clowns (I hate them with a passion, wild variants all the way- yes I do know Clowns with “designer” patterns have been found in the wild before)

3. Captive hybridized / non-natural hybrids of any species

4. Fish with physical deformities

5. “Koi” Scopas Tangs

6. Corallivore butterflies (can’t keep them alive)

7. Predator fish / live food feeders (not really my thing, I know it is the focus for some)

8. Chromis (uronema prone, and not interesting / appealing)

9. Expensive Fairy / Flasher Wrasses (not really my favorite Wrasses to begin with, I am more a fan of Halichoeres, Bodianus, and some others)

10. Monos / Scats

11. -glydon Damsels (big, ugly, aggressive)

12. Dascyllus Damsels (aggressive, most are ugly to me)

13. Sergeant Majors (aggressive, get big, look like food fish)

14. Dartfish / Firefish (I don’t find them all that interesting and they’re just too skittish for most systems, Firefish are pretty but still the same issue, too timid for most tanks)

15. Achilles Tangs (disease prone, aggressive)

16. Naso Tangs / Unicorn Tangs (too big for me, too active, although I know many love them)



Fish I would keep if I had the $$ and they were available:

1. Mauritius Blue Angel
2. Nahackyi’s Angel
3. Resplendent Angel


Fish I would keep if I had the $$ and patience to set up a specialized system for:

1. Peppermint Angel
2. Narcosis Angel

*A hobbyist in Japan has kept a Peppermint in a dimly lit Deepwater tank by itself (with 2 Cleaner Shrimp) for 21 years and counting.


Angels I would never keep (yes they do exist):

1. Pacific Pygmy / Fisher’s (Centropyge Flavicauda / Fisheri)

2. Multi-Spined (Centropyge Multispinus)

3. Half-Black (Centropyge Vrolikii)

4. Easter Island (Centropyge Hotmatua) (they’re no longer attainable)

5. Old Woman Angel

6. Grey Angel

7. Abe’s Angel (rare, deepest living species of Angel, but frankly not all that attractive)

8. Nigrocella (rare, almost impossible to get, but again, not all that attractive)

9. Cream Angel (Apolemichthys xanthurus) (they stay smaller than many, but not attractive, their Red Sea cousin the Xanthotis is more interesting appearance wise)

10. Clarion / Clipperton Angel (another case of looks don’t justify the prices)

11. West African Angel (Holacanthus Africanus)

12. Yellow Angel (Centropyge Heraldi) (what does it have over a Lemonpeel?)

It’s the fish with physical deformities that got me rolling. I do appreciate how much of an angel connoisseur you are though.