Hardy Fish Recommendations

[EvanDeVita]

Hello all,
I know these kinds of posts are everywhere, but I need fish recommendations. I have an IM 30 Long with a small female leopard wrasse, two clowns, a dusky jawfish, a pajama cardinal (hides 24/7), and a neon goby. I'm really sick of losing fish after a few months and I'd greatly appreciate some hardy fish recommendations (NO DAMSELS!)

 

[Suohhen]

There are no truly hardy fish in this hobby. Clowns definitely fall closest to the definition of hardy because they are pretty much always tank bred in the US and have been for a very long time. What makes for a safe environment for fish is compatibility and treatment. QT is a must, especially when adding any fish to an existing tank because your existing fish know you as the one who feeds them. So instead of being fearful of you they go into a feeding frenzy and any new fish you add will not only be afraid of you, but of the frenzy of your fish. Additionally there are certain fish which can simply not be added to a tank with established fish unless you make significant effort including reorganizing the aquascape, or removing the problem fish until the new fish can get established.
I don't want to be callous but this is simply how it is with fish in this hobby you have been misled by this industry to thinking it is as simple as compatibility and hardiness.

 

[EvanDeVita]

There are no truly hardy fish in this hobby. Clowns definitely fall closest to the definition of hardy because they are pretty much always tank bred in the US and have been for a very long time. What makes for a safe environment for fish is compatibility and treatment. QT is a must, especially when adding any fish to an existing tank because your existing fish know you as the one who feeds them. So instead of being fearful of you they go into a feeding frenzy and any new fish you add will not only be afraid of you, but of the frenzy of your fish. Additionally there are certain fish which can simply not be added to a tank with established fish unless you make significant effort including reorganizing the aquascape, or removing the problem fish until the new fish can get established.
I don't want to be callous but this is simply how it is with fish in this hobby you have been misled by this industry to thinking it is as simple as compatibility and hardiness.

There are no literally bulletproof fish, but some hardier (easier to care for, more forgiving, etc...) then others. A cardinalfish is 'hardier' than a tamarin wrasse NA. Do you have any recommendations for a small sized tank that is 'hardy' (by my definition)?

FYI I cannot QT fish myself, so I buy them pre-quarantined or captive bred. If you scroll up to my stocking, the cardinal, clowns, and neon goby are all Captive Bred. Should have mentioned this- my b

 

[Suohhen]

Can you please help me understand why you can't qt your own fish? There is no replacement for qt, and disease is not the primary reason. That is why I phrase it the way I do, if you are going to add any fish to a tank full of fish who know you, that fish should also know you. People have contrived the idea of QT into being some sort of hospital. Imo putting fish in the sump to qt is still 100÷ better than dumping them into the tank.
The clownfish isn't only hardy because it is tank bred, the fact that it has been tank bred and raised for generations make it a truly special fish with no equal but perhaps the more important factor is the fact that they are almost always the fish fish added and also pretty aggressive. Their aggression is masked by the fact that they don't tend to dart but rather threaten other fish with their body movement. More importantly though they are accostomed to protecting the territory the size of the anemone they host but given time and space I have seen them dominate 100+ gallon systems.
But yeah, you asked about fish recommendations so I would point you to one of my favorite fish, the fanged tooth blenny, most notably the Canary Blenny. They have also been tank bred for a long time and are passive swimmers and full of personality. Very similar to the midas blenny but in a smaller package with less strut and the midas blenny is a percher. There is also the royal basslet which is a bit more shy of a swimmer.

 

[EvanDeVita]

Can you please help me understand why you can't qt your own fish? There is no replacement for qt, and disease is not the primary reason. That is why I phrase it the way I do, if you are going to add any fish to a tank full of fish who know you, that fish should also know you. People have contrived the idea of QT into being some sort of hospital. Imo putting fish in the sump to qt is still 100÷ better than dumping them into the tank.
The clownfish isn't only hardy because it is tank bred, the fact that it has been tank bred and raised for generations make it a truly special fish with no equal but perhaps the more important factor is the fact that they are almost always the fish fish added and also pretty aggressive. Their aggression is masked by the fact that they don't tend to dart but rather threaten other fish with their body movement. More importantly though they are accostomed to protecting the territory the size of the anemone they host but given time and space I have seen them dominate 100+ gallon systems.
But yeah, you asked about fish recommendations so I would point you to one of my favorite fish, the fanged tooth blenny, most notably the Canary Blenny. They have also been tank bred for a long time and are passive swimmers and full of personality. Very similar to the midas blenny but in a smaller package with less strut and the midas blenny is a percher. There is also the royal basslet which is a bit more shy of a swimmer.

I was also thinking of a fanged tooth Blenny . I’ve wanted a Blenny for a while now but can’t choose between the bi color, the tail spot, and the harp tail.
The reason I ‘can’t’ qt is simply because I can’t afford it. To set up a whole new aquarium has never been on the table. There are other reasons for why I can’t have one, but the main one is cost. Even a ten gallon breeder needs equipment for fish. I see qt as a way to make sure fish are healthy and won’t contaminate my small tank, not as way to acclimate fish to me, like you said.

 

[Suohhen]

Cost really shouldn't detract from doing qt. A 10 gallon storage container can be had for $5, a heater for $10 and a simple hob filter for another $10 and you can use the water that you change out on your mt. If you are that hard up for cash I am sure there is someone in your area willing to give you that equipment as it is very common for reefers to have tons of extra equipment.
The thinking of qt as a hospital is backwards. Fish often get sick from stress. This assumes you don't buy a fish that is already sick. Is it wise to qt to prevent sickness? For sure, but I have a huge issue with the fact that maybe 10% of people qt (my assumption) even though most are aware of the benefits. There are many other benefits of qt that I haven't mentioned, but regardless another way to say it is that simply dumping a new fish into a tank full of existing fish with no backup plan is a risk not worth taking. So at least using the sump or refugium as qt let's the fish get over shipping stress in peace and more importantly gives you a place to put the fish if problems arise.

 

[SaltyT]

Captive-bred fish are a great option, but they can still carry diseases so it's still a risk to introduce them into your tank w/o quarantining.

+ 1 fangblennies (Meiacanthus spp.) are a good captive-bred suggestion for your tank.