Livestock: Breaking the rules!

[Indytraveler83]

Most of us know the "rules" such as

1) Butterfly fish eat coral and aren't reef friendly.
2) Clownfish live in pairs or harems only.
3) Damselfish are the devil.

How often do you break the rules, or go against advice? What's your biggest success and biggest regret when doing it?

For me:

Biggest success is getting a Melanarus wrasse for my mixed reef. The lfs wouldn't sell me any kind of Halichoeres wrasse, telling me it would kill my flasher wrasse's and all my snails. My Melanarus is a model citizen who spends his days grazing live rock for pods and other things I can't see, leaving any snail big enough to see alone.

Biggest regret: I love the look of my pink short spine urchin, but was warned about it "occasionally" moving frags around. No, it ALWAYS pulls frags, even glued ones from their perfect perch down to the dark abyss where I can't see them or reach them and they don't resurface until it picks up their bare skeletons months later to show off yet another expensive murder.

Hoping for some good stories!!

 

[Webslinger]

Most damsels but the Sapphire. File fish eat corals, not mine not yet. By far my favorite fish.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Those listed are not even entirely true however...

 

[Indytraveler83]

Those listed are not even entirely true however...

That's the point! The "rules" are the common perceptions that everyone has. I'm looking to see what happens when you don't follow them.

 

[DeniseAndy]

For me, I only have those situations that were pretty typical. I have not done too many daring things with livestock. Looking back, I am pretty darn boring...

 

[X-37B]

Yep. I have a clown that lives alone going on 3 years now and 6 damsels going on 10 months.
Also a convict tang that was told wont live. It keeps my 6 damsels inline and is the tank boss.

 

[codycolina707]

Most of us know the "rules" such as

1) Butterfly fish eat coral and aren't reef friendly.
2) Clownfish live in pairs or harems only.
3) Damselfish are the devil.

How often do you break the rules, or go against advice? What's your biggest success and biggest regret when doing it?

For me:

Biggest success is getting a Melanarus wrasse for my mixed reef. The lfs wouldn't sell me any kind of Halichoeres wrasse, telling me it would kill my flasher wrasse's and all my snails. My Melanarus is a model citizen who spends his days grazing live rock for pods and other things I can't see, leaving any snail big enough to see alone.

Biggest regret: I love the look of my pink short spine urchin, but was warned about it "occasionally" moving frags around. No, it ALWAYS pulls frags, even glued ones from their perfect perch down to the dark abyss where I can't see them or reach them and they don't resurface until it picks up their bare skeletons months later to show off yet another expensive murder.

Hoping for some good stories!!

koran angel got him small was fine for awhile until i moved a devil hand leather right into his swimming path now i notice nibbles on the coral but dont really care that much as it still opens up and seems happy and a dogface puffer hes by far my favorite fish i can be across the room with some seaweed and he knows he hasnt picked at any coral or inverts just chills under his little pedestal rock and comes out when its feeding time or when im around the tank very smart fish

 

[blstravler]

Rules are supposed to be broken...

 

[Cory]

My panther grouper is my regret. He eats supermarket shrimp, nori, algae wafers and anything he can fit in the mouth. My tangs have to fight him for the nori! Not only that but hes approaching a foot long lol. Worst is the wife loves him.

 

[JCOLE]

Well I broke your first three rules so far...

1) Butterfly fish eat coral and aren't reef friendly. - I have a Copperband Butterfly and it has never touched a coral. Model Citizen
2) Clownfish live in pairs or harems only. - I have one clown for the last two years.
3) Damselfish are the devil. - I have two for the last two years and they get along great with all other fish.

 

[Webslinger]

Wait nobody has a 6-line that isn’t a terror!

 

[Uncle99]

Success:
Tangs in less than 100g

Failure:
That I didn’t do that sooner.

 

[codycolina707]

Wait nobody has a 6-line that isn’t a terror!

I've had one 1 year no problems

 

[New&no clue]

OMG I’m super boring I wish I was more adventurous and went against the rules. Here is my fully stocked tank.

There are 7 fish in there, do you see any? I don’t either. But by industry standard it packed.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

eventually when I break down my coral QT tank I’m going to put two trochus snails into a tank that has 2 hermit crabs- I live dangerously....

other than than that I think all I’ve done that was against the rules was adding corals to a brand new tank (had to completely sterilize the QT tank and put them back in after, got some established media from the store I work at but still felt reckless;Hilarious

 

[saltyhog]

I've pushed the envelope a bunch of times....most of them didn't go so well. My current livin' on the edge is a flame and a rose banded fairy wrasse (same complex) together. So far(1 year) that one is going well.

My next one may be a Regal angel in a mixed reef....that one may end up as a transition to SPS only.

 

[mitch91175]

OMG I’m super boring I wish I was more adventurous and went against the rules. Here is my fully stocked tank.

There are 7 fish in there, do you see any? I don’t either. But by industry standard it packed.

your fish are scared of you

 

[Lightspeed]

Not wanting to hi jack your thread, am wanting to experiment with the bending of so called rules as well.
My target 2 fish for my build will be 2 Pomacanthus angels known for pecking at corals, so i decided to do some research which i have only just begun.
So its not that i want to ignore everyone sharing their experience saying these angels are the devil regarding Lps and Softies that are not toxic or whatever that means.

So research;Bookworm says that my 2 target species do not actually eat coral or Tridacnid clams, they actually are consuming the mucous from the surface of particular coral types, a bit more research and i found an interesting fact regarding some coral mucous types and its proteins.

So i am am going to try this out as i will have more than enough room for happy angels, as stated by others, common knowledge or experience is relative and subjective only until it is not. That is why it is evidentiary that this hobby is constantly evolving and without those that push boundaries nothing new is discovered.
Yeah i don't mean you can keep shrimp with your Lionfish

Anyway here's a small link that i found regarding coral mucous proteins and the clues as to why some marine species see it as a valuable food source, which kind of presents a dilemma.
Do you A: Simulate these proteins and feed in the hope certain species leave your corals alone.....
or B: By simulating these proteins are you inviting particular species and condoning food source behavior by feeding such proteins............Or C: by feeding enough regularly and sourcing the correct tank raised fish can this dilemma be avoided altogether.

The role of coral mucus 101

Why do corals release mucus? Corals are known to release mucus from their body into the water. But why do they release mucus? Look at the above picture. When I expose corals to air, they release slimy mucus. In a natural environment, corals can be exposed to air during extremely low tides...

ryotanakajima.com

Regarding untactful comments, unfortunately it would be nice to see more consideration or self reflection given at times as to how one responds and replies in forums, take it with a grain of salt or at times an entire bag

 

[codycolina707]

almost forgot i also have 3 purple tangs together for the last 6 months all doing fine

 

[Scape]

Except those are not even common perceptions....

Yes a clown can live just fine alone, who said you have to have a pair or more???

There are SEVERAL species of butterflies that don’t eat corals. Again not a myth there..

There are SEVERAL species of same damsels that are just fine. No myth there either with appropriate research.

Nail on the head