What Fish is Your Favorite And Why?

[Poseidon03]

I'm looking to set up my 240 and just looking for a good idea for a centerpiece fish. What is your favorite fish you have and why? Is it coloration, personality, sentimental value, monetary value, good story on how you got it, help you get through something in life, or just because... Any reason is valid here and I'd love to hear it.

My favorite fish I have is my diamond tail fairy wrasse! It took me 5 different tries to get a wrasse established in my tank. I absolutely love their personalities, swim patterns and coloration. I'm pretty sure the first 4 either had internal parasites (which I did try to treat for) or were captured wrong as they slowly withered away, quit eating and passed in less than a month and a half. I'll have to get an updated picture of him tomorrow once the lights are back on! He's definitely hard to get a picture of.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

He'll always be my favorite, i love everything about these guys lol

 

[dakoop]

 

[ethanlovesfish]

Mine is definitely probably my clown I have had it for 3 years and it has been with me through the high ammonia and the low saltinity it is a survivor

 

[Labridaedicted]

Always gonna be the Lineatus wrasse. Gonna get one tattooed soon. Has been my fave since I started keeping reefs 15+ years ago.

 

[Rmckoy]

All around , character or looking ?

I can’t choose just 1
Character , foxface or lawnmower blenny

Nicest looking fish imo
blue ring Angel , queen angel

 

[REM2021]

Can I say mine is a three-way tie? I have a white tail bristletooth tang that is huge, gorgeous, and a model citizen, and keeps my rockwork clean just to round out the awesomeness. Would be my hands-down favorite except he's also surprisingly shy and spends a lot of time chilling in his cave. Other two contenders are my carpenter wrasse, which spends all his time out in the open and is beautifully colored, and my midas blenny, who is also a very active swimmer and is bright and fun. My midas will also take flakes from your hand if you're very patient.

 

[Poseidon03]

@TheDragonsReef

That is an amazing fish! I want an eel, but the wife says it looks too much like a snake, lol.

@dakoop

Awe, puffers are great. Definitely have amazing personalities. Too bad I don't want to riso having one.

@ethanlovesfish

I had a good stripe maroon clownfish that did the same for me. I ended up trading her due to her aggression tho and my hands always bled from her. She was also always picking up frags, tho she ended up going to a breeder and I get updates on her all the time!

@Labridaedicted

That is a sick fish! What makes it your favorite?

@RmkJersey

It is hard to choose one. I haven't had a large selection, and my favorite fish I have ever had personality wise was my red headed salon fairy wrasse. He used to let me pet him and would come up to get pet every day. He ended up passing away when my tank crashed after a move (on top of me being home only once every 2 weeks for work and having someone else watch the tank). I was pretty sad.

@REM2021

You're welcome to say whatever and how many you'd like, lol. I had a midas that had the same problem as my wrasses before. He was great tho and a lot of fun. I loved his swim pattern too and how he stuck his head out of the rockwork. He also hosted my large long polyp leather, which was fun to watch. I definitely want a white tail tang in my 240!

 

[Salmaston]

Blue Throat Trigger...so much personality.

 

[DesktopReefer]

Call me basic, but I’ve always loved firefish. Their color patterns are beautiful to me and I love their long thin dorsal fin.

 

[Poseidon03]

Blue Throat Trigger...so much personality.

Yours ever go after corals? They and crosshatched are the most "reef safe" triggers but I've heard stories. Also how is it's aggression? I know triggers in general can be a little aggressive.

@bank3r

I heard they can be a little harder to keep with how much food they need. I've been thinking about one for my JBJ 45.

 

[DesktopReefer]

Yours ever go after corals? They and crosshatched are the most "reef safe" triggers but I've heard stories. Also how is it's aggression? I know triggers in general can be a little aggressive.

@bank3r

I heard they can be a little harder to keep with how much food they need. I've been thinking about one for my JBJ 45.

You talking about the firefish needing a lot to eat? Firefish are super easy and often considered easy beginner fish. I think most will readily eat pellets and almost any frozen food.

 

[Poseidon03]

You talking about the firefish needing a lot to eat? Firefish are super easy and often considered easy beginner fish. I think most will readily eat pellets and almost any frozen food.

I just heard since they are highly active, they need multiple feedings, which could be harder on smaller systems. How long have you had yours? They're also 3-4 year fish too or so I have seen.

 

[john92708]

Mandarin dragonet, the reason why I started saltwater when I was a kid

 

[Salmaston]

Yours ever go after corals? They and crosshatched are the most "reef safe" triggers but I've heard stories. Also how is it's aggression? I know triggers in general can be a little aggressive.

He has never bothered any coral in my mixed reef. The only thing he has done is swerve into one of the large gonis irritating them a little. I was breeding saltwater sailfin mollies and put a few in for a test. He shredded their tails and them within a hour. Never issues with any other fish. He stays right up on the yellow tang at all times and they swim in sync.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I'm a rabbitfish guy hands down. They get a mixed wrap, but they are inquisitive and bold. Except in this case, its scared of his own shadow.

 

[DesktopReefer]

I just heard since they are highly active, they need multiple feedings, which could be harder on smaller systems. How long have you had yours? They're also 3-4 year fish too or so I have seen.

I kept one for a couple years a long time ago before I ended up breaking down that tank and giving the fish to a friend. You said you had a JBJ cube over 40 gallons? Even if you fed a few times a day, firefish are pretty small and you shouldn’t have a nutrient problem in a tank that size.

 

[Poseidon03]

Mandarin dragonet, the reason why I started saltwater when I was a kid

I plan on a pair in my 240. I have an algae reactor (if needed due to nutrients) and a refugium to try to help with pods. I might even end up going with sand to help with pods...

@Salmaston

That is a wonderful thing to hear and is want one even more. I absolutely love all triggerfish. I might even consider pulling a trigger on a crosshatch if I can ever find one (pun intended).

@Lbrdsoxfan

I absolutely love my little foxface since I got him! He is still a little new, so his personality is yet to shine.

@bank3r

That is good to hear! The problem is making sure he gets enough food in the feedings though. My other fish are pigs! 2 clowns, 2 pajama cardinals (slow so not a problem), diamond tail fairy wrasse, and a baby foxface (got for when I start my 240 in 2 months or so... Rock has been cycling with ghost feeding and an algae reactor to break in for over a year while I plan the 240 sitting in my garage, lol). I've been keeping my eye for any type of pacing or show of stress to see if I need to expedite the setup. I also have a backup plan with a friend just Incase, lol.

 

[Labridaedicted]

@Labridaedicted

That is a sick fish! What makes it your favorite?

They're bold in color, active, typically very hardy, hail from Aussie, are reef safe, are pretty docile by their nature, and their patterning is amazing.

The one I have currently is a giant wuss, buy my old one would eat out of my fingers. They're just an all around fantastic fish that is a wonderful example of a great genus of fishes.

 

[Dbichler]

I have a hard time between these two overall at the moment probably the emperor but it changes for me. Emperor in transition is just gorgeous but desjardini is striking under certain lighting. Emperor is a boss and desjardini is the want to be boss.