What To Do When You Can't Have A Favorite Fish ?

427HISS · Apr 9, 2019

I wish I had a huge tank, mainly for one of my favorite fish of all time, but that's only a dream.
It's the Sohal Tang. If we got a baby, once he outgrew our 125g we would rehome him, but we consider our fish as family, so that ain't happen either.

So, what do you do when you can't have a favorite fish and why not ?

What a beautiful fish,...right !

ccombs · Apr 9, 2019

For me, I personally love yellow tangs. They are my absolute favorite believe it or not. I do not know if I will ever have a tank big enough for them, I personally am very content with my 30 gallon. I made the decision to look at a smaller tank as a challenge and make it as awesome as possible, even though I can't have my favorite fish. I have replaced the desire for my favorite fish with the desire to overcome a challenge.

Making big tanks awesome is easy (with appropriate funds). Making a stunning tank that is tiny is a challenge.

Edit- to those with bigger tanks, I am not saying they are easy. I was simply saying you have more options for a built in wow factor with amazing fish options. I have a ton of respect for you large tank folks. The time, money, effort, and maintenance that you put in is very commendable. For me personally, I just find a smaller scale a challenge from a stocking standpoint.

Pbh-reef · Apr 9, 2019

I have a 10 gallon, so there are many fish I cannot keep. But there are many fish I've fallen in love with that I can keep. They just aren't the fish that have amazed me for most of my life. A pygmy geometric perchlet isn't a powder blue tang, a possum wrasse isn't a blue star leopard wrasse and a swissguard basslet isn't a regal angelfish, but they are all wonderful and beautiful creatures that can be enjoyed and loved.

The other thing I do is imagine that tank I may one day have, and its honestly shifted as I've fallen in love with smaller fish I never paid attention to before.

PYRU · Apr 9, 2019

That's a very manageable size fish to me. I just keep saving and make it happen. I sold all but one of my fish along with dart frogs so I could get an emp angel which is my favorite. I even moved to have more room lol...this has been yrs of plotting.

Now something like a shark is just not feasible so the idea gets thrown into the unicorn land portion of my brain. Under 2ft? Hold my beer...

lion king · Apr 9, 2019

The sohal tang wouldn't work a minute in a 125g, they grow fast and rarely come in that small. What I have have done is raise baby triggers and rehome to larger tanks using my contacts with the maintenance companies. I would literally hold a like a lottery and choose the best tank i wanted them to go to. I've also given fish to friends, a local bar where I hung out, and a hotel when I have had fish out grow my tank. It's all about setting up the resources before getting the fish that will one day outgrow your tank. I have ever evolving tanks and have enjoyed so many, I could never have enough tanks to enjoy all of them at once. Don't over think rehoming a fish, it's not like in the wild they live in the same neighborhood all their life.

PYRU · Apr 9, 2019

...but raising your favorite fish just to give away. That would suck I don't know if I could do that

427HISS · Apr 9, 2019

To both of you,...small tanks are wonderful and charming, We have two BioCubes, with only 25 lbs of rock, several east to care corals and a few fish.
There are many,...small fish that do great in small tanks.

PYRU · Apr 9, 2019

ccombs said:
For me, I personally love yellow tangs. They are my absolute favorite believe it or not. I do not know if I will ever have a tank big enough for them, I personally am very content with my 30 gallon. I made the decision to look at a smaller tank as a challenge and make it as awesome as possible, even though I can't have my favorite fish. I have replaced the desire for my favorite fish with the desire to overcome a challenge.

Making big tanks awesome is easy (with appropriate funds). Making a stunning tank that is tiny is a challenge.

Edit- to those with bigger tanks, I am not saying they are easy. I was simply saying you have more options for a built in wow factor with amazing fish options. I have a ton of respect for you large tank folks. The time, money, effort, and maintenance that you put in is very commendable. For me personally, I just find a smaller scale a challenge from a stocking standpoint.

Smaller is way harder I'm in total agreement. Its just all in what you want to do.

It all takes dedication. Big or small. It takes all kinds that's what I like about fish keeping.

lion king · Apr 9, 2019

PYRU said:
...but raising your favorite fish just to give away. That would suck I don't know if I could do that

I've had a hundred favorite fish over the years. So many wonderful fish; never enough money, time, or tanks. For me I guess it's just enjoy it while I can, I do have some large tanks and have had tanks ranging from 14g to 300g. Currently I have 2 x 40B, a 90, and a 210. My favorite fish today is a blackfoot lion, he's in one of the 40B. The only tank I never built that I wanted to, was a shark and ray tank.

Pbh-reef · Apr 9, 2019

a beautiful fish!

Waters · Apr 10, 2019

I just suck it up and pick another fish.....I can name 20 fish right now that I would like to have more than the ones that currently are in my tank lol.

Jesterrace · Apr 10, 2019

Among the few I would love to have but can't:

Powder Blue Tang (need a bigger tank and know they can be aggressive and very prone to ich)
Blue Head Wrasse (Technically my 90 could handle one but there is only one fish currently in my tank that it could co-exist with)
Singapore Angel (Gets a bit big and would likely make a meal of my corals)
Emperor Angel (Gets HUGE and would probably be an issue with my corals)
Blue Girdled Angelfish (Gets HUGE and would probably be an issue with my corals)

Going off the deep end:

Coral Catshark or Australian Marbled Catshark (Would need a much larger setup than I have room for among other issues).

vetteguy53081 · Apr 11, 2019

Sohal is a terror. Beautiful, yes But the attitude!
Many tangs get large quickly and its best to when seeking out any fish, view its’ diet and maximum size

mort · Apr 11, 2019

Your looking at things the wrong way. If we could keep everything we wanted then the hobby would lose some of its charm. It's fun to have things we would love to keep because it keeps our interest and make the hobby develop. One day you might get that shoal and it will feel all the more special.

The fish I would love is the orange spot filefish, or a pair. I don't think they are much out of my experience skill set but I don't have the time and energy to dedicate to them at the moment so I haven't got them.

RobW · Apr 11, 2019

Theres a list of so many fish that I would love to stick in my new 280g tank that I'm currently building. Just can't fit them all. I love tangs. But I'm probably going to be limited to just a couple. Definitely going to do an Achilles. Then I will probably just end up with a blue tang and a yellow tang. The rest will be clowns, a flame angel, maybe bangai cardinals.... I just dont know yet. So many choices

MombasaLionfish · Apr 11, 2019

Do I have to pick a favorite? There is so many but here is what I want.

shark/ray(tank not big enuff)
porcupine puffer (tank not big enuff and would eat my cuc)
clown trigger (tank not big enuff)
lionfish( getting one soon)
ribbon eel/dragon eel(getting one soon)
six gilled sleeper shark (is that possible?)
frog fish (would eat the other fish in my tank)

PYRU · Apr 11, 2019

MombasaLionfish said:
Do I have to pick a favorite? There is so many but here is what I want.

shark/ray(tank not big enuff)

porcupine puffer (tank not big enuff and would eat my cuc)

clown trigger (tank not big enuff)

lionfish( getting one soon)

ribbon eel/dragon eel(getting one soon)

six gilled sleeper shark (is that possible?)

frog fish (would eat the other fish in my tank)

I would love to have a clown trigger or a porky. One thing little kids with little fingers. I can't risk my kids or their friends getting a digit removed.

Clowns and emporers are my favorite out of everything.

Mariette · Apr 11, 2019

427HISS said:
I wish I had a huge tank, mainly for one of my favorite fish of all time, but that's only a dream.
It's the Sohal Tang. If we got a baby, once he outgrew our 125g we would rehome him, but we consider our fish as family, so that ain't happen either.

So, what do you do when you can't have a favorite fish and why not ?

What a beautiful fish,...right !

I’m in the same boat. I want a tang. Considering an upgrade

427HISS · Apr 11, 2019

The Clown Trigger is a favorite, and will have one in the new 125, but it does not comply to my thread because we can have it.
But, another one is the Gold Flake Angelfish. My Lord,...is she pretty, but the cost is over what I'll spend on any fish. I've heard once in a while,
they can be on sale around 200 bucks. If true, I'll give it serious,....thought !

Beautiful....

Jesterrace · Apr 12, 2019

427HISS said:
The Clown Trigger is a favorite, and will have one in the new 125, but it does not comply to my thread because we can have it.
But, another one is the Gold Flake Angelfish. My Lord,...is she pretty, but the cost is over what I'll spend on any fish. I've heard once in a while,
they can be on sale around 200 bucks. If true, I'll give it serious,....thought !

Beautiful....