Which fish are better off left in the ocean and why

[MaxM]

Too hard to keep alive, too mean, too short lived, too long lived, too big.....

 

[EgotisticObeseChihuahua]

HumpHead wrasse takes my cake, they are much too big for my aquarium and expertise's.

 

[Goaway]

Almost all parrot fish. Scarus quoyi seems to have some success. Most don't last a year. Few exceptions make it past that.

 

[AC1211]

Some of my old books list many fish that are better of left in the ocean. Now many of them are possible if you devote a lot of time, effort, and at times new technology. The only things that are better off left in the ocean long term will likely end up being anything that gets too large. Although with the way the hobby is progressing. (All of fishkeeping is improving). I'd say things should be getting easier for all fish, corals and inverts that are currently impossible.

Assuming many of these species are even around in 100 years, many of the "impossible" species we name here may become possible.

A good thing to strive for in life is to make the impossible possible. In some areas of life that may not be ideal or necessary, but in this case if more people could keep impossible fish then everyone would be able to care for easy fish.

Husbandry is improving and with it the list of impossible fish diminish.

That said, in terms of fish that stay small enough to reasonably consider, I would say most obligate corallivores especially butterflyfish. Even if they eat other foods, most need some coral at some point to do well. For most, feeding sps or other corals to them isn't an option (unless pocillipora grows like weeds for you).

 

[bushdoc]

This one is too big-couldn't make a turn in my tank

This one is too small-I could never find it in my tank

 

[Nano_Man]

Great white I want to keep my arms

 

[Shibaken3]

ill say cleaner wrasse.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I think anything with a super specialized diet that we find difficult to supply.

 

[scottkoji]

I know many people can do it successfully but for some reason it makes me sad/nervous when I see Moorish idols in reef tanks. Great thread by the way.

It also makes me sad when I see that this is the pic that pops up when you google them lol

 

[j.falk]

Sharks and dolphins.

 

[GARRIGA]

Does this include public aquaria because I believe the Georgia Aquaria has a whale shark. Yet none can keep great white because of electrical charges.

As for home aquaria. Depends. PoloReef has Red Sea butterfly that most of us couldn’t keep and room for many other larger fish and more difficult fish rest of us couldn’t keep.

 

[AC1211]

Does this include public aquaria because I believe the Georgia Aquaria has a whale shark. Yet none can keep great white because of electrical charges.

As for home aquaria. Depends. PoloReef has Red Sea butterfly that most of us couldn’t keep and room for many other larger fish and more difficult fish rest of us couldn’t keep.

He is the reason I have a hard time listing many fish as impossible.

 

[GARRIGA]

He is the reason I have a hard time listing many fish as impossible.

We can only dream of having what he has but the supporting infrastructure likely why few of us ever will. It’s as if the house was built to support that tank. Very impressive

 

[Gumbies R Us]

At home? A lot of the bigger fish like sun fish, whale sharks etc... be next to impossible to keep those

 

[ca1ore]

Aside from the predicably tiresome jokes, were you asking seriously? If so, the answer is mainly those fish that present feeding challenges that are not easily met in an aquarium. These would be things like mandarins, most anthias, and certain dwarf angels (multibar as example). Obligate corallivores should never be attempted in my opinion. I am also not a particular fan of keeping naso genus fish in all but the largets of tanks. A vlamingi outgrew even my old 450.

 

[AC1211]

Aside from the predicably tiresome jokes, were you asking seriously? If so, the answer is mainly those fish that present feeding challenges that are not easily met in an aquarium. These would be things like mandarins, most anthias, and certain dwarf angels (multibar as example). Obligate corallivores should never be attempted in my opinion. I am also not a particular fan of keeping naso genus fish in all but the largets of tanks. A vlamingi outgrew even my old 450.

Yet, I see naso genus tangs in every store. Often multiple. They need much larger tanks than they are often given.

The success rate on obligate corallivores is horrible. It is one of those groups where a few success leads to thousands of imports and thousands of deaths.

 

[jda]

Any fish that is captive bred in good numbers. Anything that is not abundant enough to be Least Concern to the Global Experts.

Some of the old school fish list has changed. Rock Beauties and Moorish Idols have good success anymore. Bandits, too.

 

[MaxM]

I wanted a blue spotted jaw fish but reading about how poorly they do has convinced me to leave it in the ocean

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cowfish and some boxfish

 

[MaxM]

Cowfish and some boxfish

Why?