Which fish are better off left in the ocean and why

[LaloJ]

I would say it depends. By that I mean, if you can’t provide the fish with a habitat that is able to keep the fish safe and happy, you shouldn’t try keeping that one. That could be one that others can keep, but your system is not ideal for that particular fish. I won’t try clownfish again, because I can’t provide them with the environment they need to thrive and be happy.

I think that an experienced aquarist can try with this type of fish since they know the requirements and specifications of these specimens, that even if they are labeled as difficult to keep fish or 'expert only', they will surely have a better chance of success than an aquarist who has revived starts. When we see these fish in the tanks of novice aquarists who keep them, it's because in most cases the LFS doesn't stop to provide information or prevent them from keeping a fish that is very beautiful but very difficult to maintain, possibly because in a way it's a loss for business to 'scare' a customer away from making a purchase, I'm sure this happened to many of us in the early days, I tried to keep a vermiculated angelfish, when I couldn't even keep alive any damsel.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Great white I want to keep my arms

I can keep that in my tank no problem,

 

[FrugalReefer]

Moorish Idol.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Clownfish, they are little undulating terrors that require gauntlets to be worn when reaching into my tank!!

I keep my spear gun handy when working in the clown tank, you know just in case, but I still get a chunk taken out of my hand every time, guess he's calling my bluff

 

[MaxM]

I chase the clowns around the tank with my finger before doing anything else. It works.

 

[Hadla]

All puffers that can get bigger than a football

 

[littlefoxx]

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

Octopus. Way too intelligent to be confined to an aquarium in my opinion. Best left in the ocean where they can be themselves, beautiful animals.

 

[blaxsun]

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

Had mine for almost 2 years now - still doing awesome!

 

[i cant think]

I’d say most of the larger species of shark that few people can keep anyway. They’re a pain to rehouse and even then they are bad with stress.
I’m not on about species like Eppaulettes as they aren’t huge by any means and it’s easier to find people with the right size tank. I’m on about species like Nurse Sharks and Bamboo Sharks which are huge when fully grown and trying to find a home for them is even harder.

Many of our smaller species of fish (Angels, Tangs, Butterflies, Wrasses, Clowns etc) shouldn’t be completely avoided as we can keep them a lot better.
I mean, Copperbands used to be thought as being impossible to keep but now they’re easy to get feeding and healthy with foods like masstick.
Who’s to say that species like C. ornatissimus aren’t going to be possible to keep? If we keep on persisting and finding new ways to get these fish fed the right diet then these fish may not be quite so hard to own.