Difficult and Special Care Species List

[jp_75]

Been doing this almost 4 decades and these wre always good eaters. Had pet store for 12 years and were best sellers although the clown tang can get quite nasty

Have you ever dealt with Red Bar Anthias?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Have you ever dealt with Red Bar Anthias?

Unfortunately no. . . I have disbar, queen, square and lyretail

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cleaner wrasses are notorious for not eating.
I don’t know how @vetteguy53081 has been so lucky with them being so good at feeding as I’ve (And many other people) never had luck and most starve in captivity.

As promised. . . try to get this torpedo to stay stiill !!!

 

[nuxx]

So yeah...

My grail fish (probably silly compared to what I've kept) is a Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse.

A while ago Quality Marine had tank raised Hawaiian Cleaners, but I really haven't heard anything of them since that. I would love to know how that worked out.

Eric Cohen, my business partner with TankStop used to run Sea Dwelling Creatures and straight up said he would ask divers to not collect them and said pretty much impossible to keep alive.

I've had normal Cleaners with no problem.

I did have three Hawaiian Cleaners brought in from Hawaii and all three died at varying stages of QT. Each had it's own tank as well.

Even though my wife would probably murder/divorce me, I would come back into the hobby on the hobbyist side to try a species only Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse tank (one only, since I know multiple cleaners will not work). This would allow me to skip QT and just going into an established tank with some coral. I have no idea what to feed and maybe just having enough "life" in the tank would be enough.

I HATE the idea of trying just to try and killing fish.

Curious if anyone has had any luck, or knows more about the tank raised Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse.

BTW : The normal cleaner in this tank was in there the entire time I had my tank up...

 

[KEEVlllNN]

I have two garden eels that have been thriving for more than 2yrs in my tank. I only have 2" of sand and they just lay horizontally it appears. They even eat pellets and will dart to food that passes by if they see my fish heading towards it. Also were the sole survivors of a velvet outbreak in my tank. Maybe I just got lucky

 

[i cant think]

I have two garden eels that have been thriving for more than 2yrs in my tank. I only have 2" of sand and they just lay horizontally it appears. They even eat pellets and will dart to food that passes by if they see my fish heading towards it. Also were the sole survivors of a velvet outbreak in my tank. Maybe I just got lucky

Got any photos of them?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have two garden eels that have been thriving for more than 2yrs in my tank. I only have 2" of sand and they just lay horizontally it appears. They even eat pellets and will dart to food that passes by if they see my fish heading towards it. Also were the sole survivors of a velvet outbreak in my tank. Maybe I just got lucky

I want to see photos as well!

 

[Salty_Taste]

What is better than 1 Copperband? Pair of Copperbands

 

[OrionN]

Fish To Be Avoided::Fish that have incredibly low survivability in aquaria or are totally unsuitable for home aquaria
……
Butterflyfishes (Chaetodon spp.): Many problem feeders in the group and most are corallivore that are almost guaranteed to starve to death in aquaria, do a lot of research before purchasing
…..
Tamarin Wrasses (Anampses spp.): Very poor shippers and need tanks with their special needs in mind, even then they often starve to death, their best chance is often a large established reef aquarium with large amounts of live rock, peaceful fish, and something to prevent their escape from jumping

Leopard Wrasses (Macropharyngodon spp.): See Tamarin Wrasses above, but there are more success stories, both these and the Anampses are boderline being in this area of the list and the next section

……

These fishes should be move to difficult to care for rather than avoid fish.

 

[mpatterson42]

Can anyone tell me about Spiny Box Puffer / Striped Burrfish? They're listed as "Expert Only" on LiveAquaria. I think this is because if they get stressed or die they can release toxins. How bad is this compared to something like a Cowfish?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can anyone tell me about Spiny Box Puffer / Striped Burrfish? They're listed as "Expert Only" on LiveAquaria. I think this is because if they get stressed or die they can release toxins. How bad is this compared to something like a Cowfish?

Spiny box is susceptible to ich and flukes and many will at some stop eating and deteriorate. Cowfish should not be sold as they are delicate, also susceptible to disease and often will starve and weaken until one day eyes are sunken in and they are found lifeless on the tank bottom

 

[iReefer12]

These fishes should be move to difficult to care for rather than avoid fish.

@OrionN is that a Potters Leopard wrasse? Wow, haven’t seen them in so long.

How long have you had your Chaoti? I’ve had mine about 3 months now and he’s gaining weight.. I’m hoping I got lucky with him, but have heard others say that they can perish randomly for no reason so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[i cant think]

@OrionN is that a Potters Leopard wrasse? Wow, haven’t seen them in so long.

How long have you had your Chaoti? I’ve had mine about 3 months now and he’s gaining weight.. I’m hoping I got lucky with him, but have heard others say that they can perish randomly for no reason so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Im getting a baby this week, your adult is gorgeous.

 

[iReefer12]

Im getting a baby this week, your adult is gorgeous.

Chaoti?
If so, I have some tips, will message you.

 

[i cant think]

Chaoti?
If so, I have some tips, will message you.

Yep! A 1 inch Juvenile choati, already feeding too.

 

[iReefer12]

Yep! A 1 inch Juvenile choati, already feeding too.

So when I got mine, It hid in the sand for a week; never saw it apart from the moment it went into the QT.

I went about slowly raising the salinity to bring it up to DT levels.

I read an old ReefBuilders article saying that they sometimes have ‘jet lag’/confusion over the time, so in their ‘day’ they come up and it’s dark out, so they go back under the sand, and they don’t check when the lights are on because it’s their ‘night’… anyway, I figured the wrasse was toast, so I did what I highly recommend not doing, I searched the sand with my hand, just about to give up and it swims out into now really murky water, was worried about the potential ammonia stirred up in the QT, so I managed to catch it with my hand, and I tossed it into an acclimation box in my display (huge risk, but it worked out). Anyway, by being in the acclimation box, it forced the wrasse to stay awake during the lights on, and after a week I released him, he’s done great ever since.

I would be ready to hatch some BBS just in case he needs encouragement to eat.

Anyway, I thought I’d share that story in case it helps you or anyone that gets a Chaoti and it stays hidden.