Unsuitable fish species

[Achilles Tang]

Hi everyone,

Sometimes we may buy fishes that are seldom seen in LFS. Or they looked so interesting that we MUST have them. Or perhaps their colours will complement your favourite Acropora.

Well, if you didn't do any research on it or know absolutely nothing about that particular species, you may be spending a lot of time dismantling your rockwork to get the offending species out or worse still, end up having your corals or other livestock destroyed or eaten up before you finally catch the bugger!

Of course, any species which are not hardy shouldn't be kept in any marine tank, reef or FOWLR, such as batfish or cleaner fish.

So let's share our knowledge about such species here!

[Phang]

My experience was with the Dragon Wrasse...

That bugger looks pretty cute when it is small, with the 2 antenna like things protruding from its head and its mottled colouring.. like desert storm camouflague....

SO happy happy... bought 2 and introduce into my reef aquarium then later only discover that these are juveniles and would grow to a pretty large size.. besides that, they are good interior structural specialists and would redecorate your reef pretty soon ....

So when I realise that I am breeding potiential trouble, I started searching for them to get them out only to discover that they had disappear into my rockwork.... believe me, at that size and their ability to burrow into the substrate makes them very difficult to remove...

Only managed to get them out after much effort...

Learnt one valuable lesson.... check the potiential size of the fishes and what they could do when they are large... not when they are small....

besides, these wrasses only look cute when they are small

<_< <_<

[Achilles Tang]

The Exallias brevis, or Leopard Blenny or Leopard Rock Skipper or Coral Blenny.

DEFINITELY NOT REEF SAFE!

The Leopard Blenny has a fringe of cirri running across the nape and a branched tentacle above both eyes. They look very cute in fact.

This species is white with small spots on the head, body and fins. The spots are brown in females and juveniles. Males have brown spots on the head and abdomen but red spots on the rest of the body. The dorsal and caudal fins of males are usually red. It lays bright yellow eggs.

The Leopard Blenny grows to 14cm in length. It eats coral polyps. In fact it is an obligate feeders on live coral polyps!!! It lives among corals like Acropora, Pocillopora, Seriatopora, Porites, and Millepora which are its food.

It is found on coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is recorded from the central coast of Western Australia around the tropical north of the country and south to southern Queensland.

E.brevis is the only species in the genus Exallias. This photo above is female. Males are reddish in colour.

The leopard blenny is the only blenny species that eat coral polyps and are therefore not reef-safe. They are doomed to starve to death in 6 weeks in reef tanks because there is no cheap way to provide them expensive corals to feed on.

I made the mistake of 'buy first and find out more later' as I was persuaded by the LFS that its a rare find and it was a good algae eater off liverock.

Luckily, I placed it in a floating cage and did my research. To my horror and relief, I am glad that I didn't release it in my tank.

I tried feeding it mysis shrimp and even nori but it didn't eat them. I returned him to the LFS and told the boss about it. He is a knowledgeable guy and I think he knows a little about this species habit and was initially denying that it eat coral polyps but he took it back anyway.

I doubt if he would dissuade the next buyer from putting it in his reef tank.

Now you know.

[Stenopus Hispidus]

Archilles,

Noted your info on Leopard Blenny. Yup, they sure look cute and I might have fallen for it if not for your info. My Bicolour blenny eats algae on the walls and rock works...and also the mantle of my blue clam! Wonder if it is just me...

In your thread, you mentioned Batfish & Cleaners. Are Bat fish really difficult? They look good and majestic, esp the one with the bright orange outline. Never kept one before. Are they coral devourers?

I know about cleaners and their short lifespans and have stopped buying them altogether. They really shouldn't be selling this fish. It's species genocide!! I wouldn't want to see the reef depleted of them. Anyone who has kept this fish alive for more than a year and is still thriving, I would like to hear how he does it.

Another thing...ever kept that tiny li'l cute cow fishes. They have great swimming skills much like a helicopter under water...but...Well, what can I say...they love nibbling on the polyps of my yellow finger leather coral and of all things...my Acropora!!

<_<

[ong]

Batfish is nice and paceful fishes but they need fairly large space to swim and they are not reef safe. Usually need to keep in > 55 US gal. FOWLR tank. My nightmare should be trigger fishes. The very 1st trigger (Picaso) I purchased destory my 1st reef tank and also killed a lot of my others smaller fishes there. B4 I brought this fish, the person in LFS told is a hardy fish for starter and it safe, a community fish, just $8/- each..........so I brought it and......just within a week, only bare LR & one fish in my tank.....Now, just be'cos of this fish, I have to setup another tank just for killer. Spend another few hundred on LR, others hardwares etc. So you see....an expensive lessons....

[Stenopus Hispidus]

Trigger! Tell me about it. They are serial killers of anything smaller than them, shrimps, urchins, weakened small damsels in distress...you name it. They push rocks, sweep sand and eat anything including the hand that feeds and clean his home.

Ever considered giving it back to the LFS instead of spending hundreds on setting up a home just for it...unless of course, you have some sentimental reasons

Batfish - Is space the only reason why its not reef safe. If it is, I don't think it would be a problem as my tank is about 75 gal. I guess at the end of the day, my concern would be whether he munches on my corals or not. <_<

[bawater]

i have one species i ban altogether.

The Damsels!!!!!!

u know how big some of them can get? Huge.

managed to trap all but 2 from my 4ft- now the 2 striped damsels showing signs of egg laying- (not somethin i wanna breed). They will buldoze the gravel/sand bed & if they big enough will move away any corals or rock in the way.i had a domino grow to 4" & i couldn't put anythin within a 1ft area(even my hand). it was 3yrs old.

Triggers? i find them peaceful- got a picasso & O.niger, also removed them & now in a tnk of their own .both @4". They like rubbish bins.Apart from eating my clam while i went for reservist(they didn't get enough food), they never disturbed anythin else.Even munch on lettuce.

A squirrel i had ate all my candy shrimp incl my big 1 yr old cleaner shr.

it went for cleaning everyday by the shrimp & after 4mths turned around(after a cleaning session) & gobbled it up. It was 7".- sinced removed & RECYCLED:was fed to Lobster.

goodness, though it was only me that couldn't keep cleaner wrasses- stopped at 4 tries.Max i got was 6mths fed on diet of live daphnia & bbs.

[Achilles Tang]

True... damsels are terrors! Extremely territorial and the bigger they get, the uglier and meaner they get! When small, they have bright colours and clear markings... making them quite cute... haha...

I used to get attacked by damsels every time I put my hand inside the tank even when I go snorkelling or scuba-diving!

[ong]

Trigger! Tell me about it. They are serial killers of anything smaller than them, shrimps, urchins, weakened small damsels in distress...you name it. They push rocks, sweep sand and eat anything including the hand that feeds and clean his home.

Ever considered giving it back to the LFS instead of spending hundreds on setting up a home just for it...unless of course, you have some sentimental reasons

Batfish - Is space the only reason why its not reef safe. If it is, I don't think it would be a problem as my tank is about 75 gal. I guess at the end of the day, my concern would be whether he munches on my corals or not.

Well, I setup another tank not only on one Trigger but purchase another two more and ofcos' for the 'mis-behave' fishes like damsels.

Bat fish not only require big space to swim but it will eat many types of sessile invertebrates including corals and anemones. That why is marked "Not Reef Safe".

[clowntrigger]

hi guys

Is the following fishes reef safe?

Koran Angel

pokadot grouper

Blue Tang

Foxface

?

basically what you see in the following pictures? Reason being these the fish I currently has in my FO system, hope to migrate them to the new tank. They have been with me like 2yr or more

clowntrigger

paishei about the unsightness of my old tank.

[Achilles Tang]

Hi Clowntrigger,

Not safe:

Angelfish - loves corals

Polkadot groupers - will eat shrimp & small fishes once their mouths can fit them in. Small juveniles are ok but must be given up when older.

Safe:

Blue tang: algae eaters.

Foxface: Should be ok as they are algae eaters.

Uncertain:

That fish looks like it belongs in the grouper/wrasse family, if so.... not reef safe.

[clowntrigger]

Hi AT

Thanks for the info, if were to keep just mushroom and finger, is it ok?

clowntrigger

[Achilles Tang]

Batfish are NOT suitable for captive life!

They are only safe in the hands of experts who can cater to their specific dietary needs. The diet of Batfish consists of invertebrates such as flatworms, small anemones, hydroids, and small crustaceans, juveniles feed on algae as well as jellyfish and other gelatinous zooplankton.

They are also notoriously bad shippers and will perish within a few days upon arrival.

They are extremely timid and should be kept in a species only tank and even that is no guarantee they can be made to eat. Requires at least 80 gallon tank.

They usually starve to death but once eating, will accept frozen brine shrimp, prawn & crab meat.

We are strongly discouraged from keeping this beautiful but fragile species. Note that they will also become uglier with age (if they even live long at all!)

Note: They are a few species of batfish, but the ones often sold in LFS are the black ones with orange trims called Pinnatus Batfish - Platax pinnatus

Also known as: Bali Pinnatus, Pinnate Platax, Redfin, Red-Stripe, Shaded, Dusky Batfish, Red-Rimmed Batfish.

This species is secretive in the wild, found hiding in wrecks and other dark spots, and should be left there. Requires experienced hobbyist. Keep water quality high (SG 1.020 - 1.025, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Temp. 72 - 78° F). The Pinnatus Batfish is commonly collected from the Indian Ocean.

The more common longfin batfish (Pinatus platax) are silverish in colour and are commonly seen around reefs when diving.

ORBICULARIS BATFISH OR ROUND BATFISH - Platax orbicularis resembles a dead leaf when young and will behave like one to escape predators. Adults are silver with two vertical bands across their head.

[Stenopus Hispidus]

Hi Clowntrigger,

Have not seen any of those fishes zooming in specifically on mushrooms before but finger has small polyps coming out of its branches. Might tempt your Koran's scrutinizing eyes...

The unidentified fish looks like a tusk fish of some kind. Correct me.

In any case, you should try to keep a FO tank FO and err on the side of caution (just my opinion).

[Stenopus Hispidus]

Great detailed info on Batfish. Guess that's out of my list now.

The dwarf angel such as Lemon Peel, Golden Angel and Potter looks pretty and pricey. Anyone have any experience with this fishes in a reef tank. Do they feed easily and more importantly, are they coral nippers.

[Achilles Tang]

All dwarf angels are coral nippers.

They are 'iffy' in a reef tank. They are still a risk.

My flame angel does nip at corals... occasionally. Out of habit I think.

Thank goodness he doesn't nip at my prized corals and affect them (yet).

[hongqixian]

Lemonpeels have a high likelihood of eating corals. Coral beauties are considered least likely but it varies from fish to fish.

Anglerfish.. forget about them! Ugly and eat small fish and shrimp. Best for species tank.

Mandarins... hard to keep well fed.

Firefish.... do not keep with boisterous fish or they'll be very timid.. otherwise excellent and beautiful fish... tend to jump though.

Copperband and other butterflies.... Most are specialized coral feeder, thus the snout. Difficult to very difficult to keep.

Tired already.. will post more later:)

[nivlac]

Hi everyone,

Sometimes we may buy fishes that are seldom seen in LFS. Or they looked so interesting that we MUST have them. Or perhaps their colours will complement your favourite Acropora.

Well, if you didn't do any research on it or know absolutely nothing about that particular species, you may be spending a lot of time dismantling your rockwork to get the offending species out or worse still, end up having your corals or other livestock destroyed or eaten up before you finally catch the bugger!

Of course, any species which are not hardy shouldn't be kept in any marine tank, reef or FOWLR, such as batfish or cleaner fish.

So let's share our knowledge about such species here!

My flame angel used to nip on my clams, but stopped after a while and thankfully did no major damage. However, he succumbed to cyanide poisoning after 5 months.....

Had purple queen anthias, which was no good as they did not feed.....need live food, so that's a no-no for most as well.

Looks like I'll stick to clown fish, royal grammas, and cardinals

[Tanzy]

Orange spotted file fish

Not only not reefsafe but are obligate feeders on acroporids. Impossible to keep in aquariums.

Parrot fish

Will chomp on corals and even liverock. Main reason being that it grows too big, but you can always catch it and eat it. Yummy!

Ribbon eels

Best reserved for experts. Escape artist and hard to feed. Delicate when it comes to shipping too.

most Sharks

Isn't it obvious?!?! Most just grow too big for the average home aquarium.

[B|uEc@rpEt]

Hi All...

My WORST fish has gotta be my Australian Dotty Back....reddish-purplish looking fish...quite beautiful and it came from the great barrier reef...

Tuff hardy fish...except it ate all my ornamental shrimps!!!!

Once saw one of my cleaner shrimp crawling with only half of its body attached to his head!!! SO sad!

FINALLY caught him out....with a fishing hook...had tried all other methods which failed miserably!!!

My baby queen angel did peck on my acros...my flame followed suit...like monkey see monkey do....thank god it only lasted for like 2 weeks only...after that they seem to have lost interest nibbling the corals...

Phew...

[Phang]

Baby Queen Angels???

They aren't reef safe, rite????

or they are only reef safe as juveniles ????

Coz i'm thinking of purchasing one....

[ong]

Hi Pang,

There a website good for such basic info. and built in a fishes compatibility chart. Try the webby below:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.c...id=21&pCatId=15

Rgds

[Achilles Tang]

Clowntrigger,

I have ID'ed your mystery fish.

It is a Redbreasted Wrasse, Cheilinus Fasciatus. It can grow up to 29 cm long.

Feeds mainly on benthic, hard-shelled invertebrates, including mollusks, crustaceans and sea urchins.

Yours is still juvenile as the colouration of the head is still light. The older it gets, the redder it becomes.

Btw, I take all wrasses except the fairy wrasses as not reef-safe. They are too much of a pest.

I had one moon wrasse and a green wrasse that my wife called Satan because it was eating up all our previous cleaner shrimps.

I had to resort to fishing with a tiny hook to catch the green one up. The moon wrasse I had to dismantle my rockwork.

Never again!!!

[Phang]

Btw, I take all wrasses except the fairy wrasses as not reef-safe. They are too much of a pest.

Huh????

Aren't Six liners reef safe... unless they are not true wrasses.....

[Achilles Tang]

Oh yeah... i forgot abt the six-line wrasse!

I have one in my tank for over a year. It has grown very big and fat!

Now he is a bit of a terror.

I have three fairy wrasses who are constantly hiding because of his fierceness.

Surprising isn't it? So he is going to be the last fish in my new tank.