Cartman89
Active Member
*I would like this to kept on top of the page if you can Mods, it will help a lot, feel free to edit it if you want*
Welcome to this wonderful hobby! So you want to start a saltwater aquarium huh? Well Let me point out some fish that should be kept out in the ocean or to some very advanced hobbiest (which you may become someday).
*Moorish Idol* - The Moorish Idol is a very beautiful fish and attractive to a lot of hobbiest! But this fish should not be in the hands of a beginner. There's a lot of factors why it should not be with beginners. The Moorish Idol is a fish that does best when kept in schools, a 125gal is the minimum for only ONE of these fish. SO if you want to kep it healthy and happy just think how big of a tank you will need! The Moorish Idol also is a pain in the butt to get to eat frozen foods they mainly rely on sponges and algae on rocks. This fish probably one of the most difficult fish to start weaning on to foods.
*Sharks* - When you go into a pet store and see a shark for sale you probably are going to get excited and buy a tank for it. Sharks excite a lot of new people into the hobby, just because they are sharks! The most common in the pet trade are sold as Banded cat sharks, horn sharks, marbled cat sharks, and shark eggs. Sharks aren't really hard to keep and are quite easy. Now I'm not saying go out and buy one folks just because they are easy. They are very expensive!! The shark itself isn't but the equipment you need is, lets just say you are going to need way more than a $1,000. Same goes with stingrays. Be very caution about venomous fish in with the shark or ray.
*Blue Ribbon tail stingray* - Folks, just stay away from this fish. This fish has a very low success rate in aquariums, heck even SeaWorld has trouble with these guys. They need very soft sand, peaceful tankmates, and fantastic water quality. They are very hard to feed. I know many of people who tried these fish and failed with them due to the stingray not taking live or dead foods. These should be left in the ocean.
* Ribbon Eel*- For eels these guys are just unbelieveable! Aren't eels suppose to go nuts when they smell foods? Well this eel doesn't. The only hard thing about this creature is that it is just like the Blue Ribbon Tail Stingray......it is very hard to feed. They also get pretty aggressive, they will attack my finger but not the food??? Don't be surpirsed if it starves itself.
*Parrot Fish* - Those cute little guys get into big little guys! Unlike the fish we discussed so far this one will eat! But good luck trying to find the food that it wants. They mainly feed on types of corals and corals can cost a lot of $$$. They are very active swimmers and need tanks as big as sharks. The smaller ones in the hobby don't need all that big of a tank.
*Aggressive triggers* -Undulated, Titan, Queen oh my! What do those names have in common? The names of the most agressive, meanist, nastiest temperment in the saltwater aquarium world! These guys don't play buddy buddy these guys play a game called " kill it and then play with it! Yay!!". They can also get very big, except for the Undulated, which is the meanist of all! Some triggers to saty away from, Undulated, Titan, Queen, Starrys, and Blue lines.
*Dragonets* - Yes they may look cute and they are very common in the pet trade. These are one of those fish that find food on it's own. If you don't have a steady food supply in the tank for this fish it will die. They feed apon little inverts in the sand such as copepods. If you don't have a nice supply of pods......I don't recommend this fish.
*Cowfish* - Adorable lil guys. But if they die eveything dies and if they get stressed out everything gets stressed out. This fish will release a toxin so harmful that if it gets stressed out or dies it will release it into the water and could kill your fish!
*Octopus* - These guys catch everyones attention! Octopus should be kept by advanced hobbiest only. These animlas need top notch water quality and a tank by themselfs, they will go after anything that moves. Now these aren't dumb animals, you are going to need a very tight fitting lid because these animals are incredibly smart they are known to exit the tank and come back in it with out you ever noticing. Another reason I don't recommend these animals is because when they get scared they will release their ink for defense. A big water change is a must after this to avoid it's death.
Well there you haven't only piece of the "what fish not to have in your tank" cake. If you have any other fish you would like to put down PLEASE feel free. I will try to add some more later.
Welcome to this wonderful hobby! So you want to start a saltwater aquarium huh? Well Let me point out some fish that should be kept out in the ocean or to some very advanced hobbiest (which you may become someday).
*Moorish Idol* - The Moorish Idol is a very beautiful fish and attractive to a lot of hobbiest! But this fish should not be in the hands of a beginner. There's a lot of factors why it should not be with beginners. The Moorish Idol is a fish that does best when kept in schools, a 125gal is the minimum for only ONE of these fish. SO if you want to kep it healthy and happy just think how big of a tank you will need! The Moorish Idol also is a pain in the butt to get to eat frozen foods they mainly rely on sponges and algae on rocks. This fish probably one of the most difficult fish to start weaning on to foods.
*Sharks* - When you go into a pet store and see a shark for sale you probably are going to get excited and buy a tank for it. Sharks excite a lot of new people into the hobby, just because they are sharks! The most common in the pet trade are sold as Banded cat sharks, horn sharks, marbled cat sharks, and shark eggs. Sharks aren't really hard to keep and are quite easy. Now I'm not saying go out and buy one folks just because they are easy. They are very expensive!! The shark itself isn't but the equipment you need is, lets just say you are going to need way more than a $1,000. Same goes with stingrays. Be very caution about venomous fish in with the shark or ray.
*Blue Ribbon tail stingray* - Folks, just stay away from this fish. This fish has a very low success rate in aquariums, heck even SeaWorld has trouble with these guys. They need very soft sand, peaceful tankmates, and fantastic water quality. They are very hard to feed. I know many of people who tried these fish and failed with them due to the stingray not taking live or dead foods. These should be left in the ocean.
* Ribbon Eel*- For eels these guys are just unbelieveable! Aren't eels suppose to go nuts when they smell foods? Well this eel doesn't. The only hard thing about this creature is that it is just like the Blue Ribbon Tail Stingray......it is very hard to feed. They also get pretty aggressive, they will attack my finger but not the food??? Don't be surpirsed if it starves itself.
*Parrot Fish* - Those cute little guys get into big little guys! Unlike the fish we discussed so far this one will eat! But good luck trying to find the food that it wants. They mainly feed on types of corals and corals can cost a lot of $$$. They are very active swimmers and need tanks as big as sharks. The smaller ones in the hobby don't need all that big of a tank.
*Aggressive triggers* -Undulated, Titan, Queen oh my! What do those names have in common? The names of the most agressive, meanist, nastiest temperment in the saltwater aquarium world! These guys don't play buddy buddy these guys play a game called " kill it and then play with it! Yay!!". They can also get very big, except for the Undulated, which is the meanist of all! Some triggers to saty away from, Undulated, Titan, Queen, Starrys, and Blue lines.
*Dragonets* - Yes they may look cute and they are very common in the pet trade. These are one of those fish that find food on it's own. If you don't have a steady food supply in the tank for this fish it will die. They feed apon little inverts in the sand such as copepods. If you don't have a nice supply of pods......I don't recommend this fish.
*Cowfish* - Adorable lil guys. But if they die eveything dies and if they get stressed out everything gets stressed out. This fish will release a toxin so harmful that if it gets stressed out or dies it will release it into the water and could kill your fish!
*Octopus* - These guys catch everyones attention! Octopus should be kept by advanced hobbiest only. These animlas need top notch water quality and a tank by themselfs, they will go after anything that moves. Now these aren't dumb animals, you are going to need a very tight fitting lid because these animals are incredibly smart they are known to exit the tank and come back in it with out you ever noticing. Another reason I don't recommend these animals is because when they get scared they will release their ink for defense. A big water change is a must after this to avoid it's death.
Well there you haven't only piece of the "what fish not to have in your tank" cake. If you have any other fish you would like to put down PLEASE feel free. I will try to add some more later.
Last edited:
Thanks. I feel that it will help a lot of people. But the list is too short...
good thread