chris13115
Active Member
Having an aquarium is like a basketball, it has its ups and has its downs. But a major up, is having a beautiful aquarium with a diverse community (which can also be the envy of your house). However, it can be a major down, if you don't carefully select your tank mates for your aquarium. So a few ways for you to pick is reef compatibility (if you have coral), aggression, minimum tank size and dietary requirements.
A reef can make an aquarium pop with some color, however there are fish that are hungry for coral and inverts. So what should you do if your unsure? If you are unsure, research and going to your local aquatics store for answers is always a good idea before picking a fish for your tank. A few examples of fish that aren't fit for a reef is butterflyfish, angelfish, triggerfish, some species of pufferfish, groupers, some species of wrasse, batfish, anglers and eels. If you like these fish a FOWLR setup (Fish Only With Live Rock) is suggested. There are fish that can live under a reef, but can still decor inverts and coral, they are known as "With Caution" fish, because it depends on the fish itself, not the genius. Some fish under that list are foxfaces, lionfish,hawkfish,filefish,boxfish etc. There are many species of fish that are reef safe that make a good candidate for a reef.
Agression between fish is a big part in an aquarium. A big piece of advice is to never add in 2 of the same fish, unless your introducing them at the exact same time. A personal story is me getting my pajama cardinal another one as a friend, and my old cardinal didn't take too nicely to him and ended up killing him. A way to find out fish compatibility is researching a fish compatibility chart, which will tell you everything you need to know. Think about fish compatibility like this, pair fish with their aggression (i.e peaceful with peaceful, aggressive with aggressive, etc.) If you have a peaceful tank, it is best to avoid triggerfish, fish only wrasses, damsels, some species of puffers, most sharks, as they are aggressive fish. A fish to avoid at all costs would be the undulate triggerfish, as they are one of the most aggressive fish (maybe the most) aggressive fish any aquarium. Some fish are classified as "semi-aggresive" as they have an aggressive side, they can be in a peaceful tank, but be weary of damselfish, as they are one of the most aggressive semi aggressive fish, because they are extremely territorial. It is best to avoid these fish. Peaceful fish will never fight unless it is 2 of the same species. Established territories can cause aggression, a way to avoid this is to rearrange all decoration and rockwork, it will reopen territories and let your new fish estabish itself. Also, remember your aquarium is classified as an ecosystem, so be weary of "King of the Tank". The King is usually a peacemaker or an aggressive king. In my case, a foxface is my king of the tank, which I'm pleased since it is peaceful and a peacemaker.
When getting new fish, remember the gallons of your aquarium, as it will come in handy. Fish like Tangs, Batfish, Groupers, Sharks and most fish classified as miscellaneous (no determined genius) require big setups as they can outgrow aquariums, If a fish outgrows your aquarium, it is best to return it to your local aquatic shop, as it will have a bigger home there. Don't fret if you can't get a tang for your nano, because there are fish classified as nano fish, which can live in tanks around 10 gallons. Most gobies, some blennies, some jawfish can survive with ease in a nano. Most fish require a 30 gallon or more, so always be weary of the environment it requires before adding it. It could end badly as it will run out of swim room and perish if not removed from the tank.
Hobbyests are usually unaware of dietary requirements, which will result in a death an owner won't know, but the fish knew form the start. A big fish to avoid is dragonets, they are one the most beautiful colorful fish you could get for an aquarium, but requires live foods and a working refrigium for survival. Fish like dragonets require copepods, which live in live rock. This means your aquarium needs to be established. It is a shame to see a mandarin die, so i add copepods to my tank and refrigium so i know it won't starve. Other fish won't eat when introduced, which include the infamous moorish idol, one of the most graceful fish to ever get, but it won't eat. So with every new arrival, quarentine and make sure there eating. A good first step is to add saltwater feeder shrimp, which will entice the fish to eat, when it does, feed your new arrival what you normally feed your tank mates, so it can adjust. It is always wise to add nori to a veggie clip for herbivores, so it has a second food source.
This hobby has no shortcuts and no breaks, no easy way out, the only way to save your tank is to do a full complete job and never give up.
A reef can make an aquarium pop with some color, however there are fish that are hungry for coral and inverts. So what should you do if your unsure? If you are unsure, research and going to your local aquatics store for answers is always a good idea before picking a fish for your tank. A few examples of fish that aren't fit for a reef is butterflyfish, angelfish, triggerfish, some species of pufferfish, groupers, some species of wrasse, batfish, anglers and eels. If you like these fish a FOWLR setup (Fish Only With Live Rock) is suggested. There are fish that can live under a reef, but can still decor inverts and coral, they are known as "With Caution" fish, because it depends on the fish itself, not the genius. Some fish under that list are foxfaces, lionfish,hawkfish,filefish,boxfish etc. There are many species of fish that are reef safe that make a good candidate for a reef.
Agression between fish is a big part in an aquarium. A big piece of advice is to never add in 2 of the same fish, unless your introducing them at the exact same time. A personal story is me getting my pajama cardinal another one as a friend, and my old cardinal didn't take too nicely to him and ended up killing him. A way to find out fish compatibility is researching a fish compatibility chart, which will tell you everything you need to know. Think about fish compatibility like this, pair fish with their aggression (i.e peaceful with peaceful, aggressive with aggressive, etc.) If you have a peaceful tank, it is best to avoid triggerfish, fish only wrasses, damsels, some species of puffers, most sharks, as they are aggressive fish. A fish to avoid at all costs would be the undulate triggerfish, as they are one of the most aggressive fish (maybe the most) aggressive fish any aquarium. Some fish are classified as "semi-aggresive" as they have an aggressive side, they can be in a peaceful tank, but be weary of damselfish, as they are one of the most aggressive semi aggressive fish, because they are extremely territorial. It is best to avoid these fish. Peaceful fish will never fight unless it is 2 of the same species. Established territories can cause aggression, a way to avoid this is to rearrange all decoration and rockwork, it will reopen territories and let your new fish estabish itself. Also, remember your aquarium is classified as an ecosystem, so be weary of "King of the Tank". The King is usually a peacemaker or an aggressive king. In my case, a foxface is my king of the tank, which I'm pleased since it is peaceful and a peacemaker.
When getting new fish, remember the gallons of your aquarium, as it will come in handy. Fish like Tangs, Batfish, Groupers, Sharks and most fish classified as miscellaneous (no determined genius) require big setups as they can outgrow aquariums, If a fish outgrows your aquarium, it is best to return it to your local aquatic shop, as it will have a bigger home there. Don't fret if you can't get a tang for your nano, because there are fish classified as nano fish, which can live in tanks around 10 gallons. Most gobies, some blennies, some jawfish can survive with ease in a nano. Most fish require a 30 gallon or more, so always be weary of the environment it requires before adding it. It could end badly as it will run out of swim room and perish if not removed from the tank.
Hobbyests are usually unaware of dietary requirements, which will result in a death an owner won't know, but the fish knew form the start. A big fish to avoid is dragonets, they are one the most beautiful colorful fish you could get for an aquarium, but requires live foods and a working refrigium for survival. Fish like dragonets require copepods, which live in live rock. This means your aquarium needs to be established. It is a shame to see a mandarin die, so i add copepods to my tank and refrigium so i know it won't starve. Other fish won't eat when introduced, which include the infamous moorish idol, one of the most graceful fish to ever get, but it won't eat. So with every new arrival, quarentine and make sure there eating. A good first step is to add saltwater feeder shrimp, which will entice the fish to eat, when it does, feed your new arrival what you normally feed your tank mates, so it can adjust. It is always wise to add nori to a veggie clip for herbivores, so it has a second food source.
This hobby has no shortcuts and no breaks, no easy way out, the only way to save your tank is to do a full complete job and never give up.
, and thanks guys i appreciate it!
