Easy Fish? Suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Looking to add a non-agressive fish to my 55 FOWLR (already have 1 percula). I want to know...

WHAT ARE THE EASIEST FISH TO TAKE CARE OF?
(i.e. will eat a variety of food, not too prone to disease, good tankmate, etc.)

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Yellow tang. Won't bother your clown and can be taught to eat just about anything. He will need a source of algae though. You can get nori cheap from a local Asian food store.

 

[Anonymous]

I like the following fish because they're easy to keep and they're bulletproof:

Royal Gramma (can be a lil aggresive though)
Bangaii Cardinals (pretty easy to keep)
Pajama Cardinals (kinda ugly tho)
Blennies (my favs are the Midas and the Bicolor)

 

[Anonymous]

In addition to the above mentioned, I've had good luck with the Coral Beauty and Pygmy Angels - both have nice colors and will graze the rocks and glass for algae. They're also rather benign towards other fish.

[This message has been edited by AO (edited 01 March 2000).]

 

[Anonymous]

Tangs are great but I have also had real good luck with flame hawks -nonaggessive and great personalities. Kole tang also is good especially in keeping algae down

 

[Anonymous]

Tangs are not the easiest fish to keep unless you are willing to go the extra mile for tops water quality. I have been in fish/reef tanks for almost ten years and just starting successfully keeping tangs and angels...

I recommend
Strawberry pseudochromis: hardy, pretty, cheap.

 

[Anonymous]

HI:
my totally biased opinion...banggai cardinalfish, and if possible a captive bred/raised one. These are one of the only fish which will readily breed in captivity.
frank

 

[Anonymous]

> These are one of the only fish which will
readily breed in captivity.<

You must mean one of the only fish in which the young occasionally can be raised to maturity in the tank in which they were born. I've had yellow clown gobies, catalina gobies, maroon clowns (who hasn't), two species of seahorse, and neon gobies all breed in my tanks. Even flame angels are known to breed in captivity.

- Greg Hiller

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Amsperry,

You happen to have the easiest fish to take care of already in your tank, the percula. Since you already have a clown, go for a royal gramma or bangai cardinal. Both are easy fish to keep and are very "easy going" fish.

I personally stay away from tangs. It seems that they are more susceptible to ich and other diseases than most other marine fish.

You could also go with the Flame angel or Coral beauty pygmy angel. Both are beautiful and fairly easy to take care of.

The benefit of the Royal gramma and bangai is that they are relatively inexpensive, usually less than $15. The angels will run you $20 for the coral beauty and $40 for the flame.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

My $0.02:
Try a dwarf wrasse, ie pseudocheilinus, halichoeres, etc. They're extremely graceful swimmers, appearing to glide through the water, their colors and behaviors are very engaging and, provided you meet their particular needs (deep enough substrate to bury themselves in @ night) they should be fine...
We've got a 6-line and a "yellow" (h.chrysus) in our 75 and they're wonderful.

 

[Anonymous]

I have personally had great luck with a bunch of Tangs, Royal Blue - Yellow - Sailfin, so in general I do think they are very hardy. What about a Trigger fish, if you are not worried about having corals or invets at some point. Triggers are very aggressive though, very entertaining!

 

[Anonymous]

Please be aware everyone that although the flame angel is an easy to keep fish they have some SERIOUS problems shipping. The stress from shipping (or the short term storage on capture) can often kill them even several weeks to months later. Unless you have had a flame for >2 months IMO you still have some risk of losing the fish. I understand the ones coming from Xmas Island are the worst in this regard.

- Greg Hiller