5 Fishes we seem to take for granted...

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uniquecorals

UniqueCorals
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I was in one of those modes where I seemed to be losing a bit of inspiration of late…No one ticked me off to much, nothing was getting on my nerve for a change..relegating myself to the distinct possibility of writing something like “Why the hang-on power filter should be a part of your reef system” or “12 Uses for plastic spoons in your reef-keeping tool kit”, “Why I’d want Marc Levanson with me on an expedition to Mars”. or “Reefkeeping Wisdom from non-reefkeepers..” (Actually, I’m gonna write that one tonight! I’ve got MATERIAL!)

So I did what I always do- looked around me for inspiration, and spared you an 1800 word dissertation on plastic spoons. You can thank me later…

The other day, as I was looking at some corals with a customer in one of our 30-foot long raceways here at Unique Corals, I stopped talking (amazing, I know) mid sentence as I was mesmerized by a group of about 15 Striped Damsels, Green Chromis, and Yellow tailed Damsels swarming together and playing in the gyre current. What a spectacular sight. I mean, we added these guys over the years for the simple purpose of well- how can I put it delicately- “eating and pooping”- to help feed our corals. In exchange for performing their “biological imperative”, they get to live out their lives in the luxury provided by a 30-foot-long raceway, free of predators, with thousands of corals to play amongst. Not a bad gig if you’re a Damsel, actually. But it made me think, just for a second, that the reason we keep these guys in our raceway is because they are, well- “common.”

Uh-ohh..blog idea.

You often hear of a person getting “no respect” in the media…Well, the same applies to fishes…really! Some fishes just same to be taken for granted, for a myriad of reasons: They’re inexpensive, abundant in the wild AND the hobby, or they’re just plain…well- how do I put it delicately- UGLY. And dull, to boot. Others are just “too familiar” to the hobby, having been around for decades- long enough to become “staples” in the trade. Some are actually labeled “beginner’s fishes” as well. This often unfair labeling by the “hobby hegemony” has relegated a number of truly cool fishes to the “bleacher seats” of obscurity- or at the very least, the “bleacher seats” of “uncool.” As new, rare fishes appear on the market, and are blogged about in the aquatic media, old friends are often further relegated to the desolate regions of familiarity-perhaps unintentionally, but nonetheless “downgraded” further.

The big joke, in my opinion, is that many of the crazy cool fishes that we see splashed all over the aquatic media are not only difficult to find, hard to keep, and altogether risky to own- many are simply out of the price range for a high percentage of hobbyists. Sure, some of us can afford a few hundred dollars for a cool wrasse, and a smaller percentage of us can shell out one or two grand for a rare Hogfish or Basslet…an even smaller percentage can afford to spend several thousand on a crazy rare Angelfish.

Some fishes carry expensive price tags because they are incredibly difficult to collect- or are captive bred over generations. This is perfectly legitimate, and is, unfortunately, self limiting in terms of the market they have. I will go so far as to state that almost every crazy expensive fish I have seen is justifiably priced. Unlike corals, which, for the most part are readily propagated, rare fishes are generally not reproducible, and we’re limited to the supplies on hand.

Now, there is nothing wrong with seeing all of these new fishes, and even aspiring to own them. It’s what keeps the hobby fun- and fuels dreams (I’ve related the story of my obsession with the Easter Island Pygmy Angelfish (Centropyge hotumatua) over the years, so I’m not immune to the charms of the rare and pricy. What I think is wrong is that, in the quest for rare and crazy, some old standbys of the hobby are seemingly acquiring the unfair label of “dull.” A lot of you probably keep some or all of these, and may just think, “well, my fish selection is boring…” NO! it is amazing…Rejoice in the common! Let the cool kids have their “Dr. Seuss Soapfish”, Earlyei Wrasses, and Sunset Hogfish…Here are a few well-known fishes that I think deserve a second, third, or fourth look:



Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)- IMHO this is THE poster child for “taken for granted” in the hobby. A stunningly colorful, well-behaved, perfectly-sized, readily available, and easily kept fish. In fact, it’s these characteristics that have relegated it to this unfair classification. Truly, it’s one of the most beautiful, reliable fishes in the marine aquarium hobby- perfectly suited for a reef aquarium, and fine to keep in small groups. In fact, if you’ve ever dove amongst them in the wild (I have a bunch of times), you’ll really fall in love with them. They live in pretty sizable aggregations, with a definite social order, and hang upside-down under rocks and caves. You seem to never see them kept this way in an aquarium, which is a big shame. And, they are an ideal subject for a small-scale captive breeding project- an all the more compelling reason to rethink our old friend here.

UCRoyal Gramma - June 20, 2014.jpg

So what if it's from the Tropical West Atlantic?



Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosus)- Another one of the more well-known fishes of the hobby that is often taken for granted. Sure, it doesn’t have the inherent sxiness of some of the flashier members of its genus, but it also doesn't have many of the bad habits, either- whacking down coral polyps, picking at clam mantles, etc. Sure, the occasional individual will develop this habit, but in over 25 years of keeping these little Angels in numerous reefs, I’ve never had one do this. Couple this with the fact that it’s quite beautiful, pretty darned hardy, relatively small, and undeniably peaceful, and you have the coolest Angel for your reef. Added plus- in my personal experience, you can sometimes keep more than one in a large enough tank without bloodshed..A big plus if you really want to see a more natural behavioral pattern in your tank. Sure, the Coral Beauty doesn’t carry with it the bragging rights of say, a Regal Angel- but you won’t spend nights awake worrying about it, either.


IMG_0599.jpg

Highly variable and undeniably nice..The Coral Beauty" lives up to its name!

Canary Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)- If you’re looking for just about the perfect “reef-compatible” wrasse, you’ve got it. Interesting shape: Check. Bright cheerful color: Check. Easygoing with a bit of an attitude: Check. Feeds easily: Check. Reasonably small mature size: Yup. I mean, this fish fits so many selection criteria that it’s almost a no brainer. Add the fact that is another one of those fishes that exists nicely in groups, will help nip at some pets on your corals and clams, and you’ve got another winner. Oh, and the attitude…These fishes are a bit ornery, cranky, wake up at whatever time they **** well please, and you’ve got a fish that’s both endearing and practical for almost any reef tank. Sand is mandatory, as they love to sleep in substrate and explode out of it in the morning (or afternoon, depending on what transpired the night before) and make their diva-like appearance. Man, I love this fish! You should, too.


163830.jpg

It's cranky, ornery, and anything but "dull."


Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) - Of course, you knew I had to include a Pseudochromis- and why not the coolest-looking one of all? The Orchid Dottyback has the distinction of being available almost exclusively as a captive-bred fish, which is enough of a reason that you should keep one or more in every reef tank. Again, I said “one or more”, because they can be kept in groups if added all at once in a large enough tank, and they WILL interact. There is a reason why the legendary Martin Moe decided to breed this fish- It’s awesome. As an added bonus, it nips at bristle worms and other nasty potentially coral-harmful creatures, giving it utility in addition to it’s movie star good looks. Do I dare use a Scott Michael phrase? “If you don’t keep an Orchid Dottyback in your reef, you are stupid.” (Hey, Scott said it- I’m just paraphrasing…)


Orchid Dottyback 3 full-720.jpg

Yeah, you're just not a smart person if you don't like it.


Kole Tang- (Ctenochaetus strigosus)- Let’s face it, the “aesthetic gods” have not been kind to the Kole Tang…Probably was out chewing on detritus when they were passing out the looks. It’s the geekiest-looking Tang out there with it’s dorky lips, squat body, and big eyes. It’s color palette of brown with grey and a splash of Yellow is not going to have it winning any contests on “Project Runway” any time soon. It’s super mild-mannered, however, and carries the air of not caring that it’s dorky…If it were a girl (forgive me, ladies, for the seemingly sexist viewpoint, but I’m a guy and it’s the best example that comes to mind at 6:20 AM), it would be the one that wears the horn-rimmed glasses and frumpy clothing, sitting in the back of the classroom, until one day you realize that she’s…okay, forget about the example. It’s just a really dull fish that is not even the least dull of it’s dull genus, let alone any of the Tangs. Oh, sure the white tailed Polynesian version is cool, but we’re not talking about the white-tailed Polynesian version…Anyways, this fish is great for what it IS: A detritivorous, diatom-and-filimentous-algae-eating fiend. One of the most useful, and yeah- endearing Tangs there is. And pretty hardy, too. Perfect for a reef.


UCKole Tang - June 06, 2014.jpg

Geeks can be beautiful, too!


Okay, my rundown looks pretty much like a “Who’s Who” of the “basic” reef fishes. Why is that? I mean, as a more advanced reefer, you’ve probably kept all of these fishes at one time or another- or still do. If all I did was reinforce your reasons for keeping some of these fishes, then my job here is done. The bottom line is that something doesn't have to be uber expensive, rare, or well-blogged-about to be desirable and cool. It just has to fit your selection criteria and work for you. Like so many things in reefkeeping, there is no right or wrong, no “one size fits all” solution…We go with what we like. The whole purpose of this piece is to let you know that there is nothing wrong with keeping tanks full of these fishes that we take for granted. As reefers, we are excited about dark, stinky product coming from our protein skimmers, dosing pumps, LED emitters, and stuff like that. Who cares if our taste for fishes is “common?” We are all blessed to participate in the best hobby in the world, and all that really counts is wether or not we enjoy it!








Until next time, be thankful I didn’t write about the plastic spoons, keep stocking your reefs with the fishes you love…

And stay wet.

Regards,

Scott Fellman
Unique Corals


 
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Shep

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I have alwasy wanted a Dottyback but have heard that they are kind of terrorists.
 

650-IS350

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Yellow Coris, canary wrasse one of my favorite cheapest work horse for a zoanthid tank. doesnt bother other inverts, doesnt' mess with other fish. Loves to inspect all new incoming frags/colonies even while its still in my hands being put into the tank. Constantly guarding the tank for pests, large ampipods and other critters. Best guard dog for a zoa tank hands down.
 

FishLipz

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The algae blenny fits here too. So unloved I've seen them tossed into cleanup packs. While not flashy to look at, they can fill a vital role in our reefs and are comical to watch IMO.
 

vic67

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I have three of the five. :) The Canary Wrasse does nip at my snails though. :(
 

scason

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4 of my planned fish ( all but kole tang) also diamond goby and my two clowns maybe a couple fire fish to round it out.
 

mwilk19

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I have 2 Yellow Coris wrasses and a Kole Tang in my 150 reef. That Orchid Dottyback sure is a pretty fish.
 

Heroca

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I love them,Lair tail molly and a royal gramma.
 

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Scubafrog

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I have a Bicolor Dottyback in a 29G cube. My clowns picked on him at first but he is starting to come out of the rocks more and is more comfortable out in the open.
 

saltyhog

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I've got 3/5 if I get to count the C. flavicauda (H. chrysus and G. loereto). May have to try the angel after your encouragement Scott.

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Crna

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I have always wanted a Coral Beauty, but have been worried about the potential for bad habits....
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

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