Controversial fish in LFSs?

[davidcalgary29]

Why not a convict tang? I'm asking because they've finally grown on me and I plan to get one soon.

And whats the deal with sexy shrimp and rainbowfish?

 

[cherellzandell]

Ya know I’ve always had a fear of swimming in the ocean cause of sharks and what not.. I normally go like waist deep and what do you know!! Stepped on a stingray! Scared the living cahoots outta me, but I didn’t get stung thankfully! No more ocean for me hahahaha!

Uh oh, you're just confirming my life long fears

 

[Sharkbait19]

Oh wait, I nearly forgot one! One of the worst purchases I’ve ever made! Can’t believe the lfs would sell something like this!!

If you know, you know…

 

[dennis romano]

I've been in the hobby for close to sixty years and worked in different shops for twenty years and have seen a lot of strange fish. Here's a few of the strangest, three foot nurse shark, wobbegong shark, pinecone fish, spanish dancer nudibranch, a nautilus (yes nautilus), electric torpedo ray, giant green moray and baby bumble bee grouper.

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

Titan Trigger and Barracuda probably the worst I’d seen.

This lfs has also banned Lunare wrasse and clown tangs. Lunare bc its destructive and clown tangs bc they can’t keep them alive.

There was a spot in Riverdale md back in the day that would sell cayman’s…back when men were men.

 

[Rugops]

Corallivore butterfly's. Those like the Ornate or Arabian. Stunners but even and expert would have a hard time with these. I think you'd have to have a huge established reef with lots and lots of corals to munch. In the wild these guys are always grazing the reef for coral. The Ornate has to be my favorite tropical marine fish so gorgeous.

My lfs is actually really good at keeping them alive. They feed on mussels and brine. I don't remember if they ate flake or not.

 

[Homewrecker]

When I walk into a store and see any of the following I just kinda get bummed out and become very unwilling to spend money there.
1. Vlamingii(tiny ones to be specific)
2. Dussumieri or any of the like tangs that will be massive in no time
3. Blue ring octopus; they’re easy to get but stupid bc of the risk.
4. Hellfire anemones
5. Venous urchins
6. Pinnatus bats

 

[Slocke]

All in the same terrible LFS back in June and that’s just some of their ridiculous stock.

That’s a 4ft grouper being kept in a kiddy pool btw…

 

[ChrisPPolys]

Piranha

 

[Homestarmy]

That’s a 4ft grouper being kept in a kiddy pool btw…

That’s just wrong on so many levels. I’m surprised that’s even legal.

 

[Readywriter]

One of the lfs's I worked at as a teenager had 6 black tip reef sharks for sale.

 

[Phiilip]

Lionfish.

I know, they are pretty.

But look at what has happened along the entire eastern seaboard when hobbyists decided they were too much to handle so they dumped them in the ocean. And they are still for sale today.

It’s not just the eastern seaboard. They’re EVERYWHERE now, I saw them all over the place when I dove the Flower Gardens off the Texas coast. They’re a plague across the entire Caribbean.

 

[Homestarmy]

It’s not just the eastern seaboard. They’re EVERYWHERE now, I saw them all over the place when I dove the Flower Gardens off the Texas coast. They’re a plague across the entire Caribbean.

Yep. With no natural predators they turn into this 2 1/2 foot monsters. I took this in Belize last summer.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Yep. With no natural predators they turn into this 2 1/2 foot monsters. I took this in Belize last summer.

I have friends in Florida that eat them. I also know some people that have restaurants selling them now to eat. They're everywhere and supposedly they aren't Terrible tasting.

 

[betareef]

Stonefish are weird. They can kill people but actually their venom is very similar to the venom in stingwrays, rabbitfish, catfish, lionfish, and scorpionfish. What makes them dangerous is actually that they often inject far more venom because they are stepped on and the spines and venom sacks are functionally like an upside down syringe. The more force put in the “syringe” the more venom is injected.

I am glad someone pointed this out. We even have a freshwater "stonefish", often called a bullrout. Often seen in large tanks.

btw. I have been stung by rabbitfish, scorpionfish, lionfish, and catfish. All hurt about the same

 

[betareef]

I always chuckle when I see baby (3 inches or less) groupers for sale at the LFS... how many new hobbyists are gonna a. know how big those things get and b. actually have a system big enough to support them??

We have one like that on the great barrier reef we call a Barramundi Cod. Thankfully it's been put on the "no take" list. Completely banned.

 

[betareef]

It's interesting how variable rabbitfish stings are. Sometimes people describe it as nothing, sometimes a bad bee sting, and sometimes the single worst experience of their life.

A (sarcastic) local name for rabbitfish is "Happy Moments"

 

[betareef]

I have friends in Florida that eat them. I also know some people that have restaurants selling them now to eat. They're everywhere and supposedly they aren't Terrible tasting.

Yes, you guys should eating them. They do taste very nice, and cooking denatures all the poison, so it's safe.

 

[betareef]

Edit: dupe

 

[Reefing102]

For me the “conscience shocking” ones:

Black Tip Reef Shark (about 2’)

and

Blue Ring Octopus

My one LFS has a bad habit of ordering “things that are cool” vs “things that may actually sell”

I can also recall baby Baracuda and Nautilus back in the day (2004-2006ish)