Inexpensive but beautiful fishes.

[RV Reefs]

What are some of the less expensive but very beautiful fishes in your tank? Please name them and if possible post pictures please. I am at work so I don’t have access to my photos, but I can post a few pictures later this evening.

Let’s limit the price to no more than 50.00 when you bought the fish. If we all posted, this will help new reefers a lot IMO. Here are some of mine on my cell phone:
Red Head Solon wrasse. 17.00 as a young female.

30.00 at Petco in Corpus Christi

37.00 in Houston

18.00 at Petco

Small transition wrasse at Petco. In the store for weeks so 50% discount. I paid 21.00

assorted female Flasher for 12.00 in Houston

Cherub angel for 45

 

[Nemo&Friends]

anyone keeping mollies in their tank? those are inexpensive when transitioned to saltwater XD

Yes it is very easy to transition Molly from fresh to salt water and vice versa. I did it in my smaller tank, hoping it would eat the algae in the tank. It ate one type of algae, but then started eating my Caulerpa, so back to fresh water it went.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

I am not a fan of:
1. Designer Clownfish (don’t get me started on them)

Well that makes 2 of us.

 

[Zionas]

Yeah, I don’t enjoy them at all. Classic Nemo all the way. My eyes hurt especially when I start seeing the “Snowflakes”, “Longfin”, “Naked” and all that. They’re beyond abominations to me. And the “Zombie Clowns” selectively bred for blindness? Yuck.

If it’s the common Ocellaris or Percula, with all of this designer variant madness these days, I would only every buy a pair descended from known and traceable wild broodstock. This is why I would use friends with wild broodstock. I’m likely to end up with less inbred fish, healthier genetics and better colors / bars.

 

[marito09]

If you don't spend big $ are you even reefing ?

 

[editour2]

Well, I have to post these guys, not for beginners, but my orange spotted filefish were about $30 each

These are beautiful....my friend has 2 but they are in a separate tank than his main display. Aren't they difficult to keep because of their eating habits? All the fish in my tank, although not aggressive, are aggressive eaters and as such guys like these can starve. Just what I was told anyway. What has been your experience?

 

[J.chemicals]

Yes it is very easy to transition Molly from fresh to salt water and vice versa. I did it in my smaller tank, hoping it would eat the algae in the tank. It ate one type of algae, but then started eating my Caulerpa, so back to fresh water it went.

How’d they do with the flow?

 

[Sleepingtiger]

If you don't spend big $ are you even reefing ?

i seen budget reefers. A guy met had like 15 tanks in his living room. His wife and two boys love fish. They built the system using old aquariums, sponge, canister and HOB filters. Very old style skimmers. Nothing high tech. Most of his corals were leathers, xenia, gsp with a mix of condys and bta. He was very proud of his setup and I don't blame him. His kids kept talking to me about the damsels they caught in Corpus.
Would I do something like him? probably not. But I have to give him credit because his water was pristine and the fish were fat and healthy.

 

[i cant think]

If you don't spend big $ are you even reefing ?

Of course not! You always need Atleast one bank breaker in your tank haha. Honestly, I love my high priced tilefish (Currently the most expensive fish I’ve paid for in the tank) over my other fish, hoping that I can get a Xenojulis margaritaceus to finish off the big money fish and have that as the most pricey fish sitting at £240.

My favourite of my large fish at the moments are:
Both lubbockis! Yes I own both variants and they get along just fine in a 4’x2’x2’ tank. £30 for the Cebu which I got as a 1” male and is now a beautiful 3” male (Possibly a supermale!). Here’s him with lights on.

Lights out.

And my Indonesian lubbocki which I paid £25 for as a .5” male and is now a beautiful 2” specimen.

My radiant wrasse is another VERY nice one I got for £45. She was 1” and is now 3.5”. She was my dream wrasse and I would love a second but for now I’ll stick with hunting for a X. margaritaceus as my final wrasse.

Also my Ctenochaetus binotatus which I got for £20 as a 1” juvenile and is now a beautiful 3” fish!

My CBB is a nice fish aswell but definitely gets beaten by the rarer/uncommon fish. I got him as a 1.5” specimen and is now hitting 2.5-3”. Costed about £30.

 

[jaganshi066]

Well, I have to post these guys, not for beginners, but my orange spotted filefish were about $30 each

How long have you had your multibar angel and what do you feed it?

 

[jaganshi066]

How recently were these fish purchased at these prices? It seems like pricing has gone through the roof the last couple of years. The last 2 fish I bought were a Flame Angel @ $90 and a Biota Coral Beauty @ $80. Both from a LFS. Flame didn't make it through QT.

That seem a little expensive for those fish

 

[i cant think]

That seem a little expensive for those fish

Honestly, that’s cheap for those fish at this moment in time.

 

[jaganshi066]

Honestly, that’s cheap for those fish at this moment in time.

Here in SoCal I find them flames for $50 and coral beauties for $30

 

[Dave Cureton]

Here in SoCal I find them flames for $50 and coral beauties for $30

You can find captive bred CB's for $30?

 

[OrionN]

......

My favourite of my large fish at the moments are:
Both lubbockis! Yes I own both variants and they get along just fine in a 4’x2’x2’ tank. £30 for the Cebu which I got as a 1” male and is now a beautiful 3” male (Possibly a supermale!). Here’s him with lights on.

Lights out.

And my Indonesian lubbocki which I paid £25 for as a .5” male and is now a beautiful 2” specimen.

.......

I got both variances of Lubbocki in my tank also. My tank is bigger, a 320 DT, and they both do just fine. They flare up and flash at each other often but no fighting or injury.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I love the Talbot damselfish. So pretty and quite cheap. Not a great picture as they yellow and pink and black spot are a really nice coloration.

 

[i cant think]

I got both variances of Lubbocki in my tank also. My tank is bigger, a 320 DT, and they both do just fine. They flare up and flash at each other often but no fighting or injury.

That’s the same over here but a 4’ tank.

 

[dakoop]

I bought a purple tang for$50

 

[nhendrix]

$100 for breeding pair of diamond goby’s they dig the same rock out about once every two weeks lay eggs and then one is buried inside with eggs for a few days

 

[jaganshi066]

You can find captive bred CB's for $30?

Oh I don’t know if they are captive bred but flames I find for $50-$60