Over-rated Fish in the Hobby

[Euphyllia098]

Copperband butterfly

Picky eater, unreliable performance in aipstasia elimination, questionably reef safe, and if comes in with a disease it’s almost impossible to revive

While your points are true I didn't think that makes the fish overrated, if you get a good one they are awesome.

My Copperband eats flakes, pellets and frozen, it's constantly inspecting and picking the rocks. He's an awesome fish. I think Leopard Wrasses can get the same bad wrap for some of the same reasons, but they are awesome if your successful.

These are the reasons they are considered expert only fish and you need a mature reef. Too many people put them in immature reefs with inadequate food sources and this causes them to have poor survival rates.

That's my 2¢

 

[Head-High and Glassy]

Melanurus wrasse. Does not add much color and does a lot of glass surfing, which is a little disturbing in the sense that maybe 100 g is too small. Last fish that did a lot of glass surfing and some full-on shadow boxing was a copper banded butterfly and that ended badly (took float like a butterfly a little too literally).

 

[Ridgeback1]

For me, I would say royal Grammas. Mine never really did anything except for dart around like a freshwater fish. Didn't move a lot to me

Agreed! I've had two Royal Grammas and they just hung in one place often out of sight.

 

[Ridgeback1]

Rabbitfish. I don't like the strange vertical swimming/shimmy thing they do and they just crash around the tank like bulls in a china shop (although they are totally non-aggressive, I will grant).

 

[LPS Bum]

Clownfish, especially Maroons and Tomato’s. And though I like my Gem Tang and think it’s a cool fish, I don’t think they’re worth anywhere near what most people pay for them. I got mine for $250 and felt like that was a fair price.

 

[Salman123]

Def damsels. Literally clownfishes evil twins. I have one and he has fought with every fish in the tank. My clownfish have only fought with other clownfish.

 

[jackintheboxfish]

While your points are true I didn't think that makes the fish overrated, if you get a good one they are awesome.

My Copperband eats flakes, pellets and frozen, it's constantly inspecting and picking the rocks. He's an awesome fish. I think Leopard Wrasses can get the same bad wrap for some of the same reasons, but they are awesome if your successful.

These are the reasons they are considered expert only fish and you need a mature reef. Too many people put them in immature reefs with inadequate food sources and this causes them to have poor survival rates.

That's my 2¢

Yeah sounds like you’ve had a pretty good experience with your copperband. Funny you mention leopard wrasse. Mine also eats everything from pellets to flakes to frozen food, even nori. I’ve always been confused by people say it’s difficult because my experience has been super easy. My CBB on the other hand not so lucky

What that tells me it’s a numbers game. The general experience for both CBB and leopard wrasse is difficult but you got a good CBB and I got a good leopard wrasse

 

[Euphyllia098]

Yeah sounds like you’ve had a pretty good experience with your copperband. Funny you mention leopard wrasse. Mine also eats everything from pellets to flakes to frozen food, even nori. I’ve always been confused by people say it’s difficult because my experience has been super easy. My CBB on the other hand not so lucky

What that tells me it’s a numbers game. The general experience for both CBB and leopard wrasse is difficult but you got a good CBB and I got a good leopard wrasse

Never thought a leopard would eat Nori. I might try that too mix things up. I've tried to feed it in the past, but not really having any Tangs or Grazers it just made a mess in the tank.

 

[christinna77]

Anything that hides 90% of the time. Marine bettas, grammas, engineer gobies, certain cardinals that are nocturnal, etc. Of course there are exceptions, but I'm just not interested in owning fish if I'm almost never going to see them.

I have a dwarf sole now, which is a REALLY cool fish, but he only comes out after the lights go out at night to eat. He sleeps during the day. Don't get me wrong, I love Pancake, but I already know I'm never buying another one.

 

[KrisReef]

I try to look at fish as individuals and rate them based on their personality and performance. I saw a fairy wrasse today that I thought might be interesting to own. He was taking on a tank full of designer clownfish and he looked like he might be able to dominate the whole school.

I left him there, I didn’t want to upset the fish I already have at home. I felt sorry for his tank mates but I can’t fix all these things.

 

[christinna77]

I try to look at fish as individuals and rate them based on their personality and performance. I saw a fairy wrasse today that I thought might be interesting to own. He was taking on a tank full of designer clownfish and he looked like he might be able to dominate the whole school.

I left him there, I didn’t want to upset the fish I already have at home. I felt sorry for his tank mates but I can’t fix all these things.

That's so funny, because these wrasses are also called 'social fairy wrasses'. I see it's taking socializing to another level here

 

[commod0re]

I try to look at fish as individuals and rate them based on their personality and performance. I saw a fairy wrasse today that I thought might be interesting to own. He was taking on a tank full of designer clownfish and he looked like he might be able to dominate the whole school.

I left him there, I didn’t want to upset the fish I already have at home. I felt sorry for his tank mates but I can’t fix all these things.

how does one rate a fish on “performance” lol

 

[saltwaterfish.com Verified Sponsor]

especially tomato clowns

This girl right here is about 30 years old and she still manages to draw blood each time she nails a hit. She aims for the knuckles too.

 

[Reeferbadness]

Emperor angel. Sike! One of my favorite fish. These guys are not for every tank though. They get big, are very territorial, and strikingly beautiful! You can hear them grunt from across the room, there’s no mistaking that “I’m the boss” sound!

I had one for a few years - his name literally was the boss - El Heffe. Grunts could be heard around the house when he was bossing his tank mates. Occasionally he would graze on zoa's or other softies but otherwise he was fine with most corals. Sadly, he had a severe case of flukes and checked out. I won't get another as i don't want to deal with not knowing if my soft corals will survive but loved this fish!

 

[KrisReef]

how does one rate a fish on “performance” lol

Wrasses (and others that tend to jump out of the tank, rate "fail."

I keep "community" tanks, so fishes that are gangster-like are also a fail.

As @christinna77 pointed out, the idea that a group of fishes display a trait ("social" ) doesn't actual capture the facts that in any society outliers will be present. So "performance" is what each fish brings to the community.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I generally have a soft spot for the mean fish. No fish asks to be plucked from the ocean and put into a crowded glass box... that being said i have never had a good time with any dottybacks lol.

I recently picked up two fish, a yellowtail damsel and a strawberry dottyback, that were causing problems and added them to my 180g. The damselfish, so far, has been fine. This small dottyback has an entire 180g with a good amount of rock and has still managed to cause some squabbling problems lol. If I catch him, he might go to sump jail.

You may have gotten my damsel and dottyback if so, I'm sorry. I wasn't as worried when I heard the dottyback was going in a big tank with lots of established fish but I reckon it has a vendetta against everything!

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Blue Hippo tangs

 

[cryingrn]

You may have gotten my damsel and dottyback if so, I'm sorry. I wasn't as worried when I heard the dottyback was going in a big tank with lots of established fish but I reckon it has a vendetta against everything!

Haha! No worries- I was being funny about it and this was somewhat expected. Hes mostly fine. He just doesnt want the yellowtail and my chalk basslet in the same half of the tank as him. Im debating if its worth the effort to try and trap him and move him into a different tank... but the yellowtail is a model citizen! And the strawberry dottyback isnt causing any significant issues just being greedy lol

 

[56longroof]

Never thought a leopard would eat Nori. I might try that too mix things up. I've tried to feed it in the past, but not really having any Tangs or Grazers it just made a mess in the tank.

My choati and ornate both graze nori as much as the tangs.

 

[56longroof]

Im not sure any are over rated. Definitely over priced though.