"This fish should be added FIRST (or LAST)"...

[JumboShrimp]

EMPLOYER: "I'm sorry-- we are only hiring people with 'experience'."

PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEE: "How do I 'get' experience--when only people with experience are hired?"

I remembered starting to chuckle when I realized just how many stocking write-ups end with the caution, "This fish should be added FIRST", or, "This fish should be added LAST." It became such a beginner's quandary, as I quickly fell in love with so many "first" and "last" fish! (Unless I planned on having a 150-gallon tank with just TWO fish) -- such a paradox.

 

[exnisstech]

I understand the thought process and reasons for it but I've never followed the first fish last fish rule. What I try to do is avoid aggression by not adding fish that push those aggression boundaries. I hate watching aggression between fish as it just takes all of the pleasure out of viewing the tank for me. I figure if I have to add a fish last to try and curb that aggression I'll just pass on that fish and choose something different so my last fish added is never really my last one if that makes sense. I have too many tanks running to think I've added my last fish to any of them. I also try to build scapes with fish in mind more than trying to create some type of under water work of art like many NSA scapes that are terrible as fish habitat IMO.

 

[NanoSteam]

I understand the thought process and reasons for it but I've never followed the first fish last fish rule. What I try to do is avoid aggression by not adding fish that push those aggression boundaries. I hate watching aggression between fish as it just takes all of the pleasure out of viewing the tank for me. I figure if I have to add a fish last to try and curb that aggression I'll just pass on that fish and choose something different so my last fish added is never really my last one if that makes sense. I have too many tanks running to think I've added my last fish to any of them. I also try to build scapes with fish in mind more than trying to create some type of under water work of art like many NSA scapes that are terrible as fish habitat IMO.

Agreed, but I think most importantly highlighting what you said about NSA scape fad. It's just not good for the fish one but, you're asking for stress and aggression. It's like if I built someone a house out of glass open for the world to glance in and removed all the doors lol.

 

[joseph scott]

I think the first/last fish to add is very short sided thinking. Some fish have short lifespans and some have long lifespans. Eventually you’re going to have to throw that whole way of thinking out the window if you stay in The hobby for any amount of of time.

 

[joseph scott]

I think the first/last fish to add is very short sided thinking. Some fish have short lifespans and some have long lifespans. Eventually you’re going to have to throw that whole way of thinking out the window if you stay in The hobby for any amount of of time.

For instance you added a peaceful and sometimes shy fish first, but it has a short lifespan and eventually dies. Now you want another one and now it becomes the last fish added.