What are the coolest, most exotic things that could be theoretically kept in the home aquarium?

[Peace River]

I realize that it's a bit of a loaded question, especially in this hobby, and that people's opinions are subjective. Maybe I've just seen too many Attenborough documentaries, but if you could create a truly specialized and unique tank filled with deep sea oddities of evolution and bioluminescence, what would you keep and why?

Mine would have to be the Barreleye

Leafy sea dragons?

 

[littlefoxx]

Jellies!!!! I like jellyfish

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Lots of cool options listed already.

For deep sea specifically, Giant Isopods have to be on the list; carnivorous clams would be fun, as would a number NPS corals; glass sponges; carnivorous sponges, the ghostfish/predatory tunicate; some cool starfish (like slime stars or starfish that practice aboral brooding); ice worms; skates; goblin sharks; blobfish; tripodfish; yeti crabs; bamboo corals; sea pens; deep sea anglerfish; Gossamer Worms; Dragonfish; lanternfish; bioluminescent Ophiuroids (brittle/serpent stars); etc.

 

[MikeCRK]

Lots of cool options listed already.

For deep sea specifically, Giant Isopods have to be on the list; carnivorous clams would be fun, as would a number NPS corals; glass sponges; carnivorous sponges, the ghostfish/predatory tunicate; some cool starfish (like slime stars or starfish that practice aboral brooding); ice worms; skates; goblin sharks; blobfish; tripodfish; yeti crabs; bamboo corals; sea pens; deep sea anglerfish; Gossamer Worms; Dragonfish; lanternfish; bioluminescent Ophiuroids (brittle/serpent stars); etc.

Imagine being able to keep blob fish in a jar similar to the one Nixon's head was kept in Futurama

 

[elysics]

Leafy sea dragon would be really cool

If you can settle for a weedy seadragon then that's a thing that can actually be done

 

[Slocke]

If you can settle for a weedy seadragon then that's a thing that can actually be done

It can be but there are two big problems.

1. They are almost impossible to find to purchase.
2. They are incredibly sensitive and hard to keep. I have a friend who works at the aquarium and apparently they are one of the most difficult.

 

[elysics]

It can be but there are two big problems.

1. They are almost impossible to find to purchase.
2. They are incredibly sensitive and hard to keep. I have a friend who works at the aquarium and apparently they are one of the most difficult.

Not impossible, just expensive. Like 4 digits per animal. Even available captive bred.

And yeah, definitely only for the very engaged enthusiast

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I would love to try some sort of siphonophore, jellyfish, or other weirdo open ocean garbage. Another absolute dream tank would be a crinoid and sponge dominant tank, which I personally believe is right on the horizon. We are getting so good at planktonic foods that I'm sure it'll be possible to keep them easily in the next year.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I don't believe it's beyond the capability of humans to keep a feather star in captivity. Just because we don't know how right now DOES NOT mean it's impossible or even close.

I totally agree. Our recent advancements in live planktonic foods lead me to believe it's just on the horizon.

 

[revhtree]

I don't believe it's beyond the capability of humans to keep a feather star in captivity. Just because we don't know how right now DOES NOT mean it's impossible or even close.

True!

 

[Salty Sea Flowers]

i spent the last hour searching for pictures, so let me just jump in here for fun! lol

》the oarfish— i suppose if you could own a literal aquarium or something outrageously big to accommodate its size, this guy would be mesmerizing to look at everyday!

》the lancetfish— i another big one that gets up to 7 feet in length, is hermaphroditic, and is a know to be cannibalistic! they look so wicked!

》the frilled shark— of course, the classic monster of the deep; the frilled shark! it just looks so prehistoric and almost misshapen.

》the dumbo octopus—
honestly, it's pretty cute! lol. it kind of reminds me of a pikachu? lol! they can be terrifying though, when they inflate their arms and blow up like some huge ocean blob, but it's the floppy ears that do it for me.

》the razorfish— i discovered that theres actually multiple names for these fish, but could you imagine having a small school in your tank? if they made any kind of noise, i could only imagine the sound of metal wind chimes clanging together. lol!

》the mola mola— i could list about 20+ more fish, but this one will always be on my list. i know that there are actually some mola mola (aka ocean sunfish) that are kept in captivity at a few large aquariums. but could you imagine having one as your own? they're massive, but also known to be gentle giants. they look so unique, like a short body whale. lol!

 

[vahegan]

The razorfish are frequently available for sale and aren't too difficult to keep. The only special requirement would be that you need to feed them live plankton that wold fit their small mouths. They are very fun fish to watch, when they spin like a weather-vane

 

[Derrick0580]

I would be interested in seeing baby “game” fish in a large home aquarium. I’ve seen fw fish like bass and bluegill so why not a baby mahi, wahoo, or barramundi. A baby marlin of a smaller species would be cool but from what I read, they don’t really develop into anything that resembles a marlin till around 8 inches.

 

[Salty Sea Flowers]

The razorfish are frequently available for sale and aren't too difficult to keep. The only special requirement would be that you need to feed them live plankton that wold fit their small mouths. They are very fun fish to watch, when they spin like a weather-vane

that sooooo amazing! do you know what size tank they would need? and obviously they would prefer to be kept in schools, right? do you know about how much they run, price-wise?

yeah, id imagine they would need very small food. so thatd similar to those tank kept pipefish, and maybe the tiny garden eels?

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

that sooooo amazing! do you know what size tank they would need? and obviously they would prefer to be kept in schools, right? do you know about how much they run, price-wise?

yeah, id imagine they would need very small food. so thatd similar to those tank kept pipefish, and maybe the tiny garden eels?

While I have never had razor fish at home I occasionally would get them in at the LFS I once worked at. No more difficult than Seahorses IMO. They would eat small frozen food like rotifers. They also look really cool if kept with urchins.

 

[Salty Sea Flowers]

While I have never had razor fish at home I occasionally would get them in at the LFS I once worked at. No more difficult than Seahorses IMO. They would eat small frozen food like rotifers. They also look really cool if kept with urchins.

that's so awesome! i used to be a manager at my local LFS, and amongst the cooler things we got, we would never see those on the order list?!

that's pretty awesome. how big do they usually get, and what price would they go for, usually?

 

[vahegan]

that sooooo amazing! do you know what size tank they would need? and obviously they would prefer to be kept in schools, right? do you know about how much they run, price-wise?

yeah, id imagine they would need very small food. so thatd similar to those tank kept pipefish, and maybe the tiny garden eels?

I am on the other side of the globe, but I have just looked up Aeoliscus strigatus on liveaquaria and they offer it for $45
And I do remember seeing this species in stock lists of Asian exporters multiple times
P.S. The photo they posted of this fish is placed incorrectly, LOL. They swim with their heads down, of course Probably the person who handles the web interface did not know this and "corrected" by turning the photo so that the fish looks "normal", LOL

 

[Paul B]

I kept shrimpfish a few times but they require way to much food and are not easy to keep for even a year unless you have a species tank just for them

 

[Rmckoy]

Leafy sea dragon would be really cool

There was someone on here that had one .

 

[OrchidMiss]

I'd like a few hundred feet long aquarium just for a pyrosome..

Reminds me of the movie The Abyss