What is the most difficult fish you have kept?

Well.....successfully lol? I have "tried" to keep a few known difficult fish like the Two Spot Goby and Golden Angelfish unsucessfully. Beyond those, my stock list usually falls in the easier to keep stuff.
 
My Myrichthys colubrinus is a constant pain to feed but so beautiful I’m willing.
IMG_2060.jpeg
 
Yeah, I’ve heard they’re challenging. What’s difficult about feeding them?

Very cool fish.
It has a very small mouth and poor eyesight so I have to hand feed a lot of small pieces of food. It can also be very picky sometimes.
 
What do you think happened that resulted in keeping them unsuccessfully?
The Signal Goby was misinformation from the LFS back when I was first starting out....I was told they are an easy to keep fish, not realizing their feeding requirements or desire to be paired up. The Golden Angel was just a finicky shy fish and eventually starved.
 
Yeah, I add live food every single day for my mandarins. But fortunately, as long as they have that live food available, they’ll eat. Mine also eat frozen, fortunately.
I get a double pack of Dinkins Snacklebox (rotifer/cyclops mix) plus phyto in 16oz bottles every month. Periodically add amphipods as well.
 
My Unicorn fish is the Colini Angel. It only comes into the trade for a few months each year. There are usually 2 or 3 shipments with Colini's and then they are gone for a year.

My record is 6 months. And that's an accomplishment. These fish are so sensitive that many don't make it past the wholesalers.

When I get the chance I have bought up to 6 at a time, hoping that if one starts feeding the others will follow suit.

In the same category of angels are the Venustus and Multi-bar and I have had no problems being successful with those.

But the Colini remains a mystery. It's one of the few items for the fish tank that my wife says NO to.

Supposedly the ones out of Austrailia are easier to get to acclimate to tank life, but only maybe 1 or so of those show up in the US annually. And the stories of success are 'rumored' and whomever these successful people are they don't post online.

I know there was success with captive breeding the Colini, but I wasn't ready for fish when they were available. And I have yet to see anyone post of the Captive bred ones doing well in the home aquarium.

Try to find photos of successful Colini's online and there is one European Reefer. And his lasted about 18 months. We have spoken and shared our various attempts at the fish but to no avail. For me i
Colini Angels Arrival - Oct 16.jpg
It remains an impossible dream.

Dave B
 
Purple queen Anthias, mandarins, Hawaiin cleaner wrasse and golden angel over the years. I have a pod rich tank now and considering trying another red or green mandarin one of these days.
You can always just use Paul B’s method and feed live baby brine shrimp to keep a mandarin like I have been. No pods.
 
My Unicorn fish is the Colini Angel. It only comes into the trade for a few months each year. There are usually 2 or 3 shipments with Colini's and then they are gone for a year.

My record is 6 months. And that's an accomplishment. These fish are so sensitive that many don't make it past the wholesalers.

When I get the chance I have bought up to 6 at a time, hoping that if one starts feeding the others will follow suit.

In the same category of angels are the Venustus and Multi-bar and I have had no problems being successful with those.

But the Colini remains a mystery. It's one of the few items for the fish tank that my wife says NO to.

Supposedly the ones out of Austrailia are easier to get to acclimate to tank life, but only maybe 1 or so of those show up in the US annually. And the stories of success are 'rumored' and whomever these successful people are they don't post online.

I know there was success with captive breeding the Colini, but I wasn't ready for fish when they were available. And I have yet to see anyone post of the Captive bred ones doing well in the home aquarium.

Try to find photos of successful Colini's online and there is one European Reefer. And his lasted about 18 months. We have spoken and shared our various attempts at the fish but to no avail. For me i
Colini Angels Arrival - Oct 16.jpg
It remains an impossible dream.

Dave B
They look like little punk rockers with their blue Mohawks. Cool fish. Hopefully you can keep one someday.
 

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