Why do you have fish?
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The tank is primarily a fish tank with beautiful moving soft corals. All of that reminds me of living in Hawaii and scuba diving on a regular basis.
Lol, Hawaii was mostly mounding hard corals.
But most dives were shore dives. Watching everything shift back and forth with the wave action and then going deeper onto the fring reefs. Lived on the Big Island for 5 years.
Lol, Hawaii was mostly mounding hard corals.
But most dives were shore dives. Watching everything shift back and forth with the wave action and then going deeper onto the fring reefs. Lived on the Big Island for 5 years.
A sea K
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Fish for me, are now and always have been the primary focus of my aquarium. I do have a decent array of coral but its always been about the fish. Dont really consider them as a pet though.
chefjpaul
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For a few reasons.
First thing that comes to mind, is the love of fish and how this hobby started for me when I was around 10 years old with FW aquariums.
Second is, of all the dives I've been on, I have yet to see a reef without fish.
Third is the fun part of Learning my little aquatic friends personalities, colorful additions, movement and of course feeding the coral, of which has become my obsession.
Other
First thing that comes to mind, is the love of fish and how this hobby started for me when I was around 10 years old with FW aquariums.
Second is, of all the dives I've been on, I have yet to see a reef without fish.
Third is the fun part of Learning my little aquatic friends personalities, colorful additions, movement and of course feeding the coral, of which has become my obsession.
Other
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mtfish
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I have been keeping fish in tanks since I was 5 years old. They are not pets. My pets are cats, dogs, horses. I talk to my pets like they are people. I would have to see a shrink if I talked to my fish that way. My fish are a responsibility to keep them as healthy and long-lived as possible. My fish tank is also a mixed reef, with sps, lps, softies, gorgonians, anemones, and live rock from the ocean. But these things are just a place for my fish live. Fish always come first. Long answer to poll, but my answer is other. Keeping fish is just a natural part of me for as long as I can remember.
It's not a reef without fish! That said it's quite possible that all 3 reasons are equally important for some folks! 
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Not pets, I agree! My reason isn’t on the survey. My goal is for my reef tank to be an ecosystem - though not necessarily a self sustaining one, that’d be tricky, maybe impossible - and fish are an important part of the natural reef, particularly herbivores.
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My Tank Thread
I kind of wanted to select both 1 and 2. I really like my fish a lot, but I don't think I'm attached to them like most people get attached to dogs or cats (I don't get attached to those either). But at the same time, I think they're probably more to me than *just* living art. ...I'm weird
I kind of wanted to select both 1 and 2. I really like my fish a lot, but I don't think I'm attached to them like most people get attached to dogs or cats (I don't get attached to those either). But at the same time, I think they're probably more to me than *just* living art. ...I'm weird
You guys said it better. Not weird at @mdbannister ....or at least we are both weird.
"Happy wife, a chance at life?"
And that is supported by these subsequent purposes :
1. My wife likes fish and she thinks sticks are boring.
2. My wife has taken the fish to be her pets that I maintain for her enjoyment.
3. The herbivores eat algae and they all "process" the food I feed them for the clams, corals, sponges, etc. in the reef.
and the super top secret actual reason I have added fish:
With all the fish swimming around she usually doesn't notice the new choice frags that we're acquiring.
It's a survival tactic. But let's just keep it our secret, ok?
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Living in a household full of allergy sufferers our fish definitely are our pets. People ask about dogs with hair or cats without fur (YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!) but truth be told I find them all unappealing for various reasons and we aren't really big into reptiles or birds other than observing them in the wild. With virtually the whole family being fascinated by ocean life, saltwater fish were a very logical choice. Originally I planned on just being FOWLR, but I did delve into a handful of coral frags and even though corals are beautiful and inverts can be cool, they just don't bring a tank to life the way that fish do and the personalities that they can carry. Sorry, but no amount of coolness in color from a given coral/invert can match what a Wrasse brings to a tank. I know there are those who are corals and or inverts first and fish as an afterthought, but to my mind that is backwards thinking. Fish always come first with the other items being accessories to the tank rather than the focus/centerpiece.
Perfect! Needs to be added to the poll. [emoji846]Or to some...why do you keep reef in your fish tank?
I keep reef in my fish tank for the additional movement and the added color.
The fish are not fluorescent at night. (Nor do I want them to be, other that the white of the clownfish)
mattzang
2500 Club Member
hmm, i'm attached to my fish, i like them, but i'm not sure i'd call them pets. my cat is a pet, she sleeps on me, if the clownfish start sleeping on me there's a problem
for me, a reef tank is the fish and the coral and the inverts and snails and all that. i wouldn't pay nearly as much attention to the tank without the fish. but it'd also be really lacking without the coral
for me, a reef tank is the fish and the coral and the inverts and snails and all that. i wouldn't pay nearly as much attention to the tank without the fish. but it'd also be really lacking without the coral
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