Without this fish your saltwater aquarium is not complete..

How much do what fish you have in your tank matter to you?

  • I take my fish selection VERY carefully.

    Votes: 517 74.8%
  • I just focus on a few of my favorites and don't care much for the rest.

    Votes: 94 13.6%
  • I just choose fish on a feeling or a whim.

    Votes: 55 8.0%
  • Whatever fish are the cheapest.

    Votes: 6 0.9%
  • No fish for me in my aquarium.

    Votes: 4 0.6%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 15 2.2%

  • Total voters
    691

Gtinnel

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I won't have another tank without a melanurus wrasse. Most of the fish that I put in the tank at the beginning of the tank are to serve a purpose (eat pests, algea, or stir the sandbed). Once I'm happy with where my tank is I start adding fish based solely on the way they look or behave, and I usually do that on a whim based on price and what the fish stores I visit have.

For me the melanurus wrasse falls into both of those categories.
 

unchaotic

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Me: Blonde Naso Tang
My Wife: Mystery Wrasse (she has expensive taste)

Do I put much thought into my fish choices? LOL:

Stocking List.png
 

iMi

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Fish are probably some of the most "impulse buy" prone purchases we all seem to make, but I try to really think long and hard about the ecosystem they will help create. Where do they swim, how do they behave, what do they eat, how will they enhance the environment, what role they play and of course how compatible they are with one another, corals and inverts...

Does it always pan out that way?

Think No Way GIF by chelsiekenyon
 

MONTANTK

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I love selecting fish! I’m pretty particular about the fish I choose. Spending 5 years working at my LFS really made me appreciate some fish that I had never really liked previously
 

reefinatl

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I guess I never realized how much in the minority I am. As close to impulse as I get is planning to add a yellow coris and getting a whiinstead banana wrasse unstead. I think doing QT really cuts down on impulse buys. Sure it looks cool but do I want to deal with 10g aquarium on the kitchen counter for a month running TTM and observation?
 

NashobaTek

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Pinnatus bat... .yes I know they are not colorful when they become adults, but gorgeous as juvenile.
Catalina gobies.... Both types, yep cold water tank in the future.
Orchid dotty back.
And my harem of mandrins.
 

NanoLuke

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I only have a nano tank, so the fish I absolutely must have personally are two clownfish and a yellow watchman goby (don't have him quite yet).

But, if I had 90 gal+, my tank just would not be complete without a yellow tang.
 

LegalReefer

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I have a tiny little 5 gallon tall reef, keeping a fish wouldn’t be ethical imo. However, I love all blennies and would love a blenny focused tank someday. They have so much personality and are such fun little buggers, would love to have a bunch and maybe even breed ‘em! They’re not the most colorful (usually) but they have more personality than any other fish I know.
 

stanleo

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I take my fish selection very seriously, my husband, not so much. When I start the tank, I had a clear stock list and an order to when I introduced the fish. I wanted a yellow tang, a flame angel, and either a powder tang or a hippo. All of these fish were to be the last ones introduced all together to stave of aggression. My husband went and bought a yellow tang while I was at work one day and it was one of the first fish to go in. GRRRR
 

MaxTremors

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I’ll tell you the one fish I won’t keep is a clownfish. Absolutely sick of them, and Finding Nemo and designer clowns made me hate them.
I can understand that. I feel like everytime I go to the lfs, inevitably there is some little kid screeching about Nemo. I am also not a big fan of designer clowns. I do currently have a couple of black/Darwin ocellarises that I like, but in general, clownfish aren’t one of my favorites.

I currently only have a nano, but when I had larger tanks, they weren’t complete without a Sailfin Tang. Another favorite, and I know a lot of people don’t like them, but I love a six-line wrasse. Also, a couple runners-up, a scooter dragonet (I’m not picky, regular, red, or ruby red), sharpnose puffers, and dogface puffers (really all of the larger puffers are great, but dognoses are special).
 

Brittanyjo

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Anthias
Tang (blue and yellow)
Mandarin Goby
Coral Beauty
Flame Angel
 

Spinal Compass

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Some fish are social butterflies and others just hide. My Blue Hippo Tang named Bilbo loves to swim circles in my cylinder tank (42 inch diameter). It takes him about 7 seconds to complete a lap and he does this for hours on end. When Dori on Finding Nemo said, "just keep swimming," it was very appropriate coming from a Blue Tang. Bilbo is very entertaining and so you can watch him for hours. What's more, Bilbo is the life of the party and the other fish often swim laps with him where each keeps their own pace. My Melinaris wrasse even swims laps with him and that's something special to see.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 76 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 69 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 26 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
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