Inverts (and fish) that should NOT be purchased unless you are an EXPERT!

Thank you Vinnyboombatz! This is much more in line with what I've read on here from those who say they've raised and aquacultured sea fans. Any idea what type of food is best? (I'm looking for cyclopeez or rotifers locally but no luck yet) How do you know if they are actually eating wht you give them?

 

There is a very distinct difference between a fish that is hard to keep or has extreme special needs and a hobbyists that doesnt know how to take care of them.

Example alot of people say you need a mature tank to keep an anemone, this is largely due to the animal requiring generally consistant tank parameters to live healthy, or a sand start needing a biologically active sand bed (mature as well).

The purple queen anthias and mandarins needing a more unique feeding is a owner issue not a tank issue. Thats a educational issue. The fish themselves are quite hardy.

There is a difference between expert care and educated care.

 

I believe that mortality rate was VERSUS a normal lifespan in the sea, not in a lab.

 

This is true, but anyone reading this thread looking for info is obviously not in a position to care for these creatures. THAT is the purpose of this thread. I'm not going to split hairs over my wording.

 

Actually they will eat anything you are putting in the tank for your fish. Flake food ,mysis,or cyclopeez. I try to stay away from the NPS. I actually feed mine Zoopex but have only recently started to feed it.Other then that it just grabs fish food out of the water column. The polyps need to be extended obviously and you will see them collapse and grab the food. Heres a pic of mine. A freebie hich hiker on a piece of LR. It was only an inch tall and this is how much it has grown in a year.

 

But others have luck with this, that shouldn't discourage others from buying them. The red ones tend to fare much better.

Why do you think that

 

Aquariums and hobbyists are not mutually exclusive.

Also, if a hobbyist wants a basket star and sets up a tank with proper requirements, why not keep them?

What I am seeing on this list is stuff with specialized behaviors that could be easily kept in the right system which was adapted to them but were put into average tanks and not given proper care, then labeled as "expert only" because these people with average tanks had no luck.

 

I consider myself a beginner but ive had a 20g for over a year thats doing great. Ive had a sand sifting star in my tank from after the cycle. grantedI have hardy fish and corals.

 

Show me 5 tanks or hobbyist on any one forum that have kept Basket stars long term. I know of one on NR and 2 on RC, but I can sure show you a lot more why is my basket star dying, my sand sifting star, my linkia.....threads.

I do not think I am being extreme in my suggestion that some animals/inverts not be attempted by the vast majority of hobbyist.

Be realistic, few and far between are going to provide the type of systems these creatures require.

If you think it's acceptable to keep pushing the envelope with hard to keep creature so a tiny percentage of them actually make it, that is your opinion.

If it's not easily aquacultured or maricultured personally I do not buy it or promote it, just a difference of opinion.

 

If you want to continue this discussion by PM feel free.