Species to Avoid

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Many beginner marine aquarium keepers get unwittingly duped into some bad choices for inhabitants for their aquarium. Here is a list of a number of fish that should not be kept in a marine aquarium for various reasons. Many of these fish should not be kept because of specialized dietary needs. Others should not be kept due their size being so large that the average aquarium keeper can't provide a large enough home.

Sharks:
Spotted Wobbegong - Orectolobus maculatus - 10' long
Nurse Shark - Ginglymostoma cirratum - 14' long
Whitespotted Bamboo Shark - Chiloscyllium plagiosum - ok in very large systems)
Brownbanded Bamboo Shark - Chiloscyllium punctatum - ok in very large systems)
Epaulette Shark - Hemiscyllium ocellatum - ok in very large systems)

Rays:
Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray - Taeniura lymma - Needs a very wide tank. Most standard tank footprints are unsuitable.

Eels:
Banded Moray - Echidna potyzona - Difficult to feed. Needs live fiddler crabs.
Ribbon Eel - Rhinomuraena quaesita, R. brummeri - Difficult to feed.
Sharptail Snake Eel - Myrichthys breviceps - Difficult to feed. Needs live shrimp and crabs. May be able to be taught to take fish and crustatean flesh.
Banded Snake Eel - Myrichthys colubrinus - Difficult to feed.

Anthias:
Purple Queen Anthias - Pseudanthias pascalus - Picky eater. Will often refuse to eat in captivity.

Groupers:
Panther Grouper - Cromileptes altivelis - Size. This beautiful fish reaches 27.6 inches and is suitable for only a very large system. (1000+gal)
Speckled Grouper - Epinephelus cyanopodus - Size. This fish attains a length of 39 inches and is only suitable for tanks 1000+gal.
Spotted Coral Grouper - Plectropomus maculatus - To large for the average tank, needs a tank of at least 1000gal.
Lyretail Grouper - Variola louti - Another of the large groupers. 35"

Jacks:
Golden Jack - Gnathanodon speciousus - Far to large for all but the largest systems. 3.9 feet.

Snappers:
Emperor Snapper - Lutjanus sebae - Size. Reaches 31" 700gal needed
Black Snapper - Macolor niger - Size. Reaches 26" 500gal needed
Threadfin Snapper - Symphorichthys spilurus - Size REaches 23.5". 500gal needed.

Drums:
Jackknife Fish - Equetus lanceolatus - Difficult to feed. Many waste away in captivity.

Butterflies:
Foureye Butterflyfish - Chaetodon capistratus - Most refuse to eat in captivity.
Bluespot Butterflyfish - Chaetodon plebius - Specialized Diet. Feeds mainly on Acropora in the wild. Does not readily accept substitutes in captivity.
Speculum Butterflyfish - Chaetodon speculum - Specialized diet. Eats mainly stony coral polyps and coral mucus in the wild. Does not readily accept substitutes in captivity.
Exquisite Butterflyfish - Chaetodon austraiacus - Obligate Corallivore.
Eastern Triangle Butterflyfish - Chaetodon baronessa - Obligate Corallivore.
Bennett's Butterflyfish - Chaetodon bennetti - Obligate Corallivore.
Orangeface or Larvatus Butterflyfish - Chaetodon larvatus - Obligate Corallivore.
Pacific Redfin Butterflyfish - Chaetodon lunulatus - Obligate Corallivore.
Meyer's Butterflyfish - Chaetodon meyeri - Obligate Corallivore.
Eightbanded Butterflyfish - Chaetodon octofasciatus - Obligate Corallivore.
Ornate or Clown Butterflyfish - Chaetodon ornatissimus - Obligate Corallivore.
Rainford's Butterflyfish - Chaetodon rainfordi - Obligate Corallivore.
Indian Ocean Redfin Butterflyfish - Chaetodon trifasciatus - Obligate Corallivore.

Angelfish:
Flagfin Angelfish - Apolemichthys trimaculatus - Sponge Eater

Wrasses:
Blackedge Thicklip Wrasse - Hemigymnus melapterus - Many waste away in captivity even with natural diet. Adults are too large for the average aquarium.
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides dimidiatus - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.
Bicolor Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides bicolor - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.
Blackspot Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides pectoralis - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.
Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides phthirophagus - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.
Redlipped Cleaner Wrasse - Labroides rubrolabiatus - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.
Allen's Wrasse - Labropsis alleni - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.
Red Sea Cleaner Wrasse – Larabicus quadrilineatus - Difficult to feed. Feeds mostly on parasites from other fish.

Smalltail Wrasse – Psudojuloides cerasinus – Difficult to feed. Wastes away in captivity.
Pink Pencil Wrasse – Psudojuloides sp. - Difficult to feed. Wastes away in captivity.
Belted Wrasse – Stethojulis balteata - Difficult to feed. Wastes away in captivity.


Parrotfish:
Bicolor Parrotfish – Cetoscarus bicolor – Specialized feeder. Gets too large for most aquariums.


Blennies:
Leopard Blenny – Exallias brevis – Normally will not eat in captivity.


Spadefish:
Atlantic Spadefish – Chaetodipterus faber – Grows too large for the average home aquarium.


Batfish:
Orbiculate Batfish – Platax orbicularis – Grows too large for most home aquariums.
Pinnate Batfish – Platax pinnatus - Grows too large for most home aquariums. Best left in the wild due to specialized feeding habits.
Longfin Batfish – Platax teira - Grows too large for most home aquariums.


Moorish Idol – Zanclus cornutus – Does not last long in captivity. Best left in the wild. The average lifespan for a Moorish Idol in captivity is less than 2 weeks. The vast majority do not even survive 1 week. Sponge eater. Even with live sponges provided, will generally waste away.


Surgeonfish:
Spotted Unicornfish – Naso brevirostris – Far too large for most home aquairums. 24”
Bluespine Unicornfish – Naso unicornis – Far too large for most home aquairums. 27”


Filefish:
Longnose Filefish – Oxymonacanthus longirostris – Obligate Corallivore. Feeds on Acropora.


Boxfish:
Spotted Boxfish (aka Blue Boxfish) – Ostracion melagris – When stressed or when it dies, it exudes a toxin that can poison an entire tank, killing everything in it.


Pufferfish:
Starry or Stellate Puffer - Arothron stellatus – Too large for most home aquairums. 47”


Porcupinefish:
Web Burrfish – Chilomycterus antillarum – Most simply waste away in captivity due to being reluctant to feed.

[Red]

woo! thanks ILMGB

[angelcakes]

nice going gold barb..........would i be right in saying this would be good as as sticky this would benifit a beginner saltwater keeper:19:

[TowBoater]

STICKY:hmm3grin2orange:

[ladyoutlaw50]

That is awesome -- thank you for doing all that work!!
How about a freshwater list as well???

[squirt_12]

Thanks GB. Thats an awesome list!! :19:

[Tigerbarb]

Lol, I was planning on getting a large aquarium w/ a moorish idol in it a long time from now, thinking that I could do research and put up with it's picky eating habbits, but now I don't think I'm ever going to get one. I just don't see the point in getting a very beautiful fish, (one of my favorite species) that you will grow accustomed to, but will die after 2 weeks if you're lucky, when, for about the same price, you could get a nice tang or butteryfly fish. I've heard 'nuclear warnings' about the moorish idol. Lol, I'll get back on topic. Enough about my no-longer wanting to own a moorish idol.

Great post, goldbarb! Your posts in the saltwater section have been really helpful.

[kaybee]

What would you say would be the most commonly available fish or species on that list? From the LFS's I've been to, I'd say the panther grouper (small juvenile specimens).

[cocoa_pleco]

What would you say would be the most commonly available fish or species on that list? From the LFS's I've been to, I'd say the panther grouper (small juvenile specimens).

for me, the bamboo shark

[zackish]

I know someone that had 3 of those purple queen anthias. 2 of them died but they are really amazing. I think he feeds them 3-4 times a day.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Kaybee, unfortunately I think the most commonly available fish on that list is the Moorish Idol. The only reason I've not seen them in my area is my LFS is too responsible to order them, however not all are that way. Moorish Idols are all to available and all to affordable. I'd say that the second most common on is the Panther Grouper.
Another one that is commonly available is the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse. These are especially disturbing since every cleaner in captivity represents one less cleaner on the reefs cleaning up parasites there.

[Lowflyer]

Thanks for the effort put in, I think the moorish just needs the right conditions to get it feeding however. My friends father had one in a tank of about 130 gallons and he kept it for about 1 in one tank and then another 6 months or so in another tank. The only reason it died was because of the tank breaking a few days after a child was hitting the glass. So I wouldn't say they are impossible to keep in captivity. His was feeding on urchin, flake, brine shrimp etc and was very healthy.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Lowflyer, I would direct you to the December 2007 issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist. Moorish Idols have a lifespan of 10-20 years so 1 year is not a success at all. There is a very good reason all the experts tell you not to keep them. The writer of that article tracked nearly 300 specimens for 2 years, and in 2 years all were dead, including 6 specimens he kept himself in a 450gal tank. The problem is that they may eat fine for a few months or even a couple of years, but once they stop eating they will not start eating again and they will stop eating at some point, it happens to 99.9% of all Idols in captivity. They are better left on the reefs, thousands die needlessly in captivity every year and this aught not to be happening. Maybe someday we will be able to successfully keep them, but for now, that is just not the case.

[rageybug]

Good post... I'll have to tell my LFS to stop bringing in nurse sharks.

[troy]

Great post!thumbs2:

[sunfishman]

i dont know if this is obvious, but a beginner souldn't keep lionfish if they can't look but no touchie touchie:ssmile:

[Surfdog]

Thanks as always GB, Great post.
I keep a Ribbon eel as well as Moray's. True, at 1st the Ribbon was notoriously difficult to feed, had to keep offering food for day's. Since they can go 3 weeks without eating, I was not truly concerned. He now eats every third day with no problem. The Moray's are fed every 2nd day. Amazingly, all are different sizes, yet more often than not, they will share a hole in the rock and hang out! I have seen no conflict amongst themselves and or seen them go after any of the fish in my Tank.
IMO, well fed = lazy...

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

There is one fish that can now be removed from this list due to successful captive breeding. :) The Pinnate Batfish - Platax pinnatus has now been successful captive bred and is being raised in captivity with great success. Live Aquaria is now offering tank-bred specimens on their site. A large aquarium is still required for these beautiful fish.

[icefreeze57]

shouldnt beginners (like myself) just stay away from SW all together ;)

lol this list is so long. Can't I just have a list of fish I CAN keep? lol jk. Great work!

[Cliff]

There are a lot of good beginner marine fish out there, like chromis for example.

The list of fish you could keep would be just as long as the one you should not keep.

Weather you are keeping a FW or SW tank, the secert to success for anyone new to the hobby is the amount or research completed before setting up your tank. The more you learn before you start, the more successfull you will be. That applies equally to FW and SW. You just have to keep in mind SW is more expensive and there is a little more to SW but you can learn it as easy as learning anything else.