Whats the hardest fish to keep?

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aquabeast

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
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Location
Canton, Ohio
what do you guys think? what is the hardest fish to keep? besides discus, oscars and cichlids? IMHO, i think itd have to be iridescent sharks, or the african clawed frog... OPINIONS!
 
I keep blue rams and am 6 for 6 thus far in keeping them alive. But other people have had a devil of a time...so it may be the stock.
 
Probably some huge fish, because I think that if anything is one of the hardest things, finding a tank/pond/whatever to keep huge fish in and set it all up and do maintenance on it

red-tailed catfish, arapaima, etc.
 
I'm not sure about the hardest fish, but my ACF is actually very easy to keep.

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.
 
I would say say Discus are the most difficult. Well not difficult just require a lot of attention and perfect water quality. But if you practice good maintenance and proper water changes and don't neglect your fish no fish is to hard to maintain. Some can just withstand fluctuation of water quality better than others.
Keys to keeping fish are:
1. cycle tank
2. Add fish slowly and gradually
3. Do proper water changes and clean substrate
4. Do not over feed
5. DONT do water changes and filter maintenance at the same time this will throw off your biological bacteria and would end up recycling your tank
6. DO PROPER WATER CHANGES!!!!!!

Sent from my iPad using Aquarium
 
I would say say Discus are the most difficult. Well not difficult just require a lot of attention and perfect water quality. But if you practice good maintenance and proper water changes and don't neglect your fish no fish is to hard to maintain. Some can just withstand fluctuation of water quality better than others.
Keys to keeping fish are:
1. cycle tank
2. Add fish slowly and gradually
3. Do proper water changes and clean substrate
4. Do not over feed
5. DONT do water changes and filter maintenance at the same time this will throw off your biological bacteria and would end up recycling your tank
6. DO PROPER WATER CHANGES!!!!!!

Sent from my iPad using Aquarium

Agreed. Discus are more demanding than normal fish, but they aren't really difficult to keep if you just follow a proper schedule. I think discus are only difficult to people who want to get by with weekly water changes and not cleaning the substrate.
 
Thanks NODAK. People sometimes feel one is harder than the other. It's just comes down to how much time and effort are you will to give..

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Define "hard to keep".

Most difficult to house: Arapaima Gigas
Most difficult to keep alive: Moorish Idol

There are just the fish I've seen people keep successfully. The discussion will get much more complicated if you start throwing sharks and deep water ocean fish into the mix.
 
BigJim said:
Define "hard to keep".

Most difficult to house: Arapaima Gigas
Most difficult to keep alive: Moorish Idol

There are just the fish I've seen people keep successfully. The discussion will get much more complicated if you start throwing sharks and deep water ocean fish into the mix.

Ummm Jim you need like a 5000 gallon tank or bigger to have a Gigas. They get like over 8 feet long lol. Your crazy. Do you know anyone that has one. What size is that tank

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There's a 50,000g tank build on that site. The guy basically added a wing to his basement. I was a bit disappointed with the final decor, but it's a 50,000g tank!
 
Ropefish can escape easily but can survive out of water for a few hours mine have jumped out twice and are still alive.
 
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