More expensive fish suggestions?

[Gboy66]

Hey all! In our 65 gallon reef (no inverts) our stock is
1 engineer goby
1 onespot fox
1 flamehawk
2 clowns
1 marine betta
(i bet most of you already knew this. Lol)

Anywho, i would like our last fish (or 2?) to be more expensive. Now im not a high roller...lol..i consider a more expensive sw fish to be like 50-60 bucks! The most we've spent on a fish was $60 on our betta.

So, any ideas? Preferably a hardy, colorful, and active fish. I was hoping i could get some good wrasse suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[tsharkey]

What about a mated pair of banggai cardinals? These run about $50-$60 for a pair. Plus they don't take up much room in the aquarium so you could add something else.

Or what about a long fin fairy wrasse?

Try this link and look at they're wrasses.

liveaquaria.com

I hope you find what you are looking for!
If anything just browse the site and look for something you like and try to get it locally.

 

[huma-huma]

An achilles tang!!! Or some type of adult angel

 

[Jmkb02]

An achilles tang!!! Or some type of adult angel

65 gallons....

I would also recommend adding a pair of cardinals. Something cool is the cardinals will actually pair with long spine urchins too. I think we paid about 75 for the three of them. Google it, it's a pretty cool mated pair.

 

[Gboy66]

65 gallons....

I would also recommend adding a pair of cardinals. Something cool is the cardinals will actually pair with long spine urchins too. I think we paid about 75 for the three of them. Google it, it's a pretty cool mated pair.

Hmm..i know my brother would like cardinals but i honestly havent ever liked them. A huge part of what i want is an active fish and i dont see that in them. But...a pair would be pretty sweet

 

[spoonman]

My tomini tang is active and I think would work in your tank. I also have a coral beauty that is a beautiful color and very active.

 

[Gboy66]

My tomini tang is active and I think would work in your tank. I also have a coral beauty that is a beautiful color and very active.

Nice! Would the Tomini work with the stock? I know it might be too active.

Any wrasse suggestions guys? I like mystery wrasse!

 

[tsharkey]

65 gallons....

I would also recommend adding a pair of cardinals. Something cool is the cardinals will actually pair with long spine urchins too. I think we paid about 75 for the three of them. Google it, it's a pretty cool mated pair.

Wow! I didn't know that. That's neat. I have a long spine in my tank so I hope they become a trio!

As for a tomini I second that as I have one in my aquarium. They are active but have those striking orange "streamers". Do some further research on it and see what you think. Also try the sites provided a link to above and browse it for thoughts and ideas. They have a huge selection of wrasses and of tangs and angels, etc.

 

[Gboy66]

What donyou guys think about the filament fin's wrasse?

 

[tsharkey]

I think it is absolutely beautiful! It has great colors. However, take note that it does not get very big. It only gets about 3.5" in length. Therefore, you may watn to consider getting it and maybe something a little larger. As for more expensive fish color is good but is something small with a lot of color that burry itself into the sand half the time really what you want. That is a major downfall to wrasses, they burry themselves into the sand a lot. I love the colors but look into something fairly large for $50-$60 and then get several small schooling fish such as firefish. Or just get a few schools of different types of fish that are both active and colorful. Just look at different ideas on how to make your money go a little further and not just into one or two fish.

 

[Mrc8858]

How bout one of these
Royal pencil wrasse (pseudojuloides sevemsi)
Potter's leopard wrasse (macropharyngodon geoffroy)
Eightline wrasse (pseudocheilinus octonaenia)
Or
Twelve line wrasse (pseudocheilinus tetrataenia)

 

[Gboy66]

Hey thanks tsharksy! Great ideas, and thanks for pointing that our about the wrasse. I forgot they did that.

SWEET suggestions Mrc!! I love the pencil and have always wanted a leopard...hmm..maybe both? :0 haha how much do those usually run?

I like the 12 and 8 lines..they are so active and colorful..but they have weird faces. Idk!! Lol

 

[tsharkey]

Thank you for the compliment! Just another suggestion, what about a mated pair of gold head sleeper gobbies? They are very entertaining to watch as the "skuttle" across the sand and get a mouthful of sand and sift it out through their gills.

 

[Mr. D]

Melanaras wrasse

Helfrichi firefish

 

[Mrc8858]

Hey thanks tsharksy! Great ideas, and thanks for pointing that our about the wrasse. I forgot they did that.

SWEET suggestions Mrc!! I love the pencil and have always wanted a leopard...hmm..maybe both? :0 haha how much do those usually run?

I like the 12 and 8 lines..they are so active and colorful..but they have weird faces. Idk!! Lol

They are all within $40-$70 from what I've seen so right around the price range that your looking for

 

[Gboy66]

Ya no prob! I love those fish...woah

Was thinkin about a melanarus!!

Yea Matt thats a good range...

I just thought of a funny idea. What about several more species of hawkfish?? I could get a spotted, long nose, i have a flame..wouldnt that be cool?!?

 

[tsharkey]

Ya no prob! I love those fish...woah

Was thinkin about a melanarus!!

Yea Matt thats a good range...

I just thought of a funny idea. What about several more species of hawkfish?? I could get a spotted, long nose, i have a flame..wouldnt that be cool?!?

Hawfish would be neat but hawkfish will fight for territory and whoever is biggest will overpower the others. They are also fairly aggressive with other fish. They are not terrible but the potential is there. It is just the thing of how big of a risk are you willing to take?

 

[TheTodd]

My LFS has a Mystery wrasse that they are nursing back to health. Looked pretty beat up, but is absolutely beautiful. Not sure about the story behind it, but am gonna ask the next time I go.

 

[tsharkey]

My LFS has a Mystery wrasse that they are nursing back to health. Looked pretty beat up, but is absolutely beautiful. Not sure about the story behind it, but am gonna ask the next time I go.

Do not take the chance and buy it on impulse. This is the worst thing you can do for the fish and with your money. Only buy it if it is completely nursed back to health with absolutely flawless fins with no rips or cuts. Also make sure it is disease free and check that it's colors are in full spectrum and not partial. (partial meaning it is still stressed) Also make sure it is eating well before you buy it. (this goes for any fish you buy) And lastly look at it's eyes and make sure they are clear and not milky, that it swims properly, and that it's breathing rate is normal. (wrasses tend to breathe fairly quick but not extremely quick. If its breathing is slow you want to stay away from it. The breathing rate of a fish is often looked over when purchasing a new fish so don't forget it.) These steps should be taken before you purchase any fish. If the pet store refuses to feed that particular fish, that usually means that it is not eating. Just remember, DO NOT buy off of impulse! That is the worst thing you can do. Do your research and then buy. And don't tell yourself that this is the only time that that particular fish will be there. If it is there once then the pet store can get it again. Also if possible try to special order your fish and pick it up the day it arrives so it is still in the bag and has not been in the pet stores aquariums. The transfer to so many aquariums is very stressful on the fish, which is why you should special order all of them that you can.
Good Luck!

 

[Jmkb02]

Do not take the chance and buy it on impulse. This is the worst thing you can do for the fish and with your money. Only buy it if it is completely nursed back to health with absolutely flawless fins with no rips or cuts. Also make sure it is disease free and check that it's colors are in full spectrum and not partial. (partial meaning it is still stressed) Also make sure it is eating well before you buy it. (this goes for any fish you buy) And lastly look at it's eyes and make sure they are clear and not milky, that it swims properly, and that it's breathing rate is normal. (wrasses tend to breathe fairly quick but not extremely quick. If its breathing is slow you want to stay away from it. The breathing rate of a fish is often looked over when purchasing a new fish so don't forget it.) These steps should be taken before you purchase any fish. If the pet store refuses to feed that particular fish, that usually means that it is not eating. Just remember, DO NOT buy off of impulse! That is the worst thing you can do. Do your research and then buy. And don't tell yourself that this is the only time that that particular fish will be there. If it is there once then the pet store can get it again. Also if possible try to special order your fish and pick it up the day it arrives so it is still in the bag and has not been in the pet stores aquariums. The transfer to so many aquariums is very stressful on the fish, which is why you should special order all of them that you can.
Good Luck!

+1
A good Lfs wont even sell it until its back To health IMO.