What are the "hardest" animals you have kept in your saltwater aquarium?

[biocubebrandon]

What are the "hardest" animals you have kept in your saltwater aquarium?

For example: moorish idol, mandarin goby, harlequin shrimp, sea horse, blue linckia sea star, etc.

How did you keep them? Species only tank?

How long did you keep them or how long ago have you had that particular animal?

What are somethings you have learned and tips for those who may want to keep them?

When I kept my mandarin goby, I had him for several years in a 29 gallon biocube successfully by doing the following. I set up several (10) two gallon containers to cultivate tisbe copepods (to add to the tank everyday) and another container to cultivate phytoplankton to feed the copepods. He was then put into my 140 gallon reef tank after I set it up and had it running for sometime.

For my harlequin shrimp which I have in my 140 gallon reef tank. I bought him originally to take care of a asterina sea star takeover in my tank which has been taken care of. I set up a smaller tank and have them in my sump to grow the asterinas for my harlequin shrimp.

 

[ichthyoid]

Hardest is a relative term.

In terms of most technical challenge, that would be large angels in a fowlr tank, due to the combination of denitrification filter & feeding/foods required.

Most challenging to feed, a mandarin, sea apple or ribbon eel come to mind. Due to special foods & conditions.

 

[Rainblood]

For me its anything that fizzles and dies without an apparent cause.
To that end - goniopora and clams. I love them for their beauty but hate them for their fickleness.

 

[Steve Burton]

+1 on goniopora, haven't tried clams

 

[Primereddime]

Gonis always melt for me and any time I get used to seeing a fish everyday, something catastrophic happens and I lose a fish. So I would say fish for me.

Sent from my SM-A315G using Tapatalk

 

[snowmansnow]

Get this.. ZOANTHIDS ha. I can not for the life of me get zoas do grow in any of my tanks.. go figure
Clams fine.. sps... fine... zoas... NOPE

 

[mapleredta]

Hardest thing for me to keep was interest in this hobby. I find myself growing in and out of it after a while for some reason.

 

[Rickdareefa]

Gonis and harlequin sweetlips. But have now had a hq sweetlips for 2 years. Hes the 3rd and last but it was worth it. Awesome fish.

 

[90gDreams]

What's up with Gonis anyways? When I left the hobby in '12ish they were thought of along the lines of ribbon eels and moorish idols as nearly impossible to keep and better left in the ocean. Almost every vendor has them now and even see some hobbyist frags out there. Are there really strains that are well documented as decently hardy or is it just such a volume being imported we are seeing a numeric increase in success but not necessarily a percentage increase from husbandry improvements?

 

[Rainblood]

Dunno.

I'm about 70/30. The wrong way. They tend to do well for about 90+ days and then just sort retract and slowly melt. Once they start becoming translucent...they're pretty much done.
I've tried dosing Sea Elements, manganese, feeding gonipower, etc. but some still just close up and melt. I have a few that are thriving but I think they'd be thriving regardless, ie nothing to do with me.

Anyhow, after my Amazeballs frag melted, I really don't mess with them anymore....it just hurts too much.

If you want one, try to find the Ora Red goni.

 

[90gDreams]

Dunno.

I'm about 70/30. The wrong way. They tend to do well for about 90+ days and then just sort retract and slowly melt. Once they start becoming translucent...they're pretty much done.
I've tried dosing Sea Elements, manganese, feeding gonipower, etc. but some still just close up and melt. I have a few that are thriving but I think they'd be thriving regardless, ie nothing to do with me.

Anyhow, after my Amazeballs frag melted, I really don't mess with them anymore....it just hurts too much.

If you want one, try to find the Ora Red goni.

Just looked at what an amazeball goni is, and I hurt for you now.