What's Wrong with Fish?

[lsu_fishfan]

Over the last few years, it appears that fish only aquariums are becoming less and less popular. Why is this?

I find fish only tanks very interesting with all the large, beautiful fish available. While these fish are not reef compatible(most of the time), their vibrant colors and strong personalities are the heart and soul of this amazing hobby. So why does it seem that the fish only aquarium is on a decline?

Does the advancement of ease of caring for reef tanks pull away from the appeal of a more "boring" fish tank? Or is it the idea that fish die to easy?

After having a reef tank, would you ever do a fish only tank? If no, why would you not want a fish only tank?

If yes, what fish would you want to have?

I'd love to have a 300+ gallon tank housing angelfish(emperor, queen, regal, conspicuous), triggerfish(Niger, huma huma, clown), lip fish, pufferfish, cowfish, and the list goes on with all the amazing fish possibilities.

 

[jennm]

I think it depends on where you are, honestly. This area has an abundance of stores that specialize in reefs, and has since before I moved here in 2000. So that's what sells.

Other markets have more focus on the fish only side.

I will say that the presence of live rock and the biological benefit it offers, makes FOWLR more appealing to folks than true FO with traditional man-made filtration (ie bio-balls etc.)

I still appreciate a nice FO when I see one. A lot of those reef munching fishes have a ton of personality and are very smart - recognizing their keepers and even doing 'tricks' like spitting water at their keepers, or getting excited when they see their keepers. I used to have a couple of large puffers that wagged their tails like dogs. I miss them

Jenn

 

[mcphock]

I'm considering going FOWLR. Kinda bored with reefs. Would be nice to keep many of the fish I've avoided for so long.

 

[lsu_fishfan]

McPhock;1079822 wrote: I'm considering going FOWLR. Kinda bored with reefs. Would be nice to keep many of the fish I've avoided for so long.

What type of fish would you want?

 

[picoreefguy]

i prefer to keep reef tanks not because fish are boring but because coral are so interesting. i had a 60 cube that i couldnt keep coral alive in (because i had playsand as the substrate, i didnt know better back then) and so i kept it as a fish only for long time with some clowns an blue tang and a snowflake eel and while i enjoyed it, it never really captivated me like a reef tank does. after i sold that tank and setup my 20 long as a mixed reef i found that i enjoyed it much more because i loved to just stare into the tank and look at all the activity going on. the frogspawn swaying back and fourth, the favias with their feeding tentacles out, the swelling and contracting of the plate coral eating, sps polyps jiggling in the flow and all the amazing color of zoanthids. for me coral is the main attraction of a marine aquarium.

 

[elfloyd]

For me.... my tank is at capacity with fish. But I have room for coral. Its a way to stay active with the tank (beyond maintenance) and just not be a spectator. (Does that make sense?)

 

[larrynews]

i'm doing fish only with live rock because i had a reef in ohio, but since we moved i have no one to take care of a reef when we go out of town, in ohio i had a friend really into reefs and my adult son would look after it. i built a huge sump on this tank so i can leave for a week or so with a auto feeder and be ok.

 

[telsonman]

Eventually I'll setup a FOWLR tank. I would love to have one but the fish I would want would need a 180 plus. I don't have the room for that. However in my 32 gallon biocube and my 75gallon I can set up with a lot of colorful coral that don't have the same bio load that a FO would have. I also can put small colorful reef fish in there. I can add invertebrates and not have to worry about them becoming lunch