Was there a special fish you always wanted but never got?

[Steve and His Animals]

On 2/19/2022 at 7:38 PM, Guppysnail said:

Each and every time I have seen a clown fish from childhood to this day I have wanted one with all my heart.  Every time I come home and look a bit into the how to of a saltwater tank. I get about 3 paragraphs in and remember why I don’t want a saltwater tank  🤪

As someone who was scared to get into saltwater for years, I can now say you could keep clownfish in a cold bucket of saltwater and they would be fine. Just give it a shot, if you don't like the maintenance then don't force yourself.

I also got disillusioned for clownfish a long time ago: they're all mean. Every single one is a different piece of work. Some people like that, but to me I prefer nicer fish. Don't get me wrong, they can be nice in a large tank, but people starting them out in a 20gal and expecting model behavior is kinda silly.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

A group of Geophagus redhead tapajos or surinamensis. I just love earth eaters and these to me are the most beautiful in that group of fish. Oh to have a 5-7' tank to house them! 

[BettaHomesAndGardens]

Nothing crazy but I've always wanted angelfish. When I first got into the hobby ten years ago I bought one and put it in my 20 gallon. I had no idea what I was doing and new nothing about them an just impulse bought it and it died within an hour. I don't know if it was something I did or it was just already unhealthy but literally ever since then I've never gotten them again. At this point I'm seasoned enough that I'm sure I could successfully keep them in the appropriate sized tank but I still haven't done it.

[Streetwise]

I can’t seem to find smoked salmon at any aquarium retailers.

[Colu]

I sore some crenicichla zebrina that look stunning if they were readly available and I had space for a hugh tank I would  definitely  get some

[Wrencher_Scott]

Zebra Pleco, they don't grow very large.

I was seriously considering one, then I found out they don't even eat algae! 

Forget that! $300 plus for a Pleco that won't even eat algae?! I settled for a Hillstream loach. 🙂

On 2/19/2022 at 1:29 PM, Tanked said:

As a young fish keeper, I always wanted a Clown Knife because it reminded me of something else: a Greyhound bus.

I never got it because even I knew that putting it in my 29 was a bad idea. When my parents found out that it preferred live food, the conversation ended.  By the time I moved (out) and up to a 75 gallon, I had decided that shoaling fish would be a much better idea.

I had one many years ago, got rid of it because it would only eat feeder fish. 

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:29 AM, jwcarlson said:

Up until a week ago, it was discus.  But now I have a tank full of those.

Other than that, I think it would be cool to have a colony of Neolamprologus Ocellatus.  Over the course of time I've had a few situations in which I would have liked to have these, but have never been able to source them locally.  It's been about 10 years since I last looked and it seems like a LFS might have them (at least occasionally).  Maybe someday.  🙂

Thieved photo: 

Same here, Discus. I got some too. Beautiful little guys!

[Blaha]

When I was very very new to the hobby about a dozen years or so ago in jr. high school I got my 1st tank and had simple stuff, but I remember two separate occasions at the local Pet Supplies Plus near my house and one time they had a Rope Fish, the other time they had an Elephant Nose Fish. I wanted them so badly, but between their really high price for a fish, and the fact I only had a 14G tank I couldn't get them.
Currently I'm in the exact same boat though. My current local Pet Supplies Plus, a different one, has/had(it's been 2 weeks since my last visit) 4 yellow tail eels. They have had them for months now and I know they hate being in one of those small sections of the rack tanks and in gravel vs sand. All I have now is a 29G established with tetras, corys, kuhlis, and gravel (so not a good home for it) and that same 14G not set up, but with a tentative plan to do with live bearers. These tanks are too small for those. This pet store doesn't even sell live food so Idk what they are feeding them even. A different chain sells frozen live foods so maybe they go buy it there. I want to give at least one of them a home so bad because they are amazing, but I can't accommodate an appropriate sized tank in my house even if I wanted to put it in the 14 as a stop gap and move it later
I don't have an LFS in my area, but thankfully the pet supplies plus-es get some good stuff in. That 14G has lived many lives. Me twice, my dad twice, and my brother. I upgraded to the 29G, my dad didn't end up liking it, my brother shrunk down to a 10G betta set up.

[Tanked]

On 2/21/2022 at 9:12 PM, Streetwise said:

I can’t seem to find smoked salmon at any aquarium retailers.

I can't help with the smoked salmon, but when researching the cost of shrimp topic, google found Amano shrimp at Kroger stores. Possibly for $8. a pound!

[Tanked]

On 2/21/2022 at 10:31 AM, Gumbo99 said:

For me is is probably the green chromis. I guess that is kind of lame, that is a readily available fish. Kind of like having a neon tetras as your holy grail fish in the fresh water world.

Not lame at all.  I've always, and still want a large group of Cardinal Tetras.  Life took me in a different direction for now.

[Odd Duck]

On 2/22/2022 at 7:40 AM, Tanked said:

Not lame at all.  I've always, and still want a large group of Cardinal Tetras.  Life took me in a different direction for now.

I had every intention of doing a large group of cardinals,when I set up my 100 gallon, but there were all these “new” nanofish to try and I started there first.  Then realized I didn’t need the cardinals after all.  I had stepped away from fishkeeping for about 10 years or so and just started back about 2 years ago.  It was like seeing old friends when I did my first walk around the local fish store, but there were also so many new friends I couldn’t resist.

[Tanked]

On 2/22/2022 at 6:23 PM, Odd Duck said:

I had every intention of doing a large group of cardinals,when I set up my 100 gallon, but there were all these “new” nanofish to try and I started there first.  Then realized I didn’t need the cardinals after all.  I had stepped away from fishkeeping for about 10 years or so and just started back about 2 years ago.  It was like seeing old friends when I did my first walk around the local fish store, but there were also so many new friends I couldn’t resist.

That is it exactly.  I found a LFS that sold mostly fish.  I thought I would have my Cardinal school when I got my 75 gallon setup but Cardinals were a budget busting $3.50 each if you could find them. The LFS had so many other options that I went in a different direction.

[Patrick_G]

For me it’s a Porcupine puffer. My doctor’s office had one, it would squirm and wag its tail when someone approached the tank. Since it needs a very large marine tank I’ll probably never have one ☹️

 

@Biotope Biologist, I forgot you had that beautiful star car. This last weekend I saw a pristine ‘91 awd Talon sitting next to a NSX. The Talon was red with black top with WA plates.  

Edited February 23, 2022 by Patrick_G

[KatTV]

I'm going to be lame. Would love Betta sorority. I also love the red parrot fish. I know, man made, deformed mouth. I just think they look so happy.

Now if money wasn't a factor..I would say seahorse. I have always thought they were beautiful. 

[drewzero1]

I dream of Geophagus. Maybe tapajos, maybe altifrons... even if I were to get a large enough tank (in a large enough house), I'd also probably need softer water.

What's this I hear about cars gaining value? The only thing my cars ever seem to gain is rust holes! 😂

[Tanked]

If there is one thing These forums have done for me it would be introducing me to more types of fish than I've ever seen

[CT_]

I've always wanted an octopus.  But salt water is too crazy for me and even if I had a salt water setup I hear they're really sensitive and hard to keep and they only live a year and come to you a few months old.  Plus there's a dozen other reasons why its a bad idea.  But if they ever discover a fresh water octopus that I can keep in my water then I'm all over that.

[Widgets]

On 2/19/2022 at 9:58 PM, Widgets said:

In my youth I caught a Florida Flag fish. It was beautiful, but I had no idea what it was or how to care for it. This was long before cell phones and the internet, so I had no way to research it. I ended up releasing it at the end of the trip. I have never seen one since. I may have to break down and buy some, but I would rather catch them. I would love to have a nice native Florida tank.

Well, I gone and done it. When I stopped in my LFS they had Florida Flag fish, and at a more reasonable price than mail order. I really want to catch them, but I don't think there are any in the canal. So, my community tank now has a pair of Florida Flag fish.

[Griznatch]

An Ornate bichir. I saw one in a local fish store last week and forgot how beautiful they were.