Wanted a fish from a picture but no-go

[Brandon p]

So before the internet, yes I’m just old enough to not have the internet as a kid. Internet was high school. As a small child I had a book with aquarium fish. It had both salt and fresh. I fell in love with 1 fish. I was going to this fish. I still have never had it and probably never will

since I’m not planning on getting a saltwater tank and time soon . I loved this fish and thought I was getting it when I got my first tank. I’m still disappointed. Anyone else have a dream fish that is proud out of reach. “Fire Angel”

[Guppysnail]

Clownfish and seahorses. Many fish I love have the comical antic behaviors of clownfish. Guppies,corydora etc.  they fill that clownfish desire. For whatever unknown to me reason my plecos somehow seem to fill the seahorse desire though I have yet to figure out why. I have zero desire to try tanks other than freshwater. 

 

[Odd Duck]

I’ve done seahorses.  While fascinating to watch if you have an hour to spare to watch them get across the tank (OK maybe not thaaat long) they just weren’t active enough for me.  They were difficult to feed back then, and definitely hard to source back then.  Likely at least slightly easier now, but still a very demanding fish.

While I don’t need frenetically active fish, I do like like more active fish than seahorses are.  Mostly I end up with midrange activity fish that put on bursts of hyperactivity to keep things interesting.

I do love clownfishes and they were always a favorite when I had reef tanks.

[gardenman]

Yellowhead Jawfish were a fish I was intrigued by in my younger days. I'd seen videos of them building their caves and then stealing stones from adjoining caves that they liked better.  I found it very amusing to watch them all swiping stones from one another in an endless cycle. A tank with four or more of them in it would be fun to watch. They're sort of "the grass is always greener on the other side" fish, but their grass is the pebbles and stones they line their caves with. Those lining the caves of neighboring jawfish always end up looking better than their own, so off they go to poach them. And while they're poaching stones from a neighbor another neighbor is poaching stones from them. It's very much a never-ending game of musical chairs using stones instead of chairs. They're a pretty neat little fish.

[Odd Duck]

Oh, but to answer @Brandon pquestion, I think I’ve pretty much gotten most every species I wanted eventually, although I haven’t tried discus, yet.  There are still some I’d like to try again.  If I ever switch my Jacks to a bigger tank (I’d probably go to a 150 -  double current tank size) I’d add a group of festivums and maybe a few more silver dollars.  Might try the recently discovered neon green ones (Myleus sp.).

On 6/27/2022 at 10:34 AM, gardenman said:

Yellowhead Jawfish were a fish I was intrigued by in my younger days. I'd seen videos of them building their caves and then stealing stones from adjoining caves that they liked better.  I found it very amusing to watch them all swiping stones from one another in an endless cycle. A tank with four or more of them in it would be fun to watch. They're sort of "the grass is always greener on the other side" fish, but their grass is the pebbles and stones they line their caves with. Those lining the caves of neighboring jawfish always end up looking better than their own, so off they go to poach them. And while they're poaching stones from a neighbor another neighbor is poaching stones from them. It's very much a never-ending game of musical chairs using stones instead of chairs. They're a pretty neat little fish.

Plus they will spit sand at their rivals, too!

[Brandon p]

Those are fish that are amazing I have seen the jaw before on tv only. But they would be something. I love discus if I ever get a show at case tank for the living room I want discus and silver dollars even though I’ve had both. I love seahorses but I’m ok going to see them in the aquarium when I go. Now I wonder if fire angels and clown fish would go together( last I read fire angels were becoming rare). My clown loaches might be my favorite fish that I have now. The fresh water fish I want that I don’t have and really want is a bunch of zebra plecos. I hope the tiger plecos lead to income to buy the zebras band maybe breed. 
I hope we hear from more people about there dream fish. I’m sure there are fish that I don’t even know about that will be on the next list.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Brandon p

[Patrick_G]

Two fish for me: 

1. Porcupine Puffer. I met one at my doctors office and we became friends. Definitely the most interactive fish I’ve ever encountered. 209-300 gallon requirements mean it’ll probably never happen. 

2. Monos. One of my mom’s favorites when I was a kid and she was teaching me how to keep fish. I really, really wanted them! Again, tank size means I’ll probably never have them. 

Honorable mention:  Koi are my favorite fresh water fish. I’ll probably have a pond big enough for them eventually. 
 

[Brandon p]

On 6/27/2022 at 12:42 PM, Patrick_G said:

Two fish for me: 

1. Porcupine Puffer. I met one at my doctors office and we became friends. Definitely the most interactive fish I’ve ever encountered. 209-300 gallon requirements mean it’ll probably never happen. 

2. Monos. One of my mom’s favorites when I was a kid and she was teaching me how to keep fish. I really, really wanted them! Again, tank size means I’ll probably never have them. 

Honorable mention:  Koi are my favorite fresh water fish. I’ll probably have a pond big enough for them eventually. 
 

Both are amazing. That picture of the puffer is something else. I have some Kio and the are beautiful. I have seen Monos for a long time. 

[Flumpweesel]

I remember going to a LFS store back in the 80's (I was very young) with my mum and staring in wonder at the lion fish and the seahorses just the idea that something so exotic could be bought and kept at home. Add to this that there LFS was in a tiny village and was one of only 4 shops there it was a kinda magical experience 

My mum was fascinated by the anemones all of which was far out of our reach. 

I don't plan to try marine until I retire so fingers crossed I will get to keep these one day. 

Having only just stepped into tropical I'm still astounded regularly about what I get to keep.

I also dream about a koi pond but I think I'll have to be happy setting up for rice fish given my tiny yard.

[BradfordAquatics]

I'd love to have a tank full of longhorn cowfish. They're really interesting looking fish that I have always admired.

[LaloJ]

Speaking of freshwater, I guess the fish I would love to have would be a group of Thayeria obliqua, not to be confused with the penguin tetra, Theyeria boehlkei. Unlike the latter, the oblique tetra is completely rare in the aquarium industry, besides it's a beautiful fish, I think that getting them would be almost impossible so it only lives in my dreams, I saw a picture of them when I was looking for information on the penguin tetra many years ago. In saltwater, the fish of my dreams is unobtainable, the Resplendent angelfish is a small fish that only inhabits the Asension Islands, and was a regularly seen fish in the aquarium industry in the 90's. Approximately 15 or 17 years ago the Asension Islands were protected and obviously any type of harvesting was prohibited.

Edited June 28, 2022 by LaloJ

[Patrick_G]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:34 PM, Flumpweesel said:

 

I remember going to a LFS store back in the 80's (I was very young) with my mum and staring in wonder at the lion fish and the seahorses just the idea that something so exotic could be bought and kept at home. Add to this that there LFS was in a tiny village and was one of only 4 shops there it was a kinda magical experience 

 

According to family legend my mom kept seahorses in the 60s before I was born. I never asked her for details but she does have a biology degree so it's possible she was successful at it. 

On 6/27/2022 at 6:13 PM, BradfordAquatics said:

I'd love to have a tank full of longhorn cowfish. They're really interesting looking fish that I have always admired.

Heck yeah! Those are so cool. I like boxfish too. 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I think arrow crabs are pretty cool.  I sometimes see them when diving, particularly in shallow saltwater areas close to shore.  I watch them closely. I love their demeanor and their faces.  They use their front claw to raise food to their mouth, alternating one claw at a time. I can't afford saltwater, and I don't want to take on the maintenance involved. Heck, you can't even use tapwater. You need "special" water. Heh. No thanks.

 

On 6/27/2022 at 11:57 PM, Patrick_G said:

I like boxfish too. 

I see a lot of boxfish while diving. And cowfish are like boxfish but the cowfish have horns. Mainly I see scrawled cowfish.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Other fish I see while diving that I think are "showstoppers" are Queen Angelfish and Gray Angelfish.  Despite the depth, the "trim" on their dorsal fin perpetually appears like it's under a blacklight.  I love the pattern on the gray angelfish, but my favorite thing is whenever it moves, the side fin opens up, and the part that faces its body is BRIGHT BRIGHT YELLOW. Also highly visible even at depth. Depth being 60' to 90'. For you landlubbers, when I'm saying colors are visible at depth, well, as a diver descends they can no longer see certain colors. It goes back to my Advanced Open Water training which had 4 sections. Referring to the depth part of the course, we are given a color card. Kinda looks like a color card that comes with a test kit, but every color of the rainbow is on there. We are instructed to watch the color card as we descend, and one by one, colors disappear off of it. The first to go is red. However, depth is irrelevant when you have a fish tank because you just look in a glass box and, given the proper lighting, can experience all of the splendor these fish have to offer.

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Yeah yeah.. sorry for multiple posts but I had to add one more. The upside-down jellyfish. This looks like a part of a reef. Like soft coral. Then the whole thing lifts up and starts swimming around. There are a bunch of different varieties of these and I encourage you poke around the web a bit to check 'em out. (OK I'm done. Ha.)

 

[Brandon p]

On 6/27/2022 at 9:13 PM, BradfordAquatics said:

I'd love to have a tank full of longhorn cowfish. They're really interesting looking fish that I have always admired.

That would be something.

[Brandon p]

On 6/28/2022 at 10:52 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Other fish I see while diving that I think are "showstoppers" are Queen Angelfish and Gray Angelfish.  Despite the depth, the "trim" on their dorsal fin perpetually appears like it's under a blacklight.  I love the pattern on the gray angelfish, but my favorite thing is whenever it moves, the side fin opens up, and the part that faces its body is BRIGHT BRIGHT YELLOW. Also highly visible even at depth. Depth being 60' to 90'. For you landlubbers, when I'm saying colors are visible at depth, well, as a diver descends they can no longer see certain colors. It goes back to my Advanced Open Water training which had 4 sections. Referring to the depth part of the course, we are given a color card. Kinda looks like a color card that comes with a test kit, but every color of the rainbow is on there. We are instructed to watch the color card as we descend, and one by one, colors disappear off of it. The first to go is red. However, depth is irrelevant when you have a fish tank because you just look in a glass box and, given the proper lighting, can experience all of the splendor these fish have to offer.

 

We used to get the queens diving in the Florida keys. We had a special educational License but before my time they would get tons. I think the change in what navtive reef fish can be harvested has changes how people in Florida keep fish( The second is cheap fish farm raised freshwater fish) you used to be able to get as many reef fish and may ended up in homes or LFS. Then only licensed fisherman could get them. There was a wholesaler that was about 15 miles from me and if was from the western Atlantic you could probably get it there. There were some amazing grouper but you need tanks that were massive. There are still probably more saltwater tanks here than most places, but at one point I think it was 50/50 or maybe more saltwater tanks. I reminds me of the dentist tank in finding Nemo. Everyplace need a saltwater aquarium especially restaurants. 
 

what I meant to say. They are Beautiful if you see them in the wild.

On 6/27/2022 at 11:52 PM, LaloJ said:

Speaking of freshwater, I guess the fish I would love to have would be a group of Thayeria obliqua, not to be confused with the penguin tetra, Theyeria boehlkei. Unlike the latter, the oblique tetra is completely rare in the aquarium industry, besides it's a beautiful fish, I think that getting them would be almost impossible so it only lives in my dreams, I saw a picture of them when I was looking for information on the penguin tetra many years ago. In saltwater, the fish of my dreams is unobtainable, the Resplendent angelfish is a small fish that only inhabits the Asension Islands, and was a regularly seen fish in the aquarium industry in the 90's. Approximately 15 or 17 years ago the Asension Islands were protected and obviously any type of harvesting was prohibited.

Sounds like holiday at Ascension Island. 

[drewzero1]

On 6/27/2022 at 9:22 PM, Cassy0110 said:

Clownfish is my favourite, I fell in love with it when I was watching an animated film... 

My 2yo kid desperately wants clownfish, though he's never seen that film. Last week we went to an aquarium and while the other kids shouted "Nemo!" he shouted "Town-fish! A mommy-knee!" (I'm so proud.) Unfortunately, I don't think it's likely that anything marine is in our near future.

[BeeD]

 

[Fish Folk]

Hmmm... dream fish still still just out of reach... (1) due to tank space requirements... Paratilapia polleni (I'd likely settle for a P. bleekeri too)... big Madagascar Cichlid:

(2) And because I don't have time to invest in serious aquascaping, expensive lighting, and everything else necessary to make these fish look perfect amidst my MTS and addiction to breeding fish . . . Trochilocharax ornatus (Hummingbird tetras):

(3) because I don't have space or time to breed them -- which is all I'd probably want to do with them -- Electric Blue Jack Dempseys:

(4) But beyond the time I have or, really, the expertise I currently possess, I'm probably never going anywhere near my dream of selectively breeding a Red Ramirezi. But I see it in the lines . . . like a caged gene screaming to be released:

 

[Brandon p]

@Fish Folkthe tetra are new to me and I love them. I’m adding to the list fish I now want. I’m running out of room. I think I would have to air condition the garage to keep fish the there in the summer or just have fish that like 84-86 degree water. The Dempseys I have kept and I liked the but I felt they really looked best when they are young. I tried breeding but I was a pain. Since you has the breed back to the regular Dempseys I had issues. 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Brandon p

[Brandon p]

On 6/28/2022 at 11:00 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Yeah yeah.. sorry for multiple posts but I had to add one more. The upside-down jellyfish. This looks like a part of a reef. Like soft coral. Then the whole thing lifts up and starts swimming around. There are a bunch of different varieties of these and I encourage you poke around the web a bit to check 'em out. (OK I'm done. Ha.)

 

Post as much as you like I don’t care. I like to hear and see what people have to say. Super cool.

On 6/28/2022 at 10:48 PM, BrettD said:

 

Love it I’m out reactions so my way of letting you know I enjoyed it a others probably did to.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@BrettD the flashlight fish are somethin' else!  Wow! 😲

[Brandon p]

@drewzero1clown loaches my fit the bill. They do take a bigger tank. 55is the smallest or 75 is even better. Depending on where you live you can get a set- up for $200 used. I know that’s not cheap but my kids would watch the fish all the time. These are in my 75 for now but they have a bigger tank ready. Smart kid you should be proud. 

[lefty o]

Alligator Gar, but im not putting in an olympic sized pool, so im sticking with guppy's for now.