Are there "bad" fish?

[sprieto]

I have read recently some not so favorable things about Basslets and Tangs.
I have heard they contract sickness easily and expose other fish to these sickness (like ick).
Is this true?
Are there fish that are more prone to sickness than others?
Are there fish that should be kept out or at a higher risk?
This is for anyone with an opinion, thank you.

 

[tizzo]

Absolutely positively some fish are more prone than others. Extreme examples would be damsel versus powder blue tang. A small spike in nitrates or a small temp fluctuation will have no visible impact on a damsel but a powder blue will get ick if you even look at him wrong! Some fish are simply more sensative to the water parameters than others...
A good book that will help identify which is which is Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael
He lists the fish then color codes the difficulty level.
HTH

 

[tthemadd1]

You should also think about what type of fish will live healthy lives in your ecosystem. i have heard alot of pain about maderines, dragonettes. They are extremely hard to feed. They need lots of space/LR and most people dont research. If you are mixing fish watch for territorial issues as well. Some fish are listed as community fish but really are highly territorial. There are alot of reasons fish have issues with sickness. Just add fish slowly starting with very docile fish first. This allows them to get territory first.
Good Luck and Good Fishing

 

[sprieto]

Thanks for the info.....

 

[beth]

You have some insght there for a newcomer to the hobby. It takes some folks many yrs to learn that some fish are harder to keep, and should be left to hobbyists with more knowledge and capabilities. Tangs would be high on the list of fish that should be kept only by knowledagble aquarists who have larger tanks. Unfortunately, this species is the most sought by new hobbiest and many are needlessly sacrificed.
I am glad to see that you have take an interest in finding out the type of fish that may be too difficult for you as a beginning. Tangs and Angelfish are definately no-nos for you at this point in the hobby.