Community vs. aggresive

lietz06

Member
Hey there...I was wondering which type of tank set up you like the best? Maybe some ppl that have had both can pitch in. Could you tell me a couple pro's and con's of each? I'm kind at the point in my tank where I could go either way. What do you guys like best? Also could you tell me what you have in your community or aggresive tanks and how big your tanks are? Thanks:)
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by lietz06
http:///forum/post/3097927
Hey there...I was wondering which type of tank set up you like the best? Maybe some ppl that have had both can pitch in. Could you tell me a couple pro's and con's of each? I'm kind at the point in my tank where I could go either way. What do you guys like best? Also could you tell me what you have in your community or aggresive tanks and how big your tanks are? Thanks:)

Years ago when I kept freshwater fish I tried cichlids...they were so darn mean and killed each other off...I liked the bright color.
So I went saltwater...I have the bright colors, and all my fish get along great, no fin nipping, no floating bodies to find in the morning. The only drawback is that the really beautiful or unusual are aggressive. So for a community thank I have only very common fish.
So it really is a matter of personal taste. Also I have a reef...so that narrows down what fish I can have as well...reef safe is a must for me.
90g
 
R

rcreations

Guest
I've had both. I find agressive fish to be smarter and more interesting. Triggers and puffers for example will interact with you a lot more than tangs. Just personal preference though. I currently have a queen angel, sargassum trigger, niger trigger, tiny clown trigger, naso tang and a foxface in my 150gal.
 

fishkid13

Active Member
I have only kept comminutes sense I like the look of all of the different kinds of fish swimming around in their different places.
 

chrisb430

Member
I had a grouper which was fun for awhile until he got to big. I could not keep anything with him or he would eat it. any rocks i got he would knock over. I got tired of going to the store and feeding him live feeders everyday and it got to be $$. I gave him away and what a mess in the tank.
What kind of fish were you looking to get as community and aggresive. All fish can be Aggresive when it comes to being territoral.
 

lietz06

Member
Originally Posted by Chrisb430
http:///forum/post/3099501
What kind of fish were you looking to get as community and aggresive. All fish can be Aggresive when it comes to being territoral.
Well for aggresive maybe puffers or wrasses or a lil lionfish
for community i guess maybe a couple firefish...i don't really know, lol!
I guess I'm thinking more along the lines of having a fowlr tank or having fish with some inverts...and im kinda at the point to where i could go either way, uno?
 

chrisb430

Member
I had puffers, gobys, wrasses, clowns, damsels, angles all in the same tank. the only one that wont do well is the lion he will eat what ever he can get his mouth around. Unless you want the bigger puffers then they can be a bit mean. most of the time you cant have more then the same type of fish. THEY SAY YOU CANT HAVE MORE THEN 1 ANGEL, MORE THEN 1 CLOWN, MORE THEN 1 GRAMMA, But i also seen tanks that has 8 angels, etc. you will get to know your fish and if they become mean.
 

ophiura

Active Member
It depends very much on your tank size and aspirations to keep things like corals and even other inverts.
 

ophiura

Active Member
If you have the 200 as in your profile, but the inverts in it as well...
IMO, you do not have enough filtration to really keep a true aggressive tank. these fish are often big eaters, and need the filtration to keep up. In addition, this sacrifices some degree of water quality, making it difficult to keep many invertebrates like anemones. Many aggressive "standards" like triggers, puffers and large wrasses will eat starfish, brittlestars, snails, shrimp, hermit crabs, crabs, etc. Keeping these animals will be nearly impossible in some considerations. Aggresssive fish are a fine balance in understanding behavior. Triggers, puffers, angels and large wrasses are often naturally inquisitive, making them poor tank mates for lionfish, sharks, rays and other slower fish. Other aggressives will easily outgrow your tank.
Community fish, IMO, sacrifice a little of the "coolness" that your friends may find in a tank for more nuanced behavior. I perfer community tanks, because they allow more interesting behaviors to come through. You can set up small niche environments within the tank, with cleaner shrimp, goby/shrimp pairs, clown/anemone pairs, etc, etc even with inverts. It is based on a lot of color and smaller fish which may live in limited parts of such a large tank. But you can also do larger tangs and even some angels depending on your corals, etc.
Both have big advantages and issues. It really comes down to identifying what, exactly and specifically draws you into the hobby. Is it cool, big aggressives that may well sit in one spot, but often have "fish/keeper" interactions (many are like having "classic" pets in terms of their recognition of you)...or is it the details and relationships of smaller fish.
Expense is also a consideration, obviously.
 
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