non-bread and butter fish

snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
You know... when you go to a live fish store or an online fish store and all you see is the same fish over and over... Those are the "bread and butter" fish because that is what the live fish store makes the most money on to keep their stores open. Such as... yellow tangs, lawnmower blennies, bicolor blennies, chromis, blue chromis, blue devil damsels, lemon peel angels, bicolor angels, firefish gobies, mandarin gobies, yellow rabbitfish/foxface, lionfish and niger triggers... You get the idea.
What are some rare - off the wall - cool - reasonably priced non-bread-and-butter fish and their compatability?
 
rickross23

rickross23

Active Member
Haha. I'm thinking whale shark. Jk.
Coral gumdrop cruncher?
Sea goblin? Not reef safe though
Flashlight fish!
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I think the bread-and-butter fish sometimes differ depending on your location.
For instance, you mentioned Blue Reef Chromis. Now, I live in Florida. The buggers can be found off my very coasts. Do you think for a MINUTE that I can walk into a LFS and find these fish at my local hangouts. Nope! To me, this is almost a "rare" fish. Scribbled rabbitfish are another example of a so-called common fish that I hardly ever see.
There are a few butterflies that I can think of off the top of my head, but you're probably thinking reef-safe, yes?
Let's see. There are a couple "Blue" species dartfish that I don't usually see in tanks....
You don't see too many Assessors yet (not cheap though, so I guess not your criteria)
Pikeblennies are semi-new and not usually found....and my personal punky favorite, the small barnacle blenny....
There are a few varieties of Hawkfish that are pretty rare (for my area, at least...)
You could always buy yourself a juvenile Chevron Tang and make me jealous as all get-out....

I'd say Blue Star Leopard Wrasse, but I've already called dibs on that for MY 110.
 
brun67

brun67

Member
+1 on the coral crouchers.
another hard to find one would be a wispy waspfish
or some blue gudgeon dartfish. for me those are extremely rare.
EDIT: i forgot. the coral crouchers do better in a nano aquarium since they dont move around much. if you house them in a large reef you may never see them and they will eventually starve since they need to be spot fed. just a heads up.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
tri-color scopas tangs are not seen often. Maybe less often still is the whiteface tang - A. Leucocheilus
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Local here in Chicago must fish are available but are seasonal. Pakistan Butterfly January threw February $40, Chevron Tang seen 2 in the last 3 years price tag $200+, Lately Purple Tang's have been rare to find and when you do price are about $130+. The fish that real makes me go hug, is the Clown Tang, beautifully and not seen to often but the price is only $40, when I do find them. Achilles Tang haven't seen one local for sale in while.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Just like other tangs they are big swimmers need min. 180 gal tank, and need a lot of water movment and well oxgenated water. They do best if kept in reef tank vs fish only system.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
I just picked up a Flame Fin Tang... I have not seen many of those around the LFS's. Also called a Bristol Toothed Tang, same family as the Kole Tang. I was looking for something like a Kole but found this and thought it would be different. Looks pretty cool if you ask me.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/391728/non-bread-and-butter-fish#post_3476056
I just picked up a Flame Fin Tang... I have not seen many of those around the LFS's. Also called a Bristol Toothed Tang, same family as the Kole Tang. I was looking for something like a Kole but found this and thought it would be different. Looks pretty cool if you ask me.
Post picture, I seen online a white tail Bristol Tooth it looked like across between Bristol Tooth and Chevron with off white tail.
 
brun67

brun67

Member
i forgot a few! i walked into my LFS today to replace a filter and i found an orbiculate batfish which are never there and some filefish which are also uncommon but i dont think these fish are reef compatible....
 
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