What SW fish have "personality"??

[drakken]

I've kept Tanganyikan cichlids for some time and I'm currently cycling a SW tank. With the cichlids there are a lot of neat behaviors and personallities. What are the marine equivalents?

 

[stacyt]

You can't beat the puffers, and huma triggers. Mine have learned to spit water at me durring feeding time. They swim up to the front of the tank whenever I approach, and swim back and forth in front of the glass. I can even pet my puffer.

 

[katara]

LMB's get my vote.My coral beauty seems to put on a show when I get near the tank and it has great coloring as well.

 

[drakken]

Originally posted by Melody
I don't know anything about cichlids.
Well, there are some that use shells for homes and breeding and the move the shells around the tank and bury them in sand leaving just the "door" showing. Then they will defend their turf by putting on displays and chasing away other fish.
Many put on shows during breeding which is fun to watch. Once the fry are free swimming the parents herd them to protect them and gather strays in their mouths and spit them out back in the group.
Of course the big downside to Tanganyikan cichlids is that most are drab looking. Here is a pic of one of my shell dewllers...

I hope this isn't considered off topic. I'm just trying to explain what I like about some cichlids and was wondering if any marine fish behaved similar.

 

[fishy88]

puffers!

 

[the claw]

I think a couple of jawfish are fun to watch popping in and out of their burrows.

 

[drakken]

Originally posted by The Claw
I think a couple of jawfish are fun to watch popping in and out of their burrows.
Yes, that does sound pretty neat! Are they easy to keep?

 

[the claw]

If you have a DSB with corral rubble about they are. The only problems that I have had with them is that they have a tendency to go carpet surfin', so you have to have your tank pretty well secured.

 

[cgr]

My favorite has always been the bicolor blenny or fire tail blennie. Provide some barnicles among the rocks and it will make it its home from where it will dart out to get its food. You'll always know where it is because it will go back to its barnicle from where it will stick his head out and watch you. It is not an expensive fish.
120 Gal FOWLR
1 Yellow tang
1 Blue tang
1 Sailfin tang
3 chromis
1 cleaner wrass
1 tomato clown
1 sleeper gobie
1 scooter blenny
1 bicolor blenny
1 coral banded shrimp
1 sandsifter star
emerald crabs, snails, blue and scarlet leg hermits
Wet/Dry filter w bioballs
5+” DSB
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates undetectable,
PH 8.2, Salinity 1.024

 

[nm reef]

I've found that each saltwater fish I've kept has developed a personality of its own....sometimes they just grow on you! For the most part all of mine have been decent enough characters...but a few have been bullies and pests. My personal favorites are my coral beauty and my recent addition...a foxface lo...both have great personalities and character. I kept freash water fish for several years and now wonder why I didn't switch to saltwater sooner!!

NMREEF website
“Whiskey for my men...beer for my horses.”
nmreef@cox.net

 

[the claw]

I really enjoy watching my hermit's antics. Even they have personality's. They wrestle, they climb. I had one little guy who wanted a bigger shell. He chose one that was too big for him to even move. Life's lessons, right there in a shell.

 

[armageddon]

i'm with stacy on the humu humu trigger. Always front and center and full of energy. Mine is maturing and getting such a temperment that he will lunge full force at my finger once its broken the waters surface. He took some skin off my pinky a while ago while i was doing a water change. I catch him picking at my LR in search of food and launching the remains out his gills. I have a few larger turbo snail shells in the tank with him. Sometimes you will catch him picking them up and moving them around the tank. Bottom line is there is never a dull moment.

 

[oregonbud]

Bicolor Blenny gets my vote, I got one about three weeks ago, because of his personality at the LFS. Watching them fit into some tiny holes in the LR and the way they swim is great amusement. Mine is actually pretty friendly as well, whenever someone walks to the tank, he and the cinnamon clown both shoot out to the center of the tank and perform
Inverts that have personality would definitely be hermits, adn right now my favorite is cleaner shrimp. They will eat out of your hand, clean your hand and arms, as well as clean your fish,and are very interactive with people

 

[the claw]

I think it's cool when thy clean your hand. Did you see the picture in one of the Fish mags last month of the one in the gal's mouth. That's a trip.

 

[mistylab]

There is a fish that is very hard to keep, grows to over 2 ft., and needs a tank about 500gal. But this fish has the most personality I've ever seen, the clown sweetlips, but an expert only fish. mine eats from my hand and begs for food when I come to the tank, he looks over at my feeder tank and comes to the top.
I've also seen bird wrasses with big personal;ities.
BTW, I LOVE shelldwellers!

 

[toddpolish]

I really like the personality of my scooter blenny ("little" Jim Morrison). he's so cool. need a lot of pods in the tank though. know that before you buy!

 

[mistylab]

triggerfish also.
If your looking for a wonderful, hardy, and even trainable addition to the tank to bring back the chichlid personality, the triggers have got it. They are greedy meat eaters with wonderful colors who can be a lethal menace and kill everything in your tank, or they can be a sweet, docile, even tame, fish.
Prolly one of my favorite groups, next to Angels, tangs, ect.

 

[sinner's girl]

clowns have lots of personality.

 

[reefnut]

Lawnmower Blenny

 

[bobo]

for pet-like personality i have to go with puffers. they're the closest fish to a dog. my favorites are star n stripe and dogface puffers since they are peaceful tankmates and great pets. if you're in the room they'll go crazy swimming to the glass as if trying to reach you. its always a pleasure at feeding time. they always eat straight from my hand. mine also let me pet them and spit at me at feeding time. its interesting watching them gnaw on live rocks and stretching.