Bad Fish For Unexperienced/newbie Aquarists

[DerpPH]

Hey guyth! I wanted to make a thread about the advanced fish! Please give suggestions if you can!

bad fish for newbies:
Nile perch(grow quite big)
Pufferfish(quite sensetive to deteriorating water)
Stingrays(due to possible dangers)
Goldfish(if kept in a bowl withiut filtration)
Piranha(quite messy eaters)
Dyed, painted, tattooed fish(for ethical and fish health reasons)
Discus(quite fussy to maintain when young)


Please give more suggestions and if there is something to remove just tell me!

 

[sadguppy]

I would say loaches or catfish to start with, as they can be intolerant to medications and salt treatment so aren't the best choice for a newbie who may make mistakes and get whitespot or other common diseases in their tank. Wait until it is stable!

 

[AshleyT]

and oscers

 

[techen]

Balasharks....

 

[AshleyT]

Balasharks....

+1

 

[JenJ]

Ummm...I'm not sure I would agree with the idea of a list of 'big' fish that are only for advanced fishkeepers. As long as the tank is big enough, many of those fish in the first list can be quite easy to keep.
 
Some fish that are classed as 'beginner' fish, such as guppies, are notoriously bad for dying on beginners. Does that mean they are advanced? Probably more guppies die than Oscars from newbies' mistakes?


I also disagree with the reasons you gave - stingray for example are not recommend for almost anyone as most people wouldn't have a big enough tank. And are you suggesting that goldfish are ok as long as they are kept in a filtered tank? Even though these tanks are frequently unsuitable? And I don't see why being a messy eater should make a fish unsuitable?
 
Sorry if I'm being too picky...

 

[Wills]

Good idea but.... your list is showing some extremes but not others.
 
Maybe a list might be better structured as to giving reasons for them being unsuitable then listing fish under the headings
 
So just to cover the suggestions here (although some will over lap) - I will add my own as well 
 
 
Monster Growing Fish
 
Nile perch
Mbu Pufferfish
Fahaka Pufferfish
Stingrays
Red Tailed Catfish
Pangasious Catfish
Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish
Pacu
Arrowana - black, gold, silver, jardini etc etc
Lince Catfish
Spotted Gar
Florida Gar
 
 
Large Growing Fish (12 inches +)
 
Common Plec
Sailfin Plec
Oscars
Tinfoil Barbs
Clown Loaches
Bala Sharks
Goldfish
Texas Cichlids
Veija Cichlids  (big generalization I know but fitting for here I think)
Ornate Pictus Catfish
Sun Catfish
Flag Tail Prochilodius
Some Synodontis
 
 
Fish with common misconceptions - creating issues for newbies later on
 
Goldfish - nuff said
Siamese Fighters - dont do well in big tanks, need filters, not well kept in novelty tanks
Blue and Gold Rams - need high temperatures and low ph, most of the time. Some captive bred ones are more flexible but very hard to tell them apart...
Zebra Danios - hyperactive little fish that need the run of a big fish
 
(I'm sure there are more that fit in this section)
 
 
 
I think there are probably other sections as well but difficult to generalise - especially on aggression I think as it is a broad spectrum and difficult to define...
 
I have also gone for more common fish than the rare monsters or large fish that most beginners would not really see in a shop. But I also know I will have missed some off....
 
JenJ - totally agree on the larger fish thing but if this is thinking around a beginner I would kind of generalise that they are a new keeper with a 10 - 30 maybe even stretching to a 55/65 gallon tank. Much higher than that and the tank is less of a present or impulse buy and something most people would spend time thinking and reading about and would then hopefully be equipped with the knowledge to buy sensibly
 
Wills

 

[Sophie]

Loving the list. Keep them coming, I'm currently creating some documents for customers at my store to read and for these to help back up my colleagues when we deny fish for unsuitable conditions Especially when they ask for 2 Goldfish for their 15L tank...

 

[MBOU]

Red Tailed Black/Albino RT/Ruby Sharks (way too nasty and sold to tanks far too small and peacefull)
Silver Dollars
Tiger Barbs (never understand why people so  stubbornly insist one wanting groups of 4 or 5, they belong in groups of 20+ or not at all imo)
Clown/YoYo/Red Tail etc etc etc Loaches
Synodontis
Blue/Gold/Three Spot Gouramis (easy species to keep and yet new fish keepers never fail to turn a peaceful fish psychotic by not understanding their needs).

 

[DerpPH]

as Wills said heres the list!
 
 
Monster Growing Fish
 
Nile perch
Mbu Pufferfish
Fahaka Pufferfish
Stingrays
Red Tailed Catfish
Pangasious Catfish
Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish
Pacu
Arrowana - black, gold, silver, jardini etc etc
Lince Catfish
Spotted Gar
Florida Gar
Sturgeon
Dorado
 
 
Large Growing Fish (12 inches +)
 
Common Plec
Sailfin Plec
Oscars
Tinfoil Barbs
Clown Loaches
Bala Sharks
Goldfish
Texas Cichlids
Veija Cichlids  (big generalization I know but fitting for here I think)
Ornate Pictus Catfish
Sun Catfish
Flag Tail Prochilodius
Some Synodontis
 
 
Fish with common misconceptions - creating issues for newbies later on
 
Goldfish - nuff said 

Siamese Fighters - dont do well in big tanks, need filters, not well kept in novelty tanks
Blue and Gold Rams - need high temperatures and low ph, most of the time. Some captive bred ones are more flexible but very hard to tell them apart...
Zebra Danios - hyperactive little fish that need the run of a big fish
 
Very sensetive fish
 
Puffers-Sensetive to deteriorating water conditions
Discus-needs higher temp than other fish and needs frequent large water changes
 
Hybrids-very unpredictable behaviors
painted dyed or tattoed fish
painted tetras
tattoed molly
painted cory
painted loaches

 

[Mamashack]

There's a similar discussion going on in the 5 best and worst fish for beginners thread - don't have the link at the moment but it's still active I believe.
EDIT: Found it :
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/417596-five-best-worst-fish-for-beginners/

 

[DreamertK]

What about fish that will die after being put into a tank that only had a day of instant cycling?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I've got it.... the ultimate bad fish for newbies.... seahorses!  Entirely too complicated.

 

[DerpPH]

Yeah... Any other suggestions to the list?

 

[MBOU]

Wellnow.. if we areincluding marines in this.........
 
seahorses
pipefish
pretty much ALL tangs (especially regals and powder blues!)
big angels...
dottybacks
starfish
anemones
 
In fact... most marines! and anything Brackish for that matter....
 
 
Ooohhhh!! Puffers. Puffersare NOT for beginners!