Most personable and interactive fish?

[DamnPepShrimp]

Instead of a lot of shoaling/harem fish in my 210g, I've decided to go with the tradition FO setup. Large puffers, triggers, angels, tangs, wrasses, eels etc. I already have a klunzinger wrasse which is very shy and a BDM eel in QT. I have a passer angel which is extremely interactive and personable in a holding tank at my brothers house. The passer is aggressive and will be going in last. I plan to get a porcupine puffer on sunday since they have great personalities and seem to interact a lot with the hand that feeds them.
What other fish would fall under this category? I know triggers do, but what type? Plans were to get a clown trigger, but I am considering adding another, maybe a niger, but my old one was shy. Maybe a huma huma? My old huma was about an 1" long but full of character. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Gotsoup]

My huma and clown are both very friendly. Sometimes it is almost like you can see what they are thinking. My guinea fowl also spits water and has a lot of personality.

[DamnPepShrimp]

I'm definitely getting a porc puffer and probably a clown trigger. I'm leaning towards another trigger, maybe a huma or Niger. Still undecided, hopefully everyone can help me out here!

[tanger75]

My pinktail is very personable, and fun to watch!

[jnc914]

I have a 6" Male Scribbled Angel that acts like a puppy dog when you are within 10 ft of the tank. I can feed him out of hand and he is always swimming out in the open water. My Goldflake is the same way, where ever i go it follows and observes.

[chachijoe75]

Sailfin Tang...mine looks for me, follows me around and if I get close to the tank stays right in front of my face.


http://www.thefilmjar.com/tank/sailfin1.jpg
http://www.thefilmjar.com/tank/sailfin2.jpg

[StayPuft]

My Queen Angel is personable and is not afraid. My sargassum trigger swims right up to my hand and when I do stuff in the tank he's never afraid. I've had to actually push him with my hand to make him move. Wrasses are usually pretty distant. Not really afraid but I've never seen one that interacts with a person.

[psilentchild]

Didn't you get on me about posting a million different thread on fish list. Haven't you posted a million different fish list threads? There is this one another stating about an aggressive fish list thread plus several others I have seen. How can you get on me about something that you are doing yourself?

[DamnPepShrimp]

Thanks for the responses everyone (minus psilentchild, wish he was silent :) )

I am leaning towards more aggressive fish, so triggers mainly. I don't know which ones are more personable then others. I've never had a clown trigger, which is what I am leaning towards, but I think I can add another trigger as well. My niger was pretty shy unless it was feeding time, seems others are as well. Huma's seem pretty out going, I fear pinktail won't be aggressive enough for my tank though. The passer angel I have is pretty aggressive, so they will need to withstand him. I hear salfins get pretty bossy with age.

psilentchild, you have a PM, where things like this should be kept!

[FishyMel]

Puffers and triggers are pretty friendly but anti-social compared to a stingray. You can not get anymore personable than a stingray IME.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Really? Wow! Be we thought a stingray would have much character!

I am having a tough time deciding on a puffer, either a porc or S&S. Also deciding between a Niger or Huma trigger. I might however pick up a clown tang tomorrow as well.

[viggen]

porc & niger get my vote. Never been a fan of th S&S & many other puffers like those... they just get huge & ugly :( You could also add a spinybox puffer....

Another fish with GREAT personality is hawk fish, espefially the flame's. However unfortunantly they wouldn't last long in a tank like you are doing.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Yeah, I am really leaning towards the porc. My old niger wasn't to interactive unless there was actually food in the tank. I am definitely getting another trigger besides the clown. I have time to think about it, I don't want to over crowd my QT tank. We'll see what I come home with tomorrow, probably just the porc.

[tanger75]

I also have a Huma, he is a lot of fun to, He is the smallest in my tank, and he stand up to everyone. He stays close to me when I am by my tank. He would be a good choice. I had a Niger before he was cool, but I like the Huma. My Pinktail is not scared of much either, but he is the biggest in the tank besides my dogface.

[FishyMel]

I'd get the porc. I hated my last niger. Very beautiful triggers especially when they are big but IME are one of the nastiest. My last 4 inch niger wasn't the least bit social and injured/killed a bunch of my fish. From forum-reading I've heard of more people complain about how mean they're niger is, than any other trigger.

[Snausy]

I heard how nice and easy-going the niger was....then I went through three of them trying to find that "nice" one...never happened.

Every one of them turned into a nasty bully that beat up everything else in the tank except for my dogface puffer who fought back.

[StayPuft]

Nigers are social and cute when small. But the bigger they get, the meaner they get. It's just the way they are and should be kept with other agressive fish. I learned that the heard way myself.

[Gotsoup]

Porc and huma also get my vote, I love mine. Mel was right though. Stingrays are awesome, just hard to keep and incomplatable... but freakin awesome

[DamnPepShrimp]

Sounds like I'll be getting the porc and huma. I may wait on the huma tho, since they only have 1-2" ones available. Can't wait to get the puffer tho! I'll be sure to post pics, hopefully he can tolerate cupramine. I wouldn't worry about a Niger in my tank, the passer will show him who's boss. Thanks everyone for your help!

[MatthewLaw]

puffers are great and very personable. i think they may be begging to for food but the greeting is always nice!!

my royal gramma is always friendly when i am near the tank as is my false perc. interestingly the false perc became more personalbe when i removed his pair (Sassy) due to extreme harassment issues!

[DamnPepShrimp]

Man! Tough decision! I just got an email from one of my LFS that has 6 flame angels in stock for $39, everywhere else there $60! Makes me want to pickup a trio, but that wouldn't go well in a highly aggressive tank. Don't think I want to change up my plans on the FO tank AGAIN, or risk them in my reef. I don't know, decisions decisions decisions!

[ryansweet]

Not a trigger but definately a fun and personable fish is my dragon wrasse. Very friendly, when I clean the glass he will come up and let me touch him no problem, try not to for the most part because I don't want to injure him, but he has no problem with the occasional "petting". Plus he does a great job of sifting my sand for me. And +1 on the sailfin. Mine will follow my finger on the outside of the glass.

[DamnPepShrimp]

With my original planned stock list, I had intended on getting a salfin. Now, I am still so torn on what to do, big aggressive fish with personalities, or more peacefull FO tank with angels, tangs, bluethroat triggers, anthias, butterflies etc.

They didn't have any healthy porc puffers in stock. They were also too small. So tomorrow I am going up to another fish store, where they have 6 flames in stock for $39 each. Might just pick up one for the reef though. Still no idea what to do for the 210g.

[kcdan87]

porcs are the best mine follow me

[LisaD]

For most personable and interactive fish, of the ones I've kept (in no particular order):

emperor angel
dogface puffer
blue spotted angel
green wolf eel blenny
reticulate boxfish
blacktip grouper

I actually have all these fish at this time.

other fish I considered cool and interactive, but not particularly personable:

porcupine puffer
Brazilian dragon moray
waspfish

the only one I don't have is the porc, which I rehomed due to its aggression toward dogface puffers. the BDM is also aggressive towards dogface puffers (trying to eat them!) so it is going into its own 90 gallon tank soon.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Lisa, I agree that angels are very personable and interactive. My BDM has great character and is very interactive.

I am trying to work out a deal to get my queen and French angels and doctorfish tang. Well see how it goes. I'd still like to add a puffer into the group, I'm thinking a dogface if I leave out the passer, sohal and clown trigger.

[LisaD]

just be careful - with an aggressive mix, dogfaces can be victims of aggression. guinea fowl puffers get a bit bigger, but are better at holding their own, IME.

[LisaD]

Oh, and one other thing. I don't know why, but my BDM goes after my dogface puffer. It leaves smaller angels and all the other fish alone. I am setting up a 90 just for the BDM so I can keep him and some other fish. I have heard someone else say their BDM tries to eat dogface puffers. Mine may have been implicated in the death of a previous dogface and I SAW it grab my yellow dalmation dogface puffer, a 7" fish, into the rocks and try to eat it. Funny thing is, it never bothered the porc, even though they tussled over food.

[MatthewLaw]

i have been wondering about the puffer v. lionfish issue. for a smaller puffer (say valentini) is the dwarf lion more of the predator? since a lion will eat anything less than 2/3? its size?

[DamnPepShrimp]

Sorry Lisa, I am just getting back to this thread. I don't know how my BDM would react to a dogface puffer. I really don't think he'd bother anything. Maybe since your porc attacked the dogface, the eel thought it was food as well? They can be aggressive eels during feeding. Even when I had dying fish in the tank, he didn't bother anyone (maybe going with the idea that a wounded fish is easy prey, like sharks would).

I think I am going to stick with my colorful plan of mixed angels, butterflies, tangs etc. I am still trying to get my queen/french angels and doctorfish tang in, having trouble with the company I am ordering them from, not great to deal with. Also still want to try the flame trio, but leaning towards a pair for now instead, maybe add more when I move the tank or get a new tank/upgrade. Everything is still up in the air, well see how things go.

[Damascus]

My humu humu would let me pet him. It would always come to the tank it would swim over and watch me. When i would open it he would come up and say hi. I would stick my hand in the tank and he would rub against me and i when i rubbed his sides he would almost push back it seemed. Loved that little guy.

[scottallert]

undulated trigger, charming little fish

[DamnPepShrimp]

I defintely have plans to get an undy trigger some day. I am considering getting a huma trigger. I had one that was about 1.5" before. I heard they can be terrors though. I almost picked up this little guy at the LFS yesterday
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd115/DamnPepShrimp/photo-11.jpg
He was smaller than an inch!!!!!

[LukFox]

Great picture! I saw one that size just yesterday and I was amazed. I've never seen one so small :).

[DamnPepShrimp]

I thought my old huma was tiny, this one is by far the smallest I've ever seen, in person or picture. I was so tempted to pic him up! My wrasse eats pieces of squid that size though, my eel eats shrimp 4 times the size! And with the growth rates on huma's, it'd take years before he could go into the big tank. Luk, is your tusk an aussie? I am planning on getting one for my 210g, I'd love an aussie, but the price is double! How interactive/personable are they? I've heard good.

[Damascus]

I had one at 2.5 inches. Not much would mess with him. They can be terrors as they get older but so can any trigger.

[DamnPepShrimp]

That is what I am worried about. I don't want a terror if I am doing a tank with somewhat more peaceful fish.

My planned stock list is
Queen angel
French angel
Flame angel pair or trio
Heniochus pair
Bluethroat pair
Harlequin tusk
Klunzinger wrasse
Brazilian Dragon Moray

[LukFox]

And at that size you'd probably need to feed it 10x a day!

He's an Aussie. He's very personable, keeps an eye on me, and spits water when I'm not fast enough getting food in the water. When he sees me go to the freezer (a good 10 feet from the tank) he starts going nuts. I just wasn't sure if a tusk would fit in with your tank, but you're possibly going less aggressive now so it should be okay.

[Damascus]

They arent like clown fish. They wont just snap and kill everything. They are bold. I have never heard of one going out and just killing fish for no reason. I would start it off smaller. 3 inches and let it grow. It wont get bullied or do the bullying. It will take forever for it to grow as well.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Yeah, it wouldn't fit if I went with the passer angel, clown trigger, sohal tang and porc puffer. That is one option, the other is the above list. The queen angel I'd get is 2" and the french is 2.5". I'd also be upgrading again, mostlikely to a 96x36x27 400g tank, probably add a few tangs and couple more angels. I forgot that I would be adding a doctorfish tang and maybe one more to the 210g. Need some tangs for algae control. I know that is a lot of fish for the 210g but I plan to have a good skimmer (MSX300, currently have modded octo 200) and I am getting all the fish small, except the triggers and tusk, since they usually come med/large. I will be upgrading to that 400g by next year sometime.

[LisaD]

Sorry Lisa, I am just getting back to this thread. I don't know how my BDM would react to a dogface puffer. I really don't think he'd bother anything. Maybe since your porc attacked the dogface, the eel thought it was food as well? They can be aggressive eels during feeding. Even when I had dying fish in the tank, he didn't bother anyone (maybe going with the idea that a wounded fish is easy prey, like sharks would).

DPS, the first dogface was being harassed by the porc, and I did not see the eel attack (though my daughter says she saw him go after the dogface the day before it was killed). Likely, in that case, that the puffer fleeing the porc caused a feeding response in the eel.

However, in the second case, where I saw it attack my yellow dalmation dogface, it wasn't even feeding time. The eel just ambushed the fish and tried to drag it in the rocks. No one was swimming fast, or anything. Clearly, the eel developed a taste for dogface puffers. The original one was a normal color, this one is different looking, so it's not cuing on color or pattern.

[clekchau]

porc puffer is like a dog, most personable fish i've ever had

[DamnPepShrimp]

That is crazy! I can't believe it has a "taste for dogface puffers" and nothing else. Very weird and strange. Maybe I'll try a porc, but add it in last, hopefully it'll keep to itself. I'd hate to have my eel take down a dogface, I'm sure it could since it's nearly 3ft.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Looks like I am not getting my queen/french angels or doctorfish tang. I recommend NO ONE buy from ccritters.com The guy is a horrible business man and ripped off our local club, including me the worst. Kind of bummed about this.

[LisaD]

That is crazy! I can't believe it has a "taste for dogface puffers" and nothing else. Very weird and strange. Maybe I'll try a porc, but add it in last, hopefully it'll keep to itself. I'd hate to have my eel take down a dogface, I'm sure it could since it's nearly 3ft.

I agree, this is nuts. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. My 3 inch blue spotted angel regularly tail slaps him, and he backs down. He's probably past time for a tank of his own with one or two selected tankmates. :)

Sorry your fish order fell through. Have you posted in Vendor Experiences about what happened? I'm still a big fan of LA DD and reefhotspot. Could either one of those help?

You might also try www.divertom.com - he's a collector in Marathon, Florida, in the keys. Fish are freshly collected, he's been in business a long time, prices are reasonable. Shipping is high, but shouldn't be too bad for several fish in a box.

[DamnPepShrimp]

No, I will have to put a post up in that forum. I am still trying to work with him, but its doubtful.

It would be interesting to see how mine reacts with a dogface puffer. I don't want to try it, incase he does go after it, but I am curious. So what are the planned tankmates for the 90g? I wish I could isolate my eel in another tank, but he couldn't stay in a 90g, hes way too big. I've never seen one bigger then 24" or so, but mine is pushing 3 feet!