Blue Tangs
AKA Hippo Tangs, Pacific Blue Tangs, Regal Tangs
They are very sensitive to nitrates. Acclimate very slowly using the drip method. Tangs in general cannot tolerate high nitrate levels.  They also like to hide by sliding sideways under rocks.

Triggerfish
Do not feed them bloodworms. They are too rich for their diet. Most triggers are vegetarians not carnivores.

Box fish / Cow fish / Puffers
Do not treat diseases with copper.  Feed them lots of garlic and Marine Max. Box fish and cow fish can toxify a tank under stress and kill other fish.  Dead puffers can poison your tank after death.

Fish Facts

Starfish, Shrimp, Urchins
These are sensitive to changes in salinity, acclimate by dripping. Starfish, especially Linkias and Tile stars require salty water for best survival. 1.023 - 1.025

DON'T BUY
Ribbon eels - impossible to feed - escape easily
Sea Apples - Poisons water when dead and when stressed
Medusa Worms - Same as sea apples
Basket/feather starfish - too sensitive
Moorish Idols - won't survive long
Large/adult angelfish - won't eat
Box fish and Cow fish - same as sea apples

Snails are sensitive to Hydrogen Sulfide and Nitrites
If your snails all die suddenly, it is probably due to adding uncured live rock to your tank. Anerobic bacteria produce H2S, Hydrogen sulfide - the rotten egg smell - which is very poisonous. Adding snails to a new tank too soon can have the same fate. And sometimes I have absolutely no idea why.

Eels
They are not harmed by parasites but medications that kill parasites can kill them. Remove them from the tank before treating your other fish with copper. Eels with sharp pointed faces are much more agressive than those with rounded faces. Most eels are morays by the way.

Tank raised Peppermint Shrimp
Have been known to eat S.P.S. corals while the wild ones are very safe

Red Sea vs Indo-Pacific Sailfin Tangs - What's the Difference?
The stripes on the Red Sea go from the body up into the "sailfin" where as with Indo tangs, the stripes fade.

Feather Dusters
They are classified as a tube worm that uses its "feathers" for eating and breathing. Occasionally they drop their head but a new one will regenerate in a week or two. Sometimes they even leave their tube and grow a new one. If you carefully feel the bottom of their tube, you can cut off the end before planting them in the rock or gravel. Within a couple hours they will seal their tube.

Arrow crabs
Are not reef safe. They do eat bristle worms plus hermits and shrimp and even small fish. Six line wrasses are reef safe and they love bristle worms.

Atlantic Green Filefish
Has been rumored to eat aptasia. If you know for sure, please let us know.  There is a Pacific file fish that eats aiptasia.  We can get them .

Moorish Idols / Heniochus
These and other Bannerfish cannot be treated with quinine or formaldehyde. It is lethal to them.

Mandarin and Spotted Target Gobys
Reported by one of my customers - try feeding them bloodworms. Cyclop-Eeze is another good food.  They are best avoided unless you have a reef tank that's at least 6 months old.

Fighting Ick
DO NOT Raise the temperature of your tank to fight ick if there are fish or corals in the tank. It stresses the fish even more and reduces oxygen levels. Raising the temperature will speed the life cycle of ick and should be used only in empty tanks. It won't hurt live rock by itself.  We use Marine Max, a probiotic, garlic extract, oregano oil, and copper. 

Feeding Anemones
DO NOT Feed anemones salad shrimp. If they are pink then they are cooked and they have lost all nutritional value. Feed them raw foods like mysis and brine. Do not overfeed. 1 or 2 times per week is best and give them tiny little pieces. If anemones host clowns, the clowns should bring food to the anemones.