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What is your favorite fresh water fish?
- Thread starter RamPuppy
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Lemme see.
My favorites are:
Discus (Currently saving up to buy some more. I can't wait until my birthday in October. I am probably getting around a 70 gallon or larger tank.
Dwarf Puffer, Figure 8 Puffer, Spotted Green Puffer: My local fish store just got a new shipment of all three of these. They are so awesome. I am especially attracted to the Dwarf Puffers. I may set up a simple 10 gallon and put a few of the Dwarf Puffers in it. I am still researching at the moment, so It won't be for a while.
Black Elephant Nose: These are awesome. I think it is amazing how they dig through the sand looking for worms. I feed mine(Named Wilson) at night, but before I turn the light off I put the live blood worms in so they can get in the sand and then I turn out the lights and he goes and digs them all up. I could watch for hours.
Firemouth: I love the red on their throats. These might be my favorite. They might be small compared to other Cichlids, but they can sure stick up for themselves. A true survivor. They are very brave. I tend to just have one to itself. I don't want agression with others.
My favorites are:
Discus (Currently saving up to buy some more. I can't wait until my birthday in October. I am probably getting around a 70 gallon or larger tank.
Dwarf Puffer, Figure 8 Puffer, Spotted Green Puffer: My local fish store just got a new shipment of all three of these. They are so awesome. I am especially attracted to the Dwarf Puffers. I may set up a simple 10 gallon and put a few of the Dwarf Puffers in it. I am still researching at the moment, so It won't be for a while.
Black Elephant Nose: These are awesome. I think it is amazing how they dig through the sand looking for worms. I feed mine(Named Wilson) at night, but before I turn the light off I put the live blood worms in so they can get in the sand and then I turn out the lights and he goes and digs them all up. I could watch for hours.
Firemouth: I love the red on their throats. These might be my favorite. They might be small compared to other Cichlids, but they can sure stick up for themselves. A true survivor. They are very brave. I tend to just have one to itself. I don't want agression with others.
wow you kept an alligator gar, I have one too. They are so bueatiful, with their slim slender body. I had mine in a 10 gallon, before it started outgrowing it, so Its in a 55, its going to outgrow it quickly. And I don't want to put it in my 125 with my tropicals =(. He'll eat them up. I don't know what to do with him.
Sorry D, I don't currently have any biotope tanks set up. I took them all down in order to "simplify" things...and currently just have a 20 gal nano reef up and running.
I think my preferences come down to why I keep aquaria. I don't consider tanks and fish as "pets" whereas many people do. I don't name my fish. I like to see animals in their natural habitat--this goes beyond taller plants along the back and corners, shorter ones up front, and a stylish piece of driftwood somewhere. I want to replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible, and then see how they fit in and interact with that habitat. I don't want a tank with fish--I want a sliver of that specific habitat. Make sense? You see so many apistos kept in heavily planted tanks, when in the wild they are usually found in tiny blackwater streams under the forest canopy, with very little aquatic vegetation. Their realm is that of copious leaf litter that falls from the canopy above. Yes, they look nice in a tank filled with lush green plants...but come into their own in a blackwater setup, where their colors shimmer in the tannin rich water and they hunt, spawn, and take shelter among a generous amont of leaf litter. You then begin to see how this fish interacts with its environment, rather than just having something "pretty" to look at. To me, their natural habitat and relationship with it is MUCH more beautiful than any sterile landscape Amano could devise. Discus live among the submerged branches of shrubs and dead trees in often murky water. It's a pretty desolate contrast to the aquatic jungles most people choose to keep them in. In a mangle of branches you can begin to understand the vertical striping of wild strains of discuss--it helps to throw off the perception of predators, much like a zebra's stripes.
Anyway, there's a little preface for any future posts I may contribute.
What do you mean by that? There are TONS of options out there as far as biotope tanks you can do, they just usually aren't laid out for people to follow. It entails doing a little research and gathering info and photos from different sources, often outside the realm of aquaria. If you need som help, just let me know--I've done quite a bit of reading on quite a few environment and can pass along some suggestions if you want. Some of the tanks I have done are:
--SE asian stream (for cyprinids). Tank was half full with boulders sticking out of the water and a few powerheads for flow throughout the tank. It was so simple, yet one of my favorites.
--SE asian stillwater. Kept the chocolate gouramies in here. Great tank.
--Malawi boulder field. Crammed this tank full of rock and kept some C. labidichromis.
--S. American blackwater stream with a pair of Apistogramma panduro. Mostly sand and tangles of branches.
--Australian rocky/sandy riverbed. Had a school of generic rainbowfish in here.
I think my preferences come down to why I keep aquaria. I don't consider tanks and fish as "pets" whereas many people do. I don't name my fish. I like to see animals in their natural habitat--this goes beyond taller plants along the back and corners, shorter ones up front, and a stylish piece of driftwood somewhere. I want to replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible, and then see how they fit in and interact with that habitat. I don't want a tank with fish--I want a sliver of that specific habitat. Make sense? You see so many apistos kept in heavily planted tanks, when in the wild they are usually found in tiny blackwater streams under the forest canopy, with very little aquatic vegetation. Their realm is that of copious leaf litter that falls from the canopy above. Yes, they look nice in a tank filled with lush green plants...but come into their own in a blackwater setup, where their colors shimmer in the tannin rich water and they hunt, spawn, and take shelter among a generous amont of leaf litter. You then begin to see how this fish interacts with its environment, rather than just having something "pretty" to look at. To me, their natural habitat and relationship with it is MUCH more beautiful than any sterile landscape Amano could devise. Discus live among the submerged branches of shrubs and dead trees in often murky water. It's a pretty desolate contrast to the aquatic jungles most people choose to keep them in. In a mangle of branches you can begin to understand the vertical striping of wild strains of discuss--it helps to throw off the perception of predators, much like a zebra's stripes.
Anyway, there's a little preface for any future posts I may contribute.
[b said:
What do you mean by that? There are TONS of options out there as far as biotope tanks you can do, they just usually aren't laid out for people to follow. It entails doing a little research and gathering info and photos from different sources, often outside the realm of aquaria. If you need som help, just let me know--I've done quite a bit of reading on quite a few environment and can pass along some suggestions if you want. Some of the tanks I have done are:
--SE asian stream (for cyprinids). Tank was half full with boulders sticking out of the water and a few powerheads for flow throughout the tank. It was so simple, yet one of my favorites.
--SE asian stillwater. Kept the chocolate gouramies in here. Great tank.
--Malawi boulder field. Crammed this tank full of rock and kept some C. labidichromis.
--S. American blackwater stream with a pair of Apistogramma panduro. Mostly sand and tangles of branches.
--Australian rocky/sandy riverbed. Had a school of generic rainbowfish in here.
Did you get your Chocolates to breed?
No, but I didn't have the proper setup to do this with (e.g. an RO/DI unit). I didn't have the funds for one, either, and even tried collecting rainwater to use in the tank, which was a huge pain. Actually, so little is actually known about this fish (a whole bunch of wive's tails abound on the internet from what I've seen). This fish is classically labeled as shy and frequently bullied by other fish, which it is. However, no one ever mentions (and may not even know) that this fish is EXTREMELY violent towards its own kind. I had a nice group of them in a 20L...and over a few weeks, watched the top fish systematically kill those below him in the heirarchy. There is actually a good article on their behavior in the latest issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist, and the second part will be out next month. The author has actual experience with this fish, and attests to its violent nature toward its own kind. Many individuals need to be crammed into a tank that is PACKED full of hiding places and wood. It's not what most people would consider a show tank...but I love it anyway. \
But back to your question: I never got them to breed, but hope to some day. I have contacted a few people overseas who have, but I think places like the Netherlands and Germany just have a magic wand they wave over the tank to get their fish to breed...and they're just keeping it a secret.
Have you ever seen some of the other species of Chocolates? They are even prettier!
Personally, I wouldn't go that far. I don't base "pretty" by the brightness and number of colors on a fish. I'll take S. osphro osphro over Valliant's or any of the others any day.
No, but I didn't have the proper setup to do this with (e.g. an RO/DI unit). I didn't have the funds for one, either, and even tried collecting rainwater to use in the tank, which was a huge pain. Actually, so little is actually known about this fish (a whole bunch of wive's tails abound on the internet from what I've seen). This fish is classically labeled as shy and frequently bullied by other fish, which it is. However, no one ever mentions (and may not even know) that this fish is EXTREMELY violent towards its own kind. I had a nice group of them in a 20L...and over a few weeks, watched the top fish systematically kill those below him in the heirarchy. There is actually a good article on their behavior in the latest issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist, and the second part will be out next month. The author has actual experience with this fish, and attests to its violent nature toward its own kind. Many individuals need to be crammed into a tank that is PACKED full of hiding places and wood. It's not what most people would consider a show tank...but I love it anyway. \
But back to your question: I never got them to breed, but hope to some day. I have contacted a few people overseas who have, but I think places like the Netherlands and Germany just have a magic wand they wave over the tank to get their fish to breed...and they're just keeping it a secret.
Have you ever seen some of the other species of Chocolates? They are even prettier!
Personally, I wouldn't go that far. I don't base "pretty" by the brightness and number of colors on a fish. I'll take S. osphro osphro over Valliant's or any of the others any day.
Hi,
I've seen one brooding female come in with a shipment once. I almost picked her up to raise a tank bred line but I didn't feel like hatching baby brine at the time. The man who took her said she spit out 29 fry. He lost them. I also once saw a shipment with large adults where the males had the deep red borders on their caudal fin. There are many wonderful old articles on breeding Chocolates dating back to the early 1950's in The Aquarium Journal and the Aquarium Magazine. I agree, Chocolates are extrememly aggressive. I liked the article in TFH and am looking forward to part II. Like many small fish they seem to be a species that requires large tanks. I learned that with some of my killies, particularly Gnatholebias zonatus and hoignei. You might check out <TheFishWizards.com>. Tony is an old friend and brings in rare Anabantids, particularly Licorice gouramis and some Chocolates. You might also try the British Anabantoid Association. It is a very good group of breeders. I am hoping to get a fascinating little gourami Malpulutta kretseri soon. It too is a leaf litter fish but from Sri Lanka. A friend has it in NYC and he had to get it from the Europeans. I think the European secret with hard to breed fish is just that more of their breeders try harder for a longer time than do ours.
Bobby
I've seen one brooding female come in with a shipment once. I almost picked her up to raise a tank bred line but I didn't feel like hatching baby brine at the time. The man who took her said she spit out 29 fry. He lost them. I also once saw a shipment with large adults where the males had the deep red borders on their caudal fin. There are many wonderful old articles on breeding Chocolates dating back to the early 1950's in The Aquarium Journal and the Aquarium Magazine. I agree, Chocolates are extrememly aggressive. I liked the article in TFH and am looking forward to part II. Like many small fish they seem to be a species that requires large tanks. I learned that with some of my killies, particularly Gnatholebias zonatus and hoignei. You might check out <TheFishWizards.com>. Tony is an old friend and brings in rare Anabantids, particularly Licorice gouramis and some Chocolates. You might also try the British Anabantoid Association. It is a very good group of breeders. I am hoping to get a fascinating little gourami Malpulutta kretseri soon. It too is a leaf litter fish but from Sri Lanka. A friend has it in NYC and he had to get it from the Europeans. I think the European secret with hard to breed fish is just that more of their breeders try harder for a longer time than do ours.
Bobby
I think it's a pretty frequent problem that the females spit out the fry prematurely, at least that's what I've heard from people who have tried to breed them. Once you can get a male and female to spawn, getting the female to hold them without her getting stressed out and spitting them out is the next big hurdle.
Foods can be tough. I kept one group that ate flake...another wouldn't eat anything but live California blackworms. They're a high-maintenance fish, but if you can provide a few simple requirements, they are actually pretty hardy.
When the dominant males (I call them "bulls") color up, they do look really nice--the red is incredible and the gold really shimmers when the browns get darker. Man, I miss keeping this fish.
Foods can be tough. I kept one group that ate flake...another wouldn't eat anything but live California blackworms. They're a high-maintenance fish, but if you can provide a few simple requirements, they are actually pretty hardy.
When the dominant males (I call them "bulls") color up, they do look really nice--the red is incredible and the gold really shimmers when the browns get darker. Man, I miss keeping this fish.
I agree completely with the first part. My GF asks why i don't name them, and i tell her it just seems strange. I hate the gaudy tank ornaments, the bright blue gravel.[b said:
What i meant by that is that i have a lot of different fish i'm interested in, and if i didn't keep a community tank, i'd have to keep just one or two species. I am moving away from the community tank (to a large extent a "beginners" setup IMO) to more targeted stocking, especially after seeing my Amazon Puffers beat up on the otos and other fish, or the Kribs terrorize everything else in the tank to the point of multiple deaths.
I want to get started with killies, and hope to get some at the BAS meeting tomorrow night. I can keep them in smaller tanks and therefore have more than just one species.
I LOVED the biotope tanks at the Boston Aquarium. The Amazon one had swarms of tetras and a big boa. It would be neat to set something like that up (minus the boa!). Someday...
Hi D,
Speaking of killies, you should see my 3 wild caught pairs of Fundulopanchax fallax (fifinda location). They are outstanding. I have never really cared for fallax and most reference books picture gulare as fallax as the true fallax was not re-imported until the late 1970's but this location is stunning. The males come in 2 color morphs -- a greenish yellow body and a brilliant orange body. The caudal is enormous and the body is also covered in maroon markings. The pectoral fins are solid yellow or orange outlined in heavy black. These guys get to be 3 inches. My largest is 2 and 1/2 inches. They eat like pigs and are not too aggressive in the plant stuffed 30 I have them in. They are bold. I can't wait to start collecting eggs. I think they have a 6 week incubation period in damp peat but I have to check. I hope they prove prolific.
I have been rearranging my fish room today as I got a great new (to me) work table. I had to move my old table back to the southern window as my orchids are not growing new leaves where they are now and did great in this old location. That meant tanks had to be moved. My room is back up to 21 tanks. And to think I was going down to ONE tank 3 months ago! Ugh!
Bobby
Speaking of killies, you should see my 3 wild caught pairs of Fundulopanchax fallax (fifinda location). They are outstanding. I have never really cared for fallax and most reference books picture gulare as fallax as the true fallax was not re-imported until the late 1970's but this location is stunning. The males come in 2 color morphs -- a greenish yellow body and a brilliant orange body. The caudal is enormous and the body is also covered in maroon markings. The pectoral fins are solid yellow or orange outlined in heavy black. These guys get to be 3 inches. My largest is 2 and 1/2 inches. They eat like pigs and are not too aggressive in the plant stuffed 30 I have them in. They are bold. I can't wait to start collecting eggs. I think they have a 6 week incubation period in damp peat but I have to check. I hope they prove prolific.
I have been rearranging my fish room today as I got a great new (to me) work table. I had to move my old table back to the southern window as my orchids are not growing new leaves where they are now and did great in this old location. That meant tanks had to be moved. My room is back up to 21 tanks. And to think I was going down to ONE tank 3 months ago! Ugh!
Bobby
Paradise fish are very brilliantly colored, hardy fish.....I've wintered them in ponds outside when the temps dropped to 40 degrees. I've heard stories of them surviving ponds freezing over.
Least killifish(Heterandia formosa) These guys are just to cool. They are little, and watchign them is very interesting.
The main reason many aquarists oppose all hybrids is because of the possibilty of them getting back into the mainstream of the hobby. Like say, the flowerhorn. Baby flowerhorns are difficult to tell apart from baby trimacs. Trimacs are sometimes sold as flowerhorns, and vise versa. IMO Trimacs are much prettier.
But suppose a would be breeder buys some "trimacs". Well at least one of them is a trimac. They are crossed and out come with some fry...that may look odd, or look perfectly normal...if he didn't catch the mistake by then, and takes them to the store...
There you have it!
Least killifish(Heterandia formosa) These guys are just to cool. They are little, and watchign them is very interesting.
The main reason many aquarists oppose all hybrids is because of the possibilty of them getting back into the mainstream of the hobby. Like say, the flowerhorn. Baby flowerhorns are difficult to tell apart from baby trimacs. Trimacs are sometimes sold as flowerhorns, and vise versa. IMO Trimacs are much prettier.
But suppose a would be breeder buys some "trimacs". Well at least one of them is a trimac. They are crossed and out come with some fry...that may look odd, or look perfectly normal...if he didn't catch the mistake by then, and takes them to the store...
There you have it!
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
arrowanas I will give you, and I will admit that guppies are beautiful and fun to watch. I have (probably to many peoples hatred) found guppies to be an ideal feeder fish for tropical predators, they don't have the cold water fats in them like carp, and are an ideal source of nutrition. Now, before anyone gets fussy... When I keep a predator tank, I usually keep a guppy tank too... I enjoy the guppy tank for what it is... they are gorgeous little fellas and ladies. When a fish gets old, or the population needs to get culled, feeding occurs. Every generation of fish has some fish with congenital defects and so on, and these get culled by EVERY fish nursery (you just don't see or hear about it much.) It's the circle of life ya know?
