I wan't something terrifying, yet harmless...

[logan89]

I am pretty far from actually stocking my 250gal tank, however, I was going to go for the really pretty breath taking kind of setup.

At first I was all for getting a huge tank full of the nastiest, meanest, biggest most aggressive around...then read about the mess, and the cleaning, and the high tank maintenance involved. Add to that the fact that I am a complete newb to fish and their care, I decided to go with the pretty, elegant, flashy fish, yet still exotic.

Anyways, what i'm getting at is I want a really ugly, nasty and preferably something with large teeth to just be lurking low in the darkest, dankest part of the tank, or hiding in the shadows of the rocks. Something that is relativly harmless to my other fish, and probably something non-territorial. I know there probably isn't anything out there that fits the decription of what i'm looking for, but i'm hoping there is something close. I just want my girlfriend/friends and family to have there face against the glass admiring my fish, then they scan the bottom of the tank and catch a glimpse of some god awful "monster"...haha, I giggle like a 4 year old just thinking of their reactions...

Anywho, i'm not going to cry if there isn't a fish like this out there readily available, but oh man...if there is...I don't have a word for it, 'perfect" maybe.

I plan on getting very few fish under 4", and quite a few medium-large sized fish so I don't think I should be worried about them getting eaten, and if the small ones do.... sucks to be them! Survival of the fittest, or biggest I suppose.

I REALLY would apreciate it if you guys let me know if it's a hopless thought, or if these kind of fish are every where....

Sorry for the bizarre request (although it is an oddball forum )

Thanks alot guy and gals,

-Logan

 

[Dangerousdan]

Personally id have a nice big fat eel or 3, they really look the part and grab imediate attention. Also a nice big fat Ornate birchir (birchirs are bloody lovely fish, one of my favourates ) fantastic to watch them gulp down a fish bigger than their own head. Love them to pieces. Another fish that hides in the shadows and then fires out at any passing shrimp lol and also follows you as you pirre in through the glass up and down the tank, and follows your finger once they get conferdant are Datnoid micropes(spelt something like that) Siamese Tiger fish, another of my personal favourates, and eat or least try to, eat things far to big for them....or so you think.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

hello again logan! as for "scary" fish...

The Dragon Goby fits the bill perfectly except that the most commonly available species is a brackish fish. There is a species which can be acclimated to freshwater, but its difficult to distinguish. But just in case you're interested, the Dragon Goby is a huge and eel-like fish that is moderately territorial with spikey teeth pointing out every-which-way. It is also a filter feeder and lives off of aquatic worms and plankton. SirMinion loves the little buggers

There are several more typical gobies that are freshwater and have rather ugly faces. The thing to remember about these fish is that half of a goby's face is its mouth. Most fish will eat anything they can fit in their mouth, so gobies aren't always the best choices to live with community fish under 4".

Elephantnoses and baby whales are bizarre looking fish, not scary but totally wierd. All of the Mormyrids can be trusted around everything but fry but are often territorial and difficult to feed. About 4 months ago there were a lot of "new elephant nose" posts; about 2 months ago there were a lot of "oh no my elephantnose died looking really skinny".

Of the spiney eels, only the peacock eel stays small enough to work in your tank, but you would still have to keep it only with fish over 2" (so no guppies, half-grown cories, or tiny tetras).

Would you be happy with some squirmy and harmless fish? Kuhli loaches max out around 4 inches and pretty much look like earthworms. There are a number of species commonly called Kuhli loaches in a wide range of color patterns, but they all like each other and have the same basic needs. Dojo loaches are much bigger, hitting around the 10 inch mark. Dojos are reknown for being cute and harmless fish; they're quite friendly and can readily be taught to hand-feed.

The only other thing I can tell you about would be the plecos. You can buy a baby common pleco in any LFS for about $2. Sailfin plecs will run you about $5. Commons hit 12"+ and Sailfins reach 18"+. They're huge poop machines and look like they swam right out of the Jurassic era. I had an albino hybrid and he grew an inch about every 2 months. Commons are terrible on plants, not necessarily because they'll eat them but because the plecs are about 8 inches wide and thrash while they crawl the substrate. They'll uproot almost anything. BTW, plecos are algae eaters for the most part and need A LOT to eat. but they will rarely attack anything but other plecos and the occassional large flat-bodied fish if they get hungry.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Have to agree with the dragon goby, if you made it brackish they wouldn't dissapoint you. Damn, I wish I had a bigger tank, the lfs has two in

 

[jflowers]

I would go with the dragon goby too, I have a small one at the moment and you cant see its teeth, but I am sure SirMinion will post a pic of his. Your tank would also look really good as you could put a load of other brackish species in with it, archer fish are a fish I would love to keep and with that size tank you could even lower the water level and have surface plants for the archers to shoot food from. I want another big tank now

Jon

 

[sylvia]

Well it doesn't have big teeth and doesn't look all that scary but the black ghost knife is a 'lurking in the darkness' sort of fish. It looks unusual, is relatively easy to get hold of, quite peaceful and should be fine with fish that grow to a decent size. I wouldn't trust them with anything under 4" though. Things like a school of raibowfish (red - glossolepis incissus, turqoise - melanotaenia lacustris, boesmani - melanotaenia boesmani) would look lovely in with them. These larger rainbows get to about 4-6" (with the red being the larger). There are many others to choose from as well. The great thing about them is that, despite their size and active nature, they are peaceful and very brightly colored once settled. Larger but still peaceful gouramies also make good tankmates - things like three-spot gouramies, banded, thick-lipped, moonlight, pearl, even kissing. With gouramies you are best off keeping them at a ratio of 2 females for every male and a maximum of one gourami per every 10 gallons. Except with the three-spots where you should stick to only one male per tank (though in as big a tanka s yours it's less of an issue) and with the kissers which cannot be visualy sexed and are best kept either with their own kind with only one per 30 gallons or along with three-spots or moonlights which are ont eh larger side. Larger but peaceful cichlids would also work, including angelfish and keyholes. I'd probably also throw in a pair of purple spotted gudgeons for some more bottom-dwelling color that won't get eaten.

 

[logan89]

Wow, thanks for the replys and suggestions guys.

I have a questions about the eels, noone said if they were aggressive or territorial or what? Are they safe to have in there?

Anyways, here's what I was thinking I would get when the time came...

2-Eels(not sure what kind yet)
1-Ornate birchir
1 or 2-Dragon Goby

Sound good? Or do these fish need to be paired? I haven't done any research on them past looking at their pictures Lazy me.....

Oh, and one more STUPID question...What's a brackish setup? Can they not be in just a normal freshwater tank? I've seen the word all over the place, just no explanations.


Thanks alot fellas, it's going to be sooo cool...can't wait.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Nope, brackish ISN'T freshwater. Brackish is usually (in the wild) and area where marine water meets freshwater, so you need to add marine salt to get the correct SG. Ask the brackish forum, they know best.

 

[logan89]

Ok, thanks, sorry for posting in the wrong area.


May just stick to fresh water, I really don't know. I have PLENTY of time to think about it.

 

[CFC]

Brackish is very limiting to the average fish keeper and is not something id suggest unless you have access to a good selection of quallity fish stores which stock brackish fish and already have a interest in keeping brackish fish. Dragon gobies being filter feeders complicate things further by limiting tankmates that can go with them due to feeding problems.

The fish that i think best suits your criteria is an ornate bichir, these are non territorial and non aggressive toward anything they cant eat, they are also nocturnal and like to lurk in dark holes until the lights go out with only their erie glow in the dark eyes giving their presence away.

 

[logan89]

Nice, that just made my decision

Thanks pal.

Should I get more than one?

 

[CFC]

Bichirs can get a bit nippy with each other if they feel cramped but in 250g this wont be a problem so if you would like two go for it, try to get a male and female and they may even breed. Males are the ones with the fat anal fins.

 

[boxman]

Hmm....... something terrifying, yet harmless ay? My wife is pretty terrifying, not sure about harmless.

On second thoughts, she doesn't like swimming......

 

[logan89]

Lol, we'd probably be better off id YOU kept your wife

Thanks for the offer though!

 

[Dangerousdan]

Look in to the tiger fish as well mate, they have such great personalitys pics dont do these lovely fish any justice. You wont be disapointed i assure you. Mine will camafluge its self in a little gap in the bog wood, then add some live shrimps and sit back and enjoy a great display.



EDITED: And as for the eels, id go for the fire eel as out of mine, he spends the most time in open view where the spinys just seem to stay baried in the sand