Not crazy about them ?

I am not a fan of the commercial livebearers, guppies primarily, cause... rape much? Messy, not that interesting body shape or behavior either, so no thanks. I had endlers and except the guppy hybird (yellow tiger) they were ok. I was planning on some Neoheterandria elegans or similar small natural livebearer, but I have soft water and couldnt find a supplier anyways.
I also realized I am not loving tetras. I always disliked neons, due to their overuse and poor genetics, but I have had ember tetras and they are just...boring, static, nothing interesting about them. The rummynose are a bit better, but the other tetras are mostly the same in my mind. Not all, mind you, I would love some koongo tetras, to see phantoms and their behavior. But the smaller tetras seem the same batch to me.
I used to be so excited for my corydoras and after some time I was so disappointed. Now in the new tank they are so active, always looking somewhere and I am loving them again, but will see if it changes like last time, where they just sit around.
I was also so deeply disappointed in my dario (I have the dario hysginon). I was so excited, and the fish is just so meh. Nothing interesting in its behavior, just the color can be really wow, but it is not enough for me. And they cant really coexist that well with other fish and I have no chance at breeding, cause no females, despite me getting a larger batch.
Try hyphessobrycon elachys for the small tetras. They actually have a different behavior, always displaying amongst themselves and are way more active than the other small tetras. They got a lot of sass in their small bodies.

Males get really elongated dorsal and pelvic fins which they use for displaying
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They just have more personality I find than the other small guys. Their lack of bright color is made up for with their bold personalities.
 
Goodeids were an internet rabbit hole I went down when first getting into the hobby, and I'd love to keep some if I ever found them. Tequilas are some of my favorites.
 
Try hyphessobrycon elachys for the small tetras. They actually have a different behavior, always displaying amongst themselves and are way more active than the other small tetras. They got a lot of sass in their small bodies.

Males get really elongated dorsal and pelvic fins which they use for displaying
View attachment 347970

They just have more personality I find than the other small guys. Their lack of bright color is made up for with their bold personalities.
Thank you, that is good to know
However I dont think I will be able to get them here. I also saw the note Glasser has on them
It is almost impossible to tell H. elachys from these other tetras apart on basis of the coloration. So imports of the species are always a mix, sometimes H. elachys is hardly represented in them at all. So to a certain degree there are always bycatches among H. elachys, but our current import contains at least 90% veilfin tetras.
 
Thank you, that is good to know
However I dont think I will be able to get them here. I also saw the note Glasser has on them
It is almost impossible to tell H. elachys from these other tetras apart on basis of the coloration. So imports of the species are always a mix, sometimes H. elachys is hardly represented in them at all. So to a certain degree there are always bycatches among H. elachys, but our current import contains at least 90% veilfin tetras.

Reed tetras and veilfin tetras are typically the name used for H. Elachys. Either way their behavior is similar to one another. They offer more spunk than most.

Here's a video of mine having a little spar amongst themselves
 
My
Reed tetras and veilfin tetras are typically the name used for H. Elachys. Either way their behavior is similar to one another. They offer more spunk than most.

Here's a video of mine having a little spar amongst themselves
View attachment 348069
What's the cory-not-cory in the video? He's beautiful.
 
My

What's the cory-not-cory in the video? He's beautiful.
Hoplisoma paleatum (formerly corydoras paleatus) aka peppered corydoras.

I raised that group from egg myself, they're a nice looking batch but aren't full grown yet. Most are female, so i bought 2 unrelated males for fresh genes in the mix if they decided to breed, which they started breeding themselves around 4 months old lol
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He's brown whereas I think of paleatus as grey. Lovely proportions and colour.
 
Funny post!! (sorry for my bad English)
So I don't like schooling fish very much, I don't know, I'm too much of a "dog lover" but I like the idea of identifying each of my fish, not a mass that moves. Barbels are quite an exception, I like them quite aesthetically and also for that "character". I also love Tanichthys albunubes and I really don't know.
Of schooling fish I hate rasboras heteromorphe or "stuff" like that, I find them really insipid (and clearly they recommend them with bettas and with many other central fish sigh)
Poecilids are a mystery to me. I often think about getting them (it would be easier), they are colored in so many ways, I could recognize the individual, they don't school, they live in "easy" waters, then something stops me and I don't understand what O-O
Definitely the fact of excessive prolificacy, I could only get males but I find it a bit strange. The only real exception are mollies, especially poecelia velifera, I get the urge for them every now and then but I should find some equally interesting "companions" to put in the tank.

I don't like orandas at all and all that "stuff" created monstrously by man, as with dogs I prefer more "natural" shapes. The only exception I admit is flowerhorns, let's say they have such a particular character that they surpass their appearance.

I like killifish but they don't live long enough

I love practically all gouramis, I find them fantastic from bettas to paradise fish, to dwarf gouramis, but I practically love them all.
However, my total passion is for cichlids!!
Among cichlids, however, I'm not attracted to African lakes (already different for other Africans). I've seen wonderful tanks but thinking of having them at home, who knows??? Has anyone understood why?
I love dwarf cichlids, angelfish, Oscars and I go crazy for many other large American cichlids.
Bottom fish, well, I admit that compared to many of you, I find them interesting. Some for their behavior (cory) others for their strange appearance. I wouldn't make a tank with them but together with other fish they are the gold because
Always on the hunt for fish that are interesting in terms of character and that are interactive with the outside and with humans.
 
I've never liked livebearers at all, at least not the ones commonly available.

However, for the past couple of years I have been keeping two 5 gals, one with chilli rasboras and the other with axelrod's rasboras. Living in an area with pretty hard water I have to harvest rainwater and mix with tap water 3:1 and then filter it through polyfilter overnight for my water changes.

I will soon be getting a 60cm tank and possibly a trigon 190 and I'm not going to be faffing around with the water like I have been with my 5 gals. So for the bigger tanks, I'm going to use my tapwater perhaps with a python.

I know there are quite a few options for hardwater besides livebearers these days, and I'm still researching, but I do like the look if limias (humpback or tiger), so may go for those.

Some of the wild type mollys and swordtails I've seen on the web look quite cool though, but no idea where I'd get them.
 
I'm not a fan of livebearers, but some of the wild types are attractive. I don't like African lake cichlids or most goldfish. Schooly fish are just pretty add ins for my more favored fish, but I like some tetras & many rasboras. I like denisonii barbs but not tigers, there are many others I haven't tried. Rhombos? Octozonas? Cherry barbs can look good too in a different tank. But last time I had them they were "killers". They may have been "hormoned" to make them so red. Not the nice wimpy little barbs I'd had before.

I love loaches! You haters just need to keep them in larger groups to see their fun behaviors, lol.

I like corys & most catfish. I like many Central American & South American cichlids. But I'm over the "easy breeders"; too much work & too many fry.

Stiphodon gobies are surprisingly interesting in my "hillstream sewellia loach" tank. They're almost chameleon-like with changing colors & I love how they turn just their heads to look at me.

Maybe I'm just easily amused? I think cherry shrimp are low key interesting. But my water is too soft for them here, I guess, something. I don't want to fit my water to fit my fish, I'm too lazy anymore.
 

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