Not crazy about them ?

[sharkweek178]

Thank you. That one was taken in Venezuela. I was younger overthere and slimmer...

Well to be honest, there are also livebearer species which are better off in softer water. The hard water rule for livebearers is a generalization and based on the commercially available common livebearers.

That's basically who I'm referring to is the commonly available livebearers. Guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails, Endler's livebearers.
I actually have a well on my property and I've tested the water. It's off the charts hardness. I could figure how much to mix with my tap water to get to the ideal hardness for any of those fish. But honestly, I'm good with soft water species for now. Maybe one day I'll use it for some African cichlids.

 

[Fishmanic]

I like Bettas
I only have two tanks, a 5 gallon and a 29 gallon tank.
You can't keep much in a 5 gallon but a Betta does fine in a 5 gallon or larger tank.
Oh..that reminds me - right now we are accepting entries for our Fish of the Month contest. This month we are featuring Bettas.
Do you have a Betta? If yes, why not enter the contest.
CLICK HERE to view the entry thread. Only one day left to enter the contest so enter soon.

 

[Magnum Man]

All this talk about betas... FOM, & such... I just about talked myself into a Copper Alien a couple months ago... but I'm really not trying to do species tanks anymore ( I did a lot of them, like 25 years ago ) though never betas... if I were going to set up a small tank, I'd put it in my dining room, & a red, white, & blue splendins... maybe... but I think I'd rather a community tank, like I've been setting up lately, with 2-4 Betta imbellis, & a few appropriate tank mates & plants... I realize this is a dominant male "model" picture... but think these are nice looking, if they didn't need to be kept as a single...

 

[CassCats]

Discus.

They're great parents and all, but to me they remind me of pancakes and I'd want to put maple syrup into the tank if I ever had them. I find them kinda... blah. Make me hungry if anything.

 

[emeraldking]

If I had to keep livebearers I would choose the Zoogoneticus genus over everything else. I find them the most fascinating livebearers. I saw a video the other day from a place in the UK helping to breed Zoogoneticus tequila, in an attempt to eventually use those fish in a release back into its natural home in Mexico. Depending on the state of its habitat

I keep and breed those too. Our national livebearer society breed several kinds of splitfins in order to rerelease them in their natural habitats. For as you probably already know, many of these species are endangered in the endemic areas. We support a project in Morelia in Mexico.

 

[emeraldking]

That's basically who I'm referring to is the commonly available livebearers. Guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails, Endler's livebearers.

Btw, endlers will do fine in somewhat softer water as well, tbh...

 

[GaryE]

Discus.

They're great parents and all, but to me they remind me of pancakes and I'd want to put maple syrup into the tank if I ever had them. I find them kinda... blah. Make me hungry if anything.

I had a friend who thought that dried and laquered, they'd make good ashtrays. But then everyone quit smoking, so his idea was done for.

 

[MattW]

I keep and breed those too. Our national livebearer society breed several kinds of splitfins in order to rerelease them in their natural habitats. For as you probably already know, many of these species are endangered in the endemic areas. We support a project in Morelia in Mexico.

Tropiquaria Zoo Conservation

Tropiquaria has the second largest breeding programme of Mexican Goodeids in the world. The vast majority of these small livebearing fish are in severe danger of becoming extinct.

www.tropiquaria.co.uk

This was the place I saw the video of based in Somerset. It's great to see conservation work like yourself and others do.

 

[emeraldking]

Tropiquaria Zoo Conservation

Tropiquaria has the second largest breeding programme of Mexican Goodeids in the world. The vast majority of these small livebearing fish are in severe danger of becoming extinct.

www.tropiquaria.co.uk

This was the place I saw the video of based in Somerset. It's great to see conservation work like yourself and others do.

We also do this with other wild livebearer species other than goodeids.

This year I've been to a short trip to Mexico as well. I've brought back some wild platy species (Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus variatus) which I've collected. The very large ones I've caught were put back into the water and I've kept the very young ones. The younger ones will adapt much better to other conditions. I've got them from 4 different locations. I've used PET bottles (from sodas) to put them in during the flight back. I was lucky for the Dutch customs didn't check my luggage. So, I was able to put them all in my own tanks.
They all look pretty grey at the moment. Once their almost adults, they will show some pattern and slight coloration.
My stay was too short to got to other areas where I could find other Xiphophorus species. I saw an offer on airline tickets to Mexico. And I took it at haphazard. And went... One thing that I love to do is doing things spontaneously when I feel like going on a trip. In some way it's no fun to plan everything way before departure.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

There are a few types I'm not a big fan of. Here is my completely unscientific list.
Guppies and (especially) platies. They just bore me. Wild-type sword tails are cool, though. Would really like to try those again.
Fancy goldfish. Their inability to swim normally makes me sad.
Fancy bettas. Not that there's anything really wrong with them (but see comment on fancy goldfish), but the wild-types are AMAZING. Why improve on perfection?
Cories. They just look kind of goofy. Not in a good way.
Rift valley cichlids. I don't know why; they just don't interest me.

 

[emeraldking]

Why improve on perfection?

Well, it seems that in Asia working on the imperfection of a fish (like exaggerated fins, for instance), seems like perfection to them. They love crazy stuff. Despite of the fact that I myself am also from mxed Asian descent, I must admit that I'm not a fan of such imperfections either. I'm probably a lousy Asian when it comes to that...

 

[gwand]

As a sinophile, I will say the Japanese create a restrained beauty in their art. I do not know if they partake in the tropical fish hobby.

 

[GaryE]

The hobby is popular in Japan still. There is a lot of interest in small fish. The main linebreeding is medakas, although, alas, they do guppies too. There are a lot of good killifish breeders there.

 

[Seisage]

I would say Angel fish, just never really liked them.

I'm glad someone agrees. I've never particularly liked angelfish.
Something about their faces and body shape just sort of wig me out. They're cichlids, but they got a little melty like a chocolate bar in a pocket, and solidified into something not quite right. They're weirdly muscular, with too much scale definition. Buggy eyes and protruding mouths.

Non-pygmy corys are in a similar vein. I don't like their strange horse faces and too-bright eyes.
I have to agree with a lot of other people here regarding livebearers. For me, it isn't so much the thought of all the fry, I've just never really liked the general livebearer body shape.
And, of course, the plecos are also a pass for me, for all the reasons others have stated.

 

[Beastije]

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.