Top 5 fish you've kept???

[Back in the fold]

I think there are too many nice fish that I have kept.

1)Discus - king of freshwater aquarium.
Red Melon, Blue Diamond, Tiger stripes, Eruption, Golden Yellow Albino.

2)Bettas - they are probably the second most beautiful after Discus.
From the Halfmoon to Koi Betta Plakat .

3)Apistogrammas:
My favourite are Agassizi Triple Red, Cacatuoides Super Red/Orange, Bitaeniata, Panduro, Borelli.

4)Killifish:
Golden Lyretail Panchax, Bluefin Notho, Black Pearl Killifish.

5)Earth Eater species :
Satanoperca Leucosticta and Jurupari.

6)Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus

7)Black Calvus

8)Electric Blue Dempsey

9)Electric Yellow Lab

10)Demasoni

11)Tropheus Duboisis

12)Electric Blue Rams, Blue Rams, Golden Rams.

13)Synodontis multipunctatus

I think my list will have no end....LOL

@Lajos_Detari You call Discus The King of the freshwater aquarium. That is right on. I have wanted Discus forever but I am not a skilled enough fish keeper to do them justice. I don't want to bring them home just to kill them through my ignorance. They are so stunningly beautiful and graceful that I cannot find words to say how much. Suffice it to say they are the most beautiful of all freshwater aquarium fishes.

 

[utahfish]

Top 5 I've kept:

1. Wild Caught Apistogramma Cacatouides (Cockatoo Apisto) - bred them and they were STUNNING.

2. Fire Mouth Cichlids; Breeding Pair. Male was 8 inches long and female was 6 inches long. I've never seen another Fire Mouth in real life that was half as stunning. I really wish I had not sold them, or at least, kept some of their fry.

3. Neolamprologus leleupi - Never had a lot of luck due to aggressiveness, but they were just beautiful.

4. Kribensis Cichlid (ahem, shocker I know). Unique behavior and if you can find a nice specimen, GORGEOUS. I have always wanted to try and breed pelvicachromis taeniatus. Simply stunning.

5. Honestly, I've always loved ram cichlids. I've got a beautiful pair right now. I know, I'm a cichlid guy.

** I do appreciate other fish; livebearers etc. but I just really enjoy the unique behavior of cichlids.

Im the same way, i dont really like live bearers i much prefer cichlids.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I really enjoy schooling fish. (Rummy nose tetras, neon tetras. Pretty much any Tetra, lol)

I would also love to own and keep an Arowana some day.

 

[Colin_T]

@Lajos_Detari You call Discus The King of the freshwater aquarium. That is right on. I have wanted Discus forever but I am not a skilled enough fish keeper to do them justice. I don't want to bring them home just to kill them through my ignorance. They are so stunningly beautiful and graceful that I cannot find words to say how much. Suffice it to say they are the most beautiful of all freshwater aquarium fishes.

Discus aren't that hard to keep. The main thing is to buy a group of 6+ young fish and grow them up together. Make sure the fish are about 3-4 inches in diameter. Do not buy fish that are 1-2 inches in diameter because they don't travel well. Bigger fish 6-10inch diameter also stress during transit so avoid buying them.

Treat the fish for gill flukes and intestinal worms as soon as you get them.

Have them in a large tank with lots of plants. the aquarium should be at least 4 foot long and 6 foot is better.

Have dither fish in with them and keep the tank in a lounge room or somewhere lots of people move around. this stops the fish becoming shy and nervous, and hiding whenever anyone goes near the tank.

Have the water temperature at 27-28C and if they get sick, raise it to 30C.

Do big regular water changes and gravel clean the substrate.

Clean the filter regularly.

Feed them a varied diet but don't give them live Tubifex worms.

If 2 of them pair off, watch the others for stress caused by bullying. If there is problems, remove the fish that are being bullied.

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

I don’t go for big varieties and love the simple kind.

1. Corys - any breed, I have 12 in my tank now and still want more! I love their little big personalities and their cute as anything
2. Bristlenose/plecos - they are definitely up their with my Corys. I have 2 female peppermints and 1 male albino and they have their own style, personality, such a beautiful fish
3. Pacific blue eyes - the name says it all they have amazing bright blue eyes and beautiful colour action on the fins. Being top dwellers they love to swim the filter current. Very peaceful fish and school so well with guppies too
4. Shrimp also - love everything about them. I can sit at my shrimp tank and watch them for ages.
5. Rosy barbs - As naughty as they are and they eat and get into everything, they have such a big personality and follow me around Fish kissing my arm when I’m in the tank. The males colours are stunning and bright when in breeding

 

[FishFinatic77]

My top 5 favorite fish I've kept so far (in no particular order) are:

1. Honey Gourami - extremely cute and very friendly
2. Betta Splendens - beautiful, smart, fun to watch, and very personable
3. Clown Pleco - super goofy looking and fun to watch
4. Harlequin Rasbora - school nicely and have many different colors
5. Otocinclus catfish - very cute and have great personality


My top 5 favorite fish that I want to keep (in no particular order) are:

1. Cory catfish (Pandas, Salt & Peppers, and Pygmy's are my favorites)
2. Betta Mahachai and/or Betta Imbellis
3. Killifish
4. Some type of Ram
5. Pea Puffer

 

[Lajos_Detari]

@Lajos_Detari You call Discus The King of the freshwater aquarium. That is right on. I have wanted Discus forever but I am not a skilled enough fish keeper to do them justice. I don't want to bring them home just to kill them through my ignorance. They are so stunningly beautiful and graceful that I cannot find words to say how much. Suffice it to say they are the most beautiful of all freshwater aquarium fishes.

Thanks for sharing and I'm glad to have found someone who love Discus.
Let me know if you have decided to keep Discus. I'll share some tips on how to select healthy Discus when you are buying them.
You can try to read as much as possible from the internets and the books by Andrew Soh on how to keep Discus if you really want to keep them.
After keeping Discus, I don't feel like keeping any other fish though I have one Koi Betta, one Killifish, a group of Furcata and a group of Lemon Tetras in the same tank....LOL

Discus aren't that hard to keep. The main thing is to buy a group of 6+ young fish and grow them up together. Make sure the fish are about 3-4 inches in diameter. Do not buy fish that are 1-2 inches in diameter because they don't travel well. Bigger fish 6-10inch diameter also stress during transit so avoid buying them.

Treat the fish for gill flukes and intestinal worms as soon as you get them.

Have them in a large tank with lots of plants. the aquarium should be at least 4 foot long and 6 foot is better.

Have dither fish in with them and keep the tank in a lounge room or somewhere lots of people move around. this stops the fish becoming shy and nervous, and hiding whenever anyone goes near the tank.

Have the water temperature at 27-28C and if they get sick, raise it to 30C.

Do big regular water changes and gravel clean the substrate.

Clean the filter regularly.

Feed them a varied diet but don't give them live Tubifex worms.

If 2 of them pair off, watch the others for stress caused by bullying. If there is problems, remove the fish that are being bullied.

Thanks Colin for sharing these great tips on how to take care of Discus!

I also fully agree with Colin. Actually Discus are quite hardy if you give them big tank, clean water(frequent water change), good food and ensure that they are not infected with the two diseases - Gill flukes and Internal worms that have often infected the Discus (even at the fish farms). Some Discus breeders even admit that they cannot guarantee that their Discus are free from Gill flukes.

I find that the Discus are more hardy than my other smaller fish or the Blue Rams.
And they are not difficult to care except for slightly more frequent water change than the normal fish and ensure that you don't overfeed them.

I think one important factor when buying Discus fish is to choose the Discus very carefully.
Some LFS sell low quality or stunted Discus and some Discus are infected with diseases when they are at the LFS.
But if you learned how to recognize the low quality, stunted Discus and Discus with diseases, you can avoid this problem.

 

[utahfish]

My top 5 favorite fish I've kept so far (in no particular order) are:

1. Honey Gourami - extremely cute and very friendly
2. Betta Splendens - beautiful, smart, fun to watch, and very personable
3. Clown Pleco - super goofy looking and fun to watch
4. Harlequin Rasbora - school nicely and have many different colors
5. Otocinclus catfish - very cute and have great personality


My top 5 favorite fish that I want to keep (in no particular order) are:

1. Cory catfish (Pandas, Salt & Peppers, and Pygmy's are my favorites)
2. Betta Mahachai and/or Betta Imbellis
3. Killifish
4. Some type of Ram
5. Pea Puffer

I love dwarf corydora, salt and pepper(habrosus or hastatus) they swim around alot more than your average cory.

 

[Guangjoe]

1. Yellow Labs. Less aggressive than most of the mbuna tribe, with striking colours. The blue variant is just as beautiful!

2. Bristle nose plecs. Have kept and bred a number of these over the years - with my favourites being the long finned blue eyed breeding pair I had a number of years ago.

3. Jack Dempsey. Striking fish, I just felt bad keeping him in isolation for so many years. Found him a home in someone else's huge tank where he could make friends without bullying anyone.

4. Corydoras. All kinds.

5. Electric knife fish. A bizarre fish. Fascinating.

 

[DwarfCichlidLvr]

Angels
Nannacara anomala
Farlowella
(going to keep) I. kerri
I dont know what else lol

 

[Fishmanic]

This is a great topic.
1. Angelfish...personality..center piece fish
2. Neon blue Dwarf Gourami ... very colorful..recognizes me ...very active..has personality
3. Panda Cories...cute mini corydoras..stay close together
4. Red Petal Betta...watches me and begs for food.. colorful
5. Black skirt tetras...long flowing fins...they interact with each other
6: Bolivian Ram-recognizes me...cute..intelligent...peaceful
7: Tiger Barbs.. school together.. very active..fun to watch.. big appetites..dont miss even tiny flakes..

 

[jinjerJOSH22]

1. Three Spot Gourami, my favourite fish I have a 63 with 9 of them.
2. Honey Gourami, I was hesitant to get them but I'm glad I did, they have so much character.
3. Royal Farlowella, I don't think my tank would be the same without him.
4. Brown Spike Tailed Paradise Fish, beautiful fish with lots of personality.
5. Checker Barbs, They'd been on my to keep list from the beginning and they haven't let me down.

 

[trash.binh91]

1 - Honey Gourami. Hands down, no discussion.

2 - Molly. The one I had was sooo charismatic so it goes up here.

3 - Peacock Gudgeon. So pretty.

4 - Betta. Charismatic, though overrated imo.

5 - White Cloud Mountain Minnow. I don't know how I feel about them.

 

[BoningKnife]

1. Channa Blehri. This fish is the only one that makes it onto my list based on an individual fishes behaviour. It did not conform to what was expected of it. Quite frankly it was a jerk. I expected that, but i was surprised by just how much of a jerk. However it was a particularly likeable jerk.
2. Neolamprologus Brevis
3. Angelfish (never kept altums, definitely will sooner or later)
4. Exodon Paradoxus
5. Red Tailed Black Shark