Under Appreciated Fish

[nosoup4you]

I did happen to find some for sale here in the states but they will have a fairly good distance to ship. How well do the celestial pearl danio's (see I'm using the correct name now. LOL) ship? I hate getting fish in the mail...

 

[Mr Bliss]

Emperor tetras. They often don't look like much at the LFS so people don't get how beautiful they are. They're pretty interesting fish, as all the males establish tiny territories in the tank and then skirmish at the borders. Their feeding frenzy is also fun to watch.

 

[Butch]

Mosquitofish and japanese ricefish! They may not be colorful but fun to breeding and easy to take care in simple tank.

 

[tibby25731]

Emperor Tetras,
Giant Danios,
most rainbow species, iranian reds and boesmani
hoplos,
keyholes (<<most people go for rams or apistos instead)

I love giant danios! I have 5 in my community, they are so funny to watch! All they do is play chase all day beautiful colouring as they mature, too

 

[Sparnon]

You're all coming up with really popular ones. I thought the idea was under appreciated fish, not fish everyone loves!

As for me, I'd say plecos are under appreciated. Most people seem to get plecos as a "cleaning machine". Whats wrong with buying an algae sponge and cleaning it off yourself? If you don't appreciate it don't get it.

And I know that lots of people have cories, but I think they are often understated. What wonderful characters they are! I get so much enjoyment out of watching them nosing around the tank! They also come in all sorts of colours and I think the LFS is partly responsible for not stocking the more interesting varietys like panda cories, skunk cories, etc.

Blue "balloon" Rams. I've heard them called everything from freaks to inbreds, yet people will happily own colour mutations, long fins, high fins, shape morphs, albinos, dwarfs, hybrids and so on because they've convinced themselves that they are all "natural" even though they're fully aware how different their wild counterparts are. I think they're beautiful and novel fish, and I think tropical fishkeepers should stop discriminating against them just to make themselves appear to have a greater moral conscience.

 

[cheesy feet]

give us your suggestions for under appreciated fish, something that's not a big favourite but you can never work out why cos you just love them!

maybe we can all get some inspiration to try something new in our tanks.

Spotted Raphael cats,I know,I know,they hide all the time,but when they are out they are So intrusting to look at,cool shape,cool spines,neat colors,and bright blue eyes.I love them to death,and will always have atleast a few in my tank.I always wonder why you don't hear more about them.

Agreed, my 2 striped platydorus costatus are such beasts, and for once the smaller one has seemed to have had a growth spurt.They're not active but I can see them through their hiding places and they (well the big one around 9" inches) always comes out in the evening if I turn the light out, or feed them some catfish pellets.They are such good looking fish.
Herichthys capinte (texas cichlids), although quite common I think these fish are usually underrated, they're a great fish with one of the best (if not the best) SA cichlid colouration and are very entertaining to watch.
Also silver dollars, when young they're plain silver, but with maturity they get real shiny blotches of silver and bright red tipped fins, and when breeding they look even nicer (black blotches on either side of them).They are often recommended for dither fish, but I haven't actually seen anyone on the forum with any adults other than mine.

 

[pippoodle]

i know what you mean about corys
i want some pigmy corys cos they are absolutely gorgeous and i want them not for cleaning but cos they are bottom swimmers so a nice shoal of them would be good

 

[jourdy288]

Glowlight tetras, I have a lovely shoal of them! Botia kubotai and also rasboras are not usually seen.

 

[invader]

Hmm... Geophagus and Satanoperca species. There are so many nice fish from those two genuses. I often wonder why they aren't more popular!

I'd also like to add that I absolutely love panda tetras (Aphyocharax paraguayensis). They are so gorgeous to me, I have no idea why. I only ever see them like once a year or so.

 

[Corleone]

Keyhole cichlids, definitely. Mine are peaceful almost to a fault - even when spawning, they didn't get bad enough to keep the corys from investigating the eggs constantly, they just sort of nudged intruders away. They're bigger than rams, and give a nice touch of the "big cichlid" look to a community. Their color changing is great to watch, too.

Pearl danios don't get as much as they should, either. Put on a much better show than zebra danios.

 

[Ficious]

cherry barbs...as average they are id say theyre underappreciated compared to cichlids and such...


i have 5 and they remind me of a big happy playful type of dolphin?...and their little whiskers make them look like theyre from japan

 

[ally86ozzy]

Mosquitofish and japanese ricefish! They may not be colorful but fun to breeding and easy to take care in simple tank.

YES!!!!! most ppl dont even kno wut a mosquito fish is! i tell all my frends about them, and theyre like, "Wuts a mosquito fish?" theyre sold as feeder fish at most stores. poor babies. i luv mine, the male is so colorful! hes Halloweenie, w/ his black and orange, but the female is gray. and theyre small, so they fit in small tanks (smallest id say for 1 is 2-3 gallons). thats my idea of an underappreciated fish. BTW luv those Panda Tetras! ill hav to find some when i get my bigger tank.

 

[pippoodle]

Mosquitofish and japanese ricefish! They may not be colorful but fun to breeding and easy to take care in simple tank.

YES!!!!! most ppl dont even kno wut a mosquito fish is! i tell all my frends about them, and theyre like, "Wuts a mosquito fish?" theyre sold as feeder fish at most stores. poor babies. i luv mine, the male is so colorful! hes Halloweenie, w/ his black and orange, but the female is gray. and theyre small, so they fit in small tanks (smallest id say for 1 is 2-3 gallons). thats my idea of an underappreciated fish. BTW luv those Panda Tetras! ill hav to find some when i get my bigger tank.

WOW !!! never heard of these before just googled them they look really cute
i have never seen them for sale but will look out for them now

 

[Brette]

Blue "balloon" Rams.I think they're beautiful and novel fish, and I think tropical fishkeepers should stop discriminating against them just to make themselves appear to have a greater moral conscience.

When i bought my balloon ram is was labeled as "dwarf". Only after did I realize how much controversy surrounds them. For a fish that has a reputation for being delicate mine has survived a bacterial infection in my tank that wiped out many of my tetras and pretty poor water conditions. They have lots of personality and are interesting little animals. Mine has absolutely no problem jetting around the tank despite his round body.

I'm not sure if anyone has had experience with checkerboard cichlids here but I bought one recently and he's really delightful. Very peaceful and outgoing. His habit of snoozing on the large anubia leaves is really cute. I don't think they're very popular which i can't understand as they are really, really beautiful and ideal for community tanks.

dicrossus filamentosus is the scientific name for them:

 

[Ryan_R]

Chocolate cichlids, Hypselacara temporalis....

Like a big peaceful oscar. Our is always up to something.

-Ryan