Mert16

I have a 14 gal. tank that has been set up for about 4 months now. I started out small to see If I was gonna like the hobby and so far I love it. so now that my tank is at ammonia - 0, nitrites - 0, and nitrates less than 10. I want fish that are very active. I have a pineapple swordtail and he's active. he swims all over. but i also have 2 lemon tetras and 1 pristella ( it was sold to me as a lemon tetra just to find out it wasn't). and since my tank is too small for these schooling fish they are not as active as I'd like. thankfully the school library has enough room for them if I decide to get others. They have a school of 12 now. please give me an idea of which fish swim in the middle to top areas. I really want to stay away from live bearers, since my tank is too small. hopefully I'll be able to afford a larger one soon. what is a good size, not being too big? thanks

Jim

If you want a small and active top swimmer I would look into the smaller hatchet fish. I don't think ones like the marbles get much more than an inch or so, and they're fun, weird looking little guys.

Mert16

thanks jim i'll look into the hatchet fish and yes they are funny looking. thanks

dorcy

I found that my zerbra danio's are really active...I have two of them.

Fish Addict

There are tons. I might be careful with Marble hatchets, since I have heard that they can really jump. I think there are others that may be better...

Jim

This is true, if you scare hatchets they can jump something like 3 feet. You need a really secure top with hatchets.

Neville

Tiger Barbs r also very active if u keep them in large schools!

Neville

Hey Covict Cichlids r pretty active too, they r very dangerous as well! one of my friends added one of those in his 30g with some tetras, guess what! that convict ate the eyes and fins of all the tetras! Bad fish!

Jim

Convicts are really aggressive vicous fish... it was a mistake putting tetras in there, they'll just become convict food.

Fish Addict

Back to the hatchets, I think there are other kinds that don't jump as high... Maybe silver hatchets?

Munny

Danio's are quite active. If you want a colorful Danio you should be able to find a Glo-Danio. They have been genetically altered and are actually very bright colored. I have 2, and they are constantly playing.

Another active fish is a Rummy nose Tetra. Get some of those, and they will provide entertainment too.

I also have a gold clawed crab. He is quite amusing. If you have live plants, like I do, expect to see him climbing them. They should have properly named that type a lumberjack crab lol. He is constantly climbing my plants, and he seems to keep them healthy by picking off dead spots, or something.

Jim

I didn't mean 3 feet high, I meant 3 feet in distance! From what I read, in the wild if they're being chased they can and will launch themselves. I actually don't think they get much over a few inches high above the water, but that's fine, the predator fish chasing them will lose sight of them the second they leave the water.

Jim

A gold clawed crab? That sounds cool. How does it act towards your other fish?

Munny

Yeah, it is a gold clawed fiddler crab if I recall correctly. He is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter right now. They get to about 2" I believe.

So, far he has not been a problem. he has shown no signs of aggression at all really. Well, other than me feeding him a 1/2 cube of freeze dried Tubifex worms. Once he found it he took off running with it lol. It is also a very good bottom scavenger from what i can tell. He does like to climb plants so keep that in mind. If you get one, make sure your plants are not able to be used as an escape route

The fish don't seem to be bothered by him either.

COBettaCouple

I think the most active fish that we've had are the Endlers Livebearers. They never seem to stop moving.