If you could only keep ONE fish, what would it be? - Page 2

[StarGirl]

Freshwater Cardinal Tetras. Saltwater I have always liked the Royal Grammas. I actually seen one the Ocean by the pier in Key West. So cool.

 

[86 ssinit]

If going with one type it’s discus for me. Challenging fish that are enjoyable to watch. Next would be clown loaches. Just a great all around fish. Personality, colorful and long lived.
As to testing my test kit is from 2003 . I’ve got 6 tanks .
Only testing I do is when setting up a qt tank. And I only test for ammonia.

 

[BigBeardDaHuZi]

Maybe a Mbu puffer? If i could only keep one, it would need to be something with a personality. An oscar comes to mind.
But having said that, neither of those fish are on my radar right now. I am not planning on keeping either of them either. I guess I am much more interested in keeping a community of fish, whether that would be African cichlids or a planed tank., than just one kind of fish.

I guess I could narrow it down to one species. If I had to pick one, it would definitely be cichlids

 

[mantarae88]

Oooo, I have multiple. All require large tanks. Ghost knives, elephant nose fish, bichirs, Oscar cichlids. Or an African cichlid tank, containing demasoni cichlids. I think they’re gorgeous.

 

[Gmv698]

Betta with good personality

 

[emeraldking]

That looks alot like an endler.

Oh, no... there's quite a difference between those two...

 

[Mii]

Oh, no... there's quite a difference between those two...

I said it looks like an endler not that it is an endler.

 

[emeraldking]

I said it looks like an endler not that it is an endler.

I know what you've meant. But I don't see the resemblence. That's what I meant.

 

[Mii]

I know what you've meant. But I don't see the resemblance. That's what I meant.

the colors are different, but the body and head shape are very similar at least from the pictures I looked up online. I bet with some selective breeding you could make a very good Micropoecilia picta look alike out of the endler, at least to the untrained eye.

 

[ystrout]

I would have to choose a puffer myself and honestly I would enjoy having many Tetraodon schoutedeni, or the spotted congo puffer. They are fairly peaceful and can be kept in groups. Just the thought of 100 little faces bumping the glass everytime I come near seems very appealing.

If I couldn't do that, I would do like 1,000 amazon puffers in a blackwater river biotope. Something about schooling puffers sounds mesmerizing.

These fish are amazing. I bought mine from the breeder in AZ a couple years ago and she's a sweetheart (although Potato is techincally a male hahaha). She became bestfriends with my gourami. They hunted shrimp together, slept in the same plant, and literally sat within 2 inches of each other ALL DAY. Unfortunelty the gourami passed due to age and genetic issues. I want to get another gourami for Potato but I wonder if she'll get along with that one as well. Potato doesn't take any interest in any of my other fish, just the gourm. It was amazing.

 

[ystrout]

I ask myself this all the time. As a scuba diver and fish lover, I always meet friendly fish who become my favorites.

I've narrowed it down to calico bass, california sheepheads, puffers, or stingrays.

At this point, my "dream fish" if I could have a massive massive massive tank or saltwater pond would probably be a cownose ray. But that goes back and forth between puffers, calicos, and sheepheads on almost a weekly basis. Lol

 

[Zach72202]

These fish are amazing. I bought mine from the breeder in AZ a couple years ago and she's a sweetheart (although Potato is techincally a male hahaha). She became bestfriends with my gourami. They hunted shrimp together, slept in the same plant, and literally sat within 2 inches of each other ALL DAY. Unfortunelty the gourami passed due to age and genetic issues. I want to get another gourami for Potato but I wonder if she'll get along with that one as well. Potato doesn't take any interest in any of my other fish, just the gourm. It was amazing.

You have a spotted congo puffer from Preston John I take it. I wish so bad I could get them! I live in Michigan, and relatively speaking getting anything 'rare' in my neck of the woods is just about impossible unless you drive 2 hours one way and then pay an arm and a leg! I am jealous lol.

 

[ystrout]

You have a spotted congo puffer from Preston John I take it. I wish so bad I could get them! I live in Michigan, and relatively speaking getting anything 'rare' in my neck of the woods is just about impossible unless you drive 2 hours one way and then pay an arm and a leg! I am jealous lol.

Hahaha I do! He's an awesome guy. I was visiting family in Phoenix and called and asked if I could check the puffers out before buying. He gave me a whole walkthrough of his fish room and the breeding process and we talked puffers and fish for a couple hours. It was a fun afternoon.

After setting up my snail breeding tank a couple weeks later, I ordered one from his retailer (The Cichlid shack). It came in a day later and Potato has been my prized fish ever since!

I misread your previous comment. I thought you already had some spotted congo puffers! You can still get one. They're not cheap ($250) but worth every penny. The Cichlid Shack sends them through SouthWest Freight right to your local airport. My only complain with the whole process is that I didn't get a tracking email until 1 hour before she landed and that was at 11:30 PM. If I wasn't awake, she would be in a box all night at the airport. Scares me just thinking about how horrible that would have been.

They're amazing fish though. She gets along with every fish in the tank and even makes friends like I mentioned earlier. They're bond with you (or whoever takes care of them). She'll swim right up to me and interact with me but is indifferent to everyone else. The funniest thing is that sometimes my Cories will be sifting through the sand next to her and and swim over her. A couple times they "landed" right on top of her and sat on her back for like 10 seconds. It was the cutest thing.

 

[Mii]

ystrout I like your dwarf gourami in your profile pic. Are they good fish to keep?

 

[Zach72202]

Hahaha I do! He's an awesome guy. I was visiting family in Phoenix and called and asked if I could check the puffers out before buying. He gave me a whole walkthrough of his fish room and the breeding process and we talked puffers and fish for a couple hours. It was a fun afternoon.

After setting up my snail breeding tank a couple weeks later, I ordered one from his retailer (The Cichlid shack). It came in a day later and Potato has been my prized fish ever since!

I misread your previous comment. I thought you already had some spotted congo puffers! You can still get one. They're not cheap ($250) but worth every penny. The Cichlid Shack sends them through SouthWest Freight right to your local airport. My only complain with the whole process is that I didn't get a tracking email until 1 hour before she landed and that was at 11:30 PM. If I wasn't awake, she would be in a box all night at the airport. Scares me just thinking about how horrible that would have been.

They're amazing fish though. She gets along with every fish in the tank and even makes friends like I mentioned earlier. They're bond with you (or whoever takes care of them). She'll swim right up to me and interact with me but is indifferent to everyone else. The funniest thing is that sometimes my Cories will be sifting through the sand next to her and and swim over her. A couple times they "landed" right on top of her and sat on her back for like 10 seconds. It was the cutest thing.

Oh yes I am familiar with puffer fish! I wish I could meet the fellow. Puffer fish are my wet pets, but I do want to get about 5 spotted congos and try to breed them.

The current puffers I have:

1 Fahaka- still about 3" but he has a 120g tank hes going in soon
1 Green Spot Puffer
6 Figure 8 Puffers
7 Pea Puffers

 

[Rcslade124]

I'm planning on upgrading my saltwater in a year or 2 to a 300g. I want to add a shoal of tangs and a marine betta. As for freshwater I plan to turn my 120g into a large freshwater and want to do a gang of discus with my ram and cardinals.

 

[Mii]

ystrout I like your dwarf gourami in your profile pic. Are they good fish to keep?

I'm planning on upgrading my saltwater in a year or 2 to a 300g. I want to add a shoal of tangs and a marine betta. As for freshwater I plan to turn my 120g into a large freshwater and want to do a gang of discus with my ram and cardinals.

that is not one fish

 

[emeraldking]

the colors are different, but the body and head shape are very similar at least from the pictures I looked up online. I bet with some selective breeding you could make a very good Micropoecilia picta look alike out of the endler, at least to the untrained eye.

Well, not just the colors or pattern but also the body shape is different if you look closely. But I get your point.
Maybe if you'd look at my website where I discuss different kinds of livebearers, you may find the differences. On my profile overhere, my website is noted.

 

[Rcslade124]

ystrout I like your dwarf gourami in your profile pic. Are they good fish to keep?

that is not one fish

Ok the discuss

 

[Mii]

Ok the discuss

*discus

 

[ystrout]

ystrout I like your dwarf gourami in your profile pic. Are they good fish to keep?

Dwarf gouramis are great fish and very intelligent. He was one of my favorite fish and I miss him SOOOO much.

The only thing I recommend you try to get one from a legit breeder. They have been horribly overbred and are prone to genetic issues. Mine unfortunately passed due to organ failure. So if you get it from someone who breeds healthy one, you'll have one of the best fish you ever will own.

 

[ystrout]

Oh yes I am familiar with puffer fish! I wish I could meet the fellow. Puffer fish are my wet pets, but I do want to get about 5 spotted congos and try to breed them.

The current puffers I have:

1 Fahaka- still about 3" but he has a 120g tank hes going in soon
1 Green Spot Puffer
6 Figure 8 Puffers
7 Pea Puffers

Oh you're part of the puffer crew too! That's awesome you have a Fahaka! I want a large puffer species as some point too, maybe a saltwater one like a porcupine or something.

 

[Michelle2468135]

I think I would say Cory Catfish. This sounds like a weird choice because a lot of people just view them as a clean up crew or a background fish but something about them is so cool. They root around and are really cool to watch when they are comfortable and in a school. In addition, they are one of the hardiest fish I have kept and have never failed me as a clean up crew. In some tanks I don't even use them for this, I just purposefully feed them their own special food because I love them so much on their own.

 

[Mii]

I think I would say Cory Catfish. This sounds like a weird choice because a lot of people just view them as a clean up crew or a background fish but something about them is so cool. They root around and are really cool to watch when they are comfortable and in a school. In addition, they are one of the hardiest fish I have kept and have never failed me as a clean up crew. In some tanks I don't even use them for this, I just purposefully feed them their own special food because I love them so much on their own.

the way I see it, no fish should be bought as just a "clean up crew". to me the fish are pets, and if they do some cleaning, that's a useful bonus. I just keep corydoras because they're wonderful fish.

 

[RLI]

Flower horn
The minute I saw one I fell in love with them

 

[Kevinthebreeder]

Easily betta fish because I like their intelligence and personality. I can't put a betta in my 10 gallon tank because there are already other fish in there. I don't wanna give stress to the betta. Goldfish are also smart, but they're ammonia factories and cleaning their unlimited poops is a pain.

 

[MomOfLiveBearers]

My eel. Hands down. I mean I have several oddball fish that are a blast, and several common species that are beautiful and entertaining too. But my eel is my favorite. He is just amazing.

 

[Kevinthebreeder]

If I could only keep 1 fish, then the requirements would be :
-Not too big because I don't like too much maintenance.
-Not too small because I want something that I can enjoy from a distance.
-Relatively easy to care.
-Fit for tropical climate because I live in a tropical place.
-Able to tolerate the alkaline water in my place.
-It should look like an aggressive, intimidating fish.

And that would be a wild sailfin molly. It's the right size and it fits all the requirements above. The huge dorsal fin is my favorite part where it makes them look like prehistoric animals. Kind of reminds me of that dinosaur with a huge sailfin on the top (dimetrodon). Sadly I don't have one right now because my tank is already full and I don't have enough room for more tank, but I'm currently happy with my adorable balloon mollies, especially the juvenile ones.

.

 

[betta06]

I would love a black moor goldfish or a betta