This comes up so often i figured it was time to make a pinned topic on it so if you can think of any oddballs that can be kept in tiny tanks post 'em up.


Rhinogobius wui; White cheeked goby. Max size 2", suitable for tanks of 5g upwards

Badis badis. Max size 3", suitable for tanks of 20g and upwards

Mastacembelus zebrinus, Zebra spiny eel. Max size 6" in captivity, suitable for tanks of 20g upwards

Carinotetraodon travancoricus, Dwarf puffer. Max size 1", suitable for tanks 5g and upwards.

Crenicichla compressiceps Dwarf Pike Cicklid. Max. Size 4". Min. Tank size: 20g (preferably 12x12x30").

All the nastiness of their larger cousins, but only attain 4". I'd only recommend a solitary adult for this configuration.

This post has been edited by jfrancho: Sep 27 2005, 05:41 PM

Thats a good one, not really an oddball though but i guess we can let it pass

You're right, not totally an oddball, but pike cichlids always seem to appeal to many non-cichlidophiles that are in to oddballs. That was just one that came to mind, unique due to it's small size.

How about Pantodon buchholzi African B'fly Fish, with the water level reduced to 3/4 or 1/2 to observe these guys.

Pantadon need a little more space than a 20g can provide IMO, i wouldnt keep one in less than a 3 foot (30g) tank but a nice little oddball all the same.

Excellent idea!

It should be noted that Rhinogobius wui is a coolwater fish though.

Fish from the gastromyzon and related families (hillstream loach, borneo sucker et al) are another small coolwater fish that could be considered 'oddball'.

Bumblebee gobies, obviously find out whether you have FW or brackish ones.
Most species of killifish, find out about them before you get though.
Empire Gudgeon/goby Hypselotris Compressa
Peacock Goby
Schilthurs elephantnose
South american leaf fish

If some are a bit wrong, don't blame me, blame the book

You "could" keep a leaf fish in a 20g but if you want to get the best out of them you need a group and then a bigger tank is needed.

If you ever find a Empire gudgeon then let me know, my mrs would love me forever if i could get her one of those but unfortunately they are rarer than rocking horse poo in the trade.

Oh and try and keep to the formula i set earlier, scientific name, common name, max size and minium tank size please. Then when we have a good list i will edit the chatty bits out and pin this.

Sounds good. I'll fix mine up.

Can someone show me posative proof of a freshwater bumblebee goby
AFAIK all brachygobius species are brackish.

All Brachygobius may be but Hypogymnogobius xanthozona is said to be able to be kept in both FW or brackish, though personally i would only keep them in brackish.

I've always heard there's two types One FW and not common, one brackish and... common. But hey, I don't know, I've never kept the things

Goo obo gudgeons max out at 3"
Candy striped gobies get to 4"
20g compatible^^^

Enneacanthus gloriosus Blue spot Dwarf Sunfish: Max size: 3.5"; Min tank size: 20g

Enneacanthus chaetodon Black Banded Dwarf Sunfish: Max size: 3.5"; Min tank size: 20g

Not exactly oddballs if you live near the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

This post has been edited by jfrancho: Sep 28 2005, 03:42 AM

Tateurndina ocellicauda Peacock Goby, Rainbow goby (??): Max size: 2.5"; Min tank size: 15g.

I only ever aquired these under their scientific name, but have heard of them being called the common names above.

Acanthophthalmus kuhlii , Khuli Loach, max size:3.5 inches, Min Tank size:15 gallons
Not exactly an oddball but is a bit oddball-ish, and is good for small tanks

EDIT:
Do Killi fish qualify?
DD



This post has been edited by Dwarf_Dude: Sep 28 2005, 08:31 AM

The ultimate oddball - The Prehistoric Monster Fish (Thalassophryne amazonica) can easily be kept in tanks of less than 20g as they don't move a lot

Cool fish indeed - here's a link to some info.

Monster Fish

Just make sure they're accepting dead foods before you buy and they need a sandy substrate.

tetraedon suvattii (sp?) although 20gal is the minimum.

African Butterfly Fish...max size: 4"...min tank size: 15 gallons

Part of the problem is that the fishkeeping trade doesn't distinguish between the species, and the aquarium books use the wrong names. Hypogymnogobius xanthozona (= Brachygobius xanthozona), for example, is often seen in books but is, I am reliably informed, so rare even most museum collections don't even have preserved specimens.

The common species are Brachygobius sabanus, Brachygobius nunus, and Brachygobius doriae (listed in no particular order). Other species may turn up as well. For the most part, trying to identify bumblebee gobies to species level is beyond the ability of the home aquarist (you need to count scales, which means putting a dead specimen under a microscope). I'm told by a scientist working on gobies that virtually every photograph published in the aquarium literature (books and magazines) is wrong. A scary thought...

Anyway, in the Aqualog "Brackish Water Fishes" book, probably the most reliable book on the topic, the author goes to great lengths to explain that bumblebee gobies, halfbeaks, and glassfish aren't brackish water fish whatever the hobby may think. I think he over-eggs the pudding a little here...