Scary Fish

[waterdrop]

If I could get back into this hobby as the adult that I am, I'd probably try to create an aquascaped planted tank with a shoal of tetras and then sit back and stare into my peaceful underwater escape.....

BUT, reality shouts, and really I'm helping my 11-year-old son who would prefer sunken pirate ships, giant skulls with helmets on (yes, he really tried to convince me to buy one of these at the LFS yesterday!)...

...and... SCARY FISH!

By this I think I mean.. sharks, spiny-looking plecs, 1000-volt eels... you get the picture!

I believe I have read enough threads to know a little of what I don't know! I saw references to sharks that will outgrow his 28G/106L tank. (I sort of vaguely know there are bala sharks, red-tailed sharks and who knows what else.) I know there are lots of plecs. I know there are wonderful cory catfish but they are not so necessarily scary. I know I don't really want strange eels in his tank if they have difficult needs.

So the assignment, dear TFF experts and moderators is to please suggest some Scary Fish for the beginner.

My only hopeful tidbit of a starting point is that one LFS owner mentioned that there are "Dwarf Plecs" (this sounds promising, is it true? The tank he had had a label that said "common plecs" and "medium plecs" and listed quite large maximum size!) Please don't be put off by all my typing, I really need help!

 

[hollyp0p]

they don't look scary but both pitbull and bulldog plecs are very small

 

[Ian H]

hmmm well for a start you could get a male bristle nose plec, they only grow to around 6" and have bristles all over their face (scary to some i guess, i love mine! )

Can't think of others right now

 

[hollyp0p]

an odd looking fish is the common or marbled hatchetfish, not sure if that's odd enough!

 

[waterdrop]

holy smokes, you answered before I could even hit the link to get back into the thread listing! ..thanks!

 

[Esfa]

do shrimp count as scary? i know my mum hates them

you can have some peacock eels. stay small, dont need any special requirements.

or you can have a dwarf puffer species tank, but he might find them a bit boring.

 

[Davo86]

Unfortunately the tank is too small for any shark species IMO
As said before bristlenose plecs, bulldog plecs and pitbull plecs are the most common smaller species of plecostomus,
Banjo catfish are another peaceful but unusual catfish
Kuhli loach could be a possbility of a small eel like fish, a small group of 6 or so would be needed.

 

[waterdrop]

how do we see pictures of these suggestions? Should I search within the category in TFF?

 

[hollyp0p]

how do we see pictures of these suggestions? Should I search within the category in TFF?

I've been googling them all

 

[Mr._Fishy]

In the oddballs section there is a pinned thread on anti-tankbusting oddballs, oddballs specifically for tanks 20g and under.

Ryan

 

[waterdrop]

You know, there are a number of fish web forums and other info out there but what I'm beginning to think is so great about TFF in particular is that it is so active and helpfully friendly! You folks are great! There is just a certain feeling here that is quick and directly helpful.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[hollyp0p]

you learn very fast on here I've found aswell....

 

[waterdrop]

Gosh I have to say bristlenose plec is winning the scary title in my mind so far. I'll bet my chances of ever finding one to buy within driving distance or figuring out how to otherwise get one is practically nil!! (being a beginner is truly hard because everything you learn simply leads to yet another question, sigh!)

Also, looking at the dwarf puffer makes me realize that of course "strange and weird" fits fluidly right in to the 11-year-old mind when looking for "scary"!!!

~~waterdrop~~
(ah, tarheel basketball and the superbowl on the same warm sunny weekend day..)

 

[hollyp0p]

Gosh I have to say bristlenose plec is winning the scary title in my mind so far. I'll bet my chances of ever finding one to buy within driving distance or figuring out how to otherwise get one is practically nil!! (being a beginner is truly hard because everything you learn simply leads to yet another question, sigh!)

Also, looking at the dwarf puffer makes me realize that of course "strange and weird" fits fluidly right in to the 11-year-old mind when looking for "scary"!!!

~~waterdrop~~
(ah, tarheel basketball and the superbowl on the same warm sunny weekend day..)

some of the online shops that sponsor this site are with a look....just found a link on atlantic for some 'scary' looking fish, infact there's an albino bristlenose here, and some of those weird looking banjo catfish someone suggested:

http/www.atlantisaquatics.co.uk/acatalog...sh_catfish.html

 

[hollyp0p]

here's some links for other 'scary' looking fish that would fit this tank.....also some non fishy ideas....like freshwater crabs and blue lobsters....both stay quite small as i believe....anyway here's some links!

http/stores.ebay.co.uk/gogosnails_TROPIC...9QQftidZ2QQtZkm

http/www.directtropicals.co.uk/index.php...cv0j7k785ohq807

http/www.directtropicals.co.uk/index.php...cv0j7k785ohq807

http/www.aquaticlifedirect.co.uk/Fish/Fr...sh/Glasscatfish

http/www.aquaticlifedirect.co.uk/Fish/Fr...sh/CuvierBichir