Suggestions For New Fish Please

[PrairieSunflower]

Well... I am feeling really frustrated with my male guppy tank. I'm tired of them being so fragile, so, I am thinking I may re-home them after Christmas and fill my tank with some other type of fish... just not sure quite yet what kind would interest me.

In my large tank I have female guppies, female platies and neon tetra... so I'd like something different for my smaller tank...

Maybe tank specs would help your suggestions! I am a 60 litre cube shaped tank that has been cycled for about a year now, maybe a bit longer. Other than the male guppies (which will be re-homed if I decide to add new fish) I have a VERY happily thriving group of assassin snails that are breeding like rabbits. I love them and they are there to stay. Oh, it has gravel substrate and for plants it have moss balls, java moss, java fern, anubias nana and bacopa.

I really like tetra but I don't feel a cube shaped tank is appropriate for them. Oh, and I don't like beta.

Any ideas to what might be appropriate for my tank? I want to start thinking it over now so I have plenty of time to read up on possible new fish.

 

[BerryAttack]

cherry shrimp?
or if you feel adventurous you can make your tank just for pea puffer fish.. but then you'll have to make it a species only tank.. because they are semi-aggressive fish even though they are very small and might go after your other fish.

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

Cherry shrimp are quite nice creatures!

If the snails are breeding then you could keep the babies and have tank full of your snails!

 

[KCB]

I really like Berry's puffer fish idea, I would love to have one myself one day and they are really different to other types of fish.

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

The puffer fish idea is really good but she doesn't want to re-home her snails.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I have a small cherry shrimp tank as well which I forgot to mention.

I did see a tiny puffer in the store and they are endearing... but the little reading I had previously done about them seemed to suggest they would kill or eat everything.... so strange for such a cute little thing!

One of my friends is determined to convince me to get female betas.

Also, I've had a suggestion of female dwarf gourami... haven't managed to find a website yet with adequate reading on whether or not my tank would work for 2-3 of them or not.

 

[leighton_87]

As far as I know (did some research myself before before I chose my own setup - but never actually owned them), they are much better kept in pairs than in female or particularly male groups.

I think a pair would probably just fit in your tank but be careful what else you put on there with them as they tend to bully smaller hyper fish like guppies and be terrified of anything too big.

Also I know you said guppies were too fragile for you, well these guys aren't known for being the hardiest of fish.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Good to know. I can't decide what would be good to keep. I feel like my male guppies are always succumbing to something. My female guppies in my other tanks are so hardy you'd think they were a different species!

I don't mind having a type of fish that I can only keep as a small group or a pair with nothing else. I do have my larger tank for my small mixed community. I think my 60 litre tank would make a good one species tank... so hard to pick! Didn't feel so difficult when I first started out.

 

[*pete*]

I've never kept them but have always wanted to try keeping Rice fish, very rarely see them in the UK !

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

Prairie, please look at my signiture!

 

[*pete*]

I've never kept them but have always wanted to try keeping Rice fish, very rarely see them in the UK !

Edit...Have you tried keeping wild strain Guppies ? They are not as flashy as the fancy strains but are tough little fishes and have a wonderful subtle irridescent glow. The colours are all in there and you can see how/why enthusiasts bred the more colourful types.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Fish Fan, I have kept guppies nearly since the beginning, I quite adore my female guppies, they are full personality, they are very hardy... but unfortunately... not a single one of my males has been hardy... my only ones to show a lot of personality rather than sex drive have died. They are forever falling ill with this or that and are a constant worry. Its wearisome to be always fretting about them.

The difference between them and the females is immense... when the females fall ill I treat them and they respond. I have had a tank disaster in the past but that seemed to be outside of the general hardiness of my fish.

I think its time to move on to a new fish.

Pete, I've never seen wild strain guppies. I keep getting told my males (a lot of them) look like feeder guppies.

 

[*pete*]

mmm...not to sure about the term "feeder Guppies" !
I can only say from my own attempts to keep beautiful shop bought fancy strains. I tried for two years to keep them but they all just fizzeld away on me, I spent a small fortune and I am no novice to fishkeeping, I got so dispondent and nearly gave up on them and that was why I joined TFF.
I found a private breeder and bought 2x sub adult pairs of wild strain Trinidads and have'nt looked back...I now have hundreds.
I know why from lfs owners and other people in the hobby that imported mass produced Guppies are weak but dare not say for fear of starting the old hate machine going !

 

[MBOU]

There are SOOOOO many species out there!

It really depends what it is you like!

If it were me.... I would go for tank plan along the lines of...

Centerpiece fish
Shoaling fish
Bottom dweller
Invertebrates

Or something like that... some of my suggestions are:

Centerpiece fish (one or other):

A pair of Honey Gouramis (yellow or red)
A pair of Rams (either blue or gold) Bear in mind these will effect other choices as can be nippy
A pair of Croaking Gouramis
A pair of Empire Gudgeon
A pair of Peacock Gobies
A trio of Scarlet Badis (you'll have to watch them, they can be a bit narky)

Shoaling fish:

Glowlight Danios
Crossband Rasbora (Danio/Microrasbora erythromicron)
Celestial Pearl Danios (formerly Galaxy Rasbora)
Microrasbora rubescens
Microdevario kubotai
Boraras merah
Boraras brigittae
Microrasbora maculatus
Ember Tetra
Male Endlers (come in varieties of colours!)
Boraras uropthalmoides
Neons
Cardinals
Black Neons
Diamond Head Neons
Copper Harlequins
Henglii Harlequins
Pencil fish (numerous species)
Sparkling Gouramis
Cherry Barbs generally really well behaved
Gelius (dwarf barbs) very shy and gentle

Bottom Dweller:

Pygmy Corydoras (C.pymaeus or C.habrosus or C.hastatus)
Aspidoras
Otocinclus

Invertebrates:

Shrimps! There are so many more than just Amano Shrimp and Cherry Shrimp.
Look out for any of the Neocaridina species...
Pinokio Shrimp
Plus bamboo/rock shrimp too
Red Skunk Shrimp


The list could be so much longer but i have forgotten half my ideas LOL

 

[Questions?]

if you don't want guppies you could try pygmy corys, celestial pearl danios, scarlet badis, ember teras, harlequins, shrimp, snails, sword tails, white cloud mountain minnows, otto catfish, gouramis, etc

EDIT: oops didn't see the post before me