Ok here are the rules. You can only keep 10 species of fish for the rest of your life, you can have as many tanks as you like at whatever size you need freshwater, brackish or marine but the species you keep must be those that are available in the hobby at least some of the time, also you have to say why you would choose that species to be one of your 10.
Heres mine.
#1) Meredontotus tigrinus; Zebra shovelnose.
Of all the big Pimeloids this one has to be the most attractive and awe inspiring, quite simply the king of predatory catfishes IMO and a must have for any big/rare fish enthusiast.
#2) Cichla occellaris; Butterfly peacock bass.
They may not be the most attractive of all the Cichla genus but of the ones available to the average hobiest they stand out like a light house on a darknight. Their blood red eyes and beautiful green/gold colouring with thick black vertical bars can impress even fishkeepers with no interest in Cichlids and for those that like to keep big predatory fish there are few species that hit their food harder or eat with such enthusiasm. A large group of breeding age fish is a breath taking sight.
#3) Potamotrygon motoro; motoro stingray.
A stingray that is nice looking, easy to keep and feed and can even be bred in the home aquarium without much difficulty? Surely not but yes, of all the freshwater stingray species the motoro is the hardiest and easiest species to keep. Nitrates of up to 60ppm dont seem to bother them where more delicate species would have curled up and died long before that, they eat frozen foods like starving pigs and are happy to be kept in all but the hardest most alkeline tapwater, in fact they make keeping stingrays a pleasure rather than the constant worry it can be.
#4) Malapterus microstoma; Dwarf electric catfish.
Who could fail to love a fish with twice the personality of any Cichlid but with the ability to knock you on your butt should you forget to treat it with the respect it deserves? I bought my dwarf E cat because i felt sorry for it but he soon grew to be a firm favourite with everyone in the family. He loves to be hand fed and if he wants food but is being ignored he splashes water everywhere, bangs rocks against the glass and makes loud popping noises with his mouth at the waters surface until you give in and feed him. A truely amazing animal which well deserves to be in my top ten.
#5) Polynemus paradiseus; Paradise threadfin
I havent had mine long but in the short time its been in my care i am well impressed with this fish. Its looks can make any oddball lover drool and its constant movement as it searches every milimeter of the tank for food allows for hours of visual entertainment, this is magnified a thousand times when food is actually added to the tank and the fish explodes into feeding mode like a guided missle hunting down and eating every morsal within a matter of seconds. A highly efficient predator with stunning looks, what more could you ask for?
#6) Asterophysus batrachus Driftwood gulper catfish / Ogre catfish
It can swallow prey one and a half times its own size and will attempt to swallow anything in front of its mouth, including your hand. Need i say more?
#7) Hemibagrus wyckii Black devil catfish / Crystal eyed catfish
One of the most aggressive freshwater fish on the planet, adults will attack anything that comes near them including people and their sharp scalpel like teeth can do masses of damage. A catfish nut limited to just a handfull of species has to have one of these.
#8) Hoplias malabaricus; Wolf fish
Nothing matches the pure physical aggression of a full grown wolf fish at feeding time, in the Amazon they snack on pirahnas, in a tank they'll have your fingers or whatever else touches the water, great entertainment for all the family.
#9) Exodon paradoxus; Bucktoothed tetra
Small mean and highly entertaining to watch, one of my favourites that i'd always like to have a tank of.
#10) Scleropages jardini; Pearl arowana
Better looking than the silver arowana, hardier than the black arowana and meaner than the Asian arowana this fish combines sleek beauty with aggression and power perfectly, i'd never want to be without an arowana in my collection and if i could ony have one it would be one of these.
Heres mine.
#1) Meredontotus tigrinus; Zebra shovelnose.
Of all the big Pimeloids this one has to be the most attractive and awe inspiring, quite simply the king of predatory catfishes IMO and a must have for any big/rare fish enthusiast.
#2) Cichla occellaris; Butterfly peacock bass.
They may not be the most attractive of all the Cichla genus but of the ones available to the average hobiest they stand out like a light house on a darknight. Their blood red eyes and beautiful green/gold colouring with thick black vertical bars can impress even fishkeepers with no interest in Cichlids and for those that like to keep big predatory fish there are few species that hit their food harder or eat with such enthusiasm. A large group of breeding age fish is a breath taking sight.
#3) Potamotrygon motoro; motoro stingray.
A stingray that is nice looking, easy to keep and feed and can even be bred in the home aquarium without much difficulty? Surely not but yes, of all the freshwater stingray species the motoro is the hardiest and easiest species to keep. Nitrates of up to 60ppm dont seem to bother them where more delicate species would have curled up and died long before that, they eat frozen foods like starving pigs and are happy to be kept in all but the hardest most alkeline tapwater, in fact they make keeping stingrays a pleasure rather than the constant worry it can be.
#4) Malapterus microstoma; Dwarf electric catfish.
Who could fail to love a fish with twice the personality of any Cichlid but with the ability to knock you on your butt should you forget to treat it with the respect it deserves? I bought my dwarf E cat because i felt sorry for it but he soon grew to be a firm favourite with everyone in the family. He loves to be hand fed and if he wants food but is being ignored he splashes water everywhere, bangs rocks against the glass and makes loud popping noises with his mouth at the waters surface until you give in and feed him. A truely amazing animal which well deserves to be in my top ten.
#5) Polynemus paradiseus; Paradise threadfin
I havent had mine long but in the short time its been in my care i am well impressed with this fish. Its looks can make any oddball lover drool and its constant movement as it searches every milimeter of the tank for food allows for hours of visual entertainment, this is magnified a thousand times when food is actually added to the tank and the fish explodes into feeding mode like a guided missle hunting down and eating every morsal within a matter of seconds. A highly efficient predator with stunning looks, what more could you ask for?
#6) Asterophysus batrachus Driftwood gulper catfish / Ogre catfish
It can swallow prey one and a half times its own size and will attempt to swallow anything in front of its mouth, including your hand. Need i say more?
#7) Hemibagrus wyckii Black devil catfish / Crystal eyed catfish
One of the most aggressive freshwater fish on the planet, adults will attack anything that comes near them including people and their sharp scalpel like teeth can do masses of damage. A catfish nut limited to just a handfull of species has to have one of these.
#8) Hoplias malabaricus; Wolf fish
Nothing matches the pure physical aggression of a full grown wolf fish at feeding time, in the Amazon they snack on pirahnas, in a tank they'll have your fingers or whatever else touches the water, great entertainment for all the family.
#9) Exodon paradoxus; Bucktoothed tetra
Small mean and highly entertaining to watch, one of my favourites that i'd always like to have a tank of.
#10) Scleropages jardini; Pearl arowana
Better looking than the silver arowana, hardier than the black arowana and meaner than the Asian arowana this fish combines sleek beauty with aggression and power perfectly, i'd never want to be without an arowana in my collection and if i could ony have one it would be one of these.
