# what's your favorite fish and why???



## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

Ok il start, my favorite fish is the Oscar cichlid there stunning to look at as youngsters and a prized possession as an adult there intelligence is amazing just how they know what's goin on around them puzzles me but the thing I love the best is there attitude problem when they don't like where u put there new ornament or plant and how they sulk when there teased with some bloodworm or when they simply don't get there own way  ........ For me the Oscar is just brilliant
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## Pearl2011 (May 21, 2012)

Bettas! They have a great personality and reconize you. Bubbles was moved to the ten gallon and reconized my mom and the other ignored her then I went up and they swam forward. So sweet


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Koi, in case you couldn't guess. :lol: I love how big and beautiful they get. They are so majestic swimming in a huge pond. Ponds are beautiful, but large, colorful koi put the icing on the cake.


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## fishkid (Jul 29, 2008)

Cardinal tetras. Neon tetras are one of the fish that got me into the hobby in the first place, but then I discovered the more colorful cardinal tetras and I've been hooked since then.


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## Tazman (Jan 15, 2012)

African Cichlid Peacocks, colors are stunning and you cannot beat an all male 180g tank full of them.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

All the responses so far have merit. I think the respondents must all be young, however, because, favoring a single species or even a single family of fishes, for me, becomes increasingly difficult with the passage of time.

I have always had an ongoing attraction to Marine Angels and Butterflies. They carry a connotation of exotic places, beautiful reefs, the mystery and secrecy of the details of their natural history and their frequently audacious and extreme beauty. To interact on a Caribbean reef with a French Angel is a magical experience. To observe the extreme delicacy in pattern, anatomy and physiology of the Chaetodon Capistratus is a wonder. These creatures live in such harmony with what surrounds them in their native waters. I am indeed lucky that the ones I own humor me to the point where they agree to leave the Indo Pacific to be contained in a few hundred litres of water in a Midwestern living room.

But I see where the rest of you are coming from, truly I do: I have kept oscars among many other large Cichlids, and they are intelligent, attractive rewarding fish. And I was long obsessed with bettas in the seventies when the "veiltail" was the NKOTB. I am perennially entranced by the serene dignity of koi as they move silently though a garden pool like maiden-princesses enroute to an unseen tea ceremony. And the Aulonacara Jacobfreibergii, in any of its many morphs, with its elegant fins and tail that earned it the name "Malawi Butterfly" is to me, the pinnacle of peacock beauty.


Love whatever you want. Love it well!


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## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

amen to that haha I hav never kept marine fish but I know I I was to I wud hav to hav angelfish 
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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

When you're ready for them, go for it. Need big tanks, frequent maintenance and good food. Most are not difficult but they demand dedication. In a way, oscars are a great "training ground" for marine angels; they demand the same regular upkeep and attention to water parameters and appropriate sized accomodations!


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## Pearl2011 (May 21, 2012)

LOL sid, good point about young to the hobby. I've only had bettas, goldfish and 2 guppies I had for 2 days. 

I'm getting cardinal tetras, cories and a farlowella so I'll see if I change my mind.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

OOHHH! Great fish! All of them! Now you will become smitten' with the majesty and mystery of Amazonians, and before long you will have hundreds of gallons of water in your keep, housing everything from Discus to pencil fish. 

You will be penniless, but you will be happy!

(I speak from experience.)


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Do African dwarf frogs count? :lol:
I love my marble hatchet fish right now. But that'll probably change soon. They are just so funny looking and beautiful at the same time.


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## Pearl2011 (May 21, 2012)

sidluckman said:


> OOHHH! Great fish! All of them! Now you will become smitten' with the majesty and mystery of Amazonians, and before long you will have hundreds of gallons of water in your keep, housing everything from Discus to pencil fish.
> 
> You will be penniless, but you will be happy!
> 
> (I speak from experience.)


Thank god for craigslist! 25g tank, 4 heaters, a 3.5 gallon tank, fake plants, an aquaclear twenty, a hood with lights, lots of turtle food, filter stuff, and a dead earwig for 20$.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Sounds familiar. Did you buy that from me? That earwig was a personal pet, I need that back!

Olympia: of course frogs count! My favorite aquatic animal is the South American Lowland Tapir, but I don't have a tank big enough. 

Yet.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

sidluckman said:


> OOHHH! Great fish! All of them! Now you will become smitten' with the majesty and mystery of Amazonians, and before long you will have hundreds of gallons of water in your keep, housing everything from Discus to pencil fish.
> 
> You will be penniless, but you will be happy!
> 
> (I speak from experience.)


Haha! I'd like to be that one day. I discovered the beauty of the Amazon a little while ago. A discus tank is one of my dream setups. Cardinals are certainly a majesty to behold and simply stunning in a large tank. In truth, I really have too many favorite fish to state. I just picked koi from my list. I can sit here and talk for hours about the fish I like. Although I'm sure we all could! :lol:


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Izzy:

When I was in high school I was in the throes of my koi obsession. I was supposed to be researching a term paper in the library or reading a chapter in advanced chemistry in study hall, but all I did was doodle (on graph paper for scaled accuracy) a dream koi pond that I wanted to build in my parent's backyard. 

Never got to it. 

No matter. I don't need to own them in order to enjoy them and I wouldn't enjoy them unless I could keep them well.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

That was me in high school, too. Except I did get my pond. I'm grateful every day that I get to keep koi as they should be kept. It's not my dream pond, but it's an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. I don't know what lies in the future; I don't know if I will ever have the land and money to have my dream koi pond. But I do know that while I have it, I'll enjoy it as much as I can. 

I think another reason I count koi as my favorite fish is they got me into this hobby. I started with the pond, and then when I wanted to bring their colors inside, I went to fancy goldfish. When I went to college, I wanted to take my fish with me, and I went to betta. And from there, they say, the rest is history!


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

I generally dislike long-fin versions of fish, and I really dislike nippy fish like barbs and serpae tetras when they are outfitted with flowing tails and fins, It's like saying: game on! let's see who can do the most damage!

And then there are koi, which look as though they were made for that kind of finnage. To me, butterfly koi are like the final refinement of this fish: the golden tiara on the perfect head. Make no mistake, I would be just as happy with shortfinned Kohaku or Taisho Sanke patterned Koi. The long-finned ones look completely etheral. Can it get any better?


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## Asyr (Aug 9, 2012)

I have lots of favorite fish, but if I could only pick one it would probably be Ember Tetra... I don't know why but since I've first discovered them I've wanted a huge planted tank with a large school of them in it. They are like tiny swimming orange red gems :-D

I also have a thing for Crowntail Bettas. 
And Butterfly Koi. 
My LPS had this one Platinum Butterfly Koi that was one of the most beautiful fish I'd ever seen. If I had somewhere I could put a pond I would love to have Koi. Maybe when my husband and I can finally either buy or build a house I will get my pond


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Butterfly koi are gorgeous. I love the long barbels they have. They're often called dragon koi for that reason. They look lovely swimming among the shorter-finned varieties. Kinda like an emperor ruling over his subjects.


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## Asyr (Aug 9, 2012)

Oh yes! Hmmm... my best friend just installed a pond in their backyard... maybe she will let me pick a fish when they start stocking it


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

There is no harm in asking! My friends actually went with me and helped me pick out some of my koi. It was a really fun experience. Maybe they will let you get that platinum butterfly!


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## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm not big on coldwater fish but I wud love a large koi pond 
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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Get in line!!!;-)


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## eug (May 18, 2012)

Gotta give a mention to my Corys. I already confessed my love to them over in the Catfish forum but I'll repeat it again here: I think they're really lovely creatures.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Hey Eug! How's the cherries?

Corys are irresistable. But I resist them. Why? I fail with them. Somehow someway someday.

Synodontis cats are my favorites. Peaceful, striking, assertive fish. They give it back, but only when it is given to them, first, otherwise they are pretty good citizens. The first time I netted one out of my tank and it started croaking, I nearly dropped it. They are sometimes called "Squeakers". They are sometimes greedy, sucking down all the pelleted food in a rush at the surface, much in the manner of a pictus cat. In my experience they live for many many years. Probably should live for more than the decade or so mine we with me. BTW, the Movie "Big Fish" by Tim Burton used a Synodontis Eupterus as the "title character". Through movie magic, it was made to seem as though it was larger than a man. Freaky.


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## eug (May 18, 2012)

Hey Sid!

They cherries are getting on fine, I added another couple to the group for a happy dozen and they are a pretty "nice" fish, apart from the occasional territorial bickering among males, and some harrassment of the females as well. No shows of aggressions at all towards the Cory cats, and their fins have healed up well and they're finally showing deep colouration again after the trauma caused by those feisty Serpae tetras!

I saw "Big Fish" recently and did wonder what kind of catfish that was! Nice tidbit of info there.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Glad to hear. The bickering is the big show with barbs. Rainbows to the same thing. With large enough groups kept in big enough tanks, there should be no physical damage. So enjoy watching it!


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Another favorite fish I need to mention that no one else has are loaches. They come in all shapes and sizes and are full of foolishness! I love their antics and their whiskers! These guys are in my top five. I've only got one tank of them, but I hope to add more loaches in the future.


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## Pearl2011 (May 21, 2012)

Loaches are really cute! I was considering them . . . then on fear factor they had to sit in a bathtub of leeches. So I got _slightly _turned off of them.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Not all loaches are eely! Just mine. There are also the botine loaches which look include the monstrous clown loach and some smaller relatives like the zebra loach. Really entertaining fish if you have the right size tank for a school!


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

I have a couple of "YOYO" loaches and kept an angelicus botia for more than a decade. They are entertaining and beautiful.

I saw tome tiger botias recently and was at the point of buying them. Then I learned they need big tanks (125) so you can accomodate 6-10 fish and substrate in which they can burrow. So I passed. But I still want them. Someday.


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## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

I work in a pet shop and we carnt get any yoyo loach and I tend not to buy in botia loaches due to there aggression 
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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

That's too bad. I have kept YoYos and Angelicus with no problems. But I understand the hesitency. Botias are variable, species to species, and some very similar-looking botia species can be very different in temperament. 

Oftentimes, like barbs, if given enogh space and enough companions, they can be excellent aquarium fish.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Ya. The botine loaches do have a bad rap. I think it comes from being kept in small tanks with not enough buddies around. Some of them (like the clown loach) just get huge. You need a massive tank to hold a large enough shoal. Those were actually the guys that got me hooked on loaches. I saw some in my Walmart (shudders) when they were selling fish. They were so cute! They were resting two on a leaf of a tall almost fir-shaped fake plant. I sat there watching them for at least 30 minutes. Then I went home and researched their needs. And was heartbroken.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

My favorite LFS has a huge tank with perhaps twenty huge clown loaches for sale. Huge. 

They are on sale, too. 175.00 each or 6 for 1000.00!


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## Ogre44 (Nov 5, 2011)

My favorites are my Panda Corys.
They are quite attractive, they have the friendly disposition and good nature of Corys, and they use the whole tank and act like dither fish for my betta and the Bronze corys.


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## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

6 for a grand, HOLY BEEF BURGERS !!!!!
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## Yunalesca (Jul 13, 2012)

What a great thread! Normally a lurker, but this one needed a post LOL!

It would be IMO imposable to single out one species as a favourite, so have narrowed it down to three instead.

First it must be the Zebra Danio.
They were the first fish I kept as a child and have ensnared the next generation as my son is now addicted  
Simply for the amount of joy they have given novice ad experienced fish keepers alike they should make any top 10 list, but they have also given so much to us in the for of medical research.
They are a truly amazing if all too often overlooked little fish.

Diamond tetra is another firm favourite, they may out stand out in a shop tank surrounded by fish who look ready for carnival, but given the right conditions and time to mature are a stunning,very active fish that is a joy to watch.

From the salty side,more my husbands arena then mine, I adore the Royal Gramma.
I was very much against the idea of a marine tank untill I spotted this fish.
It's a lot of money for little extra gain I said, then WOW, this one caught my eye.
Needles t say, the marine tank is on it's way, but now it is with my blessing


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## BackInAction (Jul 12, 2012)

I"ll say all fish i like .But if i had to pick the top five, It will be red devil, jack dempsey,wolf fish ,angel fish and a salt water wolfi octopus (there are so small)

I just like aggressive fish, they more exciting and fun to watch and feed .Just my opinion


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

I can relate to Yunalesca regarding zebra danios. I am having a nostalgia festival with swordtails and platies, as these were my favorites forty years ago. 

And I gotta agree with you that Diamond Tetras are beautiful fish. 

BackInAction: I like your picks, too, and I understand about watching predatory fish feed. I find it exciting, however, when a marine angel (for which I have paid close to a couple hundred bucks) finally decides to eat. Trust me: that's riveting, too!


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## Nuttawet (Aug 18, 2009)

Piranha.


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## fryup (Jan 12, 2010)

Yunalesca said:


> What a great thread! Normally a lurker, but this one needed a post LOL!
> 
> It would be IMO imposable to single out one species as a favourite, so have narrowed it down to three instead.
> 
> ...




I honestly believe zebra danios would survive anything. They hav to be the hardyest fish alive 
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