# Fish with Personality



## ir0n_ma1den (Apr 27, 2007)

Im looking into buying one, a pair, or a group of fish that have great behavioral qualities (aka I want fish that are fun to watch).

So,

Any suggestions?



I have a 30g tank by the way.


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## WhiteDevil (May 7, 2009)

nearly all of em are what you are looking for.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Gobies take the cake.

Rhinogobius sp. is a good example. These fish will climb on each other's heads to look at you, shuffle and rearrange in another pyramid, ride a loose plant leaf as if it is a scateboard (upside down, swirling and so on). They have bulging funny looking eyes. The color of the fish is grey/beige but the fish beats most other fish as far as personality is concerned.

http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/goby_wui/wui_05.JPG
http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/goby_wui/wui_11.JPG

More here:
http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/goby_wui

These fish don't just stay laying on the bottom. If you have good flow they actually hover in mid water most of the time.

--Nikolay


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

pair of dwarf cichlids are always great, perfect szed tank for them as well.


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## skincareaddicted (Mar 19, 2007)

i like bettas. the one i have now in an 8 gallon has so much personality. recognizes me whenever i come near the tank, swims over and stares at me. he is fine with a trio of cories and a bunch of endlers. i hear dwarf puffers are also fun but beware as they are aggressive not only to each other but any other living animal in the tank.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

IMO any cichlid would be your best bet. Many people enjoy the larger species 'dog-like' nature (oscars, jack dempsey, red devils) or the smaller one's amazing parental skills (kribensis, jewel cichlid, convict). Others think color=personality and like the mbuna of Lake Malawi. I think for me, it's a toss up between the small cichlids and Lake Tanganyikan cichlids. From shell-dweller to eye-biters there's a whole range of cool behaviors to see in Tang. cichlids.

GL!


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i like rainbowfish, they display amazing colors if well taken care of. a nice school will fill your aquarium with life since these guys are not shy and will use all levels of the aquarium. i have boesmani(2), madagascar(4) and furcata(4) rainbows together in a 125...


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Apistos are great! 
Rainbows are very active and attack food like piranhas- look out, they will splash you!


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## DJKronik57 (Apr 17, 2006)

Clown loaches are very entertaining to watch and colorful too. My pair love to sleep on top of each other and often end up laying upside down on the substrate. They're very expressive with their hand-like fins. However, they do get quite big. Mine are a few years old and about 3.5 inches long. They may get too big for a 30G eventually.


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## ir0n_ma1den (Apr 27, 2007)

Wow alot of responses

I think I should list what fish I already have:
4x female platy's
1x neon tetra
1x glowlight tetra
5x Harlequin Rasboras
2x GBR (male and female, hopefully they mate)
1x otto
1x red dwarf gourami


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Sounds like you have quite a bit in there already. You will have more since you have platties. If your GBRs mate then you will have even more. I think you may have already reached critical mass. 

BTW neon tetras and glow light tetras are schooling fish and really aren't happy all by themselves. You need more than one.


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## Natalia (Sep 15, 2008)

Did you say you have 30G? You have too many fish already. Besides, tetras and otos are schooling fish and do not do well when kept singly. Gouramies also good at least in pairs.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Got a lot of single fish there! Those tetras like to be in groups.


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## WhiteDevil (May 7, 2009)

I think he got brainwased by a greedy fish retailer.


I like te hi fin platies myself, got one now with a 1/4" dorsal


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## ir0n_ma1den (Apr 27, 2007)

well i did have a larger school of tetra but they are now gone. both the glowlight and the neon actually stick with the rasboras whic is really strange.

I am putting the 4 platy's in another tank very soon so i will have more room


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

i used to work retail in a LFS and i couldnt talk people out of buying fish. it aint just the sellers...! LOL. 

As for the rams, if they do spawn i doubt they will raise the young with that many fish around. My rams eat their eggs when there are even small numbers of dither fish with them. finiky little things.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Six said:


> i used to work retail in a LFS and i couldnt talk people out of buying fish. it aint just the sellers...! LOL. .


Agreed!! Same thing happened to me too!!

I agree with vancat, apistos are the most amazing little cichlids EVER!!! I just love the little buggers, they are so cool and interesting to watch, not to mention they breed like crazy.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

....sometimes people are just impulsive! (Take quarantining for example. Some people still won't do it. They just want the fish in their tank NOW! Then the tank comes down with ich and its wah wah wah.)

Rams....tough to keep alive IME. Spawning them out even tougher.

Cacatuoides (apistos) are a complete joy!


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