# Centerpiece fish



## Gramazing (Mar 6, 2010)

I've been thinking for a long time of putting a single, or pair of, fish as a centerpiece for my tank. I don't want another school. I have 8 zebra danios, 5 platies and 3 different species of cory catfish for a total of 12. I'm tired of platies having babies, and as they grow old and die I will not replace them.

I had a dwarf gourami a year ago but it died, and I am not keen to get another one. They are subject to an endemic disease and I don't want to see another one suffer. Plus I don't have much

Does anyone have a suggestion? My tank is moderately planted, 55 gallons. My water is pretty hard: gH 10, pH 7.4 (was 7.8 before CO2), nitrates between 10 and 20. A fish that eats platy fry would be nice too. I was thinking of a female betta but I think the flow in my tank might be too much.


----------



## DarkMousy (Jun 8, 2010)

I reccomend _Microctenopoma ansorgii_, small beautiful fish and it will keep your platy population under control.


----------



## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

you would be surpriced how pretty the regular angels can be. my fav, aside from the doble dark black i have are the zebra (silver and black) put some pics up when you get a chance


----------



## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Pearl gourami and common kribs are easily available and easy to care for. Once they get established both have fun personalities and can have stunning colors.

If the kribs breed they can take over half a 55 gallon, but you could get one female (the more colorful sex) and not have to worry about that. I had one female in a 29 gallon and it was one of my favorite fish.


----------



## Gramazing (Mar 6, 2010)

I did a bit of research on Microctenopoma ansorgii, I must admit I've never heard of them before. They seem to be a little secretive and bottom dwellers.

Pearl Gouramis - I have thought of these before, they are certainly a pretty fish but I hear they are nervous nellies. I have a bunch of zebra danios darting around, will they make a pearl gourami stressed?

Angels - hmm, maybe, but don't they get big? And one is ok?

So a single krib is a possibility too, huh? Are they ok with plants?


----------



## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Pearl gourami may be skittish at first, but once they settle in mine have always been bold. They will probably be more brave in groups. I prefer a 1 male to 3 female ratio.

Kribs are definitely ok with plants.

Angels do get to about 5 or 6 inches. One will do fine in a 55 gallon. An angel should work in your tank and would be the best fry eater of the fish listed in this post. Angels are probably more fragile than pearl gourami or kribs. And when angels get old some of them can get aggressive.


----------



## Gramazing (Mar 6, 2010)

Is there a dwarf variety of the angel fish?


----------



## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Nope. Never heard of a dwarf angel.


----------



## potatoes (Jun 25, 2010)

geeks_15 said:


> Pearl gourami .


+1
they love floating plants. mine hung out around the water hyacinth (until i killed it by dipping the roots in hydrogen peroxide to remove algae for a tank transfer lol) Also, just get a male, i tried to get a pair but i got eternal harassment and i think i need to give away my female. they are not susceptible to the dwarf gourami disease.


----------



## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

> Also, just get a male, i tried to get a pair but i got eternal harassment and i think i need to give away my female.


A ratio of 1 male to 3 females works better. That way the male's attention is divided amongst the females and no one female is overly harrassed.


----------



## Gramazing (Mar 6, 2010)

potatoes said:


> +1
> they love floating plants. mine hung out around the water hyacinth (until i killed it by dipping the roots in hydrogen peroxide to remove algae for a tank transfer lol) Also, just get a male, i tried to get a pair but i got eternal harassment and i think i need to give away my female. they are not susceptible to the dwarf gourami disease.


I used to have some water lettuce, and I'm sure gouramis would like that, but the stuff just blocks light to the rest of the plants so I pulled it.

How big is your tank?


----------

