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Try a dwarf puffer.

True, very true. But most people who have had a passing encounter with Cichlids think of 'loners' as being the big and strongly territorial species, whereas Kribs tend to be kept in pairs or small groups because they're capable of being thus kept without utter carnage breaking out (if the aquarist has prepared the aquarium properly of course!).

Cichlids such as Black Belts, on the other hand, would require truly colossal amounts of space if one were to attempt to keep several together without savage internecine warfare breaking out the moment maturity kicked in. And as most aquarists aren't fortunate enough to have a spare disused B-52 bomber hangar at the bottom of the garden in which to house a 30 foot aquarium, Black Belts and other hardcore bruisers tend to be kept alone because there are precious few other fish (including others of their own kind) that could live with them compatibly for any length of time in the kind of aquarium that tends to be found in the average fishkeeper's home. Black Belts have a well-deserved reputation for what might be politely termed 'rough and tumble', which includes a less than delightful battle of the sexes within mated pairs because the male's territorial instincts are so strong, that he actually needs to be presented with suitable targets for his instincts to prevent him from turning them on his mate. Mind you, this arises because in their native waters, Black Belts face egg and fry predation from Astyanax mexicanus characins that turn up in shoals of several thousand waiting for the opportunity to strike - one reason why said characins can be pressed into service as dither/target fish even for hardcore ruffians of Black Belt pugnacity. But if one isn't a dedicated Cichlid specialist, one tends to avoid such bruisers in any case

One fish that absolutely has to be kept on its own, if one is searching for a fish that is resolutely incompatible with anything that moves, is the Pike Characin, Phago maculatus. I wrote a piece about this prior to the Board archiving entitled The Nastiest Fish In The Aquarium? because it is not only predatory, but seems (to human eyes at least) to take a sadistic delight in torturing its victims before devouring them. But again, this is not a fish that I would keep in a 10 gallon on account of it exceeding 6 inches when adult - a 20 long (US size standards) would be a better prospect. This fish not only looks nasty, but follows up its looks with behaviour that to our eyes looks appalling ... however, as a predation technique, it is ruthlessly efficient ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

there's probably a difference between "best kept alone, and "can be kept alone", but since i don't know the difference, i'll just name "can be kept alone"'s.

oscars, jack dempseys, jewels, kribs... pretty much most cichlids CAN be kept alone... whether or not they're better off this way is a different story.

i'm sure you can really keep ANY fish alone if you really want. for instance, you COULD have a neon tetra the only resident of a 30g tank...

that's off topic tho...

if you have a big enough tank and you want a lone fish, i'd probably recommend an oscar, because they're so smart, and apparently actually get to know their owners. ghost knife fish have been known to let their owners hand feed them and even touch them...

so there's a couple suggestions...

oscar or knifefish

True, Midas Cichlids are bruisers that usually demand an aquarium all to themselves, and frequently one aquarium per fish. But a Midas won't fit in a 10 gallon - multiply the aquarium volume by a factor of 15 and you're nearer the mark

Quite a few of the big Central American Cichlids are kept as lone individuals (and as real pets too) in aquaria, partly because some aquarists are less than ideally prepared for the rumbustious behaviour of these bad boys. And if you think Midas Cichlids are bad, try Black Belts (maculicauda) - they can be seriously psychotic when the mood takes them!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Midas Chichlids are best kept alone

Ok dp's (the true species) are exclusively freshwater. they dont tend to bite through snail shells but suck them out of the opening or bite at exposed flesh.They do not really need theyre mouthparts to be kept in trim,usually just biting at a block of frozen bloodworm will do that for them. Snails are important for their dietary balance though. Sometimes they are mixed with other species but in anything less than a 30 gallon with heavy planting there will eventually probably be some slaughter. A species tank of about 10 gallon would be fine for about 4 individuals. Theyre not especially territorial though, fin nipping in dps is more about genuine predation and boredom than territoriality. They get bored in small tanks. I wouldnt recommend keeping them with ottos specifically, mine killed an otto a few weeks back. The only fish ive seen that they never ever nip are siamese flying foxes. Mine still live with some flyers even after they went homicidal towards ottos with no problems.Its a handy combination as youll need something to eat the algae. Ive even known dp's to pick on bulldog plecs.It helps to choose fish that move constantly, it stops the dp's from being confident enough to take a shot.

Not sure that dwarf gourami's should be kept singly either, the reason males pick on females is because people generally dont give them enough territorial space, in a 55 gallon I kept 3 males and 9 females with other fish and no problems.

Maybe a small species of freshwater goby would be an interesting choice, certainly many of them prefer solitary lives. You can get brackish and marine species too, but that depends on your ability to cope with them.



Last edited by longhairedgit at 02-Oct-2005 02:49

FLOWERHORN, the fish that stands alone. ARROWANA is too big and to plain. Flowehorn comes in different colors. very kool

We mentioned dwarf puffers because they are 100% freshwater and they do not need to keep their beaks trimmed although they do love snails and it is helpful for keeping them fed. Pest snails are not hard to grow and do not require much space. A small fish bowl in the bottom of the aquarium stand works fine and pest snails eat anything. The only thing to watch for is that you are getting a dwarf puffer and not a green spotted puffer or other common puffer.
Dwarf puffers will sometimes get along with otos or other fish that stay out of their way but are best kept in a species only tank which is what the original poster was asking for. They often turn on their tankmates one day with no warning so don't keep any valuable or beloved fish with them.

Last edited by sham at 01-Oct-2005 16:15

However, if you decide to go down the dwarf puffer route, remember that [1] several of these are brackish water fishes, and [2] they'll need hard shelled food to keep the mouthaprts in trim. So you'll be deliberately cultivating lots of snails for them to eat! Puffers have their own weird and wonderful maintenance issues, which is why they have their own separate section in the forums! Go take a peek there, see what sort of fun and games puffer keeping involves, and make sure that you've done a good deal of prior research and planning before taking on a puffer of any sort, as they're definitely somewhat specialist fishes.

I'd still consider the annual killie route as being somewhat less specialised from a maintenance standpoint if I were you, not least because some of the annuals i've cited above are utterly scintillating to look at, and provided you plan ahead for their requirements, they can be thoroughly enjoyable to keep. If you keep a male and two females (which will live reasonably well in a 10 gallon with some plant thickets to provide the females with refuge from the male's attentions as maturity approaches) then you could also witness their amazing breeding ... which in the past involved, in the case of Nothobranchius rachovi, keeping the eggs in semi-dried moist peat in a warm dark place for seven months prior to hatching!

EDIT : Just checked in the puffer forums and found this thread which should act as a cautionary tale about some of their habits ...


Last edited by Calilasseia at 01-Oct-2005 16:03

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

A pair or trio of dwarf puffers would be very happy in a 10g tank and are quite interesting to watch. They do not do well in a mixed species tank but I don't think I'd keep only 1 puffer all alone. They don't eat as well or seem as happy completely alone. Most have to be fed on frozen foods because they won't take to dried but otherwise they aren't difficult to keep. Cochu's blue tetras are one of the tetra species that are actually quite antisocial and could be kept alone or a pair. They are very brightly colored and almost look dyed because of their blue color. You could keep 1 small pleco. 1 dwarf gourami and 1 small pleco could also work.

Many of the fish I read about are either "best kept in pairs" or "best kept in schools". Can anyone tell me if there are any smaller (up to 3" freshwater fish that are best kept in a tank where they are the only one of their species?? Thanks!

Upon reading this, my first thought was to look at fish species that are best kept alone because they're simply too aggressive or predatory to keep anything else with. If you want fish that simply cannot be kept with anything else that moves upon account of regarding said movement as an invitation to lunch, than just about any member of the Family Erythrinidae (South American predatory chharacoids) will fit the bill nicely. But of course, if you're stuck with a 10 gallon, these aren't an option because most of them won't physcially FIT in a 10 gallon (never mind fit in it with water). Most of these fishes are big, brutal and ravenously predatory. And NOT for beginners - not because they are delicate (most of them are pretty tough customers in the hardiness stakes) but because beginners are apt to lose fingers to them if they're not careful!

Likewise, Thalassophryne amazonica, the Prehistoric Monster Fish, is another candidate. This freshwater Toadfish is again not for beginners, and for much the same reason - it can amputate fingers with ease when adult!

If you're looking for somethine a bit more sedate/less dangerous, that can occupy an aquarium on its own without feeling unduly stressed, and which moreover would be gloriously colourful, you could - if you have some fishkeeping experience under your belt - go for certain Killifishes. The Genus Nothobranchius contains some sparklers, real living jewels, whose males tend to be difficult to keep with each other (and whose females are pretty drab by contrast). They tend to be undemanding as regards space, and a single male Nothobranchius rachovii could happily live in a 10 gallon. Be prepared to exercise a bit more care with such a fish though, than would be the case for some of the more 'bread and butter' species, and be prepared to feed live foods on a reasonably regular basis. However, the effort is amply rewarded, for this fish becomes an absolute blast of scintillating colours if cared for properly!

If you're looking for something a little unusual, you are prepared to exericse due care and attention with respect to its maintenance (including doing the research on care details beforehand) and you are able to obtain live foods for it, a Nothobranchius killifish could fit the bill. It would certainly be different!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Most anibantoids (bettas, gouramis, paradise, etc) are fine by themselves, and in fact, can only be alone (males of many laberyth fish).

Also, some cichlids can be on their own. The cichlid family varies so much, from the peaceful ram to the elegant but potentially deadly (to other fish).

Cyprinids also have some species that can be left alone. However, they tend to get bigger, but there are some.

In general, the problem with recomending a fish is hard, as what I may love, you may not.

However, hope I've given you somewhere to start.

Get small bodied Tetras & some Plants.


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perhaps a betta, with a few cories

if the ten is empty, u can go with a school of cardinals. or one ram or something.

Just trying to get ideas mostly. I had a 10 gal. tank with a school of Barbs. However, one of the Barbs got Ick and when it died I felt so compelled to buy another one to maintain the school of 4 (which I realize is a relatively small school to begin with). Anyway, the Barbs just weren't doing well in our small (10 gal.) tank so I decided to give them to a friend w/ a 40 gal. Long story short, I'm thinking I'd rather get a few lone fish than a group of schooling fish. Just in case.


Or, POSSIBLY, I was thinking of keeping a small (4-5 fish) school of Von Rio Tetras (they only get to be about 1.5" max, correct?) and then one single fish (say a Flagfish or possibly a Dwarf Gourami).

Anyway, these are just some ideas I'm tinkering with. Let me know what you think!

Hmmm...paradise fish are under 4", males can't be kept together, even kept a male & female in the tank can be a problem.

RTBS is another, but they grow larger than you 3" requirement.

There are probably some puffers and cichlids that should be kept alone...are you thinking about any other fish in particular or just getting ideas?


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Absolutely, I have the perfect "lone" fish for you. Dwarf Gouramis. They stay small.....up to 3-3.5", and 99.9% of the time the LFS only sells the males because the females are too plain. If you get two or three males in a tank they will usually fight....not as vicously as bettas, but bad enough to stress each other ....sometimes to death. Minimum tank requirement is usually 30 gallons, but you could probably do less...say 20. They are labrynth (sp?) fish like bettas and will breathe air. Great as a singel fish in a community tank!!!

Last edited by crazyred at 30-Sep-2005 11:59

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