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Lol can anyone come up with one?

My Synodontis eupterus fits fairly well... can disturb plants just by rooting around in them though, and will eat small fish occasionally...

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How large are we looking for?

I'd say Snakeskin Gourami just off the top of my head.

I was thinking a gourami as well. Maybe a kisser depending on how big you're actually looking for. Some blue or gold ones could work too. Some bala sharks might work as well.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/34343.1.htm?652#

Countryfish has some big fish in his tank. Check out the link above

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

a knife fish would work if there is nothing small enough for it to eat. Clown knife's get huge, and black ghost knifes get pretty darn big, too. What length fish are you looking for?

Discus get pretty big and severum too are less agressive than most cichlids.

It depends on the size of the tank, and the fish already in the tank

A recent addition to my 29 gal tank, which is a South American biotype community, is a Flagtail Catfish (Dianema urostriatum). It's become one of my favorite fish. Unlike my Corys, this cat swims in the midwater column as well as the bottom. He comes up to the surface to feed and is not shy.

After acclimating to the tank, he was more visible, colorful and shows quite a bit of personality. To top it all off, he's very peaceful and non-agressive. Most of the time, some or most of my Corys are hanging out with him, on him, etc. and he never seems to mind.


Granted, his colors are not bright, but if you can appreciate subtle beauty, then perhaps you may want to consider this spp.

HTH,

rene

ps -- I've just uploaded a photo of mine. It looks like the photo needs to be approved before it'll be visible in the profiles

Big but peaceful?

Trichogaster microlepis, the Moonlight Gourami.

Probably one of the best choices that fit this particular set of criteria.

Won't bother anything the size of, say, Lemon Tetras or upwards. Reasonably hardy (if you've kept Pearl Gouramis successfully, you can keep these, albeit in a considerably larger aquarium), compatible with a fairly wide range of companions, and not usually considered likely to go on the rampage.

I'd be wary of Knife Fishes because most of those grow to be tank busters unless you've already planned your aquarium in advance for a 2ft fish.

Some of the Mormyrids are worth looking at if you want a 'curiosity' fish species, but these fishes have specialised requirements (including siting away from objects that generate intense electric fields such as hi-fi loudspeakers or computer monitors) and if they ever acquire a disease, treating them is going to be a nightmare because they're sensitive to many of the conventional medications. There are likely to be restrictions upon what you can house alongside Mormyrids compatibly (indeed several people recommend them as being more species aquarium fishes than community fishes, but a "community" can be built around them with care).

Of course, a lot depends upon your definition of "larger" in addition. If your definition of a "larger" fish is between 6 and 12 inches, then there are a few candidates that could fit the bill. Just nudging the 6 inch barrier fully grown is the Congo Tetra, Micralestes interruptus, which is a beautiful show fish when illuminated by direct sunlight, but which needs spacious quarters to house properly because, like most of the popular aquarium Characins, it is a shoaling fish. Some of the larger Rainbow Fishes fit into the "larger but peaceful" mould as well, but the same proviso applies - plan for additional space upon account of their shoaling requirements AND their high degree of activity. For some of the big Rainbows, your best bet is a long aquarium (preferably 6 feet upwards) giving them something akin to a 'river' in which to swim.

Moving up the size scale beyond 12 inches, if you have the space to do them justice, and for this you'll need a VERY large aquarium, Bala Sharks are relatively hardy and a trio will live together in reasonable harmony, though they would prefer it enormously if you had space for at least 6. However, the adult size of Bala Sharks - I've heard reports of them reaching as much as 14 inches - means that you'll need an aquarium that's getting on for a civil engineering project to do justice to a decent size shoal, and even a trio will, in the fullness of time, demand something like 250 gallons to be fully happy. Similar provisos apply to Tinfoil Barbs, which again really need a huge aquarium to do them justice (got space in the house for a 250 gallon setup?) and if you can't provide them with both large amounts of space and high-quality power filtration to cope with their industrial scale waste production, leave them alone.

If you want to try something unusual, which is again relatively hardy, unlikely to be aggressive, and not usually reported as being a pest to aquarium plants, there is a fish you could look out for in the 5-6 inch range (again a shoaling fish) that will provide quite a bit of entertainment - including some entertainment you won't want if you're foolish enough to leave them uncovered! The Flying Barb, Esomus danricus, is worth tracking down, as it's an unusual Cyprinid which is, as its name suggests, at the very least a part time freshwater flying fish. It should be blatantly obvious at this point that this fish is a rocket propelled jumper that will fly across the living room like a scaly ICBM if you leave it uncovered, so make sure that it IS very well covered if you run with this option!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

DO NOT GET A KNIFE FISH!!!


they are extremely aggressive and will eat anything in your tank.. they also get rather large and aren't very attractive...

get something more along the lines of a catfish or a gourami...

you will be much happier.!.

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Gouramis are always a good option and there are some such as the Blue, Gold, Opaline, Pearl, and Moonlight that should work. If you are looking for a schooling fish, then Congo tetras would work. If you want a livebearer, then swordtails would be an option to consider as well. The only problem with them is that they breed like rabbits. Good luck with whatever you choose!

Tanks:
10 Gallon-2 Platies