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Like Jack Bauer, you've only got 24 hours to help here (before I go to the LFS). I think I'd like one more centre piece fish. I've got a peaceful community tank and I'd kind of like to keep it that way. I'd like something a little larger, that will be happy on it's own (or a smaller fish that would be happy in a pair).

The only info I'll give you is that it's for a 33G tank - I don't want your thinking tainted by what I already have
I will then look up your suggestions to check whether they're compatible with what I've already got (I'm not going to overstock or cause fights).

Any suggestions???

First why the hurry? If you have to some research first I think more info would be apreciated.

At least what type of "Commmunity tank" do you have? 33g is far to general. A litle larger that what? I supose by the time you read this the 24hrs will be up any way.

Some one might come up with a perfect fish for you but your LFS does not have any in stock or never get them at all, wht are you going to do then?

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Yeah you really have to tell us what kind of fish you have in there if you want help. I can think of a lot of good centerpiece fish so if you tell us what you have in there we will be able to make sure the fish we reccomend wont kill or be killed in your tank.

You really need to tell us the fish you have in the tank so we can suggest an appropriate centerpiece fish. We don't want to suggest something that will be aggressive towards your other fish or on that will be picked on. You can't just choose a fish because it will fit in the tank...it has to be compatible with your existing stock.

*Kristin*

Something that always puzzles me when I read threads like this is the question "Why do you NEED a 'centrepiece fish'?"

Not only is it perfectly possible to have a stunning looking aquarium without one (my Panda Fun Palace™ I cite as an example!), but finding a large, showy fish that integrates well with smaller tankmates can be more than a little problematic, as quite a few larger fish will regard the smaller ones as lunch!

I take it that the point of this thread was to encourage the rest of us to suggest something other than the 'tried and tested' species such as Pearl Gouramis, which are lovely fishes in their own right, but perhaps a tad too common for some ...

The trouble is, when you start moving away from the 'tried and tested' species, you have to do a lot of homework to determine whether or not they will be compatible with your existing fishes, and whether or not they will have specialised requirements. Discus, for example, are large, showy fishes par excellence, but Discus are fishes that demand considerable specialist care, not to mention a LOT of space as they grow, and I for one would think long and hard before putting Discus in with anything other than carefully selected companions. Likewise, a Featherfin Syno would make a splendid large show fish, but I would NOT put one in with small Characins because once it grew beyond about 4 inches, it would start looking at the Characins as lunch!

Now in my case, if I ever DID decide that I wanted something a little different in my aquarium, one fish I would be looking out for (upon account of small size) would be Apistogramma angayuara, the recently discovered 'super dwarf' Cichlid that only reaches an inch in length, but somehow I think you're looking for something bigger than that, and in any case you won't be able to obtain the 'super dwarf' Apistogramma for some time because it's new to science (and when it DOES arrive, expect to have to remortgage the house to buy it!).

Plus, as others have already mentioned above, without knowing the existing stock of your aquarium, suggesting a new inmate would be a little like Russian Roulette - the choices we cite might work, but then again, the result might be catastrophic for your aquarium as a whole, and none of us wants hanging over our heads the thought that we may have caused the demise of your entire aquarium stock!

By all means, be prepared to branch out and investigate fishes that are a little different from the norm, but I stress here that you investigate them thoroughly before spending a penny, so that you don't end up with a nasty surprise. For example, Red Tailed Black Sharks look impressive, but in a 38 gallon, even one would be cramped - an adult Red Tailed Black Shark is a 7 inch fish that properly should be given at least a 55, and if it's living with other fishes, a 75 should be a baseline setup. Then of course, you have the problem that Red Tailed Black Sharks are chunky, robust and fairly feisty fishes, and compatibility with other bottom feeders is likely to be an issue if there isn't a lot of space and plenty of bottom feeder 'real estate' in the form of caves for all the inhabitants. This is just one illustration of the fun and games you're looking at when adding to an existing stock list. I've seen some truly atrocious stocking decisions made in my time (Pangasius cats in a 2ft aquarium?!?!?!? Yes, I've seen it done!) and I would advise you to hit the books hard before you even cast the most casual of glances toward your wallet. As I keep repeating, a few hours' research before a penny is spent saves a LOT of heartache further down the line! Don't let me stop you choosing an unusual fish if you know what you are doing - by all means, go ahead and do so - but DO IT WITH YOUR EYES OPEN. Make sure well in advance that your choice is a wise one!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I totally agree with Calilasseia. Until I started on FP I had never heard of that phrase "Centre piece" used in Aquarium fish. I would refer to the fish/s as a main focal or attraction fish.

The fish you choose might look good in your tank but not a very happy chappie as it should have more of its own kind with it.

My feature fish are all my Clown Loaches especially the remaining large one. The grand children prefer either the large Hoplo catfish or the three small Pictus catfish.

Can you see what I am getting at it does not have to be a super dupa one of fish it could be a school that attracts you to keep watching the tank.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Apologies!!! I'm an idiot!! I'd posted this just after receiving a message from a friend arranging to meet them at the LFS, and having just come back from a party. After a few drinks, add in the fact that my mind is maturing at about 50% the speed of my body, I'd persuaded myself that I was going to buy another fish for my tank.

In the cold (sober) light of day, I realised that not only is my tank just fine as it is (although I'm sure we'd all like to stock an unlimited amount of fish!!!), but just how foolish my post had been. I didn't even need to check this message board to know what answers I was going to get

Still, if another person new to the hobby has read this, perhaps somebody else has learnt something from this.

Hahaha, perhaps you should change your name to Wallydena!

Might I suggest a "RUMMY nose" tetra??

Rummy nose tetra hahhahahahhahahhahahahaha

Yes, I found my sense of humor in good form that day