# What people keep



## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

Hey, im just wondering what peoples fish interests are, ive seen threads about more common stuff but other than this whats peoples preferances.
cheers
squirl


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

I'm into my Central/south american cichlids and oddballs mostly. Plus a few other oddballs from around the world.

Im gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say you like snakeheads? Just had a look at your sig and for some reason I got the feeling you like them lol.

Quick question, how do you find you perruno? It's a fish I've been considering for a while but never enough to buy one yet


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

haha thats amazing, how did u know i liked snakeheads?!:lol2:
the peruno is fine hardly ever see is realy, always in a tube until mussels hit the water then it goes mental. its not something i realy wanted but its just something i rehomed coz i have a 7 foot tank, i will be taking it into work soon so it can go to someone who wants one.
i used to love my oddballs too, massive interest in knifefish, mainy gymnotiformes but i have kept african and asian aswell. how did you manage to get hold of arapaima, when i was the assistant manager of a maidenhead i got shouted at by our importing company for asking about ordering one hehe. did u get cites with em?


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## coprex (Dec 31, 2008)

sharks would be nice to keep but need way too much room :lol2:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Kept a variety of common tropicals on and off over the years then kept a bichir but had to rehome it as it out grew the tank and I couldn't afford a bigger one at the time.

Moved house and found our new neighbours were heavily into Malawi Cichlids, bought a 4ft tank and they stocked it free of charge for me. Kept those for about 6 months or so and decided they really weren't for me and I wanted more of an oddball fish again like the bichir. So after various ideas from the good people on the piranha forum I decided on Snakeheads and now have a custom 97 uk gallon tank housing 8 Channa pulchra from col who I'm sure you know on the snakeheaduk forum and monsterfish.


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## vonnie (Aug 20, 2007)

Well I'm still very new to fishkeeping and went for a marine tank. Only 85l so far but hoping to set up a bigger tank later this year.

The big colourful fish don't really do it for me. If I have the space I'll concentrate on blennies and gobies. Small but plenty of variety and very comical to watch.

Have just got my first couple of zoanthids too and I can see then being very addictive!


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

I used to have a Chiloscyllium punctatum, they can be kept in a minnimum of 8'x2.5'x2' they are a nice species to keep and will hand feed readily, you can keep tem with some larger fish aslong as they arent boisterous, such as triggers. i made the mistake of a cucumber in there(was pink and black so my girlfreind wanted it) but it caused a tank wipe out and unfortunately killed everything in there so i just stopped marine coz it was expencive.


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

vonnie said:


> Well I'm still very new to fishkeeping and went for a marine tank. Only 85l so far but hoping to set up a bigger tank later this year.
> 
> The big colourful fish don't really do it for me. If I have the space I'll concentrate on blennies and gobies. Small but plenty of variety and very comical to watch.
> 
> Have just got my first couple of zoanthids too and I can see then being very addictive!


blennies and gobies are realy commical to watch, hawk fish are also but some can be a bit funny with other fish and also they eat shrimp.


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## ThePixie (Dec 23, 2008)

Hi, we have a nano marine 120l tank (don't ask which... ;-) ), I have just performed a water change which is a faff right now because the skimmer is a pest. Having issues with cyno right now, so havn't added more livestock yet (tank was an upgrade from a 60l), we have 1 clown (other one made a demise in the old tank.. it was pushed out of the tank). Also have a scooter blenny (bit scry as old tank was extablished before we got her, so keeping on top of adding copepods).

We had fresh water to begin with but had to sell in order to fund the upgrade of the marine!

I want some cichlids, dh wants a brackish set-up for a puffer and gobies!


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## _jake_ (Jul 3, 2008)

My biggest fish is a Sailfin Plec:lol2:
But.. im really into guppies *SUPRISE*

But. Once im older i really wanna have big cichlids and that... Could even say, like michael - kinda a idol, i suppose


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

All sorts really...oddballs (mainly snakeheads & bichirs), got a few knifes, three spined toadfish etc. Plenty of south and central american cichlids, a few african (non lake) cichlids. Selection of catfish. Picaso triggerfish, and a small reef tank. My fave fish have to be freshwater rays though...

Perruno are nice, i used to have one - peaceful, calm and hide a lot, although got more active in the day as it settled in. Like lots of food. would like to feel everything new with his whiskers.


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## Boccia-Boy (Jun 9, 2008)

I like Gupppies and Tetras but my fave are Honey Gouramis I like alot of LiveBeares and Labrytnh fish.


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

herpmad_boi said:


> My biggest fish is a Sailfin Plec:lol2:
> But.. im really into guppies *SUPRISE*
> 
> But. Once im older i really wanna have big cichlids and that... Could even say, like michael - kinda a idol, i suppose


 
I haven't been called michael in bloody ages lol. Only my mum calls me that.


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

xyra said:


> All sorts really...oddballs (mainly snakeheads & bichirs), got a few knifes, three spined toadfish etc. Plenty of south and central american cichlids, a few african (non lake) cichlids. Selection of catfish. Picaso triggerfish, and a small reef tank. My fave fish have to be freshwater rays though...
> 
> Perruno are nice, i used to have one - peaceful, calm and hide a lot, although got more active in the day as it settled in. Like lots of food. would like to feel everything new with his whiskers.


simalar to my interests, i did get rid of alot of my other stuff to concentrate on Channa though when the bad was 1st mentioned, just coz it a species i had grown up with as my dd had obscura when i was 3, haha i used to get up early in the morning before every1 else and i used to(guppy ppl cover your eyes!) net out guppies from his other tank and feed em. got caught one day when a put an albino Cory aeneus in and they didnt eat it.
what Channa you got? did you see the thread abot why snakeheads uk is down btw?


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

Boccia-Boy said:


> I like Gupppies and Tetras but my fave are Honey Gouramis I like alot of LiveBeares and Labrytnh fish.


guppies and tetras not so, but labyrinths are cool.


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## Boccia-Boy (Jun 9, 2008)

squirl said:


> guppies and tetras not so, but labyrinths are cool.


Yep gouramis ftw!!


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i've had a little of everything... from arrowanas to zebra danios... the oddballs are my favorite.


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## Natonstan (Aug 9, 2008)

Tetras and guppys but my main interest is Koi!


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

Boccia-Boy said:


> Yep gouramis ftw!!


gouramis are ok, Osphronemus are the best ones in my eyes, but there are some stunning ones, Malpulutta kretseri are awsome, got my mate some before from allan brown, the guy who discovered quite alot of bettas and liquorice gouramis(e.g Betta brownorum and Parosphronemus alleni) and i wish id kept them for myself. other labyrinths are cool 2 tho, Luciocephalus are awsome so are Nandids and Ctenopoma. ive got 4 Sandelia capensis and they are beautiful fish!


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## simonas (Apr 12, 2008)

I keep mainly oddballs myself but recently have started getting into cichlids as well but theres never enough space for tanks... I need more tanks. I've also got into Channa myself this year. I've always been big into plecs but that can get expensive

I've a tank dedicated to Orientalis one for Pulchra which I love and one for Assams which I don't!!lol
I've got a Brichardi tank which is new, one with Uaru and some Mozambique Mouthbreeders I got yestertday
I have a brackish tank with toadfish and morays which doesn't have much action going on lol
I have a larger tank which I need to thin out really which houses my pride and joy a Clown Knife which is only a baby at 16 iches long. I've got a flagtail, a distochidus, ornate bichir and fire eel in there along with a shoal of silver dollars. I know it'll be overstocked as they grown and I'm going to get a 7 or 8 ft in next 12 months or so.

I love fish I just wish I had more space for more tanks


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

how come u dont like your assams? mine are comedy lil fish, they swim up and stick their nose into the end of my tds and ph probes when im testing.


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## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Kept a lot off fish over the years,especially when in the trade.Current faves in my tank are 9" BGK,8"Clown +smaller ones,Red Parrot (dont start mike,the missus thought it was cute),Channa assam "Blue",Albino Poly senegalus,Thorichthys ellioti (spare male if anyone has a female to pair it with),South American Puffers.Really like oddballs but limited by space.Kept arowanas,piranhas,lungs,datnoides,gymothorax,mbus and many others in the past.


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## simonas (Apr 12, 2008)

squirl said:


> how come u dont like your assams? mine are comedy lil fish, they swim up and stick their nose into the end of my tds and ph probes when im testing.


I don't know really. I wanted Bleheri and got these by mistake. There in a tank on their own with the same amount of cover as the pulchra and orientalis but they never move much and are really shy, the opposite of yours it seems and I must prefer the bigger bulkier Channa. Theres a guy on another forum who has a few who migt take them off my hands

The Pulchra on the other hand I absolutely love. They are about 6 iches now, I got them from a chap on the snakeheads forum as tiny babies. They look formidable already and are so bolshy. I love the colours and their personalities


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

my community tank right now... 


nothing special... just tetras and such.











it's a 65 gallon.


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

well right now i have nothing of the aquatic variety but in the past had around 20 odd aquariums for various south and central american catfish and cichlids - and the odd oddball. put alot of focus into the more unusual _Geophagus, gymnogeophagus, satanoperca, cryptoheros, thorichthys, _etc as well as the weird and unusual / rare catfish


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

Berber King said:


> Kept a lot off fish over the years,especially when in the trade.Current faves in my tank are 9" BGK,8"Clown +smaller ones,Red Parrot (*dont start mike*,the missus thought it was cute),Channa assam "Blue",Albino Poly senegalus,Thorichthys ellioti (spare male if anyone has a female to pair it with),South American Puffers.Really like oddballs but limited by space.Kept arowanas,piranhas,lungs,datnoides,gymothorax,mbus and many others in the past.


 
Lol!

How are you finding your ellioti? I love those little buggers just never seem to be able to find any decent ones


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## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

I love the elliots,bought 2 youngsters in the hope of a pair,but ended up with 2 males,so going to get rid of the sub-dominant one.Such beautiful underrated fish.Cant understand why their not more popular than firemouths.Both my local maidenhead branches have had babies in,think Ascot still have some.Both also got some nice Datnoides that im very tempted by,but dont have the tank space,2"-£10.


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

I got some in when i was at maidenhead and they all had spinal curvature, if that branch got them from the same supplier(maidenhead use loadz) then id be carefull. but i agree ellioti are stunning.


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

I had 8 tanks set up when I moved to Mansfield.. had to sell all my fish off when I moved in with Mason, there wasn't the room for them all! 

Some of my favourites I have had were my Clarius Catfish, my albino convicts, and the oscars.. 

we sold the oscars to turn the tank in to a community, decided we wanted more activity, so more to look at, rather than a few big fish. it's a 4x2x2 roughly. 

So currently keep: Angel fish (wild type), cardinal tetras, emperor tetras, synos (eupterus, nigriventis and a multipunctatus x eupterus hybrid - we think) loads of corys, mostly schwartzs and adolfis, golden gouramis, moonlight gouramis, paradise fish (female died recently, so only a single male left  ) and a black ghost knife fish... think that's about it.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

simonas said:


> I don't know really. I wanted Bleheri and got these by mistake. There in a tank on their own with the same amount of cover as the pulchra and orientalis but they never move much and are really shy, the opposite of yours it seems and I must prefer the bigger bulkier Channa. Theres a guy on another forum who has a few who migt take them off my hands
> 
> The Pulchra on the other hand I absolutely love. They are about 6 iches now, I got them from a chap on the snakeheads forum as tiny babies. They look formidable already and are so bolshy. I love the colours and their personalities


Pulchra are great aren't they. Proper characters and not at all shy. Compared to some species they're a bit plain but their character makes up for that.


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

my pulchra are acting a bit odd the passed couple of weeks and they have coloured up loadz so hopefully some fry soon!!


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## abisnail (Jan 1, 2009)

I couldn't decide what kind of tank I'd like best so I was kinda greedy setting up.....I have a fancy goldfish tank, a planted/communtiy/rainbow tank, a tanganyikan shelldweller tank and a big pair of oscars and a red gibby in another tank.


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## squirl (Jan 1, 2009)

nice, you dont see enough rainbow set ups, greatly under rated fish!


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## simonas (Apr 12, 2008)

squirl said:


> nice, you dont see enough rainbow set ups, greatly under rated fish!


I agree I have always wanted to set one up but when I get a tank spare I always think of something else. They look ace in zoo's and shops active colour!!


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## matt748 (Aug 10, 2008)

I have 2 300 litre tanks i has south american cichlids (oscar,severum and the like) and the other has red belly piranhas. I love them both.


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

mike515 said:


> Lol!
> 
> How are you finding your ellioti? I love those little buggers just never seem to be able to find any decent ones


i happen to know someone with a bloody good breeding trio - they used to be mine so can guarantee their quality! awesome things, like hellari and pasionis as well though


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## abisnail (Jan 1, 2009)

squirl said:


> nice, you dont see enough rainbow set ups, greatly under rated fish!


 Thanks, have a look in my fish Picture thread, there's some of those guys in there.


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## ern79 (Jul 26, 2007)

i run a maidenhead, used to be an absolute fish nut, got my job from being a customer of my store for 2 odd years before i started there, ive been with the company coming up 8 years but i havent had my own tank fopr nearly 4, working with them really drained my passion and got me into my snakes.
I was (maybe a little piece of me still is) into freshwater oddballs and tank busters, ive tried marine but find it totally dissatisfying.
My last real tidy tank was a 7x2x2, it ended up cracking on me and i had to get rid of all my fish as i had moved out from my parents and the tank was still at their house, In it i had osphronemus, pangasius sutchi and sanitwongsei, perruno, calophysus, a weird pimelodod hybrid of the likes ive never seen, silver and pearl arrowana, a huge gibbiceps, royal panaque, tiger shovel nose and some others i cant remember. Ive had other set ups with loads of L-number plecs in the bottom and small predators up top, ive had lung fish, juruensis, huge gobies, gars, nile perch, puffers, snake heads, pike characins, tigrinus, asian arrowans, rays and god knows what else. The mrs works with me too and she has kept a tanganyikan tank which i have no time for, shes shut it down and were doing something together although the tanks only 240l
who knows, if i retire or leave the aquatics industry i might keep fish again.


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## charlie (May 19, 2007)

I currently have

180L Freshwater community
40L Nano- Cherry shrimp and Ember Tetras
80L -Currently cycling
300 L Reef tank


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

ern79 said:


> i run a maidenhead, used to be an absolute fish nut, got my job from being a customer of my store for 2 odd years before i started there, ive been with the company coming up 8 years but i havent had my own tank fopr nearly 4, working with them really drained my passion and got me into my snakes.
> I was (maybe a little piece of me still is) into freshwater oddballs and tank busters, ive tried marine but find it totally dissatisfying.
> My last real tidy tank was a 7x2x2, it ended up cracking on me and i had to get rid of all my fish as i had moved out from my parents and the tank was still at their house, In it i had osphronemus, pangasius sutchi and sanitwongsei, perruno, calophysus, a weird pimelodod hybrid of the likes ive never seen, silver and pearl arrowana, a huge gibbiceps, royal panaque, tiger shovel nose and some others i cant remember. Ive had other set ups with loads of L-number plecs in the bottom and small predators up top, ive had lung fish, juruensis, huge gobies, gars, nile perch, puffers, snake heads, pike characins, tigrinus, asian arrowans, rays and god knows what else. The mrs works with me too and she has kept a tanganyikan tank which i have no time for, shes shut it down and were doing something together although the tanks only 240l
> who knows, if i retire or leave the aquatics industry i might keep fish again.


 
Yeah working at maidenheads would drain my passion for the hobby as well lol (that was a joke lol)

I found working in the trade increased my interest in the hobby in general. It definately increased my love of the standard bread and butter fish (tetras, barbs etc). Was already a cichlid and oddball nut so that just carried on.

How was your tigrinis? I had one that was passed down to me from my uncle. Was 23 when it died last year. One of the best fish I ever owned, would hand feed on a good day. Was partial to the odd arowana tail fin though so he ended up in solitary confinement lol


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## abisnail (Jan 1, 2009)

I'm not sure if it's it's working at a fishy store or keeping oscars that has fanned the flames of my MTS.


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## ern79 (Jul 26, 2007)

mike515 said:


> Yeah working at maidenheads would drain my passion for the hobby as well lol (that was a joke lol)
> 
> I found working in the trade increased my interest in the hobby in general. It definately increased my love of the standard bread and butter fish (tetras, barbs etc). Was already a cichlid and oddball nut so that just carried on.
> 
> How was your tigrinis? I had one that was passed down to me from my uncle. Was 23 when it died last year. One of the best fish I ever owned, would hand feed on a good day. Was partial to the odd arowana tail fin though so he ended up in solitary confinement lol


Working in the trade accelerated and increased my hobby for the first 3 or so years that i worked there, after that i started running out of things to keep, there was also little contact with any real fish enthusiasts and i felt like one hand clapping, there was nothing like this forum back then (or if there was, i certainly didnt have regular access to the internet.)
I had 2 tigrinus, both were catastrophies, first was put into my growing on tank before it could go in with the bigger boys, it was eaten on the first night by a sperata aor that i paid 8 quid for! the second was doing really well, a bigger more solid animal in a much more lightly stocked tank, he was going fine for months but then started rolling around one sunday afternoon, it was gutting, when i pulled him out, there was a piece of bog wood in his mouth, im not sure whether that got in there first and he choked or whether he inhaled it while thrashing around.


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

that sucks mate. Tigrinis are definately worth the cash and the effort. Just a shame not many people see it that way. I was lucky with mine, he was raised by my uncle so i got him once he was already a good size and feeding well.

You ever kept jelly cats? another fish that is awesome just expensive and big


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## ern79 (Jul 26, 2007)

mike515 said:


> that sucks mate. Tigrinis are definately worth the cash and the effort. Just a shame not many people see it that way. I was lucky with mine, he was raised by my uncle so i got him once he was already a good size and feeding well.
> 
> You ever kept jelly cats? another fish that is awesome just expensive and big


depends what you mean by jelly cat, i consider them to be pseudopimelodus zungaro, dont grow too big but can be a little bit pricey. Not kept one myself but weve had them in the shop, stunning animals jsut very secretive.


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## sulcata2big (Nov 7, 2007)

african cichlids rock, anything else is just for beginners


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

sulcata2big said:


> african cichlids rock, anything else is just for beginners


Because malawis are sooooo specialist?

Neon tetras are more difficult to keep then malawis.


ern. I meant cephalosilurus fowleri. Awesome fish. Will eat you out of house and home but brilliant anyway


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## ern79 (Jul 26, 2007)

mike515 said:


> Because malawis are sooooo specialist?
> 
> Neon tetras are more difficult to keep then malawis.
> 
> ...


ah fowleri, yes, nice fish, aggressive from what i hear.
A personal favourite that ive never kept is lophiosilurus alexexandri, im a bit out of the loop on the hobby scene but after 8 years in the trade and never having seen one on the list, i pick up a copy of pfk to find someones bred them!!! i love bagarius bagarius too


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## sulcata2big (Nov 7, 2007)

mike515 said:


> Because malawis are sooooo specialist?
> 
> Neon tetras are more difficult to keep then malawis.
> 
> ...


 
you ever kept tropheus:hmm:


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## owlbassboy (Jun 26, 2008)

what type mate i havent but know loads of people who have and ive helped with the running of their tanks and its far from rocket science lol. you just keep your water quality right and your laughing


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## ern79 (Jul 26, 2007)

sulcata2big said:


> you ever kept tropheus:hmm:


tanganyikans


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## carisma02uk (Sep 14, 2006)

well im concentrating on apistogramas at the moment and other dwarf cichlid species like rams and kribs..

i currently have:

2.2 Apistogramma cacatuoides 
1.1 Apistogramma viejita
1.1 Apistogramma panduro
1.2 Apistogramma Agassizi triple reds
1.1 golden ram
1.1 kribensis

loads of rummy nose and loads of breeder mollies (in another thank to keep me in food swaps at lfs)

Jon


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

ern79 said:


> ah fowleri, yes, nice fish, aggressive from what i hear.
> A personal favourite that ive never kept is lophiosilurus alexexandri, im a bit out of the loop on the hobby scene but after 8 years in the trade and never having seen one on the list, i pick up a copy of pfk to find someones bred them!!! i love bagarius bagarius too


Fowleri aren't that aggressive. It's just most people don't feed them enough. They eat so much that most people will feed them a lot and think that's it. With jelly's a lot isn't enough lol. If they are fed enough they don't seem to bother with anything at all as long as they have a private cave somewhere



sulcata2big said:


> you ever kept tropheus:hmm:


Not for a few years. Never really enjoyed having them. Just a little dull for my liking. I prefer my fish to have a personality and they were just a little boring. Never had an issue keeping them though. Good filtration, nice big tank and they were fine. Kept a few different moorii localities and a trio of duboisii. Looked nice just quite a boring fish IMO


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## EmeraldSapphirez (Jan 13, 2009)

Oddballs and Oscars.


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## ReefKeeper (Jan 16, 2009)

Mainly marines for me have kept fish for about 30 years in total

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/sigster500/mini-13months.jpg[img]
[URL]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/sigster500/mini-13months.jpg[/URL]


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

ReefKeeper said:


> Mainly marines for me have kept fish for about 30 years in total


That's a beautiful marine tank!


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## ReefKeeper (Jan 16, 2009)

Thanks very much xyra


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

ReefKeeper said:


> Mainly marines for me have kept fish for about 30 years in total
> 
> http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/sigster500/mini-13months.jpg[img]
> [URL]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h320/sigster500/mini-13months.jpg[/URL][/quote]
> ...


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## ReefKeeper (Jan 16, 2009)

Hi Mike its around 13 months old although a few coral are from my old tank so a few SPS are around 3 years old

Lighting is 2 x 400w 12k although i ran 10k for the first 7 months


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## Marine (Jun 6, 2008)

Cant beat marine fish for me, theyre just beautiful fish!
My current tank only has a few at the moment, a dwarf angel, blenny, goby, copperband and a small tang but planning to get a few more gobies to add a bit of depth to the community and maybe a couple of anthias.














































Ive really grown to love tangs though, theyre just so animated and interact with you when you go to the tank.


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## lennon (Oct 3, 2008)

i keep marine fish/reef... but have a large interest in all fish really .The stranger the better to be honest


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## lennon (Oct 3, 2008)

Marine said:


> Cant beat marine fish for me, theyre just beautiful fish!
> My current tank only has a few at the moment, a dwarf angel, blenny, goby, copperband and a small tang but planning to get a few more gobies to add a bit of depth to the community and maybe a couple of anthias.
> 
> 
> ...



out of curiosity how many litres you got there??

nice acantherus tang ..do you know what sp? its still a baby though so im not sure,also that coral b is a cracker.

if your thinking of gobies what about hifin with pistil shrimp? or citrine gobies ??there nice and small too.

WOW nice duncans/trachys and elegance you got their tooo


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