# Different breeds of Cold Water Fish ..... ?



## volly (Mar 6, 2009)

Hello Aquatic section,

I think this is the first time I've posted here as I'm more a reptile person.

Anyway, I'm wanting to set up a couple of display tanks in my showroom but the unit gets EXTREMELY cold in winter so I'm trying to think away from a tropical set-up ( temps hit -9 this winter even with heaters on ).

I was just wondering if you could tell me about any sort of fancy or colourful coldwater fish that might be available for me to put in the tank?

Obviously there is the good old gold fish and the various sub-breeds like black moors, fan tails e.t.c. but I'm looking for something a bit more erm ...... exotic and colourful? :whistling2:

I've seen White Cloud minnows - nice but a bit small.
Chinese Plec?

I know there are frogs and shrimps aswell.

Please help as I'd like to try and make it as attractive as possible without going down the tropical route - I've nothing against tropical I just don't think it will be good for them to be in my workshop in the winter.

Cheers and best regards,
Volly


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## igmillichip (Feb 7, 2010)

Rainbow dace are great little fish..... but I guess you are in a part of the world where there are restrictions on the selling of them (ie a pet shop needs a license specifically for them, and must be prepared to tell defra the details of the buyer and source if asked).

ian


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## volly (Mar 6, 2009)

igmillichip said:


> Rainbow dace are great little fish..... but I guess you are in a part of the world where there are restrictions on the selling of them (ie a pet shop needs a license specifically for them, and must be prepared to tell defra the details of the buyer and source if asked).
> 
> ian


 
Hi Ian,

thanks for that.

I'm not actually a pet shop.
I just make vivs and other cabinets but wanted the displays to "tart up" my showroom, lol.

I won't be selling any animals/fish/birds/insects e.t.c. - just wondered what nice fishies I could have swimming around lol

Cheers,
Volly


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

what size tank is it?


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## Stan193 (May 27, 2009)

You could have a look on here under temperate:

http://www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk/search_results.asp


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Zebra danios?


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## _jake_ (Jul 3, 2008)

Gold barbs, Florida flag fish


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## gurnster75 (Jun 8, 2010)

At -9C you'll have a fish filled ice lolly next winter!


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

Personally.... I would put a heater in there on the lowest setting because -9 is something shocking, subtropical fish (eg coldwater fish that arent goldfish generally) wont survive that cold...

That said... 'cold water/sub tropical' fish that i like/i think would be suitable are:

-Zebra Danios/Gold Zebra Danios
-Leopard Danios
-Giant Danios
-Moustached Danios
-Glowlight Danios
-Pearl Danio
-White Cloud Mountain Minnows
-Gold Barbs
-Odessa Barbs
-Rosy Barbs/Fire Barbs (fire barbs are line bred bright red male rosy barbs)
-Paradise Fish
-Peppered Corydoras (wont want it tooo cold)
-Rathbuns Bloodfin Tetra (wont want it tooo cold)
-Weather Loach
-Hillstream Loach
-American Flag Fish

There is also the Rainbow Dace, nice fish when coloured up and spawning! But are nippy and aggressive so species tank only really... Because of the licensing, you have to house them in an aquarium and never anywhere outside and you have to buy them from a licensed supplier (all Maidenhead Aquatics carries this license).

Another interesting one would be Stickleback. Again, not easy to get hold of but if you do get them breeding, you would probably find shops willing to give you credit for them etc.


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## volly (Mar 6, 2009)

goldie1212 said:


> what size tank is it?


I actually have plans for 3 tanks - 1 is 36x15x12 and the other 2 are 18x12x36 : victory:



Stan193 said:


> You could have a look on here under temperate:
> 
> http://www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk/search_results.asp


cheers but they seem to be more warm water than anything else ( judging by the country of origin of the species ) :2thumb: 



Morgan Freeman said:


> Zebra danios?


didn't realise they were cold water so thanks :2thumb: 



_jake_ said:


> Gold barbs, Florida flag fish


never heard of either so thank you :2thumb:



gurnster75 said:


> At -9C you'll have a fish filled ice lolly next winter!


lol, there will be a heater in the tank - just didn't want to risk trying to maintain tropical temps hence why i'm going for the cold water fish - doesn't matter if the temp drops then but still won't freeze due to the heater :2thumb:



Moogloo said:


> Personally.... I would put a heater in there on the lowest setting because -9 is something shocking, subtropical fish (eg coldwater fish that arent goldfish generally) wont survive that cold...
> 
> That said... 'cold water/sub tropical' fish that i like/i think would be suitable are:
> 
> ...


FANTASTIC - thank you :no1: :2thumb: :no1: :notworthy: 

As I said above, there will be a heater, just didn't want to risk killing tropicals just incase the water temp drops too low for them but I figured that cold water fish would be ok so long as I don't allow them to freeze. My workshop is colder inside than the temp outside most of the time so obviously worse in winter, lol.

Never realised there were so many I could choose from but I will be sure to check them out.

Ta very much - I'm sure I'll be able to make a nice display from the options you have suggested.


Any other suggestions still welcomed.

Cheers,
Volly


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

Well I suppose the outside temps may be -9 but the water would be solid at those temps so unless you heat the water nothing will survive.

A nice exotic creature might be an axolotl or two in the 3 ft tank. They love colder water and in fact dont like it warm at all. They are an extremely different creature. Lizard like with external gills.

Try Google images.


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

:2thumb:.
http://www.easitillweb16.co.uk/WaterZoo/images/imagelibrary/Livestock/Subtropical fish.pdf


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Axolotl is an amphibian.


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## seanmackie (Oct 27, 2009)

Ive kept _Gymnocorymbus ternetzi_ and _Macropodus opercularis_ in unheated tanks before and they have been fine. My room is very warm tho, so doubt the _Macropodus opercularis_ would cope very well with what your doing mate, but the _Gymnocorymbus ternetzi_ should be fine.


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## Stan193 (May 27, 2009)

cheers but they seem to be more warm water than anything else ( judging by the country of origin of the species ) :2thumb: 

No these are fish that live at room temps eg rainbow dace are on there and I think theyre ok down to 4 degC. It gets very cold in temperate places like america in the winter. they need a licence to sell a lot of these fish given that a lot of them could survive in the wild in the UK which would have consequences for native species.
I really like the hillstream loaches but dont think theyre all that easy to keep, they like a strong current & plenty of oxygen.


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## cianmg (Mar 30, 2011)

get some weather loaches i have one and its really hardy its being attacked by my cat and we dont know how long it was out of the water then its jumped out of the tank a few times and hes lived five years hes great i got another one and they lie beside each other at the bottem of the tank


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Moogloo said:


> Personally.... I would put a heater in there on the lowest setting because -9 is something shocking, subtropical fish (eg coldwater fish that arent goldfish generally) wont survive that cold...
> 
> That said... 'cold water/sub tropical' fish that i like/i think would be suitable are:
> 
> ...



I don't know where this list came from but for the temperatures the OP has stated, Danios would not be acceptable, considering their minimums are 68 degrees F. Barbs should be kept considerably WARMER than the above.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

cianmg said:


> get some weather loaches i have one and its really hardy its being attacked by my cat and we dont know how long it was out of the water then its jumped out of the tank a few times and hes lived five years hes great i got another one and they lie beside each other at the bottem of the tank


48" long tank should be considered the minimum for dojos, they are extremely active fish and can grow in excess of 8" long. what size tank are yours in, i have owned them in the past and never had any issues with jumping out, but mine have always been in 4ft tanks at least so had plenty of room to zip around.


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

> I don't know where this list came from but for the temperatures the OP has stated, Danios would not be acceptable, considering their minimums are 68 degrees F. Barbs should be kept considerably WARMER than the above.
> __________________


That list is more than accurate thank you. I wourk in the aquatic trade. Not all species are obvious for sub tropical temperatures...

The OP said it hit -9 outside, the tank f=would be rock solid at -1 or -2. The OP also said he would put a heater in the tank to keep it at a suitable temperature for coldwater/ sub tropical fish.

The only ones on the list that arent perfectly obvious are the Peppered Cories and the Rathbuns Bloodfin. They are more in the realms of >21Deg Celsius. The res are all >18 degrees celsius. With Rainbow Dace and Stickleback at more like >15 degrees Celsius.

There is 100% nothing incorrect in this information.

There are more cooler temperature barbs than there are tropical, especially if you go by all the Barilius species.

I never made a claim as to which species can live together or whichare more suitable for the sized tank as it is up to the OP to do the research on each species, if more information is wanted then i am more than happy to give it.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

volly said:


> Hello Aquatic section,
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You may want to re-read the OP's 1st post again, MooGloo.....-9 with heaters ON. What you are saying is that Barbs and Danios can live in temperatures of -9 degrees C? really? I'll make sure I never buy any fish from you.




Moogloo said:


> That list is more than accurate thank you. I wourk in the aquatic trade. Not all species are obvious for sub tropical temperatures...
> 
> The OP said it hit -9 outside, the tank f=would be rock solid at -1 or -2. The OP also said he would put a heater in the tank to keep it at a suitable temperature for coldwater/ sub tropical fish.
> 
> ...


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

Yes... but if YOU bothered to read the rest of the post... the OP said they wuld have heaters in the fish tank too... With a decent heater or two in there... the water will still happily sit warm enough for sub tropicals.

Dont worry, chances are i wouldnt sell you fish anyway... If people dont listen to advise or are just rude, I wouldnt sell them any livestock.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

:lol2: im pretty sure no fish in the aquatics trade can live in rock solid ice at -9, so yes the tank must be warmer with heater etc, i think it was the air temps which hit -9 so the OP knows he will need to have a heater or 2 in there to keep it, well, liquid :2thumb: or hes gona end up with fish in a giant ice cube no matter what species.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> :lol2: im pretty sure no fish in the aquatics trade can live in rock solid ice at -9, so yes the tank must be warmer with heater etc, i think it was the air temps which hit -9 so the OP knows he will need to have a heater or 2 in there to keep it, well, liquid :2thumb: or hes gona end up with fish in a giant ice cube no matter what species.



I didn't see that hinted or specified.....if anything I think it should have been worded better. Surely assuming has cost us all in the past so I don't do it anymore......i read things how they are written, exactly how they are written (unless I'm deciphering berry1's alien language ...lololol) and from what I read it says the OP has heaters on and the temperature still goes down to -9 degrees C. 

Now either it should be re-worded or they should further explain so we can understand what they mean.


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## volly (Mar 6, 2009)

Victor Creed said:


> I didn't see that hinted or specified.....if anything I think it should have been worded better. Surely assuming has cost us all in the past so I don't do it anymore......i read things how they are written, exactly how they are written (unless I'm deciphering berry1's alien language ...lololol) and from what I read it says the OP has heaters on and the temperature still goes down to -9 degrees C.
> 
> Now either it should be re-worded or they should further explain so we can understand what they mean.


 
To be honest, I HAVE specified that there will be a heater in the tank - Twice.

10th post on the thread.



volly said:


> lol, there will be a heater in the tank - just didn't want to risk trying to maintain tropical temps hence why i'm going for the cold water fish - doesn't matter if the temp drops then but still won't freeze due to the heater :2thumb:


 

and here



volly said:


> As I said above, there will be a heater, just didn't want to risk killing tropicals just incase the water temp drops too low for them but I figured that cold water fish would be ok so long as I don't allow them to freeze. My workshop is colder inside than the temp outside most of the time so obviously worse in winter, lol.
> 
> Never realised there were so many I could choose from but I will be sure to check them out.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for everybody's help and suggestions, didn't realise it would turn into such a 'heated' debate :lol2:.

Think I have the plans sorted now :2thumb:

Best regards,
Volly


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