Recommendations for centrepiece fish?

[eco23]

I'm almost done stocking my 48 gallon. I'm looking for a peaceful and hopefully colorful centerpiece fish to finish it all off. I'm interested in Blue Rams, but I think they'll devour my Red Cherry Shrimp.

Here's what I've got stocked now...

9x Neon Tetra
7x Red Eye Tetra
8x Glofish / Leopard Danio mix
7x Otos
15x Red Cherry Shrimp
* I'm also adding some Panda Corys in the next couple weeks

Thanks for suggestions!

 

[Homedog98]

Hey man! How about a pair of kribensis, or keyhole cichlids? And if you're looking for a bottom feeder centerpiece... Starlight bristlenose pleco if you can find one! You might could do a rainbow shark... But that might be pushing it size wise.

 

[eco23]

Hey Homedog! I'm hopefully looking for a mid-level swimmer. With the shrimp and Pandas I'll be getting (plus my red eyes like to hang out down there) I'll have good activity on the bottom. My danios basically play on the surface, so the middle of the tank is lacking. Dwarf Gouramis keep coming to mind...but my wife doesn't really care for them.

 

[eco23]

That Kribinsis is neat! I should also add that my pH is around 7.5.

 

[Homedog98]

The Ph shouldn't be a problem... That's actually perfect for most communities. Have you thought about angels then? They're pretty much the one cichlid/centerpiece i know that doesn't chill on the bottom lol. But I do like the color on the kribs either way.

 

[eco23]

Angels are actually a good idea! I had a bad experience with them when I was younger and didn't know how to care for fish...so I've been kinda shy of them. Now that I know what I'm doing maybe it's time to redeem myself.

 

[Homedog98]

Sounds good! If you want a pair, grow out 5 or 6 in a separate tank, and once they pair, take the others back... Or just get one and it can ride solo.

 

[eco23]

Are you familiar with blue and Bolivian rams? That's what we'd really like, but I'm not sure about compatibility.

 

[bsdryder7]

my blue rams get along great with my community tank and i also have three angels and two of them have paired but the other swims with them no prob.....

 

[eco23]

my blue rams get along great with my community tank and i also have three angels and two of them have paired but the other swims with them no prob.....

Do you know if blue rams are okay solo? I've heard that if they want to breed they'll sometimes try to wipe out the other fish to have some private space to lay eggs.

 

[bsdryder7]

not sure ....sorry

 

[Homedog98]

Are you familiar with blue and Bolivian rams? That's what we'd really like, but I'm not sure about compatibility.

I like the rams, and plan on getting a pair of bolivians for my community tank. They mainly just claim a territory, and so long as other fish stay off it, they leave them alone.

 

[Mog]

Hey Eco,

Thought I could help out a little in this regards. I've been researching blue rams as I was going to use them as my centerpiece as well as I think they are very beautiful fish. The problem so to speak with them, is that they require a temp of 78-85... which is usually too warm for a community tank. The bolivians, while not as colorful are more hardy and require a temp of 72-79.

I found an alternative I want you to check out... Peacock gudgeons. They are very colorful, small at a max of 2.5 though... Look at this one: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forum...40-April-2009-Photo-of-the-Month-Winner-Rsanz

Mog

 

[eco23]

Hey Eco,

Thought I could help out a little in this regards. I've been researching blue rams as I was going to use them as my centerpiece as well as I think they are very beautiful fish. The problem so to speak with them, is that they require a temp of 78-85... which is usually too warm for a community tank. The bolivians, while not as colorful are more hardy and require a temp of 72-79.

I found an alternative I want you to check out... Peacock gudgeons. They are very colorful, small at a max of 2.5 though... Look at this one: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?190740-April-2009-Photo-of-the-Month-Winner-Rsanz

Mog

Wow, they're nice. I've never seen them before. I'm just being picky because I'm really wanting just a solo larger fish that can kind of be the main attraction.

I feel overstocked (but I know I'm not) because I've got all these tiny schooling fish, and at feeding time it looks like a frenzy with fish flying everywhere.

 

[MABJ]

I saw this amazing and beautiful fish called frontosa cichlids the other day in my pet store. I bet one might fit in your aquarium.. I don't know much about them yet, so I'm trying to learn, but I guess they're very peaceful

 

[eco23]

I saw this amazing and beautiful fish called frontosa cichlids the other day in my pet store. I bet one might fit in your aquarium.. I don't know much about them yet, so I'm trying to learn, but I guess they're very peaceful

They are very pretty fish, but I just saw they get up to a foot and a half! I've got a 48 gallon so it wouldn't work...but thanks!

 

[MABJ]

I just saw that too! Heheh I just posed the question. Like i was saying in another thread, it's sad fish stores sell them to people with 1.5-10 gallons and just snicker and take cash.

 

[Rosenweiss]

+1 on peacock gudgeons. Have a pair of them in my tank and they are gorgeous. Their breeding is really fun to watch, too. They may get a little aggressive but so far they have not hurt any of my other community fish. Not as aggressive as rams and beautiful.

Strongly recommend!

 

[eco23]

+1 on peacock gudgeons. Have a pair of them in my tank and they are gorgeous. Their breeding is really fun to watch, too. They may get a little aggressive but so far they have not hurt any of my other community fish. Not as aggressive as rams and beautiful.

Strongly recommend!

Also very pretty, but a little on the small side. I think a dwarf gourami is gonna end up being the winner. It swims at the mid level of the tank, which is important to me, is the size I'm looking for and is super peaceful. I really only want a centerpiece fish that is okay by themselves and is a bit larger than everything else so it stands out.

 

[redfisher1139]

Rams!!!!