Who are your favorite underwater citizens...

[Shadowraven]

I'm sure that over the years this site has existed that this question has been asked more than once. But I'm still pretty new here, so I'll be boring and ask it again!

We all have our personal favorites whether they are fish, mollusk or crustacean. So what are your favorite creatures to care for? and Why do you like them so much?

Me first:

Danios of any kind! I love watching these fish play around in the tank. Each of them are such individuals I almost feel that they could talk. A lot of thimes when I keep them they are absolutely fearless! They are so incredibly curious. If I put my hand in the tank or start moving something around they just have to be in on the middle of the action to see what's going on. I love to watch them play tag with each other and if you give them a current to play in it's party time. Danios, are party in every tank.

Corydoras in general. Talk about personality! They have definitely got that!Another favorite that I share with my wife. She calls them our little fatfish. We love to watch them industriously going about their business sweeping the substrate and chasing each other around the tank.

Shrimp. Love to watch busily marching around the tank doing their business. They can find anything there is to find in the substrate and make it disappear. They are so cute to watch at their tasks.

Crabs. My favorite crustacean with class. They are really individuals. I'm not sure what it is about them exactly that I like so much, but they've got it in spades! That little scuttle of theirs as they fend off some nosy fish or find a choice morsel. I love 'em.

Pearl Gouramis. One of the most beautiful and peaceful fish I have have ever kept. They are so graceful the way that they stately move about the tank with such purpose.

Checkerboards Barb. I love to watch these absolutely beautiful fish shoal together in the tank. A real sight to see.

Some others would be Lemon Tetras, Neon Tetras, Glowlight Tetras and Head-and-Tail-Light Tetras. I love these fish just from the standpoint of the beauty of the fish.

My wife would also add the Apple Snail to this list. She loves to watch them plowing around the tank.

 

[Rokuzachi]

A favorite that I will likely never keep again; an Oscar. It felt like having an aquatic dog, and much like my dogs, I generally won't get another one of the same breed. My old oscar was very tame, hardly aggressive and not really prone to eating much live stuff even if it fit in his mouth. He used to spit at me a lot when I'd pass by, which kind of annoyed my mom.

Most types of earth eaters. They wrecked many an aquascape, but they were always fun to watch and got along well with everything.

Various polypterids. I've got a thing for unconventional looking fish and they definitely fit the bill. If I could own a Coelacanth I would! I enjoy watching them nose around the tank and 'walk' around on their funny little pectoral fins.

Trewavasae. 'Cause it's all about the nose.

GW Killies (the lady's favorite). She likes them because 'they're always smiling'.

Current favorite; Brown Hoplo (hoplosternum littorale). Two weeks in quarantine being treated for various things and despite it all, they readily take food from my hand and even go so far as to come up out of the water about half their body length to find it if I tease them, which often results in me getting splashed with tank water. They'll chew on my fingers too for as long as I'm inclined to leave them in the tank.

I also like just about any type of snail. Wish I could own a giant african land snail.

Looking forward to adding Keyhole Cichlids, ctenopoma acutirostre and Rosy Barbs to my list of fish I've kept and loved, hopefully

 

[siva]

You know something that really disturbed me today was hearing this lady in Petco saying she was going to flush her oscar when she got home. Grrrrrrr

I love inverts. I have so many but I'm especially fond of my CPO's...darling little dwarf crays. Also my crystal red shrimp. My new beautiful vampire crabs. Green horned nerite snails, pink ramshorn snails, purple mystery snails. Just to name a few. I'm invert crazy..really

Bettas..to me the most stunning fish out there..I'd have a hundred if I could

 

[Daumi]

Invertebrates. Every tank that I start centers first and foremost around them. Such fascinating little busy-bodies. My absolute favorites are the orange eye-blue tiger shrimps. But any shrimp really takes the trophy.

Tetras. There are so many different types and colors, but they always seem like the perfect addition to any shrimp-conscious community tank. I really like the glowlights and green neons.

 

[Tayeloquin]

Um...Goldfish.

I just love 'em to death. My Myrrh has become so friendly, he's almost dog like I suppose. Well, he knows how to beg anyway.

I just wish the little pooper didn't have such a large bio-load.

 

[TraceyB4602]

My first and formost favorite fish in all of my tanks is my leporinus. He is agresive, eats things but I have taught him which fish are friends and which fish are foes.... and he can eat. He is very shy but always comes out to say hi to me.

Second I love my corydoras. I now own 10 of the little guys, with emeralds being my favorite. They always have so much fun, all the time.. I even see them going up and down in the middle of the night with there white tummys against the glass shining in the dark. Never is there a scrap of food left on the rocks.

I also love shrimp and crabs. Crabs just scuddle across the scene and the disapear. I love looking for the invisble gohst shrimp, they're everywhere but you wouldn't know it till you get up close or frank has one in his mouth : )

 

[ShadoeFox]

I've gotta agree with the ghost shrimp. Heck, me and the fiancee found one in the QT tank that we thought was lost and eaten like, two weeks ago, hiding under the bridge! (He's now with his fellows in the guppy tank, where he belongs). Good cleaners, and strangely personable.

Fish wise, love the guppies just for watching them swim, but Gourmi are my current favorites. In spite of all logic (And due to a mis-understanding on my part early on) have two males in the same tank. They're really actually mellow (Will slap each other from time to time but no serious scuffling) and I'm currently watching them blowing bubble nests and ROBBING each others bubble nests. (And yes, I know I probably need to move them, but that tank isn't quite ready yet. Besides, half the time they're chilling together like a pair of stoners at white castle.)

 

[Shadowraven]

I almost forgot my brackish water buddies. Scats, Monos and Archerfish!

I adore bettas as well. Unfortunately I had a blue gourami kill my last one. Lesson learned. Like festivums and kribs too.

 

[alLexX]

my blue cray is my fave,she is awesome.she is the most mellow cray i have ever met.and she loves redecorating.

 

[beepboop]

Angelfish, then Rainbowfish, then Goldfish, then Gouramis.

 

[Homedog98]

I love rainbow sharks. So much personality, and really calm fish if in the right size tank.

 

[siva]

my blue cray is my fave,she is awesome.she is the most mellow cray i have ever met.and she loves redecorating.

Yours too huh? When I clean my males tank and put everything back in place, I'm not sure if he's irritated or excited because he gets to do it all over again

 

[alLexX]

yeah,once i added some mini toy turtles as decorations,the next day they were all moved around,and most were upside down.she never leaves my tank the same 2 days in a row