Id help please!

[FishontheRock]

About ~16years ago my Dad got this pair of fish for a large aquarium we had. I have good memories of them being quite aggressive and. Bullying a number of tank mates to death. They would even go after the high fin Pleco we had.
They were a sky blue colour and a triangular almost angelfish like shape. I remember calling the Bluejay blues.

This was the only time I can ever remember seeing anything like them. I was thinking the other day what an amazing species tank they'd make.

Does anyone have any ideas what they were? My Dad later said they were probably some kind of cichlid mostly based on their behaviour.

 

[Borderlesscott]

Possibly ( Mono fish ) - they look like Angels and are freshwater.

 

[FishontheRock]

That's the right shape but these were very blue.

 

[Ovid]

That's the right shape but these were very blue.

Do you recall how big they were?

 

[FishontheRock]

2-3 inches when bought and maybe 4ish max I saw them. It was an old home made tank with really heavy thick glass. So when we move the tank stayed The fellow who bought the house was very excited on the new fishy inheiritance! As such I'm not sure how big they ultimately got.

 

[Ovid]

It could've been a variety of Discus. Try googling "blue discus" and see if any that come up look like what you had. Not really triangular, but can sometimes look that way.

 

[mikeISright]

I bet it was a blue gourami. Also known as opaline gouramis. They resemble angels.

 

[mikeISright]

Heres a pic

 

[FishontheRock]

The gouramis have too many other colours these guys were completely blue.
The blue discus look closer the only thought is the water was really really hard and ph was near eight but these two fish thrived in it. Always first to snap up food being all round brats to other fish in the tank.

 

[mikeISright]

Well blue gouramis tend to be major brats. Some are completely blue with a little blue oval on them. Can i ask how old you were when he had this tank?

 

[FishontheRock]

He built it before I was born and I was 12 when we move. The high fin Pleco was at least 20 when we moved.

 

[FishontheRock]

If the gouramis was entirely blue with out the black spot it might have been that.

 

[mikeISright]

Is that any closer? And if u were twelve u may have forgotten. I remember having a betta when i was twelve but i couldnt tell you what color it was and im only 18. Based on your description and levels of aggression i can almost gaurantee that it was the blue gourami. I was going to say discus but they tend to be gentle and unless your dad cleaned it 3 times a weeks it probably was not them

 

[FishontheRock]

I also doubt discus because my Dad avoided difficult fish.

The blue gourami with out the spot definitely looks close to my memory. It's amazing the difference the lack of a black spot looks. Could these be kept in a fair number in a large tank? Say 10-15 in a 60g. Potential dream tank. Those fish and their feisty attitude so bad a fit in the community tanks they were in would be beautiful in a community tank.

I have an uncanny memory. I have distinct memories back to a year and a half. If I remember something it's generally really clear. I forget sometimes that others don't remember the way I do and I get frustrated that they can't remember. Usually though I remember that I'm a bit strange that way.

 

[mikeISright]

Ok yeah i bet it was these guys. And a 60 gallon... I would say?... 6 to 8? U could also mix it up and get some gold gouramis. Exact same fish different coloring. They contrast nicely. I would do a few blues a few golds and a senegal bichir. They are my #1 favorite fish. They are semi-aggressive, eat almost anything, couldnt eat a blue gourami, fast, and have the most personality i have ever seen in fish. I am picturing this tank in my mind and it actually seems pretty nice. On the amount of gouramis though.. If someone else could give an opinion because i only kept gouramis for a month until my pet sitter killed them while i was on vacation by overfeeding.

 

[FishontheRock]

Ouch... I had a group of golden wonder killies die from a sitter over feeding.

This tank won't happen soon but it's a dream for someday.

 

[mikeISright]

Here they are! I also have some photos of my little senegals and my 55 gallon setup on my profile. Instead of doing gouramis you could do something like I have with one stunning aggressive cichlid and some bottom feeders