Question of the Day Favorite freshwater fish you've kept

[Alcatraz]

What's your favorite freshwater fish you've kept and why?

 

[Humblefish]

Angels & Discus - because they are so elegant looking. Until they suddenly lunge at a smaller fish and you are reminded that they are actually cichlids.

 

[Lachri]

I'm going to have to go with bettas, just because it's the only freshwater fish I ever kept. I was weird. I started with salt lol.
That betta sure does have a fun personality though!

 

[FSP]

Discus are just about perfect appearance wise, but they aren't as fun to feed as some fish. Angels fix that problem

If not discus/angels, maybe big swords and mollies. Anyone on any budget can enjoy them, but you get what you put into them. Good food, water changes, selection, etc. can produce 5"-6" fish with crazy fins and color. Only downside is they're pretty short lived.

 

[Sustainable Marine]

Endler's for my nano's and Tanganyika Tropheus for my larger tanks.

Tropheus because, I could easily breed them and the babies of Duboisi are so cute. Mouthbrooders are fascinating.

A few pics of my endler's in my planted nano. Endler's are captive bred, easy peasy to keep and eat algae of your plants. They fit nicely in a nano and look great. They even tolerate salt water.

All of my Cichlid breeding pictures are on old film, in the loft somewhere, they where no digital cameras back then. I really must dig them out.

I also love guppies. but my wife liked betta. This was hers.

 

[Vette67]

I had a rainbow shark in a 10 gallon fresh water tank in my dorm at Ohio state. When I transferred out of OSU, I gave the fish to my dad in his 29 fresh tank. He then gave the tank and fish to my brother. I think I figured the fish was about 10 years old when it finally died. And of course being the 90’s, there’s no picture of the fish anywhere. I always wanted oscars, but figured they wouldn’t be appropriate for my 10 gallon tank.

 

[Wrangy]

Blue Rams have always been and will always be my absolute favourite FW fish!

Peppermint bristlenose catfish are a very close second though!

 

[Reefhog]

Because.........Well, it's a Puffer

 

[thomashtom]

Red belly piranha. When I was a teenager! Fun till they got big and I was nervous to put my hand in the tank! Lol

 

[JellyfishBrain]

Boeseman Rainbowfish. Super active, awesome coloration. About as close to saltwater fish as you can get in freshwater. But the coolest thing is first thing in the morning when the lights are ramping up. Their front half is a deep blue, almost purple. And if they're trying to impress a female they start flashing, turning their head a sort of iridescent green color. It's easily the coolest thing I've seen in the hobby, FW or marine.

 

[Maritimer]

I agree, @JellyfishBrain ... rainbowfish are a total delight; Boesman's, millennium, dwarf neon . . . I once watched a turquoise rainbow go from shimmering green to metallic pumpkin orange and back to green in less than half the time it took you to read this sentence!

Close to saltwater fish, they are - in my part of the world, the silverside family are only found in salt water.

~B.

 

[Count Krunk]

Rainbow fish, angels, lyre tail mollies. Lots of very cool fw fish.

recent pic of my 10g guppy harem. They add so much movement and color i also love them.

 

[Big G]

Rummy Nose and Blue Tetras. A big school of each swirling around in my planted tank.

 

[AndyR83]

I have a giant Oscar and a Redtail Catfish that’ve been together for almost 5 years now. I got both of them when they were under two inches and they’ve always been together. As they’ve grown, I’ve upgraded them to progressively larger tanks over the years.

We’re actually considering building a big indoor pond for them in the basement at this point. For the record, yes I do know how crazy that probably makes me sound!

My wife has a really nice 125 gallon cichlid tank in our living room too. I don’t know too much about keeping FW fish, but I absolutely love that tank!

 

[Oscarmk]

Kuhli loach and Angels for me

 

[Big G]

We’re actually considering building a big indoor pond for them in the basement at this point. For the record, yes I do know how crazy that probably makes me sound!

Indoor Koi pond . . . kind of an indoor Zen garden Man I'd like a basement.

 

[Big G]

I agree, @JellyfishBrain ... rainbowfish are a total delight; Boesman's, millennium, dwarf neon . . . I once watched a turquoise rainbow go from shimmering green to metallic pumpkin orange and back to green in less than half the time it took you to read this sentence!

We used to have a beautiful rainbowfish that would go nose to nose with a stunning beautiful betta. Just watching them in the planted tank under the lights was amazing

 

[Flame2hawk]

Discus and clown loaches were my favs until i got the saltwater bug years ago….

 

[Paul B]

Leaf fish. They look exactly like a leaf and if it dies, you can replace it with a leaf and no one will know. Very cool fish with a large mouth.