Tropical Freshwater Fish.?

Question

What are some of the "prettiest" or "unique" tropical freshwater fish? I want somthing kind of like a clown fish or yellow tang, but they're saltwater fish.

i have a 10 gallon tank.

Answer 1

Cichlids are nice, but you need to have a big tank as most a territorial and aggressive.

The prettiest, besides cichlids, I'd say are guppies and bettas, just not together.
Guppies are great community fish, and when with females, they breed like crazy.

Bettas, however, are VERY aggressive and can only be housed with certain species of fish, like a few tetras, and not with other bettas.

There are quite a few unique species of fish.
For schooling fish there are tetras which have unique colorations and schooling habits.

Cory catfish are also schooling fish and they're amusing to watch when in a group.

But the most unique in my eyes, is the black ghost knife (or brown ghost knife, which is smaller). However, it grows quite large (over 1')

For more freshwater fish, check out liveaquaria
liveaquaria.com

Answer 2

Clown loaches ARE striking fish, but they also grow too big for a 10 gallon tank, ditto the cichlids. There are some VERY striking colour variations in platies these days, including a royal blue coral. Green tiger barbs are gorgeous, too, and you should look at some Harlequin rasboras. Below is a link to some info on killifish, which come in stunning colours.

Answer 3

The fresh water clown loach is every bit as colorful as salt water clowns. A school of these in a large tank are very amusing in how they play around.
The distichodus sexfasciatus when about 8-12" is easily the showiest fresh water fish. As they get larger than this their color fades somewhat but they are still lovely. It is a deep brick red fish with gold gilt on the edge of each large scale and six vertical black bars that are black black. Mostly they are seen as juveniles and the color is not that spectacular.
The arapima gigas is one oddity that I've had only once. In the Amazon basin they become the largest fresh water fish in the world. And in a 125 gal hex tank I raised an 8 inch specimen to over 3' in about one year. They are ugly but impressive.

Answer 4

For a 21 litre / 5 gallon Fluval Edge tank? Shrimps and snails, really. Size-wise a Betta would be suitable, but they need access to surface air and the tiny opening on the Edge tank isn't sufficient. A single Dwarf Puffer is an option but it's not an easy fish to keep because of its dietary needs.

Answer 5

Get some freshwater rays, they are pretty unique. Bichir look strange too, they more like fish from the dinosaurs era. Then there are the upside down catfish, leaf fish, and many more for uniqueness.

As for pretty, you should look for Half Moon Betta (esp. Black Orchid), Crown Tail Betta and Red/Blue Diamond/Leopard Skin Discus.

Answer 6

Lake malawi and tanganika cichlids are really pretty. I would also suggest some of the freshwater odditties like the Black ghost knife fish, Asiatica, Bichirs, Some of the loaches are specially stiking like the Clown loach, Blue loach, etc.

Answer 7

Cichlids are quite nice for the pretty, colourful look and so are killifish.
Oddities:
freshwater pufferfish,
freshwater butterflyfish,
bichirs,
lungfish,(especially Ethiopian)
south American leaf fish,
asian leaf fish,
South American, Asian and African knife fish,(esp.black ghosts and clowns)
exotic catfish,
motoro rays,
tiger rays,
fire eels,
spiny eels...

Answer 8

The most beautiful Tropical Freshwater fish are Discus. They are also the most demanding of all Cichilds.

http://www.discushatchery.com/gallery/gallery.html

Answer 9

Cichlids are one of the prettiest. Esp the yellow ones. I forgot the name!

Answer 10

the Malawi Blue Cichlid is a pretty fish as are most of the CICHLIDS ALSO ANGEL FISH GUPPIES PLATYS SWORD TAILS