Top - Mid water dwelling fish for SA tank

[eklikewhoa]

Maybe a shoal of Greater Hatchetfish? At 3 1/2" they might be large and fast enough to avoid depradation. Penguinfish or Hockeystick tetra look great in a school and are eyecatching at a larger size. What about some Giant Rivulus (Rivulus Hartii) they are a bit sizier and should be able to hold their own as well. Pike Livebearers would make an interesting addition as well, as livebearers rarely achieve that size or ferocity.

Striped or three spot Anostomus and possibly some Abrimates could conceivably work. I remember seeing some oddball headstander I never see up at Ultimate fish and it was quite sizable, but can't remember exactly what it was (Hah, I remembered! It was a Lipstick Leperonus). What do you think about the possibility of a school of Amazon puffers? They are all over in the tank, but do get larger and should be able to fend for themselves well.

all very cool suggestions but I think I'm going to need bigger, Maybe the hatchetfish will work though.

The other tankmates right now are the hujeta pikes and the bottom dwellers which have been down to eat the faces off of 4-5" goldfish.

[mnemenoi]

Hmmm, I'll try and really brainstorm. I'm sure I can come up with a few more suggestions... The lipstick lepironus up at Ultimate was 12" at least...

[eklikewhoa]

I want something that moves around, preferrably in packs, nothing that will become nippy towards the bottom dwellers since they are my prize possessions.

Just wanting something to help fill in the tank.

[eklikewhoa]

When I posted this I was hoping you'd reply mRoy.

There's a few african tiger fish but wanting something SA. Hopefully whatever you come up with its easy to come by here in VN.

[mnemenoi]

What about some Striped Pike Characin (Boulengrella lateristriga)? Somewhat gar-like, not exactly active though. Black Pacu certainly look impressive or even a whimple piranha (Catoprion mento) for a solitary showpiece. I have seen a few Flagtailed Characin (Semaprochilodus taeniurus) and they do well in large tanks in groups. I suppose a Payara is out of the question? I have heard they can be kept in groups if fed well enough, lol.
Personally if you could acquire a school of Redtailed Hemiodus I think they would be jaw dropping in a large enough tank to allow them adult size and exhibit their schoaling behavior.

[eklikewhoa]

What about some Striped Pike Characin (Boulengrella lateristriga)? Somewhat gar-like, not exactly active though. Black Pacu certainly look impressive or even a whimple piranha (Catoprion mento) for a solitary showpiece. I have seen a few Flagtailed Characin (Semaprochilodus taeniurus) and they do well in large tanks in groups. I suppose a Payara is out of the question? I have heard they can be kept in groups if fed well enough, lol.
Personally if you could acquire a school of Redtailed Hemiodus I think they would be jaw dropping in a large enough tank to allow them adult size and exhibit their schoaling behavior.

I have a pair of Hujeta Pikes right now in the tank but like the boiulengrella, not really active.
Getting rid of the myleus schomburgkii, I'm wanting to stay away from those type of characin, they don't do it for me.
The flagtail are known to suck on slime coat aggressively.

I thought about a payara, there's a group of nice schombs nearby but they are uglier than ugly and everytime I watch them they just sit there.

The Hemiodus look cool, if cheap enough that would be something to look at and easy to replace if the tankmates decided to snack a few.


I keep thinking Hydrocynus or brycon, the two I've seen in person and I like how they move through the water.

[eklikewhoa]

Sent you a msg on fb roy.

[TaTeR ToT]

How about an aba aba knife?
A group of needle gars?
Distochodus fasciatus?
Panda uaru?
Red tiger moto pair?
Red isletas pair?
Large group of four eyed fish?

I could keep going all day if you need more lol.

[TaTeR ToT]

Or you could just go nuts and get a pair of amphilophus ammarillos or a. Chancos.

[eklikewhoa]

How about an aba aba knife?
A group of needle gars?
Distochodus fasciatus?
Panda uaru?
Red tiger moto pair?
Red isletas pair?
Large group of four eyed fish?

I could keep going all day if you need more lol.

Only the Red isletas looks appealing to me, the others don't tickle it none.
The four eyes would be sitting ducks.

Or you could just go nuts and get a pair of amphilophus ammarillos or a. Chancos.

amphilophus ammarillos look cool too, guess it's cause I'm partial to convicts.

I would need them to be full grown though since anything less might become a meal.

[TaTeR ToT]

why not a group of large vieja?
regani, argentea, bifasciatus, plum heads, black belts, or maybe if you could find them chucho godmani.
then there always the nandopsis genus, odo, aka black nasties are my favs.

[eklikewhoa]

The cichlids aren't doing it much for me, they don't move as much and when they settle down they stick to a spot and not move around the tank, looking for something that will inhabit the upper levels of the tank.

Plus I think the cichlids are slow enough to become a meal.

[rgonzales]

dont get scombs, big risk of sudden death

[eklikewhoa]

dont get scombs, big risk of sudden death

I read that, but read that happens with any of the payaras though. Plus the ones I've seen have been doing good for a few months now.

Doubt ill get them though cause they're ugly as fawk.

[eklikewhoa]

Luciosoma spilopleura (Apollo shark)

Looks interesting enough.