identify this fish please

[rshumberg]

im new to the hobby. i have had a 96 gallon community tank for about 6 months. i have been buying fish in a pretty random way. now i have a fish nipping other fish. i cannot tell who's doing what. the attached fish is the most aggressive. does anyone recognize the type? he chases most the other fish around but only for a second or two. he chases all the other fish including 2 tin foil barbs that have gotten quite big. is it possible that as the tin foil barbs get bigger relative to the other fish that they will become more aggressive and/or eat fish they used to ignore?

probably the next most aggressive is the blue gourmai (sp?). are any of these known as aggressive community fish?

thanks

[IHaveNoOpinionOnObama]

reminds me of a large mouth bass but I doubt that's what it is. have you considered taking the picture back to the fish store from which you bought it and asking them?

[armthehomeless]

Ameca splendens

[mnemenoi]

It appears to be a Butterfly Goodeid (Ameca Splendens), a primitive and endangered livebearer that has a reputation for being somewhat aggressive and a fin nipper. Tin Foil barbs grow quite large (14") and although not overly aggressive, their sheer size can make them a threat to anything that can fit in their mouths. Blue Gourami's are another notable fin nipper and will often molest other inhabitants in community aquariums. Sorry all my information is so disheartening.

As far as recommendations go I would suggest trading in all of your aggressive types and being very particular on what you replace them with. Your Goodeid can easily find another home as it is somewhat rare in the hobby and often in demand. I fear I don't have another livebearer that might fit the bill on replacing it, but others on here should. Spanner Barbs or any large Danio should exhibit similar behavior and stay a tad smaller, thus allowing a larger shoal replicating a normal behavior from the fish. A pair or trio of Moonlight or Pearl Gouramis might be a better fit in a community tank and they are both much less aggressive to their compatriots.

Best of luck and just ask if you have any further questions, we love helping out when we can

[Sea-agg09]

Yeah, that's an Ameca splendins, and a big male. They eat algae, but not all that well. Trade him in to a fish shop and get something a little less territorial.

[rshumberg]

thanks very much for the help. i think i will trade him in. i cannot remember what i paid for him at The Fish Gallery. What is a decent trade in value for a fish like this. he's got a lot of personality. i will miss him.

i normally frequent The Fish Gallery but bought these tin foil barbs at the local petsmart b/c it is sooo close to the house it's hard not to stop in. had no idea they would get so big.

what does this mean? "Spanner Barbs or any large Danio should exhibit similar behavior and stay a tad smaller, thus allowing a larger shoal replicating a normal behavior from the fish". what is a shoal? thanks again. cheers.

[mnemenoi]

I would think anywhere from $5-10 dollars, though you might be offered more in trade value especially for a show tank sized male.

Most Cyprinids (Barbs, Danios, and Rasbora) have very large schools in the wild, numbering from 20 to literally thousands. Many will exhibit abnormal behaviors when kept in small groups (less then 3 or 4) due to stress and unnatural conditions. I was mentioning that if you liked their general disposition then a smaller member might be just what you'd like. Seeing them form a large school and move about as a group is one of my favorite aspects of their family. Most of their relatives will occupy the same stratum in the tank and have similar behaviors they will just be calmer in large groups and very enjoyable to watch. Fish Gallery has quite a selection of very cool Danios and Barbs and I'm sure they would be happy to assist you in selecting one appropriate for your water conditions and community residents.