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The Fish Page
Before I list all my tank occupants I feel I need to make a few excuses up front. This is my first serious tank (we're talking the difference between a two gallon desk tank, and a forty-six gallon monster.) I've made mistakes, and I've lost fish -- but the point of these pages is to help other people not make the same mistakes I did, not to pretend that my tank is some fish nirvana where nothing ever goes wrong, where I never selected the wrong type of fish, or abused the size of my tank.
So I'm not perfect. But maybe after avoiding my mistakes, you can be. (I can dream, can't I?)
Rainbowfish
These are the primary occupants of my tank. That doesn't mean that they are the most numerous, but they are the fish that I'm currently catering my tank around. They are beautiful creatures, easy to care for, nice to other fish, and perfect with plants. To me, they are the ideal fish for showcasing plants -- their vibrant colors look great against the reds and greens, and increase that "slice from the bottom of the river" look that I'm aiming for. (I haven't hit it yet, but I'll get there soon enough.) Luckily, I have time. It takes a few years for Rainbowfish to achieve their final colors (you'll notice the difference between final color pictures from other sites and mine), but I've made a point of buying mine young -- I want to see them grow up and into my tank.
Catfish & Algae Eaters
I ended up with more of these than I intended to have, mostly because of my husband's fascination with stranger looking fish. I did make sure tho that the fish we purchased were plant compatable, which is something to think about ahead of time. Apparently a lot of pleco's are known to rasp away at plant leaves and make holes, while others barrage across teh bottom of your tank, knocking plants loose. The ones we have do neither, and they seem to do a great job of keeping the bottoms, sides, and leaves inside the tank clean.
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Upside downer's, Farlowella, cory cats, borneo sucker, and ottos & glass cats
Puffers
Yes, I know, puffers aren't a great idea for tank additions unless you know what you're doing -- and I'll freely admit at the time that we got our first two we didn't. A lot of puffers need brackish water (salted water that most plants can't grow in) or are freshwater while they are young then move to salt/brackish later on. There isn't much information on the web on these creatures, but if you see their cute beady eyes in a fish store, you'll realize their allure. They look like they are thinking, no -- they look like they are plotting. And as they cruise the bottom of your tank looking for snails, like minature dirgibles, they'll steal your heart.
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Green Spot & Sancho
Misc. Fish
Don't let the name fool you -- we didn't buy these fish randomly. Well, not entirely randomly.
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African Butterfly Fish, Bumble Bee Goby, Guppies, Hatchet fish