Big fish / Little fish - which to choose?

I've always had small fish. I have a 90 gallon tank. Smaller fish in a larger tank give the impression of a larger tank. Plus the fact that you can keep more and a wider variety. A large fish in a tank looks more to me like a dog in a cage. Just my opinion.

Originally posted by beviking
A large fish in a tank looks more to me like a dog in a cage. Just my opinion.

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In many ways I agree, if I could start-over I'd probably only have once cichlid (probably the mid-sized Milomo). Semi-aggressives are also hard to find good tank mates as they tend to attack just about anything I've wanted for my tank since I started.

I may decide to trade them in some day for some smaller fish, but I still like watching them posture all the time and secretly hope their personalities will develop more.

i haven't been visiting this forum for very long but it seems to me that there aren't a lot of large fish owners, or maybe they're just quite.

personally i love big fish for the fact that they look like dogs. i love the idea of a big ol fish that looks back at you and seems to be capable of human like emotions.

my little brother has 4 oscars, two tigers and two rubys, in a 125. they're all at least 10 plus and when they get hungry and start splashing around at the surface begging they look like a bunch happy puppies just looking for love.

i never felt anything like that for either of my parents tanks. my mom has a community tank with loaches angels sharks and gouramis all of which are pretty but they just never held my attention for long. same with my dads tank, silver dollars tetras african knives, again the appeal just isn't there.

so i guess i'm biassed but i say the bigger the better.

GO BIG BABY.........YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

I changed my tank over from African Cichlids to smaller fish.
The cichlids became too aggressive and I tried everything to make them stop fighting, rearranged the structures, overstocked! everything. I eventually decided to give up and sell them out.

I am not disappointed that I now have smaller fish in the tank, it is more peaceful and I don't have to worry about who is getting attacked today and who needs to go in a hospital tank..lol

I wish that I could keep larger fish and would if I could...

www.predatoryfish.net/ibforums is a good place to go for info on larger, predatory fish.

A decision is not forever - I've done big fish, right now I have small fish. It is a change in the weather, no more than that. It just lasts longer. About every 10 years I have to radically change what I keep and the way I operate tanks to keep from burning out. Big, little, SW, BW, FW, Cichlids, puffers, Rainbows, planted, Berlin, whatever...you can modify your toys and have new worlds to expolre...

if its just that you want to get plants in there then maybe you dont need to sell off the fish you have.

I know there are some plants that cichlids wont eat, I cant think of any specific names but if you look around you should be able to find something you can put in there.

If you cant find anything in specific like that then try something hardy that grows fast like java fern or mondo grass. Maybe you can make them grow faster than the fish can eat them.

Or you could try and see WHICH of your fish is doign the eating, maybe you can take out just one or two instead of all of them.

You said you have tried plants so if this is something you already know forgive me but im just throughing the suggestions out!

another alternative could be plastic plants...you can get pretty realistic looking ones and they are harder for the fish to eat

The big fish fans are on the Cichlid forum.

I agree about big fish looking somewhat trapped in even big tanks. IMO 10" fish should still have room to swim actively, meaning a 8-10' tank. Just my opinion based on visual balance, not health. But they kept apes alive in small cages for years too...

Originally posted by stpower



Has anyone got rid of their larger fish for smaller ones and regretted it in the long run?

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Im about to do this with my 66g. Im getting rid of my jack dempsey and pleco and putting in my white clouds and weather loaches. I dont think I will regret it. I guess weather loaches arent really "small" fish though...