Aquatic "puppy" sought..

[Samala]

Quick, name the most personable fish/cichlid you can think of! I'm looking for a fish worthy of a name, something interactive! I'm starting to get a bit bored by my multicolored tetras and Apistos, though they're tons of fun.

Required qualifications include:
~Able to coexist with plants (free swimming area will be left, of course).
~Able to live comfortably and indefinitely in a 20gallon long style tank.
~Likes warm temperatures, blackworms and slightly acidic water.
~Likes lots of water changes (its a study break thing, hard to explain, ;) )
~Will not eat my prized pencilfish.

So, what am I left with? Anything? I'm hoping for something!! Let me know what species I can get away with and what ratio (M to F or if they should loners) is advisable. Thanks for the help everyone!!

>Sarah

[kev82]

All cichlids I can think of that are personable (Oscars, Green Terrors etc) need larger tanks, tear up plants and pH around 7...

[ChilDawg]

The family Mormyridae (elephant-noses and such) would porbably be a good place to start. I cannot think of a Cichlid who wouldn't enjoy tearing up plants due to excessive digging (and a little bit of pent-up anger) and would be an aquatic puppy, as you put it.

[hanif]

your best and only option would be rams they would do well in slightly acidy water, you wouldn't need a bigger tank, they are not aggressive and they wouln't rip your plants up or your other fish, and in a 20 gall you probably keep about 5-6 rams 1 male to 4-5 females and you would have a happy peaceful aquarium, the fish may not interact with you as much as other larger cichlids, but i think you would be very pleased with these fish. good luck hope all goes well.

[Marcus]

I have found Black Ghost Knives to be incredibly personable. To the point where they will come up and eat out of your fingers. One of the posters here, Barbie, has some freshwater rays that do likewise. Both are very cool and unusual fish in addition to having good personality.

[Haggisman]

A black ghost would outgrow a 20gal in no time, mines outgrowing an 80gal.

How about bolivian rams?, a little bigger than normal rams and with more character.

[O-man21]

angels...they need tall tanks though
maybe a SINGLE firemouth.

[ryan]

solo firemouth could work if you get one with the right personality, however of all the fish i have kept (not a huge number, but a good amount) no other has such extreme personality differences from specimen to specimen.

hmm....probably too small for a severum full grown, but as slow as mine is growing in a 55 i'd think it'd be alright for a good while.

ryan

[Marcus]

Sorry, I missed the 20 gallon part... :rolleyes:

[VoodooChild]

I have a Bolivian ram and he's a personable little fella. He got pretty sick and he's lost alot of his spunk, but he's still fairly tame. Plus he leaves all the rummies and cories alone (in a 30).

[OCSupertones]

Nearly any of the SA dwarfs would work

Rams
Apistogramma
etc...

i would go with Apistogramma agazzi "Triple Red" if i were you.

[VoodooChild]

I'd be worried about the apistos and a pH that high, unless that you knew that they were properly acclimated to it, preferably raised in it.

[Samala]

Well I have Apistos! ;) And while I do honestly love having the Apistos they dont do a lot of bonding behavior with the aquarist, just with each other. Excepting perhaps the "hail to the fish queen" food dance, hehehe. I was honestly trying to get a feel for what sort of larger cichlids or other fishes are interactive AND could be kept in the above conditions.

I've started to seriously consider the dwarf pikes of the Crenicichla genus, especially C. regani or C. notophthalmus. I know they'll eat my pencils though.. so that is a major bummer in my opinion. :) Other than they and angels (Pterophyllum), no other species really fits the scheme. Oh well! Just one more reason to go out and get myself a bigger tank.. :D

Thanks to everyone who posted a suggestion! I really appreciate it!