A list of lazy fish

Celestial Pearl Danios aren't lazy,maybe you don't have a big group,but they are active.

Yes, I agree! I was just reading my post and thinking that I didn't express myself very well. It's true that cpd's aren't lazy, but I guess I'd call them "active tank explorers" as opposed to "active darting fish" like zebras. My cpd's are always swimming in and out of the nooks and crannies in the driftwood and plants, rather than darting from one end of the tank to the other :).

And Notophthalmus, thanks for US native recommendations. I was just looking up some of the species you mentioned, and I came across Elassoma okefenokee, the Okefenokee pygmy sunfish. I grew up near the Okefenokee Swamp, so I'd love to have a tank with these guys one day! The one difficult part seems be that they only accept live food....
 
Last edited:
Nah, my pygmies take frozen bloodworms, mysis, and brine shrimp, and crushed krill pellets. They appreciate occasional live food, but it's not the only thing they'll eat.
 
have you considered mystery or nerite snails? Although I guess they don't quite fulfill your "long-living" requirement.
 
Noto mentioned them, but Killifish are very overlooked in the hobby and would fit the bill nicely. They have amazing colors and are generally very peaceful. I'd also suggest Limias. They are easy to keep livebearers; have more personality than guppies, platies, etc., and most species are endangered in the wild.
 
I've decided that what really appeals to me, aside from the fish themselves, is setting up a little habitat in which a few animals can live long and stress-free lives. For example, one day I want to have simply a 20-gallon, well-planted, betta tank. Just a betta and some snails in a tank that's big enough to be considered kind of a luxury for the betta.
The biggest tank I want to own in the future is a 30-gallon. I want lazy, peaceful fish that just drift, and graze, and pick at things all day.
That's not exactly lazy. Banjo catfish.
 
That's not exactly lazy. Banjo catfish.

Yeah, "lazy" was the wrong word :). Although I just looked up banjo catfish, and they sound awesome to me. Apparently they sit still all day, so I bet they're pretty oblivious to tank size (within reason, 20 to 30 gallons).

I've thought of one to add to my list, though: shell dwelling cichlids.
I've never kept them, but they sound like they're happy defending a relatively small territory, so as long as they're not crowded, they're ok in a smaller tank.
 
Last edited:
Kribs. Very cool, colorful. A pair is commonly housed in a 20g. They get about 3-4 inches, I think. I've only had mine for a few days, so they haven't really picked "their" cave/territory yet. But, even though they are exploring, they are pretty sedate. I have them with diamond tetras (also very cool) and a pair of L387 plecos. The diamond tetras also get about 3.5 inches. The L387s get just under 5 inches, so they'd probably need a larger tank than 30g. Plecs actually are pretty messy. They poop a lot.

Cherry shrimp would be great in a smaller tank. I've got about a billion in a 20g long. Okay, maybe not that many.

Also, plecs really would not do well in a smaller tank. There are a few like the clown pleco that only get a few inches, but most need a minimum of 75 gallons.
 
Lazy fish for a smaller tank with snails & plants:

Paradise fish

Often overlooked but a cool lower maintenance fish. Change their water every week and feed them 3-4 times a week and they are happy. They are a very hardy coolwater fish. They are happy by themselves in a 5 gallon tank or with other slower moving fish in a larger tank. Keeping a male and a female together can be done in tanks over 10 gallons but two males can fight to the death. I've had one in my 5 gallon hex at work for over a year now.
 
AquariaCentral.com