A list of lazy fish

LeahK

LeahK

AC Members
Jul 5, 2007
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After getting into this hobby by accident and making lots of newbie mistakes early on, I've been doing some thinking about the kind of fishkeeper I am.
I've decided that I'm definitely not a monster fishkeeper. In fact, the 55-gallon tank I have right now is really too big for me. In a couple of years, when I move back to the mainland, I'm going to set up new tanks and plan it out this time :).
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.
I don't want big fish, and I don't even want little fish that dart around and need lots of open swimming space. So even though zebra danios are little, they're not on my list. Maybe I should have titled this thread "A list of fish that would find a 30-gallon tank luxurious." Here's what I've come up with so far. Please add your suggestions!

betta
dwarf gourami
honey gourami
celestial pearl danios
cherry barbs
platies
guppies
kuhli loaches

The fish above are all kind of "beginner fish," but that's just because I don't have any knowledge of oddball fish or other rarer species. So please help me learn about other species out there that might fit my criteria.
 
My favorites are otos. But you have to have an established tank. Every morning I sit in front of my tank on my ottoman and my otos come up in a little group and plaster themselves on the glass so I can check their fat little tummys. Actually I don't know why they do it but they do it every day. LOL
 
bigger tanks are easier to look after imo...

Rainbowfish are nice easy fish to look after - clean, with a nice 'personality'.
 
My BN Pleco... He loafs around all day underneath a piece of mopani driftwood and comes out only at night. Most little tetras like Cardinals and Neons just barely glide through the water.
 
amosf said:
bigger tanks are easier to look after imo...

Rainbowfish are nice easy fish to look after - clean, with a nice 'personality'.
Click to expand...

Rainbows are pretty active though...at least in my experience.
 
I have found guppies to be anything but lazy. They dart all over, top to bottom and side to side. Heaven forbid if they should happen to see me!

Cories, plecos and oto's seem to move the slowest
 
There are a number of North American natives that would work.

Sunfish: these are colorful sit-and-wait predators, kind of like cichlids. Most species are too large and piscivorus, but the following smaller and smaller-mouthed species will work in your tank:

Lepomis marginatus
L. symmetricus
Enneacanthus species

Killifish: much like guppies and other livebearers. Some are too large or flighty for your tank, but some good choices include:

Fundulus chrysotus
F. dispar
F. notatus
F. olivaceus
F. rubrifrons
Jordanella floridae
Lucania goodei
L. parva

Darters: small, often colorful benthic species. Think of them as the freshwater equivalent of gobies. Most species like current. All species will do well in a 30 gallon.

Minnows: most are frenetic fish, but some are fairly relaxed. Fortunately these species also tend to be very pretty. Good choices include:

Phoxinus species
Pimephales species
Pteronotropis species
Rhinichthys species

Catfish: the better-known NA catfish are too big for your tank, but there are many small species in the genus Noturus (madtoms).

Assorted others:

Swampfish- Chologaster cornuta
Pygmy Sunfish- Elassoma species
Ghost Shrimp- Palaemonetes species
Dwarf Crayfish- Cambarellus shufeldti
 
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