Mellow relaxing fish to watch

[PuppyFluffer]

If one wanted a pretty tank to sit and relax and watch, how would you stock it?

I don't have the tank yet so don't worry about size constraints. I would most likely want a 55 at bare minimin and a 125 at largest.

I want this for the living room some time in the future.

My dd has a little tank with guppies in it and my gosh they are spastic little things. They make my head hurt watching them!

 

[abcdefghi]

Any......... seriously, any fish will relax you. Pick some that you like the look of (and are compatible etc) and go with it. I guarantee you will find it relaxing sitting and watching them.

 

[rsanz]

Gouramis are all pretty slow and calm. I love them, especially Pearl and Gold Gouramis. I find watching my pearl gourami to be very, very calming.

 

[ct-death]

Nearly al of your "Labyrinth Fish" will be calm.

Some other options are Discus, Elephant Fish, Knife Fish, some Plecos and Catfish, some Gobies, etc. -- and Gold fish/Koi (for COLD Water)

Stay away from Livebearers, as you have discovered!

 

[sillypony]

tetras, and other (slow) schooling fish are entrancing.

 

[oscaremmy]

tetras, and other (slow) schooling fish are entrancing.

I totally agree :grinyes:...you can't go wrong with a decent size shoal of tetras...great color choices, generally peaceful, will swim and play in filter flow and glimmer under the right lighting.

Harlequin Rasboras are also one of my favorites...cheap but very attractive, peaceful fish. Don't forget the corys to give the tank some movement also though....don't want it to look like a still-photograph!!! Zebras are manic...hardy, attractive, but about on a par with guppies for dashing here and there. Look at cardinals, neons, bleeding hearts, serpae, Von Rio...huge choice especially with a good sized tank - I'd have a heavily planted (tall vallis) tank filled with tetras and corys, quite happily.

 

[jm1212]

angels are pretty nice to watch.

you may also want to check out geos

 

[James0816]

:iagree:

A nice sized tank with a school of angels with lots of tall lacy plants. It is so kewl watching them swim though the plants.

 

[dixienut]

neons cherrybarbs and ember tetras, they all slowly swim and mind there own business and hunt and pick at plants all day, it my only tank that there isn't ant issues about fighting and that is very calm, my other 10 tanks someone is always fighting and picking one someone, and that irritates me to no end..:angryfire:

 

[Notophthalmus]

I think this situation calls for fancy goldfish, maybe fantails, lionheads, or orandas. Viewer relaxation is exactly what they were bred for, and you could keep a nice group of them in a big tank, especially that 125.