# Most unique fish you know



## Docock (Aug 5, 2015)

Sometimes I see random community fish names come up that I have never seen before. I love the unique fish wether it be a schooling fish or an oddball.

If anyone has recently discovered a really cool and unique community fish that they just discovered or that you know many people do not know about. I would really appreciate you telling me about them!

Thanks!!


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## Varmint (Apr 5, 2014)

Stiphodon (algae eating goby). They are peaceful and curious.


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## Docock (Aug 5, 2015)

Nice one Varmint,

The Stiphdodon could be a great addition to a community aquarium. The male full mating color is incredible


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## Platy Lover (Jul 6, 2016)

Peacock gudgeon.








Oh and kribs can be good community fish.


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## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

For nano tanks, Hara Jerdoni and Aspidoras pauciradiatus as alternatives to the dwarf cories (habrosus, hastatus and pygmaeus)


Hara jerdoni (Asian Stone Catfish) ? Seriously Fish

Aspidoras pauciradiatus (Corydoras pauciradiatus) ? Seriously Fish


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Used to be 4 eyed fish in the stream across the road from me, as far as I know they have never been recorded or named scientifically.
Also a type of sandfish called the red fin there are probably a couple of hundred of them left in the wild here.









There is one pool I know of where a large shoal of them maybe 300 or so will circle around you and nibble on your feet. They are highly endangered CITES red list. But they were some of my favourite fish as a kid. They would never bother a soul, eat everything you give them, are as good as catfish at keeping the bottom clean, yet swim in all layers of the tank. They would make great companions for Denisons'


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

Any loach or goby out there seem to exhibit a lot of character along with elegant colors


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Two more South African fish









Southern barred minnow









Hypseleotris cyprinoides


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

I wish I knew what it was.
The store had a rare find.
There were 6.
One had a crooked zigzag back and didn't make it.
2 jumped out of the rimless in a year with a powerhead teasing them to swim in the flow up near the top.
They like fast water and do well with the pleco tank.

- lesson learned. 
Keep them in a rimmed tank for the time being.


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## Platy Lover (Jul 6, 2016)

Barrel eye
Red lipped batfish
Venezuela Cory
Glass goby
Aba Aba knife fish
Delicate blue eyed rainbow
Other types of cories
Dolphin(fish)
All but the first two I've seen at my LFS.


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## Fishnshrimp2 (Sep 13, 2013)

theDCpump said:


> I wish I knew what it was.
> The store had a rare find.
> There were 6.
> One had a crooked zigzag back and didn't make it.
> ...


Your fish looks like mudskippers. Cool find.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Tire track eel? Really weird look and so ugly they are pretty!


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## LindaScott (Oct 11, 2016)

Red-lipped Batfish.


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## goodbytes (Aug 18, 2014)

Coelacanth 

Just kidding.

I was really excited when somebody recommended Farlowella Catfish to me once upon a time. Members of the Farlowella family are sometimes available at my LFS and they have a very unique, almost primordial look to them. Plus they come in different sizes based on the species.


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## mrfiock (Nov 15, 2015)

Nordic said:


> Used to be 4 eyed fish in the stream across the road from me, as far as I know they have never been recorded or named scientifically.




Anableps?
https://www.google.com/search?q=ana...qsdPPAhVO62MKHeosA_cQ_AUICCgB&biw=320&bih=492


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## Clinton Parsons (Apr 11, 2016)

My favorite freshwater fish of all times is Pantodon buchholzi. Freshwater butterfly fish.









They seem to have a reputation for being hard to feed, but are not at all IME. They have always eaten dry pellets/flakes for me, but can only see food if it drifts into their field of vision in a particular way. I have had several throughout the years. Very hardy, too. But they are jumpers and eat smaller fish at night. 

I wouldn't mind getting a couple now, but I'm unwilling to put a lid/screen on a rimless tank. I don't know why they aren't more popular. They are not colorful, but are beautifully patterned and have intricate fins. They are apparently not hard to get to spawn, either. Very peaceful unless you are prey-sized fish. 


One of those short-style tanks would pretty cool with these in it and plenty of floating plants. But they really are built for jumping. Gliding even. Remind me of miniature arowana. Well, they are actually related to Arowana (Osteoglossiformes)

I like really want some, now.... maybe I will re-think that lid...


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## tlriot (May 10, 2014)

I have always wanted an an african butterfly fish, but never had the tank set-up for it. They would be fantastic in a riparium, with tall enough sides at least.

Two of my favorites that I've had were the lophiobagrus catfish and SA bumblebee catfish. I love that the lophiobagrus had the large bullhead catfish look, but in a tiny body, and both species were so cute and fun to watch right after lights out and they all patrolled for scraps.


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## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

South American leaf fish, Monocirrhus polyacanthus, fascinate me. Their appearance and movement really look like a leaf drifting around the aquarium.

Taiwanese Dragon Micro Gobies, Schismatogobius ampluvinculus are cool bottom creepers.

Pike Livebearer, Belonesox belizanus, (fun to mispronounce as "bologna socks") are a cool-but-less friendly fish I kept about 15 years ago. I haven't seen them in stores since, but in all fairness I don't frequent the shops as much as I used to. 

Twig catfish, Farlowella acus, are a favorite of mine too. Not much action but look really cool stretched out on some driftwood.


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## waterbearr (Sep 26, 2016)

Threadfin Rainbows


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

mrfiock said:


> Anableps?
> https://www.google.com/search?q=ana...qsdPPAhVO62MKHeosA_cQ_AUICCgB&biw=320&bih=492


Bananableps?


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## mrfiock (Nov 15, 2015)

Bananableps said:


> Bananableps?




Lol! Hey, look at you!


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Anablebs are from India, but they certainly do look somewhat alike. A bit like a mudskipper with four eyes. I remeber the skin was scaleless and slightly transparent. They did not last in my aquariums though.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Rare to see Adult Sail fin Mollies capable of nearly five inches.
Gotta like the small gobies.
Badis Badis.


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## mrjbacon (May 22, 2017)

One of the coolest, most unique fish I've seen was the Reticulated Hillstream Loach. My LFS had a bunch of them in the last time I was there (a week or two ago), which is the reason I remembered it. I've always thought the body, head shape, and nares made them look more like plecos though.
http://www.future-digital.com/aquarium_info/info_freshwater_tropical_fish/freshwater_tropical_fish_pics/sewellia_lineolata_802x447.jpg


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Peacock Gudgeons are one of my favorites! Hillstream loaches are a great fish to keep as well. I always referred to them as baby stingrays when I kept them.


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## Wantsome99 (Nov 27, 2016)

Nordic said:


> Two more South African fish
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Fricking cool never seen these before. I've been in the hobby 25 years and I always love seeing new fish.


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## LegumeWeirdo (Apr 24, 2017)

The rarest fish I know are Mexican goodeids. Good luck finding those at your store. There are some common ones like Ameca Splendens but most of them are rare. You can just find some online or at certain clubs like the American Livebearer association but you will never find all of them .
They can be kept in well planned communities but since almost everyone that keeps them keeps them because of conservation programs (breeding) they are usually kept in species tanks.


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## nel (Jan 23, 2016)

Clinton Parsons said:


> My favorite freshwater fish of all times is Pantodon buchholzi. Freshwater butterfly fish.
> 
> They seem to have a reputation for being hard to feed, but are not at all IME. They have always eaten dry pellets/flakes for me, but can only see food if it drifts into their field of vision in a particular way. I have had several throughout the years. Very hardy, too. But they are jumpers and eat smaller fish at night.
> 
> ...


Actually never had problems with feeding them. Few first days were horrible, but probably it was just stress. After that they've been eating hikari floating pellets and any frozen food I've been giving them. Lid is absolutely necessary, sometimes when I'm opening it to feed them I'm scared they'll manage to leave the tank before I put it back.

Here are mine:









My tank is a little bit of an oddball tank: ropefish, bushfish, butterfly fish, blue gularis (maybe not an oddball, but not so popular), only kribensis are normal ;-)


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## SteppingStones (Aug 8, 2014)

Indostomus crocodilus or Crocodile Toothpick fish are a cool one. I also love freshwater pipefish as well.


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## ustabefast (Jan 24, 2017)

Blind Cave Tetras look great under blue 'glow' lights. They are very active and do well in unlit or low light tanks with hardscape.


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