Off to buy some tropical fish this afternoon - what should I buy?

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

I love fish shopping

I'm taking ds1 out on his own for once, which I'm very much looking forward to.

So, what should I buy?

I'm quite up for some zebra danios or something small, colourful and zippy. My tank needs some life in it (already got harlequins, angel fish, cardinals, sucking loach and pakistani loach in 4' tank)

I've got just over an hour to think it through

Ah go on, there must be someone out there with an idea?

Some neon tetras or pretty guppies?
I love the way they zip around.

Dont buy them from PAH - A very unrelianle source, unless you wnat them all to die!

I do like tetras. I'm quite tempted to get a huge shoal

get some piranhas. That'll make your other fish zippy!

Don't you worry Yurt, this is a lovely little shop with very knowledgable man.

PAH are evil.

I like your thinking fruitshoots, but might make the dcs cry

Clown loaches are nice. But they lie on the bottom and you think they're dead and you get the net out and (ha ha ha) they zip up and go off swimming around

We have some giant danios - they are lively and do a lovely dance together - its great to watch!
tetra shoals are always great (don't overload your filter though)

they aren't all that giant - ours are just over 2 inches

That's not too giant at all. Will keep my eyes peeled.

I'm hoping they've got lots of variety in.

Kuhli loaches are great here

I love Kuhli loaches! Bought three for my first ever fish tank and never saw them again... well, not until three years later when I was emptying the tank to move house and there they were

They always make me smile.

I might have found my quote of the day in that link, "There is no known way to sex these loaches without cutting them open to do so"

I'm not sure why that has made me smile...

Mine come out at feed time, they are really funny to watch. I love them.

Clown loach are great as are corys. I also have a bristle nose catfish which is probably my favourite fish, neons, black neons, giant danios, angels, gouramis and still more! I have 2 3 foot tanks so have quite a variety lol.

I also like the look of these

I hope you find something nice.

sorry these

My dh bought me some rams once, and although they were nice fish I have always had an irrational dislike to them (go figure). Underneath it all I think it comes down to "I just find them a bit gaudy" which is daft considering I used to breed fighting fish

I used to have 4 tanks set up - feeling a bit projectless with only one (even if it is a 4 foot, 50 gallon monster).

I might get some gouramis, depending on what varieties they have.

I used to have these rainbow fish if I ever find more of them then I'll buy the lot! They're lovely.

I have a pair of moonlight gouramiis in the 3 1/2ft tank and an opaline in the 3ft.
The female opaline is a bit mean though. I keep loosing guppies and I think she is eating them.

I have dwarf blue rainbow fish but I don't really like them. I thought they would be a stronger colour when I got them home but they aren't so they are quite plain.

I need some more fish for my 3ft as it's looking a bit empty now the gourammi has finished the guppies!

I would love a 4ft but I don't have anywhere to put it. Mine are in the alcoves next to the fire and only just fit.

It is a problem. My living room is built around making room for it - and I wouldn't have it any other way

Some rainbow fish are amazing, others are just a bit drab.

I know what's going to happen - my pregnancy nesting instinct is going to make me set up a new fish breeding programme which I will not have time for from April! Must resist!

If I moved my living room around I wouldn't be able to put the sofas anywhere lol.

I know what you mean about the lack of time. I got my second tank (given with the fish) when I was 5 months pregnant and now with a 3month old and a 2.3 year old they really don't get as much attention as they did.

If you see anything really nice let me know

They had some of the furcata rainbow fish so I am very happy

Also got some plattys (always nice), zebra danios, a few more harlequins and some orange stripy barbs which I'd never seen before and now can't remember the name

Tank looks all lovely with all the little fish shoaling together. I'm very pleased (and certainly not looking at the tank sexing the fish and working out what I'd need to set up a breeding tank, oh no, not at all, not once, nope )

Of course you're not, oh no. There's no way you would do anything like that is there

I was inspired by this thread and went and bought some new plants and gave the 3ft tank a really good clean. It's looking good now, ready to chose some new fish to go in there.

That rainbowfish looks lovely, will have to keep an eye out for that.

Do you know if a female opaline gourami would live happily with a pair of moonlight gouramis? I'm thinking about moving it so I can get some more guppies. I have four babies in there it hasn't touched but it has eaten the adults

Well, they're both supposed to be good in community tanks so I can't see why not - unless the pair are defensive because they're egglaying. But if it all goes wrong it's not my fault!

Must resist setting up more tanks!

tetras are lovely

and get a loach or two, plus a catfish to eat the tank

angel fish are lovely, but tend to chase little fish