# Non-shoaling fresh water fish?



## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Forgive my ignorance but I was wondering if there are any non-shoaling fish that can do well in a 30 gallon community tank. 


Thanks


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Dwarf cichlids, harem fish such as platies and swordtails, several different kinds of gouramis, possibly angelfish


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Thank you


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

German Rams if they qualify. I think they're beautiful but hard to keep healthy.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Oh man, the German rams are beautiful!


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

I had two of them but didn't know enough about them at the time.
They both perished. I wanted them to work out so bad at the time. 
Me:chair:Rams

Heres a pic I found. Not my fish though.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Why did they die? What did or what didn't you do?


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

I'm not sure why. The water was good. It needed more than good water. I think it just wasn’t set right for them. They were always stressed out. I needed more plants large stones and hiding spots for them. I just didn't know them well enough. I think they needed more space than the 10 Gallon I tried to use. 
I would like to try again now that I'm more experienced at it. 
This time I would read a whole lot more.


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## Maztachief (Oct 3, 2008)

I really like my neon blue dwarf gourami. He is pretty much the most peaceful fish I have, seems to have the most personality, and also took a few days to gain confidence around the tank. I'd highly recommend one. They have a few color morphs like flame and stuff but I prefer the more blue version of the normal coloring. They also get only a few inches long so they dont take up too much room. 

Here are some examples:


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Maztachief said:


> I really like my neon blue dwarf gourami. He is pretty much the most peaceful fish I have, seems to have the most personality, and also took a few days to gain confidence around the tank. I'd highly recommend one. They have a few color morphs like flame and stuff but I prefer the more blue version of the normal coloring. They also get only a few inches long so they dont take up too much room.
> 
> Here are some examples:


I didn't know fish could be cute!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i don't understand why people have so much trouble with rams;or why they think they are so delicate..i have never had that problem.i have a few in an outrageously overstocked 125 gallon tank and they are doing beautifully.they are a beautiful little fish and i plan to get a bunch of them again and put them outside in tubs next spring..


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Dwarf cichlids, smaller anabantids...you could have rams (which are boring), kribensis, apistogramma, dwarf gouramis, trichogaster gouramis. Paradise fish are eyecandy but will beat the living daylights out of anything else in there D:


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## Knight~Ryder (Dec 2, 2007)

My Bolivian Rams are not boring I can tell you that. They are my most awesome fish (along with the black skirts)

They have neat characteristics and are doing fine in my tank so far.
They are easier to take care of then German Blue rams, and don't 
require as much "attention" as the blues.

They may not be as colurful as the blues but are hardier.
Check out my avatar!


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

I think a lot has to do with WHERE you get your rams from... I have found them to be very hardy... or extremely crappy.


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## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Well planted tanks and Central American and South American Fish aren't really my thing, I think there's just something unnameable that they lack - I think it's personality. The Characins are just schooling fish that get excited at feeding time and dwarf cichlids just like to chase each other and eat and spawn. Angelfish, Discus, Convicts, Salvini, Oscars are a different matter, though!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

6 months ago: 5 Bolivain rams. (I thought they were blue but I was very mistaken. Doh). 
Today: none. 

The first one died in acclimation. 
The next 3 died one by one, I believe due to being stressed by the sole remaining male
The last one died about 2 weeks ago, no idea why. 

For a fish that can be kept as pairs in a 30 gallon tank I thought for certain my incredibly rocky 100 gallon would not be a problem. Live and Learn. 

I might try again with actual Blues. I would have to get them ordered in to my LFS which would be a problem. Their tanks suck now-a-days and there is little hope for improvement. They won't let the one knowledgeable person in the store touch the tanks more than to pull fish. So I may have to start buying fish online. Always an option 

I like my dwarf gourami. I like my cories. There are probably some loaches that would do well. I have cherry barbs who are supposed to be schooling but in realtity are pretty independent. You would need 3-4 of them to keep them happy, but not really any more than that. They can be kept as a trio as well. 1M to 2F is a good ratio.


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## Knight~Ryder (Dec 2, 2007)

*Obsidian you are more of a professional at this fish business right? 
And they still died?*

I don't claim my water to be the greatest. It is very hard (8.2) to be exact. I havent been keeping fish long, and I don't think my tank is always steady. They have been doing well for the last 2 weeks so far. No signs of anything yet. Oh yeah, I don't think they get enough food.

*I really hope they thrive, they are my favorite fish.*

Consider blackskirt tetras steph, honestly they are hilarious. The other day I dropped an algae wafer and it broke a peice of and swam for an hour around the tank with it in it's mouth. As soon as it would bite it would fall and catch it again. When another blackskirt came near it tried to nip it as usual but couldnt. All the fish in my tank like the algae wafers. Go figure?

BIG QUESTION HERE: Can anyone tell me why certain fish at certain times will swim up and down the side of the tank for an hour like they are trying to escape, then they stop?


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Hehe, thanks for the compliment!

No I am not a professional, a slightly used newbie more like it. My tanks are not that old. My 20 gallon (first tank) is now 1 year and 7 months old. I have read a bunch and have a good idea about a few things. I have less of a clue about many things but am always willing to ask. Everything I had been told/read about suggested I would not have issues. I do have high Ph but that should not be a problem overall since they were well acclimated before going into the tank. The fish store has the same Ph and I still drip acclimated them to the tank. I am just not sure what it is but I do loose fish during acclimation on a regular basis but only into the 100 gallon. Something fishy is going on in there!

I believe it may just be the LFS. All of the fish that I have lost in acclimation have come from there. At the time the tanks were much more healthy, now I think that the problem had already begun.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

Most keepers lose fish in acclimation every so often. It's just a part of the process. All fish are not like Kevin Bacon in _Footloose_. Some can't survive a transition.


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## Knight~Ryder (Dec 2, 2007)

:rip:

I personally have never really had a problem with that. 
When I was coming up the stairs I actually tripped and my hand landed on the bag and still those rams survived!


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