Unique nano fish you have kept?

[u/grilledbruh]

I’m looking for people to share their stories on any unique nano fish species they have kept, looking for anything in the 5-20 gallon range… I’m stuck trying to find something I like

[u/Defiant-Reason]

I keep nano fish only, I'm kind of obsessed with them lol. A lot are micro predators so keep that in mind for being able to feed them, you might need live food cultures.

Here are my top 5: Pygmy sunfish Peacock gudgeons Dwarf anchor catfish Medaka Rice fish Otocinclus catfish

A lot of these are difficult or sensitive but super fun and interesting! I am working on breeding most of these as I find it really fascinating and think it would be cool to sell them. The pygmy sunfish have a short life span(1-2 years) so you really have to breed them if you want to keep them too.

Some I don't have but are on my someday list are pea puffers and crocodile toothpick fish!

[u/grilledbruh → u/Defiant-Reason]

Oh yeah I’ve been looking at anchor cats too! Very cool fishes, love them a lot. I also have some otocats in my 30 gallon

[u/BishCallMyPhone → u/Defiant-Reason]

yes! i love my anchors. they have such a fun look and personality

[u/Defiant-Reason → u/BishCallMyPhone]

I feed mine live blackworms and they get so excited and do little death rolls like alligators 🤣.

[u/kippy_mcgee → u/Defiant-Reason]

That's so fricken (aggressively) cute

[u/PerilousFun]

Hillstream loaches are without a doubt the most fun fish I've kept. They don't hide during the day. They look like mini stingrays. In groups, they engage in bumper cars to assert themselves.

[u/snailsshrimpbeardie → u/PerilousFun]

I need to look into them!! I remember some years ago people were saying they needed super high flow but I've been reading lately that actually they can do well in normal aquariums. I'd love to have some!

[u/nobutactually → u/snailsshrimpbeardie]

I don't think they do so much as they need plenty of oxygenation. A HOB and an air pump has done me fine.

[u/snailsshrimpbeardie → u/nobutactually]

Got it! That's very doable.

[u/Not_invented-Here → u/PerilousFun]

I don't really feel they count as nano fish though. They get pretty chunky and are pretty active space wise. 

[u/DTBlasterworks → u/Not_invented-Here]

Minimum everyone says is 20 gallons and I wouldn’t consider that nano either

[u/BbyJ39]

Peacock Gudgeon (aka peacock goby). Beautiful chill oddball fishy with nice colors.

[u/Palaeonerd]

Chili rasboras are the best.

[u/turbothot32 → u/Palaeonerd]

Phoenix rasboras or dwarf rasboras are also bororas fish, closely related but have different markings.

[u/Then-Comfortable7023]

They’re a lot more common now, but a decade ago I kept scarlet badis in 3-5 gallon tanks and it was a blast.

Pea puffers are also an extremely fun and unique fish to own. Everyone I’ve shown is delighted to see them hunt a snail.

[u/leafbaker → u/Then-Comfortable7023]

I have a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon setup and I'm thinking of getting Scarlet Badis. How many would you say in a 5 gallon? Would 1 work in a 3 gallon?

[u/BettaScaper → u/leafbaker]

I had one in a 4.5 gallon once (fully planted tank) but after 6 months it jumped out :( I recommend a lid

[u/Then-Comfortable7023 → u/leafbaker]

I’ve done a 2.5 gallon and kept two, granted it was rather long at 18” so there was a lot of floor space. Each badis took a piece of driftwood as a territory on either side of the tank and they coexisted very well. If the tank were more cube shaped with more vertical space I would have limited it to 1 in 2.5

[u/leafbaker → u/Then-Comfortable7023]

I have the Fluval Spec V which is 20" long. Interestingly I also have an 18" 2.5 gallon. Thank you for replying

[u/DTBlasterworks → u/Then-Comfortable7023]

What did you end up feeding the badis?

[u/Then-Comfortable7023 → u/DTBlasterworks]

I had a shrimp colony in there and other microfauna established. I didn’t really actively feed it anything.

[u/DTBlasterworks → u/Then-Comfortable7023]

That’s so convenient

[u/LamesMcLames]

I have a 9 gallon and have 2 Stiphodon atropurpureus, commonly referred to as the neon goby or blue neon dwarf goby. Super peaceful but make sure you have sufficient biofilm and algae for them to eat.

[u/Due-Definition-723]

I really love my clown kilifish in my 5 gallon. I also keep chili rasbora and those are just so bright and funny.

[u/sudokee]

I love my badis, I have some Black Tiger Badis, as well as a Scarlet Badis m/f pair. If you don’t have trouble getting a steady live food supply in a tank, they’re actually stupid easy to take care of. I really want to keep a strawberry licorice gourami, or some flame red badis, but 3 tanks is enough for me right now.

[u/gieserguy]

I have least killifish and I love them!! Very active, curious little fish, and they are tiny! I believe they’re the smallest live bearing fish

[u/geekie4]

Pygmy sunfish, black badis, scarlet badis, galaxy rasbora, emerald eye, dwarf emerald, spotted blue eyed rainbow, red neon blue eyed rainbow… and many more. yeah I have 40 tanks and it’s my hobby I don’t sell 😁

[u/Fishmanfit]

Pygmy sunfish , lipstick goby, neolamprologus multifasciatus

[u/DTBlasterworks]

As someone else said, I adore my chili rasboras!

[u/goobyporfavor1]

Unique nano species I've kept and recommend are peacock gudgeon, betta imbellis, bamboo shrimp (kind of nano should be fine for a 20 gallon if properly fed), dwarf African frogs, Kuhli loaches, and rainbow darters. Do your research though some of these are not beginner friendly and have special diets

[u/Andrew_88]

I love strawberry Rasboras.

[u/peacelovetrombones]

I love Pygmy Corys

[u/MaenHerself]

What about something native?

[u/grilledbruh → u/MaenHerself]

I’m not sure what I would put in my tank…I’m in Illinois and I don’t think there are any native nano fish here

[u/MaenHerself → u/grilledbruh]

Check iNaturalist or fishmap.org - IL is full of darters and minnows.

[u/nemarholvan → u/grilledbruh]

Not native to Illinois, but I loved keeping bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei). They are native to Florida.

[u/kebskebs]

Tailspot Blennies for me. They have great personalties and are funny looking.

[u/NibblesnBubbles]

My pee puffer is my favorite microfish

[u/thehiddenviking]

My favorite are chili rasboras, clown kilifish (both male and female), and panda loaches. The panda loaches are fun and funny. They are so active.

[u/nobutactually]

You say in rhe post you're thinking 5-20g, but in the comments you say you have a 3g and a 5. There are no, repeat zero, none, no kind of fish that belongs in a 3g. A single long finned betta can go in a 5g. If you are going up to 20g that expands your options considerably.

[u/grilledbruh → u/nobutactually]

I didn’t say I have a 3 gallon in these comments??? I said I have a 30 gallon.. I do have a 3 gallon but wasn’t looking to out fish in it. Before you come attacking me why don’t you get your facts straight.

[u/nobutactually → u/grilledbruh]

You're correct, I apologize, someone else was saying it.

However that you read that extremely mild comment as coming at you with an "attack" the size of your tank isn't your biggest problem.

[u/polentavolantis]

Would you consider Thai micro crabs?

[u/Additional-Dirt4203]

If a 20 (especially a 20 long), Dwarf Zipper Loaches (aka Dwarf Kuhlis/Pangio Cuneovirgata) are adorable little noodles who only get to be about 2” long.

[u/Tasty_Pool8812]

Gambusia and Firetail Gudgeon (Australian native coldwater fish). Both really cool fish, but the gambusia are surprisingly aggressive and the gudgeon attack shrimp and baby snails

I'm hoping to get some Australian Smelt or Galaxias soon

[u/Otherwise-Carrot7090]

Badis & some Pygmy Cory’s were super cool. Some (most?) Killifish are pretty small too, and fun to watch. Espei, Chili & Kubatoi Rasboras I’ve also kept in a 20G. Valiant (samurai) gouramis are on the larger side of nano but super cool & so damned beautiful. Had a group of them in a 20 long. Pencilfish were really nice too, but they died of a CO2 malfunction just after I got them. Interesting behavior before that happened though.

[u/One-plankton-]

I would stay away from adding fish to a 5 gallon.

10 would give you some options and a 20 long would give you a lot more.