James V. Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) I’m just wondering what’s the most rarest most exotic fish that everyone has? Where did you get it? Why do you like it or not? I think this will be fun to see some rarer fish in this thread! Thanks for your responses! The rarest fish I have is a koi Angel 🤣 not very exciting. Edited September 18, 2020 by James V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Rarest fish I have owned recently were Elassoma boehlkei that I collected in cooperation with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation and Community Affairs, Department of Environment and Natural Resources near Wilmington, NC. This endangered native endemic Pygmy Sunfish occurs in only 3 counties in North Carolina and is found nowhere else in the world. I bred them out into a small colony and then traded them to Robert J. Goldstein for a copy of his book, American Aquarium Fishes. I believe he used them to found a species maintenance colony for distribution to other hobbyist. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Book3.jpg.31b936ff8ea402103e3b7f5e1e3e5ccd.jpg These were absolutely fabulous aquarium fishes, small, easy to keep and breed, but with drawback. They will only eat live food. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/Elassoma_Gilberti_male_in_breeding_colors.jpg.28c0f7bcd03ea58c17b6e7f7aea7a933.jpg And that live food problem is the reason people don't keep Pygmy Sunfish. Males are pretty when they are breeding. That is not an enhanced photo, that is exactly what pygmy sunfish males (gilberti in this case) look like when showing off for females. And the male nuptial dance involves slow staccato waggling while simultaneously and independently flicking each fin. Probably the most amazing fish dance I have ever seen. 9 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nataku Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_150222.jpg.9f5b6ee45b8c22bd4105e4e08549bc7a.jpg Anostomus anostomus ie the striped anastomus or striped headstander or striped cigar fish. Think denison barb meets a julidichromis but its from south America and you've pretty much got this fish. Its schools with its own kind, gets to a decent size, pretty spunky and fiesty and doesn't take crap from its tank mates, and is capable of moving in any direction it wants at any time. They really do position themselves to be totally vertical and 'standing' on their head. And then they can swim in whatever direction while holding this position. They love to position themselves parallel with other angles in your tank, like any rockwork or driftwood. Upturned mouth, primarily an herbivore, diet is honestly pretty similar to a platy or swordtail. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_153531.jpg.876edd6e432125ce5ccb941a29049c93.jpg (He's not dead or ill! These weird positions are a common sight as he forages for food) I wish I could find more of these so I could build a school back up. My lone specimen is at least twelve years old - he came with another tank I picked up from a friend who was downsizing, and they knew they had him at least eight years, and I've had him four years now. The kept him with Malawi cichlids of all things, and that's what I thought he was at first (had no idea a 'headstander' wasn't an African cichlid when they have names like 'eye biter') until another friend asked me why I was keeping a south American with the African cichlids. I assure you this fish took no crap from those mbuna. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/20200918_153240.jpg.598fd2ca36cb32c3918826da172a452a.jpg None of my LFS have ever had or been able to get these in in the years I've been looking for them - I've got my name on lists to call if they can ever get them in. I haven't had any luck finding them for sale from reputable sellers online either, they're always out of stock. Edited September 18, 2020 by Nataku Photos didn't post and were only image URLs 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryC Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) Aw I don't really have rare fish, but I am very proud of my vieja argentea. I haven't seen any vieja keepers in my city, nor anyone that sells/knows them. This is the only one I've ever seen mentioned or sold in my city anyways, local fish store lady told me she had a very cool american cichlid, and showed me it Had to have it! Can't wait for it to grow. At least is relatively rare in my city I guess, haha. //content.invisioncic.com/b300999/monthly_2020_09/P1130263.jpg.27e9f75df285155df975a786503f3a08.jpg Edited September 18, 2020 by HenryC 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcalberto Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 (edited) Hyphessobrycon negodagua It's a tetra that inhabits a handful of rivers in the northeast part of Brazil and that was discovered a few years ago, but supposedly began being sold in the hobby only this year. I got a school of 12 for my 55 gallon planted tank with tons of plants, red rili shrimp, hastatus cories, reticulated hillstream loaches, l168 plecos and a few other fish species. This tank is working great so far. Less than 24h after I got these fish they started spawning and I got it on video. You can actually see the adults turning back and eat the eggs on the second video. Edited September 20, 2020 by gcalberto 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrostiesFishes Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 My favorite is not super rare but only available I’ve found on aqua bid. And I had no success spawning them. that makes them more interesting to me in my mind. But it’s then orange laser corydoras. Actually saw cory spawn them in a video and I had to have them. I have not been so lucky this far. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 On 9/18/2020 at 12:51 PM, James V. said: I’m just wondering what’s the most rarest most exotic fish that everyone has? Where did you get it? Why do you like it or not? I think this will be fun to see some rarer fish in this thread! Thanks for your responses! The rarest fish I have is a koi Angel 🤣 not very exciting. That was gonna be mine! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 7 minutes ago, FrostiesFishes said: My favorite is not super rare but only available I’ve found on aqua bid. And I had no success spawning them. that makes them more interesting to me in my mind. But it’s then orange laser corydoras. Actually saw cory spawn them in a video and I had to have them. I have not been so lucky this far. I keep seeing the orange lasers and thinking how great they would be with my theme tank. At this point just can't swing the $90 plus shipping asked on Aquabid. Hopefully they'll come around to my lfs eventually. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrostiesFishes Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Here in my neck of the woods we have a chain called petvalu and they some times have orange lasers for 14.99. The one local to me will actually order them in for you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shkote Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Not super rare, but not a common livebearer and my favorite among the uncommon livebearers, my Xenotoca doadrioi colony. Fearless little Goodeids packed with a ton of personality. My Zoogoneticus tequila splitfins and Limia nigrofasciata tie for second. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriannesFishFam Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 On 9/20/2020 at 9:41 PM, shkote said: Not super rare, but not a common livebearer and my favorite among the uncommon livebearers, my Xenotoca doadrioi colony. Fearless little Goodeids packed with a ton of personality. My Zoogoneticus tequila splitfins and Limia nigrofasciata tie for second. Do you let the pregnant females give birth in the same tank? Or do you let the females release, grow the fry up separate, and then when they are big enough put them back in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shkote Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 For the most part, the Goodeids don't predate on fry terribly. At first they are weak and not able to swim, I assume the wiggling makes them look more like food. Once they are free swimming and look and act more like fish, I don't notice issues with predation. Generally if they make it past the first few hours, they do fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 Longfin lemon blue eye plecos. Not very rare but I think they look exotic 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom H Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 Rock Catfish! IDK if it's rare but it's my rarest 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 These a lot of rare fish in the hobby like red tail black sharks and Dennison's barbs are in endangered in the wild but you find them in most lfs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwayne Brown Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 I'm not sure if its uncommon but here is my rainbow stiphodon goby. It's one of my favorite fish in my aquarium. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheWhoConquers Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 On 7/9/2021 at 3:52 PM, Dwayne Brown said: I'm not sure if its uncommon but here is my rainbow stiphodon goby. It's one of my favorite fish in my aquarium. I just got three gold neon gobies today and I already love them. I am praying they all get through QT intact, because they may have just beat my orange venezuelan cories as my new favorites. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anewbie Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 On 9/20/2020 at 5:36 PM, ADMWNDSR83 said: I keep seeing the orange lasers and thinking how great they would be with my theme tank. At this point just can't swing the $90 plus shipping asked on Aquabid. Hopefully they'll come around to my lfs eventually. Every blue moon aquahuna has them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Playz Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 My rare fish is a golden panchax killifish. The golden panchax killifish is really rare in my area and has only showed up in my lfs once and that is the time I bought them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big shrimp, small shrimp Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 (edited) On 7/10/2021 at 12:54 AM, Guppysnail said: Longfin lemon blue eye plecos. Not very rare but I think they look exotic Great looking fish. Fun fact in Australia adult pairs are sold for about $150. Still quite rare in the hobby here. My rarest are 3 L600 juvies that I have just picked up. Due to our quarantine laws the importing of lots of the more unique Plecos is tricky. Hoping to breed them (in 3 - 5 years) and spread the joy of these fish to my area Edited July 9, 2021 by Big shrimp, small shrimp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMWNDSR83 Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 On 7/9/2021 at 5:18 PM, anewbie said: Every blue moon aquahuna has them.... I'll have to check the moon phase chart and try to get them next blue moon.😜 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max G Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 The rarest fish I own is the puntinus titteya. They are vunrable in the wild and face habitat destruction. All jokes aside I think that cherry barbs are underrated and more people should keep them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickHunter Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 The rarest fish I have is probably my ropefish. I wish there were more people that knew about them 🙂 I waited about 6+ months until my LFS was able to get some in since I wanted to support them. I like how they have this perpetual smile on their face. The other thing is whenever I mention the fish to people the immediately think snake. But honestly I'm not a snake person and I love these guys. Maybe it's the lack of big ole fangs and that dumb little smile they have that make me not scared of them. That and how they slow swim is like watching a fiish do the doggie paddle while their long body just dangles around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 I don't think they're all that exotic but they do seem to be uncommonly kept; my humpback limias. They're not the most colorful of livebearers, but the males get a cute body shape with a swoopy back. I find them really cute and just fun. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardedbillygoat1975 Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 (edited) I have 2 males and 3 females plus a steadily increasing population of fry of @Bentley Pascoe blue Hawaiian Moscow guppies. I originally had 2 males and 2 females that were part of my 11 g bowl disaster leaving me with just 1 female. I bought 2 more pairs and have them in a 27 g tub in my garage with blue dream neos and my 3 remaining male platinum Medaka ricefish (heat casualties). My pic doesn’t really capture the amazing depth of color and sheen but I’m not a photographer. Here’s a picture of them that does them justice from RedFishBlueFish. Edited July 10, 2021 by Beardedbillygoat1975 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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