Ideas For Glofish Alternative

[FLFishChik]

So, my husband has been in the hospital for the last 9 days in ICU (long story), but as a “Welcome Home” gift, I thought I would turn one of my spare 10g tanks into a glow tank since he’s always wanted one ( I’m the fish nerd, he just supports my habit) and figured since he’s showing interest in the hobby (finally) and give him his dream tank. BUT, I don’t really want to purchase actual ‘glofish’ . I was wondering if I could use white fish instead and what suggestions, other than Betta, others might have for some fish that would look good in a glow tank?

[nabokovfan87]

Glowlight tetras, emerald green rasboras, heck white clouds are amazing, green neons and normal neons will also have that vibrancy to the colors. 

You could setup a single german ram tank as long as you can crank the heat up on it.  In a 10g, very doable.

If you don't have one, the fluval nano / aquasky lights might be useful for that feel of a glo style tank.  You can get glowing plants, use the blue lights, red lights, green lights.  Pick whatever color and just use it as a place to see the fish at night. 

Rams are extremely personable and a ton of color. 

[Odd Duck]

Ember tetras and kubotai rasboras are a great contrast.  Add a bunch of chili rasboras and you’ve got a tank full of color and activity without being frantically active like zebra danios can be.  A 8 pack or so of Pygmy cories and a couple red or gold racer nerites and you’re all set.  Several crypt varieties, maybe a couple small swords (small varieties) and if you do at least 1 big bunch of moss, this tank might even be close to fully self-perpetuating except the nerites.  Switch to ramshorns (I like the red or pink ones since they’re brighter colored, prettier, and easier to spot if they’re getting carried away) and you get closer to self-perpetuating (likely with a little snail policing).  Water changes, plant trimming, feeding, fertilizer, and done.

[FLFishChik]

On 1/15/2023 at 2:59 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Glowlight tetras, emerald green rasboras, heck white clouds are amazing, green neons and normal neons will also have that vibrancy to the colors. 

You could setup a single german ram tank as long as you can crank the heat up on it.  In a 10g, very doable.

If you don't have one, the fluval nano / aquasky lights might be useful for that feel of a glo style tank.  You can get glowing plants, use the blue lights, red lights, green lights.  Pick whatever color and just use it as a place to see the fish at night. 

Rams are extremely personable and a ton of color. 

I purchased an inexpensive blue/white light from Amazon. I he really, really likes that ‘glow’ effect and I thought perhaps I could give him that same feel with just white fish instead of actual glofish. 

On 1/15/2023 at 3:12 PM, Odd Duck said:

Ember tetras and kubotai rasboras are a great contrast.  Add a bunch of chili rasboras and you’ve got a tank full of color and activity without being frantically active like zebra danios can be.  A 8 pack or so of Pygmy cories and a couple red or gold racer nerites and you’re all set.  Several crypt varieties, maybe a couple small swords (small varieties) and if you do at least 1 big bunch of moss, this tank might even be close to fully self-perpetuating except the nerites.  Switch to ramshorns (I like the red or pink ones since they’re brighter colored, prettier, and easier to spot if they’re getting carried away) and you get closer to self-perpetuating (likely with a little snail policing).  Water changes, plant trimming, feeding, fertilizer, and done.

Would those have that “glow” tho under the blue lights?

[nabokovfan87]

On 1/15/2023 at 5:08 PM, FLFishChik said:

Would those have that “glow” tho under the blue lights?

Most normal fish aren't going to "glow" so to speak.  As an example, my RTBS looks like a globetta or something under certain light colors.  Completely washed out and pale even though she has the dark black color.  Her orange/red tail is more of a yellow orange.

Some fish, like the glowlight tetras, orange laser corydoras, rams, neon tetras, they have that same iridescence under white light, but under blue or red or other lights you're going to get different colors and a very different appearance.  It won't be "neon" though so to speak like cosmic bowling, but some can be funky.

Green neons under white light:

Under blue light:

 

Another way to make those types of fish pop is blackwater.

Edited January 16, 2023 by nabokovfan87

[mynameisnobody]

If you’re looking for the glow effect up against the blue light then you’re probably not going to get any better than Platinum Medaka. These ricefish are hardy, super fun, very active, and are beautiful. Put them under a blue light and I’d imagine they’d give you a pretty intense effect. They also are one of the cheaper rice fish out there. 

[Odd Duck]

On 1/15/2023 at 7:08 PM, FLFishChik said:

Would those have that “glow” tho under the blue lights?

I don’t know about that.  I was just thinking about nice bright colors and personalities that would have them out and about and not hiding too much (although chilis will sometimes hide).  Embers and Kubotais are both very reflective, almost metallic depending on the light.  Chilis aren’t reflective, just very bright red.  All the ones I mentioned are sized to where you could eventually have a lot in a 10 gallon.

Switched my nanofish tank to only blue (I don’t have a way to switch to a mix of white and blue and my blue only is pretty dark - supposed to be a night-time look).  Embers still have a nice metallic orange gleam, but don’t really look glo, might be closer to it with brighter light intensity.  The green Kubotais have a soft yellowy-orange gleam, but not glo-like.  It’s so different than their normal color I had to use a flashlight to confirm it was them.  Chilis practically disappear.  My fish are confused now.  😆 

[Expectorating_Aubergine]

I'm going to go against the grain here, and say maybe just get him the glofish. I get that you don't like them, but the tank isn't for you. One of the things I've learned from the handful of tanks I've put together for people is that people like what they like. Also, they might not voice their displeasure or disappointment to you directly, but it will be there (small children will though. Proceed with caution!). Granted, sometimes people realize that what you did is much better/they like it more, but that's not always the case. Not trying to be a jerk or pick an argument. Just throwing it out there.....

Edited January 16, 2023 by Expectorating_Aubergine

[FLFishChik]

On 1/15/2023 at 10:21 PM, Expectorating_Aubergine said:

I'm going to go against the grain here, and say maybe just get him the glofish. I get that you don't like them, but the tank isn't for you. One of the things I've learned from the handful of tanks I've put together for people is that people like what they like. Also, they might not voice their displeasure or disappointment to you directly, but it will be there (small children will though. Proceed with caution!). Granted, sometimes people realize that what you did is much better/they like it more, but that's not always the case. Not trying to be a jerk or pick an argument. Just throwing it out there.....

Yeah, I get what your saying, however even my husband is aware that glofish tend to be weaker than their non-glo counterparts and also far more expensive. It’s not that I don’t “like” them, I think they look cool, but I thought I could give him that same sort of experience with healthier fish. 

[mynameisnobody]

@Pepere I must say, that is a tremendous reply. As I read it, you had me more and more convinced. Interesting outlook and experience, great job! 

[FLFishChik]

On 1/16/2023 at 4:11 AM, Pepere said:

I bought 8 glofish Skirt Tetras from Petco 3 months ago.  I still have them all..

After first week of quarantine after pulling meds, they all came down with ich, and all survived prompt treatment.

I bought 16 Serpae Tetra from same Petco 2 months ago.  Two separate batches of 8.  Only 6 survived quarantine… 1 from first batch, 5 from second batch.

 

I bought 20 green neon Tetra from Aqua Huna, 12 survived first week of Quarantine, and bought 6 from Petco  8 months ago where all of those are with me still.

My general experience is that fish that die generally do so in the first week or two. If they survive two weeks, they tend to last.  
 

Every batch gets similar treatment with a few days recovery before med trio for a week if they look healthy, and Maracyn to start if anything looks off.  I have had batches with no losses and batches with high losses.

 

 The first batch of Serpae threw me off.  Every fish looked entirely healthy, swimming well eating vigorously and then dead the next morning without warning….  Temp, ph, GH, KH, ammonia, nitrate Nitrite all perfectly fine, levels similar to water they came from…

 

  Petco guarantees fish for 30 days after purchase..  

petco was also running a buy 3, get 1 free special on the glo fish that ut the price down.  If you were to buy some, I find the Blue and Purple ones really dont glo much in the blue light, and that the pink and reds look an awful lot alike. If I were to do it again, I would stick with orange, yellow/green, and Pink.

fwiw, my Green Neon Tetras in same tank look interesting with the blue light on.

I bought the glo tetras for my Grandsons both just under 4.  I have come to enjoy them too.  
 

I would not be dissuaded by supposed genetic weakness unhealthiness claim. Such a reputation may well be due to their being predominantly purchased by people new to the hobby. It may also well be due to a bias against gmo fish, or there may be truth to it.  My experience N=1, is they are robust and healthy…. YMMV.  
 

I might get  a school of 5-6 and some Neons and some non glo corys for cleanup crew.

Thank you for such a detailed reply and explanation ! I’m now leaning towards biting that bullet and going ahead with getting a few glofish for his tank. It’s only a 10g tank so any suggestions on which fish and how many I should put in the tank? and I already have glo decoration but I am probably also going to add some live plants. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Rosy barbs are suuuper vibrant.  Not sure if 10g is big enough though?  Anyone know?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I'm with @Expectorating_Aubergine. If husband wants Glofish get them. I've made this argument before, the company has been around for 20 years (I've done plenty of my own research on it after seeing it poo-pooed by so many, even including employees in the stores where they are sold), it's not going anywhere- so there's a reason why they're still around- people like them. It's a gateway drug into fish keeping for a lot of people and personally I've had good experience with the 2 GloBettas I've had. They are no stronger or weaker than their regular counterparts. I have a friend that started out with GloFish skirt tetras and that was at least 5 years ago, most of them are still with her but she's added Albino Cory, Otos and Mollies. (She's actually a veteran fish keeper and has had Goldfish in her past). They are living creatures and deserve a home just like any other aquarium fish. If hubby wants GloFish, hubby should get them. :-) 

Edited January 16, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Flumpweesel]

I'm with the pro Glo if you don't get him Glo fish will he believe you set it up for him or will he be suspicious that you using him as an excuse to set yourself up another tank.

We don't have Glo fish over here so it's really hard to have an opinion on them having never actually seen one. 

[Katherine]

I'm with @Pepere. My glo skirt tetras have been the hardiest of the few fish types I've kept. 

[jwcarlson]

Pay the neighbor kid to go buy them so that you have plausible deniability amongst your fishkeeping friends.  But you should just get him the glo fish if he wants them.  Hope he's doing well!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 1/16/2023 at 9:20 AM, jwcarlson said:

plausible deniability amongst your fishkeeping friends

That's funny! - but to be honest I'd really love to see someone keeping a GloFish journal here. I suspect that there are some who have them (some have admitted) but don't bring them up because of whatever stigma real or perceived there is about keeping them. As if they aren't real fish, or if you have them you're not a real fish keeper. That's ridiculous. I'd like to see someone break that barrier here. I will say it loud and proud, I have a GloFish Betta and I love her!!! 

Edited January 16, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX
Typos suck.

[FLFishChik]

On 1/16/2023 at 12:30 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

That's funny! - but to be honest I'd really love to see someone keeping a GloFish journal here. I suspect that there are some who have them (some have admitted) but don't bring them up because of whatever stigma real or perceived there is about keeping them. As if they aren't real fish, or if you have them you're not a real fish keeper. That's ridiculous. I'd like to see someone break that barrier here. I will say it loud and pround, I have a GloFish Betta and I love her!!! 

Then perhaps I have found a new project!

[jwcarlson]

@xXInkedPhoenixX I agree.  They're not my cup of tea.  But... I don't necessarily have that big of a cup.  I see them as a pretty good way of growing the hobby to a certain extent.  If there's a kid or adult who gets a start in the hobby with glo fish, of they further enjoy the hobby because of it, how is that a bad thing?  I also struggle with this with my kids (and even my wife) wanting to put stuff in the tank that I think is tacky.  That's not to say I haven't had these things in the past, I certainly have had some.  But if putting a bubbling pirate chest in my discus tank makes my kids more engaged with them, is that a bad thing?  Thankfully that (pirate) ship has sailed and they would rather pick out driftwood and rocks.  But it was touch and go there for a minute - my wife wanted to get one of those tall fighting robot things from Star Wars to put in one of my tanks. 😄

I honestly think the narrative about bad health is a holdover stigma from "back in the day" when you could buy all sorts of dyed fish from pet stores.  I think we would all agree that glo fish are certainly more ethical than dying them.  Something like 25 years ago I bought a "blueberry oscar" which was just a sad little albino oscar that underwent some barbaric dying routine.  I had zero idea that dying fish was a thing.  Anyway, I like to think that I gave her a pretty good life considering how it started.  I do not have any qualms about the process yielding glo fish.  

I guess what I mean is... if a 'looked down upon' fish helps get someone hooked, I think that's OK.  I can tell you that the "backlash" about my blue oscar was much less civil than any glo fish backlash I've seen here.  But that did help me understand why there was so much dislike.  And like I said, I think a lot of that still exists today.  When I first saw glo fish I thought they had just gotten better or found a glowing dye to use.  

 

Here's the little blueberry oscar all grown up. 🙂  I need to quit looking at my old oscar pictures or this empty 125 in the basement is going to end up full real quick. 

Edited January 16, 2023 by jwcarlson

[Expectorating_Aubergine]

On 1/16/2023 at 12:33 AM, FLFishChik said:

Yeah, I get what your saying, however even my husband is aware that glofish tend to be weaker than their non-glo counterparts and also far more expensive. It’s not that I don’t “like” them, I think they look cool, but I thought I could give him that same sort of experience with healthier fish. 

That hasn't been my experience with glofish (I guess I'm outing myself). You know your husband best. Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure he'll be grateful. I'd be pretty jazzed to have an aquarium after a hospital stay, regardless of the fish in it.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 1/16/2023 at 12:56 PM, jwcarlson said:

But if putting a bubbling pirate chest in my discus tank makes my kids more engaged with them, is that a bad thing?  Thankfully that (pirate) ship has sailed and they would rather pick out driftwood and rocks.  But it was touch and go there for a minute - my wife wanted to get one of those tall fighting robot things from Star Wars to put in one of my tanks. 😄

At least it's not that wildly fluorescent stuff.  You can kind of blend in the pirate chest and the star wars stuff with plants.

[FLFishChik]

On 1/16/2023 at 1:14 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

At least it's not that wildly fluorescent stuff.  You can kind of blend in the pirate chest and the star wars stuff with plants.

Yeah… the hubs loves the fluorescent stuff, lol. Not my aesthetic, but it’s his tank, so he gets whatever he will enjoy looking at most. I’ll get the glofish, but I’m limited on what I can put in a 10g tank- so it’s looking like A few Zebra Danios and a snail. Maybe a couple of shrimp.

Edited January 16, 2023 by FLFishChik

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Actually some of the GloFish brand fake plant decor is less harmful (meaning no sharp edges) than most of the stuff they try and sell for freshwater tanks. A lot of it is silicone and kind of Avatar-esque/other worldly and would look really cool mixed in with live plants- moves in a neat way too. 

I happen to really like cheesy decor but would only put it in if my theme for that tank happens to be cheese. I still really like to put some sort of hide/shelter/pass through that isn't natural because I just happen to like things like that. I have a tribal head in one tank, a pagoda, a handmade sculpture in another, a bubbler dragon (that isn't being used as one but I wouldn't be against it), and an archway. I specifically choose items I personally don't find cheesy and it's usually the only man-made object in the tank so I don't go overboard. But I'll admit if I ever find a vintage bubbler that has a bunch of moving parts I'm definitely going to buy it and build a tank around it. 

[FLFishChik]

I might also mention, this tank is going in his “Man Cave” so it  really is his tank. I’ll more than likely be the one cleaning it, but I’ll rarely see it outside of that, lol

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 1/16/2023 at 1:31 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

But I'll admit if I ever find a vintage bubbler that has a bunch of moving parts I'm definitely going to buy it and build a tank around it. 

I was always partial to the skeleton drinking the rum.  But at some point I had some sort of a river where the bubbles would go through it to look like the river was flowing, and when they'd exit, they'd spin a waterwheel.

However, I did not have this one. 😆