Your favorite tankbuster miniatures

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

What are some of your favorite fish that are essentially miniature versions of famous tankbusters?

My favorite is technically a combo: having a red tailed shark+featherfin catfish+pictus catfish as a stand in for tankbuster pimelodids (red tailed catfish, tiger shovelnose catfish, achara catfish). The red tailed shark provides the magnificent colors of the red tailed catfish, the featherfin catfish provides the tall fin of the achara catfish as well as patterning analogous to both the achara and tiger shovelnose, and the pictus catfish provides the long whiskers & bauplan of all 3 (plus some bonus spots and high activity levels).

 

[Deadeye]

Dwarf puffer - Mini fahaka
Shrimpgoby - Almost bichir-like (not really, but reminds me of one)
Pistol shrimp - Like a mantis
Peacock eel - Fire eel
Silver dollar - Pacu
Exodon (haven’t had the pleasure yet) - Red belly piranha

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Something I would've liked to add to the original post but the edit function timed out: Tiger barbs and yoyo/zebra/Burmese loaches as a stand in for clown loaches.
Clown loaches aren't tankbusters, but not everyone has the space for a 180+ cm, 473+ liter tank. In that case the tiger barbs are virtual lookalikes to the prized clown loach pattern, and the yoyo/zebra/Burmese loaches provide the bauplan and behavior of the clown loaches.

 

[Deadeye]

Something I would've liked to add to the original post but the edit function timed out: Tiger barbs and yoyo/zebra/Burmese loaches as a stand in for clown loaches.
Clown loaches aren't tankbusters, but not everyone has the space for a 180+ cm, 473+ liter tank. In that case the tiger barbs are virtual lookalikes to the prized clown loach pattern, and the yoyo/zebra/Burmese loaches provide the bauplan and behavior of the clown loaches.

I’ll add skunk and sun loaches to that list for a tiger loach substitute. One of the meaner loaches and these guys follow suit.

 

[DRUKENMUNKY]

Spotted Congo puffer

 

[xenacanth9]

Celebes halfbeak - Mini gar

They sorta look like them and can be very aggressive

 

[twentyleagues]

Betta- Asian arowana at least it's the closest I'll ever get....lol

 

[Deadeye]

Betta- Asian arowana at least it's the closest I'll ever get....lol

I’ll second that and raise you one:
Most wild Bettas - mini snakehead (helps that they’re cousins)

 

[Gourami Swami]

This guy reminds me of a Vieja, but he's only 7 inches long

Panamius panamensis

 

[Rocksor]

This guy reminds me of a Vieja, but he's only 7 inches long
View attachment 1474586
Panamius panamensis

Holy crap.... How old is he?