The End-All Mini Monster Thread

[Death Pony]

Scientific Name: Brachygobius xanthomelas, Brachygobius doriae

Common name: Bumblebee Goby

Care Level: moderate

Size: 1.5"

pH and KH range: pH 7.0-8.2, KH 9-19

Temperature range: 72-84*F

Origin: Malaysia

Temperament: Too small to do any damage, but they act like they're though

Compatible Tankmates: Species tanks are best. Other tankmates would include anything that won't eat them (nothing big and boisterous)

Diet: Carnivore, they like the usual bloodworms, tubifex, and daphnia (frozen or live)

Tank Size for Adult: 5-10 gallons

Narrative: Xanthomelas is a true freshwater goby, but doriae requires brackish water to thrive. Their behavior is quite comedic and they have the ability to cling to the sides of the tank. They do best in groups. They have huge mouths for a fish of their small size.

doriae

xanthomelas

 

[Death Pony]

Scientific Name: Apistogramma viejita

Common name: Dwarf Vieja Cichlid, Viejita Cichlid

Care Level: moderate

Size: 2"

pH and KH range: pH 5.5-6.5

Temperature range: 73-82*F/ 23-28*C

Origin: South America; Amazon River and Rio Meta area

Temperament: peaceful unless breeding

Compatible Tankmates: small peaceful fish

Diet: Carnivore, they like the usual bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp

Tank Size for Adult: 25 gallons

Narrative: IMO, one of the prettiest dwarf cichlids available in the hobby. THeir colors range from white, red, and black to blue, orange, red, and black. Unfortunately, their hard to find.

References: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/viejitaapisto.php
http://www.thecichlidgallery.com/a.viejita.htm

 

[Stump]

Scientific name: Catoprion mento

Common name(s): Wimple Piranha

Origin: Guyana and Mato Grosso of the Amazon

Care level: moderate

Temperature: 22-25 degrees C (72-77 degrees F)

PH Range: 5.8-7.2

Diet: carnivore; will do well on meaty foods such as crayfish, fish, and shrimp

Size for adults: 3"-5"

Compatability: They are able to get along with other fish when young, but will turn aggressive as they mature and should be housed with other wimple Ps.

Tank size for adult: No less than a 20 Long.

References: aquariacentral.com; aquascapeonline.com


Photo courtesy of AquaScapeOnline.com

 

[Death Pony]

Scientific Name: Cottus bairdi

Common name: Mottled Sculpin

Care Level: moderate

Size: 3-4"

pH and KH range: pH 7.0

Temperature range: 40-62*F

Origin: North America, shallow streams with a fairly fast current and highly oxygenated

Temperament: territorial, especially among other sculpins

Compatible Tankmates: daces, shiners, etc.

Diet: Carnivore. Insect larvae, smaller fish, crayfish

Tank Size for Adult: 10 gallon

Narrative: An oddball North American native species. They like cold waters with a currents, similar to trout environments. The water must be highly oxygenated. For a substrate, use round river stones with larger ones on top for shelter.

References: http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/fish/cottusbairdi.html
http://www.nativefish.org/articles/goodbad.php

 

[FSM]

(Picture is mine)



Scientific Name: Crenicichla minuano

Common name: none

Care Level: Easy

Size: 15 cm/6 inches

Temperature range: Can tolerate a wide range of temperatures; in their native habitat, water temperatures get cool in the winter and hot in the summer.

Origin: Uruguay

Temperament: Mildly aggressive

Compatible Tankmates: Gymnogeophagus, other moderately aggressive cichlids, etc. Anything large enough not to be eaten and peaceful enough not to be a bully.

Diet: Insectivores in the wild, but will readily eat pellets, flakes, frozen/FD and live foods.

Tank Size for Adult: 40 breeder for an individual, may work for a pair.

Description:
Uncommon, attractive, small pike cichlid from Uruguay, supposedly very peaceful. Eats anything and is very simple to keep.

My pair was first put in a planted 29, but the male chased the female relentlessly. They are now in a 75 and doing great. The female is completely peaceful; the male challenges a small carpintis occasionally. No aggression towards non-cichlids

References: Personal experience, Ken Davis (guy I got them from), Mostly Cichlids

 

[Stump]

Scientific Name: Polypterus mokelembembe

Common name(s): Moke Bichir, Moke

Origin: Central Africa; Congo River Basin

Adult Size: 30.5cm-35.5cm; 12-14"

Adult Tank Size: 40 Breeder (36x18x16)

PH: 6.0 - 7.5 is ideal

Temperature: 23-30 C (75-86 F)

Feeding: A carnivore; must be fed meaty foods. Fish, shrimp, bloodworms, krill, squid, beefheart etc. will work well.

Temperment: Generally a peaceful fish, it will mostly mind it's own business

Compatability: Other similar sized bichirs will usually be best. Most fish that aren't overly aggressive or small will work.

Comments: This fish is rarely imported.

references: polypterus.info; Polypterus Primer 3.0 in our Polypterus forum.





Photo Courtesy of Cohazard

 

[cade]

Archocentrus nigrofasciatus

Black Convict

Easy/Moderate

6"/15cm (females usually smaller)

KH 9-20, pH 6.5-7.8

Temperature range: 22-27c(72 to 80f)

Origin: Central America

Temperament: Aggressive/Highly Territorial

Compatible Tankmates: Tough similar sized cichlids(Firemouth, Salvini), pleco's, larger cichlids

Diet - Omnivorous - does well with flake or pellet food supplimented with fresh green vegetables and protien rich foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp and beef heart.

Tank - 29gl min/40gl. recommended

Pound for pound one of the toughest SA cichlids there is, especially during breeding. Extremely well priced and available due to ease of breeding. I love these fish!

 

[BichirAddict]

Scientific Name: Trichogaster pectoralis

Common Name: Snakeskin Gourami

Care Level: Easy

Size in Aquaria: Around 6"-8"

ph and kh range: ph 6.0-8.3

Temp Range: 72-86F

Origin: Tropical Far East

Temperament:Shy-Timid

Compatiable Tankmates: Anything thats non-aggressive

Diet: Omnivores will eat just about anything

Tank Size:40 gallons

Referencesersonal Experience,Animal-World

 

[sun catfish]

Scientific Name: Periophthalmus barbarus

Common name: african mudskipper, nigerian mudskipper

Care Level: (Medium) if you are willing to make the setup for it

Size: 13-15 cm (5-6 inches)

pH and KH range: hard brackish, 8 point something can very.

Temperature range: (78 to 82F) humid

Origin: africa

Temperament: aggressive. especially to other mudskippers

Compatible Tankmates: have heard of crabs and other mudskippers if your tank is big

Diet: eats worms frozen and live, crickets, and other prepared foods.

Tank Size for Adult: 20 gal. for single

Narrative: i love them very strange looking and fun too watch hop on land. they do need land. i give mine 25% water 75% land

References: my mudskipper and books

 

[paopanlilio]

Banjo catfish
looks monster


A few banjo catfishes are kept as aquarium fish, predominantly the smaller members of the subfamily Aspredininae. Their requirements are similar to those of other tropical South American fish, preferring slightly acidic, not too hard water maintained at 20–25°C (68–77°F).[8] Since these species are nocturnal burrowers, they need an aquarium with a soft, sandy substrate into which they will hide during the daytime and forage in at night. Sharp sand or coarse gravel will damage their whiskers. Although not schooling fish they are tolerant of their own kind and also get along with other small aquarium species