What's the best top dwelling fish?

I'm looking for peaceful top dwelling fish,so far considering celestial danios but they are more middle fish.Also considered Butterfly fish but i'm not sure how many you can keep together and i know they can be a bit aggressive.


Any suggestions?

 

I've always found my dead fish to be on the surface and very peaceful :laugh:...sorry, couldn't resist

 

Haha @Hawk problem is that those are not to entertaining to watch they seem a bit lifeless to me!

@DCWarHound Hatchets will be your best bet imo. They def more lifelike then hawks suggestion :laugh:

 

@HennieRoux - A bit lifeless yes, but far less stressful to keep. :bigsmile:

 

If you put a nice currant on the surface they'll be very life like.

Hatchets are grate if you can find them.
If not you could try zebra danios, leopard danios and white clouds(but mine are never at the surface)
Butterfly fish are also grate, they like to be in groups of 5 and more. They are only aggressive with other top dwellers like hatchets.
And they like a biggish tank ± 120cm

 

@Hawk it kinds of get stressfull when the other fish start eating their eyes, and my bettas start picking @ their bellies. I heard Butterflies is a bit picky on eating, not sure how true this is, weird looking fish though, they look a bit alien like, hatchets ja well suppose they aint the most normal looking fish either...?

 

Lol

Hatchets are the first fish i went with because they would fit perfectrly with corries and geo's.

I found out PetCity had some 2 months ago but they aren't getting any new ones soon,so far i can only find them in capetown.

Maybe a combination of Butterfly fish and danios? (I'm a bit afraid they might eat the danios)

Tank is 400L.

 

[h=3]Aplocheilichthys johnstoni is a very peaceful top dweller... But black listed I think[/h]

 

You can try the butterflys and danios, the danios are cheap and what not.

 

african butterfly? hmmm jumpers and predators. lots of co2 also makes all your fish top dwellers

 

I'd say an arowana if i had a choice

 

That is a very expensive way Ryno, so only use very cheap fish

 

The type i want aren't exactly cheap,i found celestial danios and the going rate is about R25 for one.That's about R250 for 10.

 

I forgot about the celestials, the plain zebras go for R6.
Its your choice one witch to get, but I would get the butterfly and then 6 zebra danios and see if they get eaten, if they make it the celestials should also be fine.

 

Butterflies will likely pick off fish smaller than themselves. They're quite good at it, too.

If you want a lot of activity on the surface, maybe go for the mix of hatchets and danios. Butterflies are definitely interesting, but don't move much besides feeding time or the occasional slow cruise.

 

butterfly also grows to about 15cm so then anything thats smaller than about 5cm is food

 

I have a trio of Golden Wonder Panchax and 5 Marbled Hatchets. Both are excellent top dwellers. They don't bother the other fish and the other fish leave them alone. You just need secure lid, as the Hatchets are jumpers.

The panchax look really boring in terms of colour in the shop, but under the correct lighting (I have a gro-lux), the females go irridescent blue and green and the males go irridescent gold/yellow. Very pretty fish!

 

Thanks for the advice everyone.I'll go with danios and add some hatchets when i find them.

Question:Will danios cross breed?,don't want to end up with hybrids if i get 3 different kinds.

 

I've seen the goldens for sale in Tzaneen they go for around R15-25 grate looking fish.
DC if you can find the panchax get some you wound be disappointed.

I'm not sure, but zebra and leopard danios may cross but the others wound as far as I know.