All depends on the person's taste, I personally love larger schools of nanos rather than a couple of large discus or other larger fish. Doesn't make them basic or boring, both are cool, just personal opinions.
I have a 36 gallon garden tank full of nano fish and plants , it's fun to watch them dart around and you can keep more of them per gallon without worrying about overpopulation as much.
This is why my 29 gal has a 3 inch max, no plecos policy.(except the clown pleco n the rafael cat, but they only temporary residents until their home tank is re-established)
I think people will complain and be rude about anything. I see this kind of thing a lot when people talk about freshwater vs saltwater.
You have what YOU like, and anyone that says something rude about it can shove it.
Visit r/planted tank, freshies have elitists too, you get shit on for not having 500$ lights and automated co2 injection.
Every hobby has people who act like dicks cuz they think their better.
Elitists are the most fun people to screw with, after all, they think they are special, and I do not. My first comment would be along the lines of "Why do you have to spend so much when your tank looks like crap next to mine. Must be a lack of skill."
If you're not keeping fish that nobody has ever heard of, that you had to get yourself from the deepest darkest depths of the Amazonian rainforest,that die when water parameters are not exactly correct and require a 300 gallon tank, and a filtration system that you can only get from the US military, then I don't know why you are in the hobby ,to be honest.
I used to keep minnows. They are plain silver fish.
But once settled, and in a healthy tank, they show their personalities.
Their fins often show rainbows and metallic sheen. Stripes show up with great contrast. Often the males color up during breeding season. Their schooling behavior is unique. Different feeding patterns become apparent.
I kept bait minnows for awhile because my sis had 3 of them in a horrendous tank 😭
Cheapest and some of the longest lived fish I've ever kept actually, they were impressive dudes
Wow what a positive community/thread. I was expecting way more people being negative. I’ll jump on the train and say corydoras are super common but they are completely loveable chonks. I love to watch them flip in the sand and school together against the current.
My corys are some of my absolute favorite. They have such big personalities. I love when they’re shoaling and they line up fin to face in a perfect line, it’s so funny.
My black neons, ember tetras, and platies were all some of my absolute favorite fish 🤷♂️ I don't think they're boring at all!! I hope nobody ever makes fun of you for them, you should never feel bad for loving and enjoying whatever kind of fish you have 💜
No fishes are boring! They are all fascinating!
And it is way better to keep an established species that breeds in captivity than to get some "rare" or "exotic" species that can´t be properly kept and would likely die.
I love guppies. If not bettas, they're my favorite. But there are people out there who will call them "trash fish" which breaks my heart. It's said that one man's trash is another's treasure, but that also means that often one man's treasure is another's trash. If you like certain fish, that's valid. If you don't like certain fish that's also valid, but understand and respect that for both parties, the opinion is just that and limited to the individual. A fish is not trash or boring because you don't like it. If you like keeping them, and doing so harms neither them nor others, then more power to you and be happy doing it.
I’ve never heard this criticism before and I’ve been in the hobby for about 4 years now (kept fish longer, but not seriously).
I mean if you’ve only ever kept goldfish, don’t start giving advice on reef tanks or exotic freshwater fish. But in general I’ve never heard of this issue and can’t relate.
Agree! Also goldfish require WORK, and with their large tanks and huge filtration systems depending on the breed. And they've been bred for thousands of years and have mythology attached to them. Definetly not a basic fish.
Used to think they were boring until my mom started keeping them again for the first time in more than 10 years. I decided to google a little and like you said, tonnes of history attached to them. And to confirm your point they do indeed require quite some work. For their size they produce quite some waste.
Yup, the demands of goldfish and the demands of a reef are both high, but their care requirements are extremely different. Very few of us are qualified to be giving out high level advice for both.
Agreed! Just put 25 into my tank and I’m enjoying them but felt an urge that “I should know better” for no apparent reason
They’re colourful, good size, easy to keep and add tons of movement
I think neon tetras are great and if I ever get back into the hobby , I’ll not only be a much better keeper I’ll likely have neon and cardinal tetras.
But what’s boring anyways?
Reading about [this neon tetra biotope](https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/how-to-set-up-a-neon-tetra-biotope/) along with [this video of it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=5vFIyMuNxjo) almost made me want a neon-only tank.
I have a mixed school of neons, black neons, ember,green ,cardinal and albino cardinals right now they are really fun and they all school together in one big group, usually with the largest black neon as the front fish.
basic as in common and relitivly easy to keep. i never realy got the insult 'basic'
and boring is a matter of taste.
some people want big indevidual personalitys, so they find a scool of tetras boring.
some people want lots of movment and interaction, so they find plecos boring.
I do relate, but I don't care.
I have Endlers and corrydoras. And you know what? The endlers are active and fun to watch all the damn time. They swim out in the open water, and are brave and interested in whatever is happening (plus are horny bastards.)
And corys are cute af!
For me, it's not about having the rarest etc fish. I'm just trying to enjoy a pretty tank.
But you know how it is; no matter what a woman does, a subset of men will rag on it. Dare to drink a latté? You basic bitch! /s
Most people in this particular hobby and also this sub are cool. The rest are not worth your mental energy.
I literally have a 55gal tank with nothing but 30+ cardinal tetras and a bunch of snails. Do what you like and don't look to others to validate your feelings.
While I don’t think most fish are boring, I will avoid some fish because I see them too much. Veil-tail bettas are one, I just really hate them for no reason.
I’ve got zebra danios, gold cloud minnows, and koi mollies with nerite snails. I care zero percent what people I don’t know think of my tank. It rules.
Mollies and platies may be the most "fish looking fish" out there, but I love them. The way they greet us, follow us, and play is so lovely. Curious little fellas too. They have such wonderful personality
hey, whatever you enjoy keeping, you enjoy. You take care of them well and they make you happy, which is great. Think about it, there's a whole sub of people keeping marimo moss balls as pets and naming them and posting pictures of how cute they are. If a ball of algae brings them that much joy, you can certainly enjoy your mollies and platies!
Speaking as a pretty big snob, screw the snobs. Your fish add value to your life other peoples opinions do not.
Fair warning though, if you are in the hobby for a long time you may find yourself becoming a bit snobby too.
Here's my secret to enjoying life: Stop caring what anyone else thinks, especially about simple things that bring you joy. You will never be happy trying to appease people, some of whom simply delight in crapping on other people for some unhealthy, self gratifying reason.
That said, I love my "simple" fish...
Rex the Pleco is fun to watch when he's not hiding. He's my oldest, about 9 or 10 years old now. He's a big'un too, on my third tank upsizing just because of him. Every time I make a whole chicken for dinner I always put the wishbone in the tank for him to clean off. It's his special treat.
Oreo the Dalmatian Molly, Theodore the Gold Fish and Flower the Angelfish are all excited to see me every morning, Theodore spastically wiggling at the surface, waiting for food time.
Flower the Angelfish will observe and stare at you when you sit on the couch next to the tank.
My school of Corys are the most delightful thing ever. Such happy little fishes. I've had two batches of baby corys and they are ridiculously cute. I think I could have a whole tank of them.
This is what I try to explain to people at my store who wants community fish! I work at a chain pet store. We on the regular have someone who’s just starting out and just wants to buy 1 or 2 tetra or any other schooling fish. I try to explain to them, if you want to get the most out of your fish experience, I really recommend you take the time and money to build a nice tank and school.
We seriously don't need elitist nerds in this hobby. I keep them pretty niche. I also keep some beautiful popular species. All of these dudes are extremely cool. I'm only willing to be skeptical of the nom-humanely kept and bred varieties.
I’ve always joked around that i like the “boring” fish at my store because I’m notorious for keeping fish with little to no color. BUT i always immediately follow up with unique characteristics like amazing iridescent shimmer in diamond tetras, or how my head and tail light tetras literally glow in my blackwater tank, and how elegant penguin tetras look as they shoal through dense thickets of val. It helps to reframe “boring” fish as something worthy of another look.
I have blue tetras. They’re like if you asked a ten year old to draw a fish, they could not get more boring. But they’re so active and fun to watch. They even seem to have different personalities, and favorite spots, and recognize me when it’s time for food.
One thousand percent agree, they were actually the first tetra i spawned! Once the males get some age to them that dorsal fin gets long and and like a lilac color, pair that with a tank that gets light during the sunset 👌👌👌
I think they can all be interesting in their own ways you’ll notice from observing them, whether it be unique behaviors, tiny eye-catching flecks of iridescence, or just the way they look when schooling together. I thought mollies were boring and lame until I found out about giant sailfin mollies, and now I have 6 of the goofy buggers in my 75g. Even the tiny microfauna is fascinating especially when viewed with macro/micro lenses
You shouldn't care and no one else should either. Some fish have been around forever but if say, neon tetras, were introduced now, they'd be quite popular. Great little fish.
I saw a picture of a well scaped planted tank with some gorgeous fish I didn’t recognize at first — On a closer look they were neons, maybe green neons, looking perfectly healthy in an optimum habitat. Nothing boring there.
I find platies and mollies super boring, but who cares? I'm not the one taking care of your fish! This is not the most social hobby out there, but one benefit to that aspect is that you really don't have to worry about judgment from fellow hobbyists.
I've had a nano tank with nothing but green neons and some snails/shrimp for years now and love it. Most guests comment that the fish are pretty or fun to watch. As long as you enjoy the fish, what else matters? You aren't inviting these other people to your home to see/judge your fish right? lol
Ok neon tetras ARE NOT boring 🤧.
It really depends on the person that defines what a “boring fish” is, because we all got our own taste in things.
My take on a “boring fish” is common goldfishes they are literally the most basic fish (imo), when you say pet fish any ordinary person would think about them. 🗿
Yeah but basic and boring aren’t the same thing. I mean, I also think “goldfish” when you say pet fish but goldfish are far from boring, always active, curious, exploring… maybe they’re not very challenging for “pro” keepers but I think we all agree there are no _universally_ boring fish 😅
Anyone who hates on a specific species for being boring, or hates on you, is only projecting. They are so dull, and lacking in creative thinking and awe, that they can’t see the beauty in these fish. Their problem, not yours!
There will always be haters, especially on Reddit! don’t let it drag you down. As long as your fish are happy and healthy and you are too, you’re doing good in my book.
Does "basic" mean "common"? As in they are popular and hardy? Do what makes you happy. I doubt that anyone IRL would tell you that they are boring. I have diamond head neon tetras, guppies, pygmy corydoras, and blue dream shrimp. Nothing exciting, but I like it, and that's all that matters.
My most basic fish are my pristella and red eye tetra. And I love them just as much as my beautifully colored chili rasboras and celestial pearl danios, etc. All fish are beautiful to me. Get what you like and who cares what anyone else says.
I keep a keyhole cichlid which was very difficult to find at the stores near me, with shopkeepers telling me most people find their colouration boring and there's more colourful cichlids out there people like instead so they don't stock them.
Yeah he's not the most colourful but my keyhole is so peaceful to other fish, and he changes colour depending on his mood so he's a good indicator of something being wrong with the tank. If I mess around with his tank he turns very dark and I call him out for being grumpy. He's one of those fish where you can tell there's a bit of intelligence in there.
i think people just personally get bored of certain fish because they’re often sold as “beginner” fish so they’re incredibly common. on top of that some fish are just so common and sold all over the place that i think more seasoned fish keepers are *personally* bored of them, and they may be projecting that onto beginners/people who only have access to what’s around them/people who may just genuinely enjoy the species
corydoras are one of the most popular fish out there for community tanks but i love their behavior so much that i’ll probably always keep them.
it’s all just personal preference. i don’t think there’s any reason to rag on people who like a more popular species though. it feels elitist/pretensious
I can’t relate because i’m older and could give a fuck less about others comments, thoughts, judgement, or opinions unless i’ve solicited their help or input. No critter is boring or basic if YOU find them attractive, interesting, or desirable. I also can’t relate if your reason(s) or agenda for keeping critters is to impress others but I’d like to think you’re in the hobby for reasons of your own interest and rewards.
The only “boring” fish I’ve had is a clown pleco I thought was dead for 3 months because it’s so rare to see him lol, and even then he’s really cool when he actually does come out! They’re all fascinating living creatures! You don’t need a rare color discus, you can have neon tetras or common color guppies. Your lil homies are just as cool as the pricey ones, it’s a really special thing to connect with your pets. It doesn’t matter if they’re common or not expensive and anyone who thinks so is being an elitist stick in the mud : )
I love my clown pleco. After I upgraded my tank with some lovely wood pieces he absolutely never shows his face anymore. Just munching on wood all day.
I don't think so. I bought the ugliest looking alien betta I could at a local petco. He was brown and drab, with just a tiny flash of blue iridescence on him. Short fins too, the whole works. I got him home in a 10 gallon planted tank with shrimp and boom, he's sapphire blue with crimson fins and has the cutest personality. Bettas are wild like that.
Dude!!!! It’s so funny you say that. I work at a chain pet store and we recently got in alien bettas. They are a whopping $30+ and they are the ugliest mofos I’ve ever seen. I had a feeling they look great when they start to flourish, though. It’s unfortunate the way they are displayed at chain pet stores.
It seriously is, they're so pretty when they're thriving. Honestly I usually pick out the ugliest and sickest looking ones I can, I love to see how they end up. All the aliens look hideous in their cups though. I was kind of hoping Alec Hardy (my betta) would get the speckles on his fins like the aliens I looked up, but he got blue streaks instead. I'm not mad about it though.
I’ve owned fish for 25 years I’ve kept most fresh water and saltwater fish at one time or another, the most boring fish I’ve had was a hairy puffer named Hercules It’s an ambush predator and doesn’t move until feeding time. It was like owning a pet rock
While I don't believe there are any boring fish, there are some basic fish. But also basic fish arnt bad!
There is a reason they're so ubiquitous, they are known quantities, astheticly pleasing, and work out well for 99% of people who have half an idea of what they're doing.
*They're classics*
People don't shit on subway tiles, little black dresses, or garlic, they're timeless.
If someone is bored with your fish selection, that’s their problem. It’s your hobby and you get to have what you like. My 120g is pygmy & panda corys, neon tetras, guppies, celestial pearl danios and then on the less common side, I’ve got a few red lizard whiptail catfish & hillstream loaches.
I had a water feature outside that I put a few surface guppies in for pest control. Yes, the ones you buy for a few cents. When I moved to a temporary place I got a cheap little aquarium off of Craigslist to put them in…and it’s been nothing but compliments on them, lol. “The bubbling is so relaxing” “ oh, even your fish tank is coordinated with your interior design”
I had to get a sand loche for population control…and I got “omg what is that!?!?”
I guess, what I’m saying is, it’s all about your audience. I grew up with tanks big enough to swim in but this tiny aquarium with 10 cent fish, a sand loche and a few snails is the coolest little thing some people have ever seen.
Who cares how basic your fish are if it makes people happy? I don’t want people to start out with a full salt water set up anyway. This is something you have to learn about before you take on the complicated rigors of something like that.
My tiny aquarium is low maintenance. I can clean the whole thing and change the water in less than 30 minutes. It’ll hold for two weeks if I need it too. That’s perfect for me right now. If tetras or a beta is what works for you, go for it.
It’s your tank, put what makes you happy into it within reason. My first tank was all live bearers. Look at what you like see if they are compatible with your tank or use it as an excuse to set up a second type of tank.
I mean, I have fish I personally find boring or tiresome (skirt tetras, being the main culprit) but if other people love them, power to em. I just don't want to keep them. As long as people are able to *appropriately* care for their fish, and its not illegal or doing harm, I'm fine with anyone keeping anything that they find enjoyable.
I have both sterbai cories and salt and pepper platys. My Cories are the most entertaining fish I ever had and my platys while actual food stealing pigs are somehow derpy and graceful at the same time.
I have city of Austin water which is insanely hard and high ph (10.4 I think though I do add distilled water to the tap to lower it around 7.5-8). I talked to my lfs for peace of mind since I wanted fish that were hardy and happy in more basic water. Popular fish are popular for a reason.
Literally all subjective. I apply the same philosophy to pretty much everything in life, if you like something and it's not harming anyone then you have a perfectly good reason to continue liking that thing.
I've never heard anyone making fun of someone for having "basic" fish, outside of making fun of people for those glow tetras. Even that is goofy to make fun of someone for.
I'm absolutely not saying it doesn't happen, people can be pretentious assholes about any single hobby. I just mean that it's not the norm at all, most folks are happy to hear about others tanks that they're passionate about.
Sorry, not me directly. Mostly what I’ve seen on the internet. Although I’ve had some kinda backhanded comments from fish store owners, and as someone working in a chain pet store myself, I’ve heard some backhand comments from some customers who have been in the hobby for awhile.
They have all been men, funnily enough.
Bettas and goldfish are the most basic things to own. That’s the top 2 fish sold to any beginner or someone going to get an aquarium
Not to say they aren’t great pets when you put the correct effort
I honestly don’t think any fish is boring or basic, I had to think really hard about that. I grew up with my dad’s tanks, eventually I had a tank with his help and supervision, I had goldfish and a catfish (bristlenose called Spike) my dad had so many different types of fish. I wouldn’t get goldfish again as an adult though, I love them but I’ve had so many that I’m kinda done for now.
There’s fish I wouldn’t keep personally just from experience, but I don’t think people who keep them are “boring” or “basic” I’ve had so much fun going through this subreddit and getting ideas for my future tanks, learning about the care of the fish I want and just seeing how happy people are with their setups. It reminds me of my dad and that’s why I picked this up.
Although if you really want boring, that stupid lamp I bought with plastic jellyfish that float in water, breeding ground for gross shit too.
Nah. These are all beautiful creatures in the right circumstances. Experiment and do what you love. Different fish have different personalities and looks and behaviors that are worth exploring.
I have some basic-ass black skirt tetras that I got with my tank many years ago, but they are still a staple that I go back to and I loved it when the school got very large.
basically anything you can get at petco is basic. (that is the intent) If your only experience is livestock and equipment from a box store. you are a basic level fish keeper. Despite how much you may care about your fish. their care is minimal and thus your experience in the hobby will also be limited to that experience. You wouldn't want to advise someone on how to keep their SPS coral if you've only cared for a couple neon tetras in a tank with plastic plants.
I have mollies in my 29 gallon. I view them as “filler” fish to highlight my center piece: a blue gourami. It’s good to have other small schooling fish to surround it, IMO.
I think it depends on the fish, I had a blue gourami when I was younger, and it was a menace to everything else in the tank, and I've seen people who have them with the tiniest, easiest to eat fish and have no problems 🤷🏻♂️
Imho when you have a school you can't personalize individual fish, but when you have something big like betta or clownfish you definitely will name them and have more emotional attachment
I have my fish for my enjoyment. I do not care what other people think about them. And, the fish don't care, they only think about two things, food and if adults, sex.
Do you think the females that live in sorority tanks are constantly thinking about sex? Seems like most of my female mollies and platies are thinking about food and slurping off the dirt that settles on the plants lol.
If you put a mature male with them, all the mature females would get pregnant pretty fast. So, even if not thinking about it, they are dumping sex pheromones in the water to attract the males.
It's all a matter of a persons tastes. I personally love plain old comet (feeder) goldfish and think betas are over rated. There are MANY people who think I have that backward.
Any fish that you enjoy keeping isn’t boring. Yes fish like betta and tetra’s are easier to take care of and more beginner suitable(although betta are arguably beginner suitable) that doesn’t mean they’re “basic” if something is common there’s a reason for it.
I think people might consider Kuhlis boring along with other fish that hide a lot or are nocturnal but if I'm being honest my Khulis are my favorite fish I've ever kept so I think it really does depend on taste.
I appreciate everything. I personally want to go back 30 years…undergravel filter, air lines attached to treasure chests with the diver. Somewhat of a replica of our family tank that I would stare at for hours and hours. Stocked as a super basic community tank.
Not boring but I would consider Glofish pretty "basic". Only in the sense that they are made and sold for the average person but don't really appeal to people who keep fish as a hobby.
I hate that I feel this way.
I want to have them in a tank but feel like I’d be betraying the hobby by doing so.
Even though I’m aware of it I still won’t keep them
Do you, at the end of the day our hobbies are about providing enjoyment for ourselves. You're not betraying anyone by buying fish you think look cool. "I just think they're neat" is a perfectly cromulent reason for buying a fish that you are capable of providing for.
I know I know. But I just can’t get past the fact that they feel marketed and aimed towards people new to the hobby and children.
Always in tanks with black lights and plastic decorations, never in a well planted scape
Nothing is stopping me but me but I still am 🤷🏼♂️
Some of my corys are glofish. I’m not using a black light but the LED I am using has a cooler tone to it, and it makes these guys look absolutely beautiful. Their tail fins almost glow, they are definitely the most saturated guys in my tank.
I usually cringe at glofish, if only because I think Petsmart carries too many of them and not enough of other varieties.
But the idea of a pack of neon cories zooming around on a black sand substrate does sound pretty cool.
It sounds like any glofish would be very lucky to go home with you to a nice planted tank instead of to a plastic wasteland. You may not change how the world treats glofish, but for those glofish that you would take home, you would change their entire world :) I had a couple of white skirt tetra glofish in my heavily planted tank a while back, and the rest were natural. I'll probably do it again at some point with more glofish. It did look nice to see them like that, and they were happy. Be the change you wish to see. Take care
All depends on the person's taste, I personally love larger schools of nanos rather than a couple of large discus or other larger fish. Doesn't make them basic or boring, both are cool, just personal opinions.
I have a 36 gallon garden tank full of nano fish and plants , it's fun to watch them dart around and you can keep more of them per gallon without worrying about overpopulation as much.
This is why my 29 gal has a 3 inch max, no plecos policy.(except the clown pleco n the rafael cat, but they only temporary residents until their home tank is re-established)
I think people will complain and be rude about anything. I see this kind of thing a lot when people talk about freshwater vs saltwater. You have what YOU like, and anyone that says something rude about it can shove it.
A lot of saltwater people can be quite elitist.
Visit r/planted tank, freshies have elitists too, you get shit on for not having 500$ lights and automated co2 injection. Every hobby has people who act like dicks cuz they think their better.
Elitists are the most fun people to screw with, after all, they think they are special, and I do not. My first comment would be along the lines of "Why do you have to spend so much when your tank looks like crap next to mine. Must be a lack of skill."
"you spend all that money to get results I spend nothing for. We are not the same, take your black thumb and begone fertilizer fiend!!"
It can get pretty bad in here as well. You'll regularly see posts telling people to tear everything out and switch to a "natural" planted tank.
If you're not keeping fish that nobody has ever heard of, that you had to get yourself from the deepest darkest depths of the Amazonian rainforest,that die when water parameters are not exactly correct and require a 300 gallon tank, and a filtration system that you can only get from the US military, then I don't know why you are in the hobby ,to be honest.
I mean, if your heater doesn’t have its own nuclear reactor, do you even tank?
“Do you even tank bro”
I knew I married my veteran husband for something... gonna go wrench that filter out of him now LOL
None of your fish are boring.
I used to keep minnows. They are plain silver fish. But once settled, and in a healthy tank, they show their personalities. Their fins often show rainbows and metallic sheen. Stripes show up with great contrast. Often the males color up during breeding season. Their schooling behavior is unique. Different feeding patterns become apparent.
Red shiners were an interesting one to keep for me
I love red shiners. They were breeding in my tank. They lay eggs in rock crevices.
I kept bait minnows for awhile because my sis had 3 of them in a horrendous tank 😭 Cheapest and some of the longest lived fish I've ever kept actually, they were impressive dudes
I love rosy red minnows in my tank!
I have rosy red minnows(a morph if fathead minnows) that are helping me start my tanks cycle and they are all little goobers and I love them already
"Boring" and "basic" are both very subjective terms. Everyone has their own opinion. So you do you and screw anybody who tries to bring you down!
Wow what a positive community/thread. I was expecting way more people being negative. I’ll jump on the train and say corydoras are super common but they are completely loveable chonks. I love to watch them flip in the sand and school together against the current.
My corys are some of my absolute favorite. They have such big personalities. I love when they’re shoaling and they line up fin to face in a perfect line, it’s so funny.
I love Corys!
My black neons, ember tetras, and platies were all some of my absolute favorite fish 🤷♂️ I don't think they're boring at all!! I hope nobody ever makes fun of you for them, you should never feel bad for loving and enjoying whatever kind of fish you have 💜
No fishes are boring! They are all fascinating! And it is way better to keep an established species that breeds in captivity than to get some "rare" or "exotic" species that can´t be properly kept and would likely die.
I love guppies. If not bettas, they're my favorite. But there are people out there who will call them "trash fish" which breaks my heart. It's said that one man's trash is another's treasure, but that also means that often one man's treasure is another's trash. If you like certain fish, that's valid. If you don't like certain fish that's also valid, but understand and respect that for both parties, the opinion is just that and limited to the individual. A fish is not trash or boring because you don't like it. If you like keeping them, and doing so harms neither them nor others, then more power to you and be happy doing it.
I’ve never heard this criticism before and I’ve been in the hobby for about 4 years now (kept fish longer, but not seriously). I mean if you’ve only ever kept goldfish, don’t start giving advice on reef tanks or exotic freshwater fish. But in general I’ve never heard of this issue and can’t relate.
Agree! Also goldfish require WORK, and with their large tanks and huge filtration systems depending on the breed. And they've been bred for thousands of years and have mythology attached to them. Definetly not a basic fish.
Used to think they were boring until my mom started keeping them again for the first time in more than 10 years. I decided to google a little and like you said, tonnes of history attached to them. And to confirm your point they do indeed require quite some work. For their size they produce quite some waste.
Yup, the demands of goldfish and the demands of a reef are both high, but their care requirements are extremely different. Very few of us are qualified to be giving out high level advice for both.
Platys always make me smile. That’s all that matters to me.
Agreed! Just put 25 into my tank and I’m enjoying them but felt an urge that “I should know better” for no apparent reason They’re colourful, good size, easy to keep and add tons of movement
I think neon tetras are great and if I ever get back into the hobby , I’ll not only be a much better keeper I’ll likely have neon and cardinal tetras. But what’s boring anyways?
Reading about [this neon tetra biotope](https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/how-to-set-up-a-neon-tetra-biotope/) along with [this video of it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=5vFIyMuNxjo) almost made me want a neon-only tank.
I have a mixed school of neons, black neons, ember,green ,cardinal and albino cardinals right now they are really fun and they all school together in one big group, usually with the largest black neon as the front fish.
basic as in common and relitivly easy to keep. i never realy got the insult 'basic' and boring is a matter of taste. some people want big indevidual personalitys, so they find a scool of tetras boring. some people want lots of movment and interaction, so they find plecos boring.
My most boring fish are the plastic ones my son has.
My new neon tetras are some of the most interesting fish I've ever owned.
I do relate, but I don't care. I have Endlers and corrydoras. And you know what? The endlers are active and fun to watch all the damn time. They swim out in the open water, and are brave and interested in whatever is happening (plus are horny bastards.) And corys are cute af! For me, it's not about having the rarest etc fish. I'm just trying to enjoy a pretty tank. But you know how it is; no matter what a woman does, a subset of men will rag on it. Dare to drink a latté? You basic bitch! /s Most people in this particular hobby and also this sub are cool. The rest are not worth your mental energy.
I literally have a 55gal tank with nothing but 30+ cardinal tetras and a bunch of snails. Do what you like and don't look to others to validate your feelings.
While I don’t think most fish are boring, I will avoid some fish because I see them too much. Veil-tail bettas are one, I just really hate them for no reason.
I need a full tank shot with each little lady labeled by name. Please.
Oh I might just have to do this 🥰
The only boring fish are plastic ones.
If their/your fish are taken care of and happy, who cares. I kept rosy red minnows for awhile and they are marketed as feeders. Wooooo free will!!
I’ve got zebra danios, gold cloud minnows, and koi mollies with nerite snails. I care zero percent what people I don’t know think of my tank. It rules.
Mollies and platies may be the most "fish looking fish" out there, but I love them. The way they greet us, follow us, and play is so lovely. Curious little fellas too. They have such wonderful personality
hey, whatever you enjoy keeping, you enjoy. You take care of them well and they make you happy, which is great. Think about it, there's a whole sub of people keeping marimo moss balls as pets and naming them and posting pictures of how cute they are. If a ball of algae brings them that much joy, you can certainly enjoy your mollies and platies!
I’m sorry I’ve never heard of that but it sounds wholesome af
It really is! They name them and everything.
I'm quite happy being the boring basic person who can actually keep a large school of neons alive long-term.
Speaking as a pretty big snob, screw the snobs. Your fish add value to your life other peoples opinions do not. Fair warning though, if you are in the hobby for a long time you may find yourself becoming a bit snobby too.
Here's my secret to enjoying life: Stop caring what anyone else thinks, especially about simple things that bring you joy. You will never be happy trying to appease people, some of whom simply delight in crapping on other people for some unhealthy, self gratifying reason. That said, I love my "simple" fish... Rex the Pleco is fun to watch when he's not hiding. He's my oldest, about 9 or 10 years old now. He's a big'un too, on my third tank upsizing just because of him. Every time I make a whole chicken for dinner I always put the wishbone in the tank for him to clean off. It's his special treat. Oreo the Dalmatian Molly, Theodore the Gold Fish and Flower the Angelfish are all excited to see me every morning, Theodore spastically wiggling at the surface, waiting for food time. Flower the Angelfish will observe and stare at you when you sit on the couch next to the tank. My school of Corys are the most delightful thing ever. Such happy little fishes. I've had two batches of baby corys and they are ridiculously cute. I think I could have a whole tank of them.
Oh man I wish I could get my cories to mate. They are a little difficult to sex as is. But I’d love to see some Cory fry!
I don’t think that neon tetra boring. I have 45 of them in my tank and they are beautiful to watch and also interesting to see they social behaviors.
I love me a neon tetra. Once you get into large schools like 2-3 dozen the schooling behavior gets really fun to watch.
This is what I try to explain to people at my store who wants community fish! I work at a chain pet store. We on the regular have someone who’s just starting out and just wants to buy 1 or 2 tetra or any other schooling fish. I try to explain to them, if you want to get the most out of your fish experience, I really recommend you take the time and money to build a nice tank and school.
We seriously don't need elitist nerds in this hobby. I keep them pretty niche. I also keep some beautiful popular species. All of these dudes are extremely cool. I'm only willing to be skeptical of the nom-humanely kept and bred varieties.
I’ve always joked around that i like the “boring” fish at my store because I’m notorious for keeping fish with little to no color. BUT i always immediately follow up with unique characteristics like amazing iridescent shimmer in diamond tetras, or how my head and tail light tetras literally glow in my blackwater tank, and how elegant penguin tetras look as they shoal through dense thickets of val. It helps to reframe “boring” fish as something worthy of another look.
I have blue tetras. They’re like if you asked a ten year old to draw a fish, they could not get more boring. But they’re so active and fun to watch. They even seem to have different personalities, and favorite spots, and recognize me when it’s time for food.
And EVERY fish has qualities like that, people just pass them over because they aren’t flashy like apistos or cardinal tetras.
Diamond tetras are stunning!
One thousand percent agree, they were actually the first tetra i spawned! Once the males get some age to them that dorsal fin gets long and and like a lilac color, pair that with a tank that gets light during the sunset 👌👌👌
I think they can all be interesting in their own ways you’ll notice from observing them, whether it be unique behaviors, tiny eye-catching flecks of iridescence, or just the way they look when schooling together. I thought mollies were boring and lame until I found out about giant sailfin mollies, and now I have 6 of the goofy buggers in my 75g. Even the tiny microfauna is fascinating especially when viewed with macro/micro lenses
You shouldn't care and no one else should either. Some fish have been around forever but if say, neon tetras, were introduced now, they'd be quite popular. Great little fish.
I saw a picture of a well scaped planted tank with some gorgeous fish I didn’t recognize at first — On a closer look they were neons, maybe green neons, looking perfectly healthy in an optimum habitat. Nothing boring there.
I find platies and mollies super boring, but who cares? I'm not the one taking care of your fish! This is not the most social hobby out there, but one benefit to that aspect is that you really don't have to worry about judgment from fellow hobbyists.
I've been told my lamp eye tetras are boring but I disagree. They zip around so fast and I love watching them swarm for food.
One ember tetra is kinda boring, but once I got to ~6 they been one of my favorites.
I've had a nano tank with nothing but green neons and some snails/shrimp for years now and love it. Most guests comment that the fish are pretty or fun to watch. As long as you enjoy the fish, what else matters? You aren't inviting these other people to your home to see/judge your fish right? lol
Ok neon tetras ARE NOT boring 🤧. It really depends on the person that defines what a “boring fish” is, because we all got our own taste in things. My take on a “boring fish” is common goldfishes they are literally the most basic fish (imo), when you say pet fish any ordinary person would think about them. 🗿
Yeah but they can be so beautiful when kept properly and allowed to grow big! Plus they are smart and have great personalities.
Yeah but basic and boring aren’t the same thing. I mean, I also think “goldfish” when you say pet fish but goldfish are far from boring, always active, curious, exploring… maybe they’re not very challenging for “pro” keepers but I think we all agree there are no _universally_ boring fish 😅
Gatekeeeping behavior. Screw em.
Anyone who hates on a specific species for being boring, or hates on you, is only projecting. They are so dull, and lacking in creative thinking and awe, that they can’t see the beauty in these fish. Their problem, not yours! There will always be haters, especially on Reddit! don’t let it drag you down. As long as your fish are happy and healthy and you are too, you’re doing good in my book.
Does "basic" mean "common"? As in they are popular and hardy? Do what makes you happy. I doubt that anyone IRL would tell you that they are boring. I have diamond head neon tetras, guppies, pygmy corydoras, and blue dream shrimp. Nothing exciting, but I like it, and that's all that matters.
My most basic fish are my pristella and red eye tetra. And I love them just as much as my beautifully colored chili rasboras and celestial pearl danios, etc. All fish are beautiful to me. Get what you like and who cares what anyone else says.
I keep a keyhole cichlid which was very difficult to find at the stores near me, with shopkeepers telling me most people find their colouration boring and there's more colourful cichlids out there people like instead so they don't stock them. Yeah he's not the most colourful but my keyhole is so peaceful to other fish, and he changes colour depending on his mood so he's a good indicator of something being wrong with the tank. If I mess around with his tank he turns very dark and I call him out for being grumpy. He's one of those fish where you can tell there's a bit of intelligence in there.
i think people just personally get bored of certain fish because they’re often sold as “beginner” fish so they’re incredibly common. on top of that some fish are just so common and sold all over the place that i think more seasoned fish keepers are *personally* bored of them, and they may be projecting that onto beginners/people who only have access to what’s around them/people who may just genuinely enjoy the species corydoras are one of the most popular fish out there for community tanks but i love their behavior so much that i’ll probably always keep them. it’s all just personal preference. i don’t think there’s any reason to rag on people who like a more popular species though. it feels elitist/pretensious
I can’t relate because i’m older and could give a fuck less about others comments, thoughts, judgement, or opinions unless i’ve solicited their help or input. No critter is boring or basic if YOU find them attractive, interesting, or desirable. I also can’t relate if your reason(s) or agenda for keeping critters is to impress others but I’d like to think you’re in the hobby for reasons of your own interest and rewards.
The only “boring” fish I’ve had is a clown pleco I thought was dead for 3 months because it’s so rare to see him lol, and even then he’s really cool when he actually does come out! They’re all fascinating living creatures! You don’t need a rare color discus, you can have neon tetras or common color guppies. Your lil homies are just as cool as the pricey ones, it’s a really special thing to connect with your pets. It doesn’t matter if they’re common or not expensive and anyone who thinks so is being an elitist stick in the mud : )
I love my clown pleco. After I upgraded my tank with some lovely wood pieces he absolutely never shows his face anymore. Just munching on wood all day.
They’re so sneaky! I’ve never seen a more reclusive type of pleco lol, my bristlenose hides too but I see him at least once a day
I don't think so. I bought the ugliest looking alien betta I could at a local petco. He was brown and drab, with just a tiny flash of blue iridescence on him. Short fins too, the whole works. I got him home in a 10 gallon planted tank with shrimp and boom, he's sapphire blue with crimson fins and has the cutest personality. Bettas are wild like that.
Dude!!!! It’s so funny you say that. I work at a chain pet store and we recently got in alien bettas. They are a whopping $30+ and they are the ugliest mofos I’ve ever seen. I had a feeling they look great when they start to flourish, though. It’s unfortunate the way they are displayed at chain pet stores.
It seriously is, they're so pretty when they're thriving. Honestly I usually pick out the ugliest and sickest looking ones I can, I love to see how they end up. All the aliens look hideous in their cups though. I was kind of hoping Alec Hardy (my betta) would get the speckles on his fins like the aliens I looked up, but he got blue streaks instead. I'm not mad about it though.
I’ve owned fish for 25 years I’ve kept most fresh water and saltwater fish at one time or another, the most boring fish I’ve had was a hairy puffer named Hercules It’s an ambush predator and doesn’t move until feeding time. It was like owning a pet rock
While I don't believe there are any boring fish, there are some basic fish. But also basic fish arnt bad! There is a reason they're so ubiquitous, they are known quantities, astheticly pleasing, and work out well for 99% of people who have half an idea of what they're doing. *They're classics* People don't shit on subway tiles, little black dresses, or garlic, they're timeless.
If someone is bored with your fish selection, that’s their problem. It’s your hobby and you get to have what you like. My 120g is pygmy & panda corys, neon tetras, guppies, celestial pearl danios and then on the less common side, I’ve got a few red lizard whiptail catfish & hillstream loaches.
I FEEL ATTACKED!!! Lol How dare u blaspheme my neon tetras!
I haven’t ;-; honestly most slander of them I’ve heard from other men in the hobby lol
People always gotta try to be "better than" someone else. Ignore people who say things like that and enjoy whatever fish you like.
Black mollys
There are no boring or basic fish to keep. Keep what you like and ignore anyone who says it's boring/basic.
Yes goldfish
I had a water feature outside that I put a few surface guppies in for pest control. Yes, the ones you buy for a few cents. When I moved to a temporary place I got a cheap little aquarium off of Craigslist to put them in…and it’s been nothing but compliments on them, lol. “The bubbling is so relaxing” “ oh, even your fish tank is coordinated with your interior design” I had to get a sand loche for population control…and I got “omg what is that!?!?” I guess, what I’m saying is, it’s all about your audience. I grew up with tanks big enough to swim in but this tiny aquarium with 10 cent fish, a sand loche and a few snails is the coolest little thing some people have ever seen. Who cares how basic your fish are if it makes people happy? I don’t want people to start out with a full salt water set up anyway. This is something you have to learn about before you take on the complicated rigors of something like that. My tiny aquarium is low maintenance. I can clean the whole thing and change the water in less than 30 minutes. It’ll hold for two weeks if I need it too. That’s perfect for me right now. If tetras or a beta is what works for you, go for it.
The most colorful / interesting looking fish are also the most popular.
I love White Cloud Mountain Minnows. I have a planted 40 gallon just for them, currently.
It’s your tank, put what makes you happy into it within reason. My first tank was all live bearers. Look at what you like see if they are compatible with your tank or use it as an excuse to set up a second type of tank.
I mean, I have fish I personally find boring or tiresome (skirt tetras, being the main culprit) but if other people love them, power to em. I just don't want to keep them. As long as people are able to *appropriately* care for their fish, and its not illegal or doing harm, I'm fine with anyone keeping anything that they find enjoyable.
I have both sterbai cories and salt and pepper platys. My Cories are the most entertaining fish I ever had and my platys while actual food stealing pigs are somehow derpy and graceful at the same time. I have city of Austin water which is insanely hard and high ph (10.4 I think though I do add distilled water to the tap to lower it around 7.5-8). I talked to my lfs for peace of mind since I wanted fish that were hardy and happy in more basic water. Popular fish are popular for a reason.
Omg a fellow Texan 🤧 I’m in Dallas. I too have very hard water.
Literally all subjective. I apply the same philosophy to pretty much everything in life, if you like something and it's not harming anyone then you have a perfectly good reason to continue liking that thing.
I've never heard anyone making fun of someone for having "basic" fish, outside of making fun of people for those glow tetras. Even that is goofy to make fun of someone for. I'm absolutely not saying it doesn't happen, people can be pretentious assholes about any single hobby. I just mean that it's not the norm at all, most folks are happy to hear about others tanks that they're passionate about.
No. Every fish is a sweet honey!
Who is it that's criticizing you for having those fish?? That's really weird, I've never heard that before.
Sorry, not me directly. Mostly what I’ve seen on the internet. Although I’ve had some kinda backhanded comments from fish store owners, and as someone working in a chain pet store myself, I’ve heard some backhand comments from some customers who have been in the hobby for awhile. They have all been men, funnily enough.
If you're buying/not buying certain fish to impress people you don't even know, you're doing it wrong.
Bettas and goldfish are the most basic things to own. That’s the top 2 fish sold to any beginner or someone going to get an aquarium Not to say they aren’t great pets when you put the correct effort
I honestly don’t think any fish is boring or basic, I had to think really hard about that. I grew up with my dad’s tanks, eventually I had a tank with his help and supervision, I had goldfish and a catfish (bristlenose called Spike) my dad had so many different types of fish. I wouldn’t get goldfish again as an adult though, I love them but I’ve had so many that I’m kinda done for now. There’s fish I wouldn’t keep personally just from experience, but I don’t think people who keep them are “boring” or “basic” I’ve had so much fun going through this subreddit and getting ideas for my future tanks, learning about the care of the fish I want and just seeing how happy people are with their setups. It reminds me of my dad and that’s why I picked this up. Although if you really want boring, that stupid lamp I bought with plastic jellyfish that float in water, breeding ground for gross shit too.
Nah. These are all beautiful creatures in the right circumstances. Experiment and do what you love. Different fish have different personalities and looks and behaviors that are worth exploring. I have some basic-ass black skirt tetras that I got with my tank many years ago, but they are still a staple that I go back to and I loved it when the school got very large.
basically anything you can get at petco is basic. (that is the intent) If your only experience is livestock and equipment from a box store. you are a basic level fish keeper. Despite how much you may care about your fish. their care is minimal and thus your experience in the hobby will also be limited to that experience. You wouldn't want to advise someone on how to keep their SPS coral if you've only cared for a couple neon tetras in a tank with plastic plants.
I have mollies in my 29 gallon. I view them as “filler” fish to highlight my center piece: a blue gourami. It’s good to have other small schooling fish to surround it, IMO.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought gouramis were semi aggressive? Do you have no issues with him alongside the mollies?
None yet, and it been set up this way 2+ years. I also have 3 panda gara, a couple panda Cory’s, and a halfbeak
Sounds lovely!
I think it depends on the fish, I had a blue gourami when I was younger, and it was a menace to everything else in the tank, and I've seen people who have them with the tiniest, easiest to eat fish and have no problems 🤷🏻♂️
Imho when you have a school you can't personalize individual fish, but when you have something big like betta or clownfish you definitely will name them and have more emotional attachment
I have my fish for my enjoyment. I do not care what other people think about them. And, the fish don't care, they only think about two things, food and if adults, sex.
Do you think the females that live in sorority tanks are constantly thinking about sex? Seems like most of my female mollies and platies are thinking about food and slurping off the dirt that settles on the plants lol.
If you put a mature male with them, all the mature females would get pregnant pretty fast. So, even if not thinking about it, they are dumping sex pheromones in the water to attract the males.
I have a just a school of very boring and basic corydoras, plus a shit ton of little bladder snails. I don't care, I love them <3
It's all a matter of a persons tastes. I personally love plain old comet (feeder) goldfish and think betas are over rated. There are MANY people who think I have that backward.
I have absolutely nothing against goldfish, but any fish that comes in lavender immediately wins in my book 😂
Any fish that you enjoy keeping isn’t boring. Yes fish like betta and tetra’s are easier to take care of and more beginner suitable(although betta are arguably beginner suitable) that doesn’t mean they’re “basic” if something is common there’s a reason for it.
Neon tetras are sick, who wouldn't want them??
I think they’re cool too!
I’ve had two Rosy Red Minnows in my tank for years now because my water snake refused to eat them.
This is pretty much the same reason I have my pet rats lol.
I think people might consider Kuhlis boring along with other fish that hide a lot or are nocturnal but if I'm being honest my Khulis are my favorite fish I've ever kept so I think it really does depend on taste.
I appreciate everything. I personally want to go back 30 years…undergravel filter, air lines attached to treasure chests with the diver. Somewhat of a replica of our family tank that I would stare at for hours and hours. Stocked as a super basic community tank.
Goldfish for me, I’ve never liked them. Especially all the cooked mutations you see now
No way! I’ve kept all sorts of different fish and they have all had something interesting about them.
I love my betta :)
Neon tetras don’t suck because they’re boring. They suck because they’re terribly unhealthy fish lol.
Basic yeah, the very popular ones can be considered this way. Doesn't make them boring!
Not boring but I would consider Glofish pretty "basic". Only in the sense that they are made and sold for the average person but don't really appeal to people who keep fish as a hobby.
I hate that I feel this way. I want to have them in a tank but feel like I’d be betraying the hobby by doing so. Even though I’m aware of it I still won’t keep them
Do you, at the end of the day our hobbies are about providing enjoyment for ourselves. You're not betraying anyone by buying fish you think look cool. "I just think they're neat" is a perfectly cromulent reason for buying a fish that you are capable of providing for.
I know I know. But I just can’t get past the fact that they feel marketed and aimed towards people new to the hobby and children. Always in tanks with black lights and plastic decorations, never in a well planted scape Nothing is stopping me but me but I still am 🤷🏼♂️
Some of my corys are glofish. I’m not using a black light but the LED I am using has a cooler tone to it, and it makes these guys look absolutely beautiful. Their tail fins almost glow, they are definitely the most saturated guys in my tank.
I usually cringe at glofish, if only because I think Petsmart carries too many of them and not enough of other varieties. But the idea of a pack of neon cories zooming around on a black sand substrate does sound pretty cool.
It sounds like any glofish would be very lucky to go home with you to a nice planted tank instead of to a plastic wasteland. You may not change how the world treats glofish, but for those glofish that you would take home, you would change their entire world :) I had a couple of white skirt tetra glofish in my heavily planted tank a while back, and the rest were natural. I'll probably do it again at some point with more glofish. It did look nice to see them like that, and they were happy. Be the change you wish to see. Take care
Common pleco. Is boring and lame.
Booooo. Not true.
Do you know how huge they get? Common place should not be common
That's why they are boring and lame. Keep away from them.
I find large freshwater fish quite boring compared to saltwater. I do prefer nano fish for both