Aquarium owners can't identify fish species
Several users are unsure about the species of fish they own, leading to confusion and frustration. One user bought Chinese algae eaters instead of otos and cannot return them. Another is uncertain whether a bristlenose catfish is male or female.
SOURCES (60)
“Trying to figure out whether my angel fish is a male or female :/ submitted by /u/SensitiveDeer4754 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, Hope this is the correct subreddit! I purchased a set of guppy juveniles from a private breeder a few months ago. The guppies have mated, and one of the juveniles has unique fins. They look kind of like crown tails? Curious if anyone has any experience or knowledge on observable phenotypes, and guppy breeding like this. (I think I bought a type of tiger guppy from the breeder, can’t remember the exact name!) submitted by /u/Agreeable-Stable9966 [link] [comments]”
“Hey friends, One of my workers and I were having a conversation and he saw on my phone that I kept aquariums. He asked to surrender a betta and a mystery fish to me, and I said sure. Nothing was brought for a month, but then just yesterday he brought me this guy along with a betta in a small 5 gallon... I moved it into a larger 20G for the time being, do you know what this is? I'm cycling a 40G long, but I dont know if it will outgrow that. Please let me know so I can properly rehome it or i”
“I went to my LFS two months ago for two oto catfish and they mistakenly gave me this goby in place of one oto. I've never had either before so I assumed they were both catfish until I investigated further. I feed algae wafers in addition to them eating biofilm but he looks very skinny to me and I'm not sure what to do. Please help, he looks so skinny and idk what to do being that I already gave him food. submitted by /u/Conscious-Attitude-9 [link] [comments]”
“Cannot believe we’re going to have a bunch of bristlenose babies. We have a random common bristlenose and a random albino bristlenose that we picked up from local fish store about a year ago. Every bristlenose we’ve ever purchased always ended up being a female and there’s no deliberate pleco caves or any environment we considered would encourage breeding and never considered we’d even have a male. It’s a 75 gallon community tank with several random fish we have collected throughout the years an”
“Hey guys! I also posted this on r/AquariumHelp but I realized this might be a good one too… My boss bought this fish to add to our fish tank yesterday. She says it’s a zebra danio and the shape makes sense but it doesn’t have the same color or pattern as our other ones. Is it a Zebra Danio or something else? thanks!!! submitted by /u/esimoon0214 [link] [comments]”
“I received x3 1.5 inch true L183 starlight bristlenose plecos. I’m worried they all may be male. After taking a closer look, they look to have small bristles forming. Do females this small start bristles or does this confirm they’re all males? (Yes I understand females can grow bristles too but didn’t know if they grew them while this small) submitted by /u/Flitsiee [link] [comments]”
“I believe the larger ones are Bronze Corys, but I have no idea on the other ones submitted by /u/VKonTech [link] [comments]”
“Okay, this may be SUPER vague and I apologize in advance.... I'm looking for the name of a fish I saw on here one time, but I can't find it. I can't find any pictures, either. But it was a nano fish or small fish and had very fast moving, fancy fins. It looked like the fins were constantly moving, and I've never seen another freshwater aquarium fish like it. Does anyone have any clue what I'm talking about? Did I dream this fish up? submitted by /u/Maxxtherat [lin”
“Locally bred Blue Rams (says the lfs) Gave a pair. Is it a male and female or are they both the same gender? Appreciate the help and any more info behavior wise 🙏🏼 submitted by /u/ClippedbyAustty [link] [comments]”
“I think they are albino cory catfish but one is yellow. submitted by /u/Unhappy_Dot_7318 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve had these fish for about a year and fr have no clue, they were labeled platys but they’re huge! submitted by /u/Interesting_Fan1347 [link] [comments]”
“I unfortunately don't have any extra info on him, asking for a friend. Any help is appreciated! submitted by /u/imaginenikkie [link] [comments]”
“3rd pic is August 21st, same fish (got new plants early August) He swims near the top of the water and is active during the day time. Tank is heavily planted and has lots of snails, shrimp, etc. so he could be eating anything. submitted by /u/s_archaic_wilds_ [link] [comments]”
“So i bought plants from a lady off of marketplace and some shrimp but these guys came with them but we didnt notice until we got home. This was about 3 weeks ago and we didnt notice them because they were so tiny. We tried to do some research but only came up as them being mosquito fish or guppys. Thing is we literally havent fed them anything. Theyve survived this long off algae only id assume. I’ve noticed that one is getting color in one of the pictures it looks like its body is light pink an”
“Is it mean? Do i keep it? I had cories and now i have mercury tetras only (cories moved to other aquarium) Ignore sounds and music This aquarium is in my bedroom (i dont sleep in it) and its pretty far from a window too. So im confused how this guy got here. submitted by /u/IAURORAl [link] [comments]”
“I think it’s cardinal tetra, Burmese rummynose tetra (?), ???, khuli loach. Any help is appreciated! submitted by /u/mini_vinny [link] [comments]”
“Yeah, I should try to remember what fish I take home. I’m almost positive it’s a chain loach but I have more faith in yous’. What do you think? submitted by /u/glovb14 [link] [comments]”
“Hi! Can someone tell me if those are two males or a pair of gourami? submitted by /u/Tarastir [link] [comments]”
“I recently bought two fish from a local aquarium shop that look kind of similar to crucian carp. The shop owner told me they’re called “Rainbow Spirits,” but honestly, I have no idea what their actual scientific or common name is. Ever since I brought them home, they seem to never stop moving . They’re constantly swimming around really fast and barely seem to rest at all. They also have an absolutely insane appetite and will eat almost anything I give them. 😂 Is this normal behavior for this ty”
“So my son bought his own small fish tank and wanted fish, so we went to the pet store saying we don’t know much about fish and for her to basically tell us what to get. She said mollies and platys were the best. We got two mollies and one platy. Now since getting home and researching we realized they’re live bearers and we don’t want baby fish. Chat GPT seems to think the black molly is male, the orange platy is female, and the dalmation is a pregnant female. UGH. Any ideas? The dalmation honest”
“I’m try to know what these guys are call so I can get them a few more buddies. They were sold to me as Pygmy Corydoras but they don’t look like any Pygmy or dwarf Cory’s I’m seeing. Thanks. submitted by /u/petrie2 [link] [comments]”
“My friend got me into fish keeping and I have a lovely setup with guppies and corys. My friend got me a brown bristlenose pleco as a gift and we got a baby accidently added in, and just decided to let them grow. Turns out i have a female and male and now have discovered tiny little babies, but there is a LOT of them and obviously i can't keep them. Can I sell them to a pet store ect? What's the best way to do this? PFA the only picture I managed to quickly get when I discovered them. ”
“Got this guy from Petco, they mixed the tags up and couldn’t find the one they needed so they charged it as common Pleco, but I don’t think it looks like one, and it’s not super big submitted by /u/welikethe [link] [comments]”
“I was told it is a rainbow wolf fish, but im not sure if it is. submitted by /u/Lord_garen [link] [comments]”
“Need help! I have a 6ft tank and over the past few months I've ended up with over 100 baby bristlenose plecs. My tank is heavily planted with lots of ornaments, caves, hiding places, monstera roots. It looks like an underwater riverbed. I've tried the bottle trick but somehow my rosy barbs and adult swordtails squeeze themselves into the tiny hole so thats failed. I've tried netting them but they're too fast. Without dismantling the whole tank is there any other ways I can try? M”
“Can anyone help me identify what type of Cory this is? submitted by /u/daanifly007 [link] [comments]”
“Saw it in a petstore here in Canada. Freshwater and almost an inch long. submitted by /u/Global-Description57 [link] [comments]”
“My daughter recently rescued a few fish from her school and we’re having a difficult time IDing these fish. Please Help! submitted by /u/glovb14 [link] [comments]”
“Some species of stiphodon goby. The store had it listed as a neon blue goby, but Im doubting it's that. I was thinking maybe rainbow or orange fin goby.(Sorry for the poor quality, I need to clean the glass) submitted by /u/Hugh_Janus_35 [link] [comments]”
“So one of my angelfish laid eggs, I can’t tell if they are one male and one female or both female. I’ve been staring for a while and can’t tell lol I feel like it’s 2 females. submitted by /u/Willing-Doubt757 [link] [comments]”
“Sorry for the poor quality, this fella kept getting chased around by the other gourami who's definitely a male. I ordered and specified a male and female but I'm not sure whether this little runt is a male or female. Whether she still developing her ovaries or it's a male. 3rd image is the other Gourami if you are wondering. Tank size is a 21 Litre or 5.5 gallon aquarium, other inhabitants are 1 Amano shrimp and 2 cherry shrimp. submitted by /u/Snickers_my_Knickers [link]”
“Hey guys, I bought this guy from my Ifs as a 2 inch fish a couple months back. Now it's around 4 inches more or less. I'd like to know if it's a female or male since I'm trying to make a pair. Sorry I can't get clearer photos but the colors are better in person. The face has markings everywhere except between the eyes. I think the fins might not be deterministic yet since I estimate it's age at around 4 to 5 months. Thanks for the help! submitted by /u/Q_Q_Q_Q”
“Think its a guppy, has an orangeish tail with a little pattern submitted by /u/P0pc0rnpi [link] [comments]”
“I ordered some aquatic plants online and this came as a freebie. What kind of fish is this? The seller told me it's a juvenile and refuse to elaborate. lol! it's around 1 inch long. It's not going to get big is it? The color is light green with reddish spots. idk if you can see it in the pics but the eyes are also green. submitted by /u/werewolfh [link] [comments]”
“Most interesting and translucent from a batch of mutts between a “koi” swordtail and a “Santa Claus” swordtail. I wish we could get more like him! submitted by /u/DecoherentMind [link] [comments]”
“My mum gave me these beautiful Cory's but I have no idea what they are they're definitely not bronze Corydoras I was just wondering if you guys might be able to help me identify their species sorry for the crap photo quality submitted by /u/Crazy_person69 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve taken on my neighbours Plecos as they are moving away. They’ve told me they are both male. Could I get a second opinion on this? They’ve also said they are quite old. I went to a fish store today to get some more enriching things for their environment. They’ve already got some driftwood in there so I picked up three plants and two caves. However the employees there weren’t much help. I have never had fish before so I f you have any tips or advice for me, it would be much appreciated!”
“This morning the Tetra are going absolutely bonkers. More than usual for my zoomie crew. The 2 bigger males keep chasing the biggest female around, rubbing their bodies against her, while chasing away other males (I believe I have my genders correct). Idk if I have breeding conditions in my tank and I’m not necessarily trying to promote it. But I’m curious if that is what I’m seeing or if it’s just the tetras acting buck wild (more probable I’d imagine). If you can hear my son yelling, please ig”
“Never seen these color patterns before. The fish in the back are bristlenose pleco color morphs, so that should give you a decent size perspective (assuming they're adults). submitted by /u/dragon-elbow-coal [link] [comments]”
“This rainbowfish is about a year old now, I’m assuming an egg was stuck to plants I bought last year and it hatched in what was a shrimp tank at the time. It’s finally old enough for me to tell with confidence that it’s a rainbowfish. It’s currently living with a betta, but I’m cycling a 55 gallon because I want it to have an appropriately sized tank. I’m having trouble figuring out if it’s a turquoise or boesmani, or maybe another type of rainbowfish that I’m not familiar with. I’d really like”
“I found it in a small flowing water body submitted by /u/AdHistorical9174 [link] [comments]”
“Hi, look for help identifying if I have 2 male neons or a male and female. Couple of photos shown side by side. I feel as though the top fish is a female but I'm not sure. Any help would be appreciated thanks! submitted by /u/Old_Letterhead4856 [link] [comments]”
“Can anyone tell me what this fish is? They just showed up in an outdoor pond and survived the winter submitted by /u/teviston [link] [comments]”
“They arrive recentrly, and now I'm thinking I got scam with two males instead of a pair. I can see the details on yhe most orange one in the right. But the other one (the one I followed the most in the video) has been driving me paranoic. Is that one a female? Thanks in advance. submitted by /u/Stygian_Akk [link] [comments]”
“I got my group of platy fish about a month ago. Since then they have all grown a little but this guy has tripled in size. Hes getting super aggressive and eats everything. Im starting to think he may be a different fish? Hes starting to have a different body shape then the rest of them also. submitted by /u/chillverado [link] [comments]”
“Hi I just got my first fish, I currently have it in a quarantine tank. I am pretty sure it’s a honey gourami, i know they are sometimes mistaken as other gouramis. I am wondering if it is for sure a honey. I also want to know if it’s a male or female. If anyone could help that would be so amazing! submitted by /u/Academic-Version-623 [link] [comments]”
“My LFS thinks they are platys. *platies One of those is the correct spelling. Either way, I don’t think this is a platy submitted by /u/gqblacc [link] [comments]”
“Got some silver tip tetras, are the yellow ones males and the other females? submitted by /u/Reasonable_Coat1926 [link] [comments]”
“Any idea what these are? Took a picture at a store (far away from me) but did not take a picture of the name 😔 submitted by /u/hondai671 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, looking for some insight and second opinions on my Rummy Nose Tetra struggles compared to how well my Harlequin Rasboras are doing in the same system. Tank Specs & Parameters -Tank Size: 60-gallon breeder (dirted / Walstad-style with sand cap, live plants). -Filtration & Aeration: AquaClear 110 positioned on one far side (high-flow vs low-flow side) + small air stone running on the low-flow end. -Water Parameters: 0 ppm Ammonia, 0 ppm Nitrite, 5–10 ppm Nitrate (API Mast”
“The bottommost fish. I called the and they weren't sure what else it could be but it's definitely a different species than the others submitted by /u/Appropriate-Crow-42 [link] [comments]”
“Was at my local lfs, picking up some glowlight danios when we saw this. It was the only one of its kind, and neither me or the employee had any idea what fish it is. Anyone know? Ai claims it is an Otocinclus lol submitted by /u/Morag0 [link] [comments]”
“does anyone know what kind of fish this is? it just appeared in my 4.5 gallon shrimp tank. tank is several months old with just shrimp and bladder snails in it. I have other places it can go, I know it’s a small tank for a fish. Any tips for growing out a random fry? submitted by /u/nostalgic_sigh [link] [comments]”
“Got one from my LFS a few weeks ago, was raised in freshwater. He's so cool but I never see them on any fish channels. He eats like an absolute pig. Really, his greed sickens me. submitted by /u/myfriendpickles [link] [comments]”
“My plecos have unexpectedly had eggs, which have now hatched (I thought I had two females as the male has a couple of very short barbs) I noticed the eggs the other night (25/8) when my betta was interested in two that had been kicked out of the “cave” (a tree stump ornament which isn’t ideal for removing the fry once they’ve hatched as it has no bottom and I have tetras and a betta in the same tank) so I did some research and purchased a mesh breeding box yesterday (26/8 - I decided to get the”