Five best centerpiece fish for your aquarium

Aquarists always struggle to find some of the best fish for their aquarium. While the beginners prefer to have fish with low maintenance, the experts can handle the fussy ones as well. However, there is one category of fish which each one of them wishes to adorn- the centerpiece fish.

What is a centerpiece fish ?

As the name indicates, a centerpiece fish is the center of attraction in your aquarium. You may also term it as a showpiece in your aquarium which stands out from the crowd due to its extraordinary color, size or other features. The best part is these fish jell with other community of fish with no hassle and thereby makes a perfect choice for the aquarists.

Moreover, they can draw the attention of viewers and impress them with their unique and astonishing features. Swimming inside your little water eco-system, a centerpiece fish is capable of making its adobe more attractive due to its appearance.

With so many pros a centerpiece fish becomes an alluring thing to add to the aquarium. But now when you made up your mind, this is when the real dilemma arises. Although you could find many centerpiece fish, the question is which one will be the most promising for your aquarium.

How to select the best centerpiece fish ?

The factors which play a major role in selecting a centerpiece fish are the color and size. If the fish looks attractive with vibrant colors and have any special feature that makes it only one of its kind, you may opt to it. Out of many, the one which is a showstopper and holds your eyes for long can be considered the final choice.

However, to rule out your dilemma about getting the best centerpiece fish, here we have enlisted the top five best fish in the category. If the shopkeeper shows you a variety of fish and you find it hard to pick one, get anyone from the list below. These fish have been selected due to their unique feature, color and pattern variations. They would undoubtedly catch your eyes, and you would end up getting a perfect showpiece.

Besides, these centerpiece fish grow a bit larger than other community fish in the aquarium. It implies that even if you have a small tank, this fish will stand out from the crowd and display itself perfectly.

Although there are many fish which are regarded as the centerpiece, here we have provided a list of our personal favorite. No matter what the size of your aquarium is, these fish will grow a bit bigger and becomes focal of your little water ecosystem.

So check them out and find your favorite as well.

 

1. Betta Fish: Betta fish, is also known with many other names like Siamese fighting fish and plakat. It is one of the most popular aquarium trades with the primary reason for its stunning appearance. They are the member of the Gourami family and are highly territorial. However, when it comes to one of the names of most alluring centerpiece fish, Betta scores maximum points.

Among Betta, Plakat Betta or Betta Pugnax are perfect for the aquarium as their fins do not grow very big to create a hindrance for other community fish. Their stunning crown or half-moon tails is something that draws the attention. The male bettas are known to be highly aggressive and could attack each other if kept inside the same tank. However, if the tank is spacious, they’ll do fine.

Aggression is one of their behaviors, but their look is something which makes aggression little lesser to ponder. So you may happily pick it as your centerpiece and flaunt your aquarium before all.

2. Apistogramma / Dwarf Cichlid:When your aquarium gets vibrant colored fish its beauty enhances manifolds. Isn’t it? Therefore, the second fish in the list is Apistogramma also called as dwarf cichlid. The alluring orange and black color of the fish is something that draws the attention and makes them look very pretty. Among both the genders, male comprises more vibrant colors than female, so you may choose it.

Other than this, getting Agassizii color variety will endow more enthralling results. You may also get double red which is very striking and highly attractive. Another in the row is the Japanese Fire Red which also looks extremely beautiful and could become your final choice among Dwarf Cichlid. If you are looking for a tinge of yellow color, Apistogramma Borellii (yellow dwarf cichlid) is a good option.

The fascinating thing about these fish is they grow around 3” in length and can grab the interest easily. Moreover, they can handle the low pH level of the water and jell with other small fish in the aquarium easily. A tank with a size of 20 gallons or more is good to go with Cichlid.

3. Bolivian Ram:First of all, this is not a very bright colored fish. So if you are looking for a colorful fish, you may exclude this one. However, the feature that makes it different from others is the muted striped palette. This is something which is not there in other fish and thereby makes Bolivian Ram one of its kinds. Moreover, the size of this fish goes around 3” which is enough to draw the attention.

The long and beautiful trailer fins provide a highly escalating look to it. Besides the attractive look, the care and maintenance of this fish are easy. It doesn’t create much fuss and live in harmony with other fish in the aquarium. You may either keep it single or in company with other fish, and it will never let you down.

4. Angelfish:Not just the name of this fish is alluring, but the distinctive features make it extraordinary as well. From the shape of the fish to the beautiful fins and striped pattern, all contributes to making it one of the perfect choices as a centerpiece fish. No wonder it looks just like an angle and justifies the name.

The only drawback for the angelfish is they need space. You can’t just put it in a 10-gallon tank and wait for it to grow and enjoy. A tank with 20 gallons or more is the only apt size for this swimmer. Besides, it the tank is vertically tall, the fish will flourish more. It will get enough space to swim, flaunt its beauty and enjoy itself.

The nature of an angelfish is little aggressive. However, if you have one fish in the tank, it will remain more relaxed and docile. Therefore, getting an angelfish in your aquarium as a centerpiece could become the best decision of your life. It will enhance the attractiveness and ensure to beautify your tank.

5. Gourami:This is another category of fish from the same family as of Betta. Not just their families are similar, but their appearance is also alike making both a perfect option as a centerpiece. Hailing from the same family Siamese fighting fish, they are an excellent purchase to elevate the beauty of the aquarium.

Gourami grows not more than the size of 2” or 2.5” in length. The vibrant yet sober yellow color of honey gourami makes them look very pleasant. However, you have other choices in the family as well. For instance, you may opt to female powder blue gourami that comprises shimmery color and is a bit larger than honey gourami.

Talking about the nature of the fish- they could become aggressive with their counterparts easily. Moreover, if you are having a shrimp in your tank, the probability that it will happily eat it is relatively high. Therefore if you add a shrimp in the tank consisting of gourami you are risking its life. A tank with the size around 10 gallons or more is an ideal habitat size for a Gourami to flaunt.