Good Fish (meets charateristics)

Paige

I'm looking for a fish that can live in a 29 gal that:
~Is NOT nocturnal (oddly enough all the really cool ones I've found are)
~Is interesting or pretty (ie. Elephant nose is interesting and angelfish are prety)
~Community fish (meaning most cichlids are out)
~Not a livebearer
~Decently active

I am also wanting to try a sand substrate and would like the occupants to prefer sand.

Thanks!

onefish2fish

black sand and a school of neon tetras.

iamntbatman

You said you want something community friendly. Do you know what other fish you're going to have in the tank?

I say this because there are plenty of "non-aggressive" fish that won't bug other fish their size but will eat fish small enough to fit in their mouths.

Paige

I'm more or less open to work around my "centerpiece fish", but if you could list some other fish that would work well with the one you suggest that would be great too.

I already have neon tetras, no black sand but that does sound pretty cool.

okiemavis

Rams, both Blue Rams or Bolivian Rams are quite interactive and are fine with other fish provided they aren't breeding. A single ram would make a very nice centerpiece fish. I'd recommend the Bolivians as they tend to be hardier than the Blue's.

iamntbatman

Kribs are so underrated! A single kribensis also makes a really interesting centerpiece fish. They seem a lot smarter than most fish and have really interesting swimming patterns. An apistogramma of some kind would also be a neat choice.

Cody

I second both the Kribs and Rams. I have a pair of Kribs, and sound good, but to me, they would rip the Neons to shreds if the got to close when they were breeding. And, both tend to stay near the bottom.

okiemavis

I'd love a krib myself, the only reason I don't usually recommend them is because I'm under the impression that they're meaner than rams, but I could be wrong.

iamntbatman

Well, my kribs can and will knock the stuffing out of anything that gets too close to their fry. Singly though, my male is completely docile. The female can be a bit bossy when it comes to feeding time, though.