No one is buying this lonely guy

[Coryloach]

I've got to admit I've been tempted....I just felt sorry for him seeing him for a long time now in the shop, no one buying him, barely growing, all on his own with no friends of his own kind...

I have a couple of questions...

1. What is he?
2. What would he do on his own in a tank with clown loaches, harlequin rasboras, denison barbs and SAEs when he grows up and becomes a big man?
3. Can he live alone?

 

[krichardson]

Looks like some kind of Geophagus or Satanoperca.....

 

[Matteus]

duanes

I was also thinking eartheater

 

[TheReefer]

First off, that's some sort of eartheater, either geophagus or satanoperca like krichardson said, though I think it's more likely geophagus as a satanoperca is more sensitive and that tank doesn't look overly clean
Secondly, they like being in groups, but can do ok by themselves, and it will do fine with a bunch of clown loaches, he may eat small rasboras and other small fish though (it's not a predator per se in that it's not aggressive, but if it will fit in their mouth, he very well may eat them).
Third, about the SAE's, I assume you mean siamese algae eaters, in which case yes, he will do fine with them.

 

[LBDave]

It's a geo for sure. Many different kinds so hard for me to dial in. Duanes should know.
It could be a Red Tapajos (young).
Yes they can be alone. In fact it's best if they are, unless kept in a large group of them. Great community fish. Can go with a lot of different fish. Just needs a sand substrate and some hiding places. They like to look around for food/ sift in the sand. I love'm.

 

[duanes]

above is a young Geophagus "red head Tapajos" to compare.

 

[LBDave]

That poor thing is in a bare tank! Savem!

 

[LBDave]

Here's a picture I pulled off the net. So take with a grain of salt. Head shape is right. Yellow fins in your pic throwing me off a bit.

 

[Coryloach]

Thanks guys. To be honest, it looks like either one of those pictures, with my untrained eye...

The substrate is sand. One of my worries is that it would eat the harlequin rasboras. I don't want them being in danger or even feel threatened. It's not worth the risk for one fish. The tank is deep enough, a bit less than 3f and the rasboras stay in the upper level.

That poor thing is in a bare tank! Savem!

Yes, all the tanks were bare up until a couple weeks ago for all the years I've visited the shop. Now there's a couple of tanks with small natural river gravel and you can see how happier the fish are in those tanks...and the colors on them are way better...

 

[Coryloach]

There's one more picture, although it may not help much.
He appears healthy. I've noticed him about 7-8 weeks ago during which he's only grown a very little bit...