60litre - 200litre upgrade

[Murray92]

Hi folks.

I currently have a 60 litre tank which contains the following:

6 cardinal tetras
6 zebra danios
8 panda corydoras
1 blue phantom pleco l128

Purchasing a Fluval Roma 200 at the weekend.


Obviously the main reason for the tank size upgrade is my blue phantom pleco. He is currently only about 1.5” but will eventually grow to be about 8”.

So I was wondering what else you guys would recommend I could put in the tank together with what i already have. I do love the looks of the cherry barb so thinking a school of them would look real good.

Thanks

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Great upgrade! Blue phantoms are beautiful plecs, and it's great to see that you're upgrading to accommodate it. Lovely tank as well, Fluval tends to be pretty reliable, so you've definitely not gone wrong there.

I would go for it personally. There shouldn't be a huge issue with cherry barbs considering your current stock. They can be nippy - they're barbs, and they're known to be the fin-nippers of community tanks - but this doesn't mean they can't work in your tank. Housed properly in the right female to male ratio and in a well-maintained tank, the nipping isn't as common. Chances are, there will inevitably be some nipping and personally I think your blue phantom will get the brunt of it with the attractive tailfins they sport, but this behaviour can be minimised like previously stated. At the end of the day, there is some risk with every fish you put in your tank, and the fish you would like to keep ultimately comes down to your own discretion.

I'm sure more people will add to this thread, so take their words into account when they come along, but I would say go for it.

 

[Murray92]

Great upgrade! Blue phantoms are beautiful plecs, and it's great to see that you're upgrading to accommodate it. Lovely tank as well, Fluval tends to be pretty reliable, so you've definitely not gone wrong there.

I would go for it personally. There shouldn't be a huge issue with cherry barbs considering your current stock. They can be nippy - they're barbs, and they're known to be the fin-nippers of community tanks - but this doesn't mean they can't work in your tank. Housed properly in the right female to male ratio and in a well-maintained tank, the nipping isn't as common. Chances are, there will inevitably be some nipping and personally I think your blue phantom will get the brunt of it with the attractive tailfins they sport, but this behaviour can be minimised like previously stated. At the end of the day, there is some risk with every fish you put in your tank, and the fish you would like to keep ultimately comes down to your own discretion.

I'm sure more people will add to this thread, so take their words into account when they come along, but I would say go for it.

Thanks for that. Certainly reassured me. I cant wait till I get the new tank

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Thanks for that. Certainly reassured me. I cant wait till I get the new tank

If you decided not to get the barbs though, I would alternatively suggest upping the number of cardinal tetras. If you have a heavily planted tank or a tank with lots of natural decoration such as rocks, slate, e.t.c, a large shoal of cardinals can look amazing. They really brighten up the tank.

 

[Essjay]

Cherry barbs are among the least nippy barbs so they should be OK. I have some with pearl gouramis and harlequins and neither of them show signs of being nipped. Though I do have 15 cherry barbs, and nippy fish are best kept in large groups so they keep the nipping to just their species, but none of them show signs of being nipped either.

 

[Murray92]

Cherry barbs are among the least nippy barbs so they should be OK. I have some with pearl gouramis and harlequins and neither of them show signs of being nipped. Though I do have 15 cherry barbs, and nippy fish are best kept in large groups so they keep the nipping to just their species, but none of them show signs of being nipped either.

Thanks for that Essjay.