A Conundrum...

[wackystarfish]

Hi! I am facing a problem deciding Stupid brain XD And i was wondering if anyone hear can enlighten me on any info, that may sway me one way... or the other
I have a 30 UK gallon Tank and a 10 UK gallon. Both have heating and sufficiant filteration. The 30 gallon is fully cycled (I have had it over two years) and the only reason a fish has died on me is old age. I have a browny/crushed pebble substrate in both tanks, and in the 30 gallon, a large piece of bogwood. There is also some Elodea and Twisted Valis. The 10 gallon is empty, however, in my 30 gallon i have:
1 X Pleco
7 X Neon Tetras
1 X Glass Fish
3 X Shrimp *shudders* lol

I am interested in keeping angels, bettas, chichillids and Gold Gouramis. (not all at the same time lol)
I would love to breed them also. My LFS has a supply of Gouramis, Angels, and Chichillids (Jack Dempsey, and Convicts) It is hard around here to get hold of bettas and i would have to get them online, which my parents are wary of. They are also quite expensive, and in the two years i have been fishkeeping, i have never wandered across the *High priced* line. I have sucsessfully kept,
Mollies
Platties
Guppies
Tetras
Corydoras
Shrimp
Glass Fish
Snails
Angels (I didnt try breeding them)

Please help me come to terms with my desicion! Oh, and i am slightly going off the Chichillids as i have heard of how aggressive they are. Please feel free to suggest any other type you would reccomend. Oh, and i am probably going to be buying a whole lot more plants soon so feel free to suggest some plants with your fish nomination!

Thanks, Finlay

 

[wackystarfish]

Bump?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Yes... If cichlids, definitely forget about the convicts and Dempseys.... They are grossly aggressive. Rather do Orange Chromides. (nice colours and peaceful disposition)

You can add 2 angels with your current 30gal and I'd rather go for honey Gouramis in your set-up than for Goldens. (even Pearls will be a better choice than Goldens)

I have a plant here that I've only just discovered the name of (through this forum) and would recommend it to anyone - it's called Annubias... If you can get ahold of that, it forms a lawn around the edges and immediate foreground and the leaves are waxy so that your normal plant eaters ignores it. Love this plant.

 

[TetraLinz]

Angelfish cannot be kept with neon tetras - once they're old enough, they'll prey on the neons, and need a bigger tank that 30 UK gal. For Angels, you're looking at a minimum of 55 UKgal. Btw, angels are cichlids

Not all cichlids are aggressive, but those that aren't are often water quality sensitive so you'd need to keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite levels, and not let nitrate exceed 20ppm. Careful research needed there.

The 10gal would be perfect for an SFF (Siamese Fighting Fish) male But if you want to breed them, you're talking a minimum of a 3ft/30gal, heavily planted tank with lots of hiding places. The male will kill the females otherwise.

Re plants. "Hardy" plants include: Java Fern, Vallis, Hornwort, Elodea Densa, Anubias (many different varieties there), Wisteria, Riccia (floating plant - important for an SFF tank), Moss Balls . . . If I think of any more, I'll edit the post

 

[Faythee]

You can't keep male Bettas and females together regardless of tank size. A female is added to a male tank temporarily to breed then removed. See the pinned topic in the Betta section. Males need to be kept in a tank on their own and they like it that way.

I am not familiar with UK sizes, but an Angel will need a tank of at least 18 inches tall. Angels are also Cichlids and can be aggressive.

Gouramis would be okay with your current stocking.

New World Cichlids (the ones you mentioned) are in my opinion the best. I LOVE them. Check on what size tanks they require and suitable tankmates. Not all are that aggressive and there are dwarf Cichlids as well.

 

[jayjay]

Angelfish cannot be kept with neon tetras - once they're old enough, they'll prey on the neons, and need a bigger tank that 30 UK gal. For Angels, you're looking at a minimum of 55 UKgal. Btw, angels are cichlids

Not all cichlids are aggressive, but those that aren't are often water quality sensitive so you'd need to keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite levels, and not let nitrate exceed 20ppm. Careful research needed there.

Angels don't need a tank that large, of course yes, larger tanks are better for all fish, however a tank 24"x18"x12", which is about 20 imperial gallons, would be enough for a single angel, possibly even a breeding pair.

You are going to be looking at mainly South American cichlids if you want peaceful fish, Apistogramma spp., rams, keyholes etc. Looking through the profiles on this site and asking questions in the appropriate cichlid section will tell you most things you'll need to know. They don't need anything special (generalisation, wild caught fish will need to be catered for accordingly and most SA cichlids will prefer soft water), tank bred fish adapt will to a wide range of conditions. Ammonia and nitrite should be 0 for all fish, not just cichlids and keeping nitrates below 20ppm would be hard for people with tap water containing higher levels than that. The fish would do better with lower nitrate most likely however tests have been carried out on fish in high nitrate levels and they have suffered no effects.