Community Fish

[Amnesia180]

Hi All,

We popped into our LSF to get some water treatment and test kits (but they didn't have the decent test kit, so I'm going to try a different store this evening).

We spent some looking at fish and reading their little write ups. They've colour coded the fish Green/Yellow/Red (Green being the easiest/friendliest to keep) and also said if they like community tanks etc.

So, out of that... we were thinking of the following:
Angel Fish Small or Tiger Barb (or other medium size fish, say 12-15cm) x2
Rummy Nose Terta x6
Yamato Shrimp x2
Male Guppy x4
Small Neon Tetra x6

We would not get these all at once, maybe introduce 3 Rummy nose tetra to start, and build up from there. We have a 36x13x12 tank. Approximately 90litres.

Please accept my naivity if these fish are totally not suited for each other etc. I tried to do some research but the link on the other thread to the fish index seems to be broken.

Any advice, would be great!

Thanks,
Amnesia

 

[ZoddyZod]

Morning,

the angel will get too big I'm afraid. These can grow to 10" tall and about 6" wide.

Tiger barbs need to be in larger numbers or they can get very 'nippy'. If you want the tetras, then I would avoid them altogether.

A six inch fish is probably pusing it for a 90L tank. If you want a 'centerpiece' then have a look for dwarf gourami (keep 1 male) or Bolivan Rams (you could have 2), or other apistogramma species of dwarf cichlid (look for cockatoo cichlid - lovely colours)

Neons - should not be introduced to new tanks. Wait several months to let the tank mature and settle down.

Don't know what a yamato shrimp is, but think it might be an Amano.

 

[Clarousel]

Hello

I agree with ZoddyZod, the angels would get rather large.

I'd personally go with the tigers (they're really fun to watch!) but they would have to be in larger numbers. I got 2 when I first started out and boy did they go crazy Tigers are also known to be fin-nippers so maybe the neons wouldn't be a good idea. I may sound like a hypocrite with both of 'em in my tank but strangely enough I don't have any problems.

 

[Amnesia180]

Thanks guys.
We're still a while away from putting fish in, so we're doing our research now.

So the rummy nose tetra's are OK, but not the neons?

How many tigers would we need to get to keep them happy then? I'll have a look at the 'centrepieces' that ZoddyZod has suggested, as it would be nice to have 2 larger fish (not huge) and the rest smaller community fish.

Would the numbers suggested above be OK though? If I stick to those types of numbers but with the variation of fish that can live together?

Thanks again

Edit: I like the look and from reading up on the Bolivian Rams, they seem a good fish to contemplate the others I am thinking of putting in there.
Out of the list above (providing they are suitable), which would be the best fish to introduce first?
Or (and this may sound cruel) would it be better to introduce a hardy fish like a Coldwater Minow or something first?

 

[ZoddyZod]

Another important question is what is your pH?

although most of the fish in the hobby will adapt to a wide range of pH, we still need to be sure that you don't have a 'severe' pH that rules certain fish out. Extremes of pH wont kill the fish, but it can drastically reduce their life span if it's not suitable.


the numbers you've listed would be good for a 90L. Personally I'd look at having only the one species of tetra and doubling the numbers.

Out of the list above (providing they are suitable), which would be the best fish to introduce first?
Or (and this may sound cruel) would it be better to introduce a hardy fish like a Coldwater Minow or something first?

since you are fishless cycling you can put the entire list in the tank at the same time. The filter will have plenty of bacteria to handle the waste.

Bolivians also have great 'personality' and are very interesting to watch

 

[Clarousel]

Thanks guys.
We're still a while away from putting fish in, so we're doing our research now.

So the rummy nose tetra's are OK, but not the neons?

How many tigers would we need to get to keep them happy then? I'll have a look at the 'centrepieces' that ZoddyZod has suggested, as it would be nice to have 2 larger fish (not huge) and the rest smaller community fish.

Would the numbers suggested above be OK though? If I stick to those types of numbers but with the variation of fish that can live together?

Thanks again

Edit: I like the look and from reading up on the Bolivian Rams, they seem a good fish to contemplate the others I am thinking of putting in there.
Out of the list above (providing they are suitable), which would be the best fish to introduce first?
Or (and this may sound cruel) would it be better to introduce a hardy fish like a Coldwater Minow or something first?

I'm not sure about the rummy nose tetras but you should have at least 6 barbs. The more the better so they won't be so aggressive.

Yeah your numbers are good but you may want bigger shoals.

Are you doing a fishless cycle? I highly recommend that so you won't have to go through to pain of seeing any fish die due to the water I never knew about cycling a tank and I had to see so many of my fish die it got me really upset

 

[Amnesia180]

Thanks all!

Yes, I’m doing a fishless cycle but I think some beneficial bacteria is already in there. I’m going to get the water tested at the LFS at the weekend and pick myself up a test kit when they’ve got some more in.
4x male guppys
2x shrimps
12x rummy nose tetra
2x bolivian rams

Could you think of another say 6 type of small fish (like neons, or look like them) we could add? I’d quite like two different types of shoals swimming around in there without overpopulating the tank.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Yes, I’m doing a fishless cycle but I think some beneficial bacteria is already in there. I’m going to get the water tested at the LFS at the weekend and pick myself up a test kit when they’ve got some more in.
4x male guppys
2x shrimps
12x rummy nose tetra
2x bolivian rams

Could you think of another say 6 type of small fish (like neons, or look like them) we could add? I’d quite like two different types of shoals swimming around in there without overpopulating the tank.

I think you've got a good stocking there, I wouldn't push it with more. Amano shrimp do like to be in big numbers, so adding more of those wouldn't hurt (they barely impact the bio-load of the filter)

don't expect your shoaling fish to stick very close to each other all the time - it is basically a threat response when they do - no threat in the tank (which is a good thing!) means that the majority of the time they will wander where they please. Having 12 instead of 6 will certainly help though.

 

[Amnesia180]

Great, thank you for the help

 

[Tizer]

I stared reading and thought "oh noes Tiger barbs" but i can see now you have decided against them and have a nice little stocking list.

Tigers are a really bad "first fish". I really dont know why the local fish shops sell them to people as community fish. The are basically little gits, it doesnt really matter how big a group you have of them, they will still fin nip certain fish just for fun. I've got 17 in my large tank and for some odd reason they always have a go my bronze corys. nothing else gets pestered, just the bronze ones! Its probably because they are prolific breeders and the Tigers chase them for their eggs.

That said, i also have 15 Runnynose Tetras and they are probably the most pretty fish that school together with their red heads and black and white tails. You cant go wrong with them

 

[Clarousel]

Yay it's nice to see you've settled on which fish to have

Cute to have some shrimp in there too! Good luck with your tank, can't wait to see it

 

[Amnesia180]

I'll get pictures up when the fish are in... Who knows when that will be!

I've been taken to the other half about the fish, and she seems to want to put her foot down with the neon tetra's! I've explained what you guys have said, but she really likes that fish.

Do you think it is better to have 12 Rummy nose or 12 neons, or go back to the 6 rumm and 6 tetra? Advice welcome

 

[ZoddyZod]

rummys shoal a little better that neons.

as said before - neons are not a great choice for 'new' tanks. Better to add them when the tank has had a chance to mature. Quite fragile generally.

 

[Tizer]

Tell her they are no good for new tanks, ideally they would be added a good few months down the line if you wanted them to survive. they wont all flop over dead if you introduced early, but i would be willing to bet hard cash that a few would snuff it.

 

[Amnesia180]

Thanks all!

I'll persuade her Rummy's are better to start with, and we'll look at a few Neon's when I'm back from RAF training in a few months... that way we won't have a full tank and feel like there is nothing left to do with them!

I don't think I'll be able to afford all the fish at once, despite the tank being properly cycled. So which would you suggest would be good to add first?