First Timer - 1 Week In :)

[smithyithy]

Will do!

I had a browse and there were some really nice ones in there.. Clown Loaches look awesome! I want a few of those.

I'd love Angel Fish too.. Depends on compatibility I guess but they're one of my favourite tropical fish

Thinking way ahead here, but future plans, ie. 4+ months, is a second tank with Piranha! Won't be easy but I've always wanted them. Long way away that is though..

 

[Salam]

Sorry to put a damper on things but clown loaches are a no no for your tank. They look cute and small when they are young but they can reach up to 16 inches. In addition, they like to be in groups, so you are looking at six 16 inch beasts. You'd need a 6-8 ft tank for those.

Same with angels. They need heigh aquariums (18 inch at least) and should be kept in groups too, so again you can't really have them in your tank.

You are getting frustrated now probably. Was there anything else you liked?

I'm just throwing some smaller but suitable fish out there and if you google them and let us know if you like any of those we could go from there: dwarf gouramis, bolivian rams, kribensis, apistogramma. Any one of those would be a nice centrepiece fish, then a shoal of tetras and maybe some bottom dwellers.

Planning the next tank, good! You are on the right track to addiction

 

[dbanner]

Clown loaches need tanks of at least 6 foot long as they can grow around a foot or more and need to be in groups of 6+

If I were you I would do a lot of research if you want to keep piranhas... Again they need to be in groups. I had a group of 5 in a 4 foot 260 litre (which is still too small but was about to upgrade until all hell broke loose)... Basically one died of an unknown cause, then, then the dominant piranha went mental and killed and ate the remaining 3 they were all fed well on flakes when small and then all kinds of things when bigger like frozen bloodworm, krill, shrimp, prawns and mice.

They are very messy eaters and so need huge filtration. Around 10x the tank load, so as an example if you had a 400 litre tank you would need at least 3000 LPH of filtration. Many people underestimate piranhas, they seem to think they will attack your hand when you put it in the tank but this intact is generally untrue. They are intact very skittish and shy and will swim away from you. They spent most of the time just sat in one place not really doing anything.... Until you feed them, then it's like a mass brawl. The novelty of this soon wears off after you see the mess left behind for you to clean lol

When I only had the dominant one left I thought he would be the same as he was in the group but I couldn't be more wrong. He was the only piranha I come across that would instantly try to attack my hand the second it hit the water, this meant I had to put my syphon on a long metal pole to clean the tank instead of putting my hand in. He would not tolerate anything in his water, dead or alive. With him edging on 7 inches in length there was no way I was going to risk my hand in there the way he was.

If you get some be sure to have a group of at least 5 purchased and added to the tank all at the same time, at least a 5 foot tank of 400 litres+, hiding places, lots of filtration, a secure lid and dim lighting

 

[smithyithy]

Jeez, I knew they were hard work but that sounds heavy!

Salam - the ones you suggested look awesome, so I'm not too annoyed

 

[Salam]

Salam - the ones you suggested look awesome, so I'm not too annoyed

Happy to help

Any favourites? What is your ph and GH? Might help determine which ones are best suited.

 

[smithyithy]

I'll be getting readings shortly so I'll let you know

Should I move or restart this thread in a different section do you think? As it's more of a progress thread now than an introduction one?

 

[Salam]

Great, I'll be here for the readings.

You can start a journal if you like. It's a nice way to record things as and when they happen and get advice when needed.

 

[smithyithy]

Okay, I'll put a thread up over there getting the test kit out now too

 

[Salam]

 

[smithyithy]

API Master Test Kit results..

Normal pH test couldn't give a reading..

High pH test: 8.2

Ammonia: 0.25

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 40

 

[Salam]

Uh oh, you are really doing a fish in cycle now. I am actually disappointed with Ripples for selling you fish and bottled bacteria, should have stuck to fishless cycle.

Do a water change now please, ammonia shouldn't go over 0.25.

PH is also very high, some of those fish are out. Dwarf gouramis and rams wouldn't like such a high ph, let me check on the others quickly.

 

[dbanner]

Jeez, I knew they were hard work but that sounds heavy!

I wouldn't really say they are "hard work". Once you have a tank big enough to house them and enough filtration then the rest is pretty straight forward, a 40-50% water change and sand/gravel vac once a week, feed every other day and monitor water readings No harder than keeping larger cichlids or infact any fish really. I have come across my friends red belly piranhas that have been nowhere as bad in aggression to my dominant one. They tend to stay as I explained, shy and skittish... The bigger the group of them, the less shy they become. Which is why I don't understand why my single specimen was so crazy.. I'm sure he had unresolved issues with someone or something lol

Salam - the ones you suggested look awesome, so I'm not too annoyed