is this ok for a tamk set up

[Boggnials]

i am getting a bichir eel when my lfs gets him in. now i have 4 tiger barbs ,2 angles,1 rainbow shark,2 pleckos,2 mollies in my tank. i want to add 1 electric yellow chiclid, 1 cobalt blue chiclid, and 1 snow white chiclid. is this ok to put in the tank. i might be going to my lfs and exchanging the mollies for 2 chiclids and buying the other chiclid.

 

[smb]

Those fish are too slow and mellow to be with cichlids.

The cichlids will systematically take out each of your community fish.

Even without the cichlids, I wouldn't put tiger barbs with angelfish or any fish that have longer finnage.

From what I hear others here say about mollies, they like different water params than the rest of the fish you listed so I wouldn't add them either unless it was in a species specific tank. I've never had mollies so don't know exactly what those water params are but if you want to find out you can ask here in the forum for mollies.

 

[mostanks]

4 tiger barbs ,2 angles,1 rainbow shark,2 pleckos,2 mollies in my tank. i want to add 1 electric yellow chiclid, 1 cobalt blue chiclid, and 1 snow white chiclid

how big is your tank,reason i ask is coz most bichirs can grow close to 2 ft(18" i belive is the max size for the more common P.senegalus)as for the other tankmates i'd leave out the angels if you want to keep any kind of barbs as they are fin nippers.
the electric yellow,cobalt blue and the snow white i believe are malawi cichlids so 2 reason to stay away from them(in this setup/tank)is
1-they come from very hard water
2-they will eventually stress your fish to death or just kill them.
i wish i had more time to get into detail but i'm at work
i'm sure someone will be here to help soon.

 

[Alien Anna]

Even without the cichlids, I wouldn't put tiger barbs with angelfish or any fish that have longer finnage.

From what I hear others here say about mollies, they like different water params than the rest of the fish you listed so I wouldn't add them either unless it was in a species specific tank. I've never had mollies so don't know exactly what those water params are but if you want to find out you can ask here in the forum for mollies.

Most people that get tiger barbs feel they made a mistake - tiger barbs are true to their name and will rip almost any other fish to shreds. Particularly delicate finned fish like angelfish.

Mollies like hard, alkaline water with a bit of salt. They can tolerate fresh water and they can tolerate softer, neutral water but it isn't ideal for them. Mollies are extremely territorial so you are likely to have fights between the mollies and cichlids. However, I think the tiger barbs would win - they'd probably shred the mollies as well.

If I were you I'd get rid of the tiger barbs (take them back to the LFS) and then get some advice about the various cichlids (including the angelfish). Definitely don't get another species of any kind until you've done your research.

Good luck.

 

[aernympha]

am i the only person who thinks his tnk seem a littl eon the OVER STOCKED SIDE!!!!!!!

 

[aernympha]

also i was under the impression that u couldnt mix afriacn ciclid form diffrent lakes so mixing them with agel fish form another cotinent there hardly gunna get along cos they wont undertsnad each other that what i have read that afriacn cichlid wshould be in a lake tank only eg. lake tanguka (soz can't spell) there are some exceptions the krib for one they are form rivers... also that each lke had its own water conditions.... if some one else tell me otherwise i shall kick my self cos that what has been stopping my buying them cos i didn't want my tank filling with just them and having to fiddle with specific water conditions........... alos i like to keep fishes with fish thah come form at least the same continent makes it easyier i think...!!!! also more natural even if some of the fish have been selectivly breed for colours for many generations.......

 

[smb]

also i was under the impression that u couldnt mix afriacn ciclid form diffrent lakes so mixing them with agel fish form another cotinent there hardly gunna get along cos they wont undertsnad each other

You shouldn't mix Africans, in general, with Angels because of the different temperaments. A lot of the common Africans you can buy in lfs's are pretty aggro and very quick.

what i have read that afriacn cichlid wshould be in a lake tank only eg. lake tanguka

Not sure what you mean here? There are plenty of Tanganyikan cichlids that are appropriate for an aquarium. From shell dwellers to Fronts.

also that each lke had its own water conditions

This is true...in the wild.

I mix New World and Old World cichlids all the time and have for years. This is NOT recommended by me, however. You really have to know exactly what cichlids you are getting into and know everything about them before you get them. You also have to know each of their behavioral instincts and keep an eye on them to know before anything happens that it might happen. I'm not always correct and feel like crap when I screw up and it does happen.

I will never recommend the mixing of cichlids and I won't ever post in reply to anyone asking if such and such species will be ok together when it comes to mixing.

I am only saying this because I believe that you have to go by what the water params are where you got the fish (ie. LFS or breeder) and those are the params you have to match. If a certain species in the wild is used to a pH of 8.2 and all the fry from several batches later of the same species grow up in 7.2 and you instantly put them in 8.2 they will die real quick.

Don't take this as a recommendation to mix species. Because I don't recommend it, but it's not because of the water params. It's more of a compatability issue with cichlids.

Besides, I don't need CM to come looking for me to hang my behind in a sling for even suggesting it if this is taken that way.

 

[aernympha]

soz i make mistakes and thing come out not making sense i menat that u can only have ciclids form one lake and not another becasue they have different behavoir habits to the extremme that one fish might be doing something which is a sign of greeting wjile of other see its as some sort of threat ..... this is what i read in my litl ebooks its seemed to think its was best for peeps to keep them in there own tanks and plus u couldnt hav ethem in that tank co sis so corwded for a cichlid like the afircan ciclids beacause they like to have big teritorys with one male a several females.......

 

[mostanks]

am i the only person who thinks his tnk seem a littl eon the OVER STOCKED SIDE!!!!!!!

actually i don't think bog told us what size tank he/she has.

as for tiger barbs,they really need to be in big schools(8 minimum)to give the others break,most ppl hate them coz they just do not undrstand them(i was one of them)until i found good tough tankmates.i have about 14 assorted tiger barbs in a 40 w/1 A.sajica that "was"smaller than them and he's doing just fine!
belive me they'r not as bad as you think,i think another problem is that the lfs sells tham for about 5.99(i've seen small ones for less)but c'mon 6 dollars for a schooling fish!! not many ppl have 50 dollars for a school of these fish so they buy 1 or 2 BAD!!they'll beat the crap out'a pretty much anything! i had 3 tiger barbs that killed a 6" red hook silver dollar.

 

[aernympha]

his tank is 29 gallons and is overstocked i think........... its say in his ignature some please found out because i am under the impresion that alot of the species he has grow rather large........

 

[aernympha]

is this nay use to anyone???

before u guys so excited about this new formula, its nots new its in both of my fish books!!!!! but the one givern to me is more correct and better for newbies its it like the 1 inch of fish to a gallon but more accurate !!!!! as both books recomend it i think its better . the one on the net its stupid there is no way u one 2 inch fish can have a living spce of 6 sq.in.!!!!!!which is 15 sq. cm its tiny!!!!! i mean this rule on the net compared to the 1 inch for every gallon says can have double the fish i have now in my 30 galllon tank, which is rubbish!!!
there is a better metthod found in these books
Aquarium Fish by Dick Mills (famous guy been doing fishing keeping 30 years!!)
Aquarium an owners manual by Gina Sandford

the method!!!!
this is quoted guys!!

when stocking a tank,the most critical factor is surface area,rather than the total volume of water.the aqurium deth is irrelevent, its the water/airinterfaceat the surface that determines the amount of dissolved oxygen needed to support life.a 160 litre (35 gallon) tank, if 100 cm long x 40 cm deep x 40 cm wide(39 x 16 x 16 in.),will have the surface area of 4000 sq. cm (625 sq in.); alternatively, it mabe be 75 cm long x 52 cm deep x 40 cm wide (30 x 20 x 16 in.) , with a surface area of 3000 sq. cm (480 sq. in.) . although both tanks hold the same amount of water, the one with the larger surface area will suport more fish. to find the correct stocking level,first calculate the surface area by multiplying the tank length by its width.then establish the adult body length of the fish you plan to keep in the tank; for each 2.5 cm (1in.), you will require 75 sq. cm (12 sq. in.) of tank space for tropical freshwater species,180 sq cm (28 sq in.) for coldwater freshwater fish ,and 300 sq cm (47 sq in.) for tropical marine species.
in certain cases, fish may require more or less space than average.for example the discus, which gorws to 15 cm (6 in.),is best kept in pairs with little else in the tank.only in this way are you likly to grow these fish to maturity and have them breed.with good water turnover and effient filtraion,stocking levels may be slightly incresed.however , do not rely on equipment to support a heavily stocked aquarium;mechanical failure could prove disastrous.remember also that fewer fish often look far more impresive than a tank crammed with bodies.

so the basic rule is "for every inch (2.5 cm) of fish you will requies 75 sq. cm"


so i did this to my tank so i did 36 cm x 81 cm =2916 sq.cm

i sthen figured out howmnay inches of fish i could keep by

2916 divided by 75 = 38.88 inches of fish!!!

i then added alll the inches of fish i had 3.75 + 6+6+4.5+4+4+4=32.25
which menas i am not over stocked!!! an di have enuf space to put babies in my tank to grow yup a little so i can sell them to the lsf !!!!

this method is used by dick mills!!!!!!!!!! DICK MILLS!!! i mena if hes been using it for the majority of 30 years its must work so i have my faith in this formula!!! no that stupid unrealistic formula !!!! whoever made it up was stupid and is mean to his fishes!!!

 

[cichlidmaster]

now i have 4 tiger barbs ,2 angles,1 rainbow shark,2 pleckos,2 mollies in my tank.

This is what is currently in his tank!!

Per his signature, the other species are "in the process" which I take to mean will be added!!

IMO, yes his tank is overstocked, but not due to Dick Mill's stocking formula!!

IMO the species he has together will eventually cause havoc amongst themselves in the small confines of a 29 gallon tank!!

This is not due to "overstocking", but due to the nature of the species involved!! To add any more fish (espaecially what is being considered) would certainly NOT WORK!!!

smb,

I agree with you totally!!

Many years ago, I too kept SA/CA and Africans together!! I was also told "this would/will not work, but was told it was due to the behaviors of the species and NOT due to water parameters!!

While I kept such species as red devils and red terrors with species such as frontosa and even different mbuna!!

I too would never recommend this to anyone without the experience to recognize the potential of the species involved.

As for the water parameter argument I say......HOGWASH!!!!!! Malawi, Tanganyikan and Victorian cichlids do NOT need to be kept in a ph, hardness ect of that of their wild bretheren, unless reared/raised in those parameters.

Believe me when I say most LFS and breeders DO NOT alter their tap water simply due to the exhorbitant costs to do so!!

It would have cost me a fortune to adjust the parameters of my tap water for 130+ tanks every week and my breeders did just fine in my tap water of 7.2-7.4!!

is this nay use to anyone???

before u guys so excited about this new formula, its nots new its in both of my fish books!!!!! but the one givern to me is more correct and better for newbies its it like the 1 inch of fish to a gallon but more accurate !!!!! as both books recomend it i think its better . the one on the net its stupid there is no way u one 2 inch fish can have a living spce of 6 sq.in.!!!!!!which is 15 sq. cm its tiny!!!!! i mean this rule on the net compared to the 1 inch for every gallon says can have double the fish i have now in my 30 galllon tank, which is rubbish!!!
there is a better metthod found in these books
Aquarium Fish by Dick Mills (famous guy been doing fishing keeping 30 years!!)
Aquarium an owners manual by Gina Sandford

the method!!!!
this is quoted guys!!

when stocking a tank,the most critical factor is surface area,rather than the total volume of water.the aqurium deth is irrelevent, its the water/airinterfaceat the surface that determines the amount of dissolved oxygen needed to support life.a 160 litre (35 gallon) tank, if 100 cm long x 40 cm deep x 40 cm wide(39 x 16 x 16 in.),will have the surface area of 4000 sq. cm (625 sq in.); alternatively, it mabe be 75 cm long x 52 cm deep x 40 cm wide (30 x 20 x 16 in.) , with a surface area of 3000 sq. cm (480 sq. in.) . although both tanks hold the same amount of water, the one with the larger surface area will suport more fish. to find the correct stocking level,first calculate the surface area by multiplying the tank length by its width.then establish the adult body length of the fish you plan to keep in the tank; for each 2.5 cm (1in.), you will require 75 sq. cm (12 sq. in.) of tank space for tropical freshwater species,180 sq cm (28 sq in.) for coldwater freshwater fish ,and 300 sq cm (47 sq in.) for tropical marine species.
in certain cases, fish may require more or less space than average.for example the discus, which gorws to 15 cm (6 in.),is best kept in pairs with little else in the tank.only in this way are you likly to grow these fish to maturity and have them breed.with good water turnover and effient filtraion,stocking levels may be slightly incresed.however , do not rely on equipment to support a heavily stocked aquarium;mechanical failure could prove disastrous.remember also that fewer fish often look far more impresive than a tank crammed with bodies.

so the basic rule is "for every inch (2.5 cm) of fish you will requies 75 sq. cm"

aernympha,

Since you asked....not to me!!!!


While I am happy you have found a "formula" for stocking that works for you....in this case I don't think it can be used....even in it's most basic form!!

I have several "issues" with the statement (by Dick Mills) you keep providing, but will not go into them here (don't want to hijack this thread!!)

I will simply say this.........The tank is a war zone waiting to happen and to add even more aggressive species to the small confines is simply asking for trouble!!

CM

 

[aernympha]

yup that what i thought about there being alot of agressive fish...... and i read that african cichlids should be able to handle chnages in water pH cos of the dry season and wet season the romula does talk about varibles but only briefly!!!! but i understand where ur coming form

 

[Xxzsdrklakdfj]

i would have to advise against having mbuna of ANY kind w/ community fish, the mbuna from lake malawi would IMO mutilate most of the fish u have at the moment once grown to their potential size. Especially in the confines of a standard 29 gal. tank!!!

But on the subject of water parameters. I have a severum in a tank w/ a pair of J. marlieri, and single leleupi and he looks better than he EVER did when in the old tank i had him in w/ firemouths , jewels, and kribensis w/ ph of 7.2. But then again maybe it's that huge size difference he has over the marlieri and leleupi guess it gives him a sense of being the king of the tank for a change But anyways i also have a small school of Zebra Danios in w/ my breeding pair of N. leleupi just to make the male THINK he has something to protect his territory against if they come down from near the surface and while he's worried about the danio's the fm leleupi has plenty of time to eat, and semi-roam the tank

-matt