Looking For Help And Suppestions

[markandkrystal]

Hello Tropical Fish Forum,

I have been reading post on this message board for sometime now. Having read so many informative post i have decided to set up a new fresh water tropical fish tank. So now i turn to this community for help.

I am looking for some suggestions on tanks size. About the only advice i can find is buy the biggest you can afford.

I would like some help in picking a cansister filter. I think i would either like to have a ehiem pro 2 or a rena filstar xp. i know they make different sizes in these lines and i would have to choose one for the size of tank i have. Comments or suggestions on either of these two brand would be helpful.

From what i have read it sounds like using a HOB power filter with the canister would be benifitical. I have narrowed my choices to the Aquaclear brand and the Emperor brand line. Any suggestions or comments on either of these two filiter brands.

Ok, now the things i have decided on. I know i want to use pool fiter sand for the bottom of the tank. I know i would like to have some loaches, a fresh water shark, some sort of fish or snail to keep the air pockets out of the sand.

So if you could suggest some loaches, a shark, and anyother fish i would be very thankful.

Any information or help you have is welcome. I am looking to get into the fresh water fish hobby and would like advice from this community.

 

[sic0198]

Bala Sharks are good ones. I've found that you wanna get more tham one. Clown Loaches and Weather Loaches are interesting too. Also try a Black Ghost Knife fish or an Elephant Nose. I've been looking at a Burmese Border Loach too.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Bala Sharks are good ones. I've found that you wanna get more tham one. Clown Loaches and Weather Loaches are interesting too. Also try a Black Ghost Knife fish or an Elephant Nose. I've been looking at a Burmese Border Loach too.

This is not brilliant advice. Elephant noses are extremely sensitive fish that need a mature tank, excellent water stats, live food and no competition from more active fish (like clown loaches). They often do not live long in captivity.
Bala sharks should always be mentioned with the proviso that they need a very big tank.
I believe weather loaches need cooler conditions than clown loaches.

It is difficult to suggest anything unless you tell us what size tank you had in mind. The fish named freshwater sharks are, as you probably know, not sharks at all, but various cyprinids and catfish. Some of them grow very large (e.g. iridescent sharks), some are schooling (bala sharks), others are so territorial that you can only keep one (red-tail black shark). For a medium tank -55-75 gallons- you could fit in a red-tail black shark, but you would have to factor in that they are territorial (so only one, and no other fish that even vaguely looks like him) and that they are semi-aggressive (so no very timid fish as tank mates).

Loaches come in different sizes, depending on tank size. For the small tank the khuulie loach (schooling) makes a nice choice, a large tank can sustain a school of clown loaches.

 

[markandkrystal]

As far as tank size is concerned i was looking at anything from a 55 gallon to 125 gallon. I was acutally going to choose the tank size reletaive to the fish. I already have a 55 gallon, but can purchase a 75, 90, 120, or 125 at the pet store. I just want to set up a fresh water fish tank that has some really awesome fish. I like the idea of the loaches swimming around on the bottom of the tank. My wife wants a shark, i told her that she is not going to be able to have jaws swimming around in a fish tank. She just wants something that is in the shark family or has shark in the name. Again i am very thankful for the responses, any and all information is very welcome. I am turning to this community for advice to further me in the fresh water fish hobby. Thanks, Mark