Mixing Tropical Fish

[Tumbleweed]

I'm wondering if any of you experiences folk can help me. I'm considering a 55 gallon tank for tropical fish. I've had fish in the past and am worried that my fish will kill each other if I choose the wrong types to mix. Can anyone guide me in the right direction?? Just some examples of fish that go well together would be a great help. Thanks for any help you can provide to me.

 

[brookie]

ive been wondering that too i have a very preg guppy and a 10 gal tank


iknow
guppy
molly
swordtails
snails
ghost shrimp


im really interested in balloon mollys

i hope i help and someone else can help more

 

[SnowLady]

I've been going to fishprofiles.com to check out compatibility.

 

[fatbobsufc]

This list may help you to make up your mind:

Community Fish :
Unless marked with a note, these fish can be safely mixed together in the same
aquarium.

Semi-Aggressive : These fish are usually peaceful when they are small, but can
become fin nippers or chase the others around the tank when they get bigger. If
you really want to put one of these fish in your community tank, you can, but keep
an eye on them as they get bigger.

Aggressive Fish : Do not mix these fish with any other type fish except similar
sized aggressive fish. They will bully and even eat smaller and more timid fish.

Community Fish


Anabantids

Dwarf Gourami
Flame Gourami
Opaline Gourami
Pearl Gourami
Siamese Fighting Fish/Betta(1)
Spiketailed Paradisefish

Catfish

Banjo Catfish
Bristlenose
Chinese Algae Eater
Corydoras
Green Catfish
Leopard Catfish
Plecostomus
Spotted Catfish
Upside Down Catfish

Charachins

Black Neon Tetra
Black Phantom Tetra
Cardinal Tetra
Congo Tetra
Emperor Tetra
Flame Tetra
Glowlight Tetra
Head & Tail Light Tetra
Neon Tetra
Rummy Nosed Tetra
Serpae Tetra
Hatchetfish
Pencilfish
Bloodfin
Penguin Fish
X-Ray Fish

Cichlids

Angelfish
Blue Acara
Discus (2)
Festivum
Ram

Cyprinids

Cherry Barb
Bala (Tri-Color) Shark
Black Shark
Blue Danio
Giant Danio
White Cloud
Zebra Danio
Harlequin Rasbora

Killifish

Lyretail

Livebearers

Guppy
Molly
Platy

Loaches

Clown Loach
Dwarf Loach
Horseface Loach

Unclassified

Australian Rainbowfish
Boesmani Rainbowfish
Boesman's Rainbowfish
Bumble Bee Goby
Elephant Nose
Rainbowfish

Semi-Aggressive


Anabantids

Honey Gourami
Kissing Gourami

Catfish

Bumble Bee Catfish

Charachins

Bleeding Heart Tetra
Black Widow
Buenos Aires Tetra
Silver Dollar

Cichlids

Firemouth
Severum

Cyprinids

Flying Fox
Green Tiger Barb
Red Tailed Shark
Rosy Barb
Tiger Barb
Tinfoil Barb

Livebearers

Swordtail

Unclassified

Archer
Freshwater Puffer


Aggressive


Anabantids

Black Paradisefish

Charachins

Red Belly Piranha

Cichlids

Convict
Green Terror
Jack Dempsey
Red Oscar

Livebearers

Knife Livebearer

Unclassified

Butterfly Fish

IMPORTANT NOTES:
(1) Only 1 male Siamese Fighting Fish/Betta per tank. 2 Males will fight to the death
if they are in the same tank! You can have as many females in the tank as you wish.

(2) Discus should not be kept with other fish other than catfish, loaches, neons, or
cardinal tetras. This is due to the fact that they are very susceptible to disease, they
require a warmer water temperature (85 degrees F), and are sometimes slow eaters
and will not fight for food.

 

[david27]

Hi Tumbleweed, fatbobsufc list is fairly comprehensive but i would place firemouths in the aggresive group, JMO from personal experience.
Also perhaps consider a bichir if you choose larger fish.

David

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Tumbleweed and welcome to the forum.

You have the right idea coming to the forum and asking questions before you actually got your tank. All too often people come here after they are set up and have made the wrong choices or have run into other troubles. It's always a pleasure to talk fish with someone who is ready to learn and then to follow along as they progress.

The list fatbobsufc posted is an excellent starting point for you. But, to narrow it down further, you might let us know what kind of tank you have in mind. For example, do you want a planted tank with a lot of little fish swimming in and out? Or would you rather have a more plain tank with a few big fish?

Are there any fish that you particularly want? If so, your other choices might have to revolve around their needs. Other factors, such as money or time, might also influence your choices.

Stick around....I promise you will learn much on this forum, and before long you will be sharing your experience and helping others who are just starting out!

 

[Tumbleweed]

Thanks guys for all of your replies. It's ssuch good advice!! Actually, I've had my eye on a 89-90 gallon tank OR the 55 gallon. I'd like to have a few large fish with a bunch of smaller ones. Hopefully, very colorful fish because I have a lot of nephews who are small and they'd love watching them and learning about them. I just don't want fish that will hurt each other are have good temperment and aren't territorial. Are reef tanks hard to maintain?? Thank you for the excellent help!!

 

[Tumbleweed]

..Sorry, one more question. Are salt water tanks hard to maintain? I don't mind the work that they'd intail, I just don't want my fish to get hurt, get sick, be stressed, or die. Clown fish (all varieties) are my favorite and I would like a list of all the fish that can be placed with them. Also, are dwarf angelfish hard to keep in a tank with other fish? --Sorry so many qustions.

 

[platypus]

Hiya Tumbleweed,

Sorry, I don't know much about saltwater tanks (although from what I've read they seem MUCH more tricky to set up and maintain than freshwater tanks). However regarding your first question, I found this website to be really great in helping me decide which fish are compatible. Hope it helps!

 

[Shoto^Guy]

I didn't know bleeding tetras and black widows are considered semi aggressive .....are they?

 

[Tumbleweed]

I read up above that the Siamese fighting fish could be put together with as many females in a tank as you want, just not two males. Is that for real? I thought they were really aggressive towards other fish and other fighting fish. How many could you put in a 55 gallon tank without worrying about them fighting? (females) How do you tell male from female?? Thanks again!!

 

[Alien Anna]

I read up above that the Siamese fighting fish could be put together with as many females in a tank as you want, just not two males. Is that for real? I thought they were really aggressive towards other fish and other fighting fish. How many could you put in a 55 gallon tank without worrying about them fighting? (females) How do you tell male from female?? Thanks again!!

You can put a few female bettas in a large, but not too deep tank. But bettas vary so much in personality and some females are "Tom boys" and some are actually short-finned males!

You certainly can't keep a male with as many females as you like, or at least, you can't guarantee that you can. Again, bettas vary a lot in personality.

You could try it if you like but as always with bettas, keep a small tank cycled just in case.

The other issue is tank depth. Bettas don't like large, deep tanks.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Tumbleweed

I wish I could answer some of your questions about salt water aquariums, but that is way over my head.

Why not try posting in the Marine and Reef section of the forum to get information from the folks who really have that knowledge.

 

[MAM]

a good way to start, go to some of your local fish stores and look at the fish they have. write down the names of fish you like, since you said you want some larger ones and some real colorful ones. then do some research online at some of the sites given here. (oh, and www.liveaquaria.com and www.aquariumfish.net have some decent profiles of fish and suggestions of tankmates). that way, if you don't find the info on other sites, you can come back here armed with a more specific listing of what you like and people here can then help you decide out of those which would or would not work together.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Thank you. I didn't see the threads for salt water aquariums. B) I've about decided between rainbowfish and angelfish. I'm not sure which ones I would like better though. I don't think I would mix them up going by the list up above. I've been looking like mad through websites, thanks for the great links!