need a bit o help

[NewFishyGuy]

hey all, just got a 75 gallon tank.... havent even got it up and running yet, but i need some help with what to put in there! this is my first tank since the 20 gallon i had when i was like 12 (11 years ago... lol)

these are the fish i'm starting off with:

5 clown loaches
6 tiger barbs
1 rainbow shark
1 pleco


i need ideas for tankmates for these guys! what else can i put in there???

thanks!

 

[ryan]

i hope you are going to let the tank cycle before adding the fish and add the most tolerant to water changes(ammonia build up etc) first gradually introducing 3-4 fish every 10 days or so.

there are hundreds of fish you could put in that tank could you give us some ideas, and we will tell you if it will work or not. will your tank hav real plants?

 

[NewFishyGuy]

yeah, i know about the cycling.... i also plan on putting java moss in there because i want live plants and i heard that most fish leave that particular plant alone. as for other fish, i was thinking maybe a bala shark or two, a few giant gouramis... and can i add a red tailed shark? i know he and the rainbow may not get along, but ive heard in bigger tanks theyre ok, because there is enough room for them both to establish a territory

 

[NewFishyGuy]

oh, and maybe a few australian rainbows as well.... =)

 

[ryan]

the bala sharks would be fine, make sure to get more the one because they are shcooling fish. By gaint gourami do you mean Osphronemus goramy ( the gourami with the big chin) if you do they will be way to big for a 75 gallon they reach a minimum of 24 inches, however if you are talking about colisa fasciata this is fine because it only grows to 4 inches. i would give the red tailed shark a go it may work but if it dosen't be prepared to take it back. you could probably fit in quite a few more fish in the upper half of the tank, any other fish you would like?

 

[ryan]

the rainbows would be fine to a shoal would look great, i would get some other plants to because the moss won't provide much height or colour. don't worry about your fish eating them, your chosen fish won't touch the plants and if they do it won't be enough to affect them.

 

[NewFishyGuy]

yeah, i meant the gouramis that get to be like 4 inches.... hmmm, i really cant think of any other fish off the top of my head that i'd like to put in there.... you have any recommendations of what would go nicely in there also, what other kinds of plants would you recommend?

 

[ryan]

java fern is a popular one, but i like to go to my lfs and hav i look, i then buy one or two of each and see how they, if they do well i get some more, there are so many plants it really depends on what your lfs stocks.

oh seen the tiger barbs, maybe the gourami are not a good idea, the barbs may nip at their fins. try 8 or more tiger barbs then they usually spend most of their time displaying to each other rather then nipping others

i suggest you pay a visit to your lfs and see what fish they hav, if there are any you like tell me and i will tell you if it will be ok. because i hav often discovered that the lfs dosen't stock what i hav gone there for and it is dissapionting. or when you think of some more fish tell me and i will reply

maybe buy a fish book and hav a look they always give you ideas.

 

[NewFishyGuy]

cool, thanks a lot for your help.... oh, one more thing... could i feed the loaches glass shrimp??? i've been told that they are a great source of nutrients for fish... i know loaches love snails, so i was just wondering if they'd eat those as well...

 

[ryan]

glass shrimp/ghost shrimp, they may and may not eat them i tried ghost shrimps in a tank once with my clown loaches, they payed no attention to each other. it may depend of the siz eof the loaches compared to the shrimps, my clowns were onl 3inches and the shrimps were 1 inch. maybe if you introduced the shrimp when they were small and when the clowns were big? you could feed brine shrimp though and other frozen foods as well as flakes and sinking pellets and loach pellets, out of interest. all of these will provide a good source of nutrients, try to give your fish a varied diet for good health and colour.

 

[NewFishyGuy]

eh, i didnt want to make it a regular diet for them... i just figured i could put them in there every now and then as a treat for them

 

[ryan]

its up to you give it a go, but you could also try brine shrimp,bloodworms and other live or frozen foods they are all nutricous and a good treat

sorry about the previous post i was editing it when you replied to the first one. look at it again

 

[ryan]

keep me posted on how your tank is going, please

 

[NewFishyGuy]

would african dwarf frogs survive in my tank??? those are cool little buggers!

 

[ryan]

yeah they would be fine, but make sure you get a african dwarf frog and not the clawed african frog as they look similar when they are young. the clawed grows huge and eats everything and will kill your fish.