Populating a 80g with fish

[Captain Nemo]

Hi! We are cycling an 80g tank and planning the list of fish to buy for it once it is cycled. I would like to have a peaceful tank where no one is being eaten or any fins torn.
After some research so far here's what I came up with:

2 clown loaches
2-3 silver dollars
5 neon tetras
5 pearl danios
3-5 pearl Mollies (not sure what size they get? )
6 or so Guppies

Now the question is if all these fish go together and how many to get for this tank?And also save some space for future fish purchases in case we like something else, to be sure, there still some space left.
We were also considering Angelfish, but later found out they don't go well with many other species. Another consideration is Bala shark, yet again, they are agressive, I hear. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Earthgirl]

Hi Captain Nemo (my son loves your name);

Have you thought about a pleco for your tank to help with algae. They are peaceful and do an awesome job. How about other tetra? It is nice to have schools of different tetras. I have never had a problem with Angels in the past, as long as you start with small ones and they grow with the other ones. Maybe someone will disagree with me. Have fun!

 

[Captain Nemo]

Hi Captain Nemo (my son loves your name);

Have you thought about a pleco for your tank to help with algae. They are peaceful and do an awesome job. How about other tetra? It is nice to have schools of different tetras. I have never had a problem with Angels in the past, as long as you start with small ones and they grow with the other ones. Maybe someone will disagree with me. Have fun!

Hi, Earthgirl! My 8 year old son also loves "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" and the new "Finding Nemo" movie.

If we can put Angels into the tank with other fish this would make my husband very happy. He loves Angelfish! But don't they get huge in size?

 

[mrV]

We are cycling an 80g

I assume that your tank is about 325 liters and 130cm*50cm*50cm or so...

2 clown loaches
- I don't recommend. They will be on someday too big for this tank. They are also shoal fish. (link)

2-3 silver dollars
- link
- your plants will become eaten

5 neon tetras
- if you want to keep these fish, forget angels because when angels are adults, they may eat neons. If you buy these, buy large shoal, like 30 neons at least.

5 pearl danios
- very good fish, buy larger shoal like 10-15 danios.

3-5 pearl Mollies (not sure what size they get? )
- don't mix these with other fishes. Mollies need basic/hard water - sometimes even salt.

6 or so Guppies
- and guppies too.

All the other than mollies and guppies live in similar water. So if want to get angels, forget those small tetras like neons and buy a little larger tetras.

Another consideration is Bala shark, yet again, they are agressive, I hear.

Not only aggressive (especially if your tank is too small) but they are also very fast swimmers and large fishes! Don't buy these either. (link)

 

[Ahmad]

got a Good Setup..there

I would add more neon tetras get aroun 20-25 they will look amazing together!
If you want the silver dollars you can keep them wondefull little things...
The mollies sound good.
The clown loaches are iffy..you can keep them in there....its going to take them a while before they grow to big for that tank so you have time to move them...Its takes them years to grow very big!!


Oh And one more thing Bala Sharks are not aggressive they are very peacefull fish and dont harm little fish at all. I have 6 Bala Sharks and my biggest is 8 and a half inches and does not even bother the neon tetras thats in the tank with him....So they are VERY peacefull fish and are a great community fish. Aslong as you have the space You can keep 3 Balas in there for a long time before they get too big....

Hope this helped

 

[mrV]

Bala Sharks are not aggressive

they are not aggressive on that way, that they will harass other fishes. They are peaceful, yes. But they need space. If your tank is too small, they start to behave restless and many times they are jumped out from that tank and died on floors.

 

[Digital Ed]

jumped out from that tank and died on floors.

Solution: Keep the tank lid closed

 

[Captain Nemo]

Of course, 80g is not a small tank by any means, in fact it is the biggest they sell in Pets Mart where we got ours. We looked at some Bala sharks yesterday and they are beautiful. I still have my heart set on a couple of loaches. I heard they make clicking sounds in the evening. Is this true? Also saw some stunning yellow Gouramis, and the clerk said they get only 3" long.

 

[Ahmad]

Yes You can get 3 balas with no problem you have a big tank and I am Asuming you are buying them small right? (3 maybe 4 inches max.?)

You can get some yellow gouramis also ...Try not to get more then 3 or 4 because they may get teritorrial and start picking at each other!!

But yes Balas do make those clicking sounds when you feed them and at night!!...I just love it when mine do it!!

Oh.and I just cant wait till my 125g is Cyled Its going to be a Bala Shark tank and nothing else! 8) ...I wanted my angelfish in there but I changed my mind.

So Keep us updated on what you get!!!

 

[Dwarfs]

No cichlids??? If you don't get angels, get some bolivian rams, to add a fish that will recognise people better than tetras and guppies do

 

[AquaSeaFoam]

Yes You can get 3 balas with no problem you have a big tank and I am Asuming you are buying them small right? (3 maybe 4 inches max.?)

Bala sharks get up to 18'" and need to be in schools to be happy. IMO they cannot live out healthy lives in an 80gallon tank. They might live, but they will be stunted and unheatlhy as a result of a tank that is too small for them. those 3 or 4 inch fish will grow.
You are right though, 80 gallons isn't a small tank, just too small for balas.

If you are set on loaches how about some yoyos they only get 4-5" usually and also make clicking noises when they eat, i think these are one of the most beautiful loaches anyway.

mollies are brackish but guppies can live in freshwater.
silver dollars will eat plants but thats no problem if you don't plan to use live plants

Here is some info on yellow (gold) gouramis. http/animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/anab...goldgourami.php

Sometimes even though people work at petstores, it doesn't mean they know a lot about what they are selling. It is always a good idea to check the info they give you online and do a little researching for yourself. usually if you just go to google.com and type the name of the fish you are looking for you can find lots of info. Its also a good idea to look at several different sites to verify the info.
HTH!

 

[Captain Nemo]

Unfortunately a lot also depends on what we can get in our pet stores. Since we live in a medium size town there isn't a wide range of fish species to choose from in our smaller stores. And the prices on fish shipping on the internet are out of the question, especially considering that you can't see what you are ordering.

Just read an article where a guy says that if you get a bala shark get either one or at least three, because two can get territorial and chase each other. Yet he kept just one happily in his tank.

I guess a lot depends on individual fish too. Many people have different experiences with their fish. So keeping fingers crossed everything in our future tank will be able to co exist peacefully, whatever it will be.

 

[Ahmad]

You can keep one in a tank...it will live and become big but it just wont be as happy as it can be if it was in a school of 3 or more... ..I dont like getting just one becuase there just so timid and will not be happy.

Well 3 bala in a 80g will do you for a long time since there not the fastest growing fish out there...But when there full length it may get cramped in there with other fish in there with them..

So I would get 2...they have company with each other. I also find that Balas actually school and socialize with other peacefull fish (Thats what all of my 6 Balas do) So just becuase you dont have enough room for 4+ you can get 2 and put in some peacefull fish in there and they should be fine. Bala are not the pickest fish and accept wide variety of living...



80g is a Big Tank and 2 balas and other peacefull fish will do good with eachother.

 

[Dwarfs]

Have you thought about a pleco for your tank to help with algae. They are peaceful and do an awesome job.

Plecos don't eat as much as otos, and IMO, the otos are better cleaners and will fit in with the other fish being that they are small and also like to be in groups

 

[bshockstubb]

Dont get neonns! get Carnials instead! They dont get neon tetra disease(which is incurable)