Rope fish Tankmates!?

[M!NK]

I plan to get a 75 Gallon tank in the FAR future, but I am absolutely determined to get rope fish for the tank.

However, despite being peaceful, these guys like their midnight snacks, so small tankmates are out of the question.

Could I get some suggestions for tank mates? I'd like 1xBig Fish+X amount of mid-size group fish (Gourami size maybe?) that won't be monched by a fully grown rope fish, or just the mid-size fish.

I like the idea of convict cichlids, but they're too aggressive for my liking.

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

Personally I would look for large PEACEFUL fish; My favorite species are Gourami's - some are large some small so you'd have to do your research but The Powder Blues, and Red and Blue and a number of others are 3-5" long.

I've also got a "Tan spotted Gourami" (I think the local fish store was guessing on the name) but they are about 5" or larger and very interactive - he and I do a little dance together and he comes to me when I call - so not pretty but highly intelligent.

A little salt is suggested for Rope fish since they come from brackish waters and I know the online store I buy fish from put a little salt (how much varies by species) in ALL their tanks. This is a very controversial practice but they've been doing it successfully for over 30 yrs and I have NEVER lost any of the 40 or so fish I've purchased from them (Arizona Gardens - azgardens.com) I've never asked them if they put them in their catfish or cory catfish tanks because I've heard they DO NOT tolerate salt well - which is unfortunate because they would be a great species to add to the tank - so it might be worth the time researching the salt issue for non-brackish fish.

They also say these fish are social - so they enjoy other ropefish. Who would have thought?

Also they say Rope fish are great escape fish so all openings on the aquarium should be closed and the lid weighted down. They also may only eat mostly fresh food but do love bloodworms so they may learn to eat dry food. They have both lungs and gills because they come from low O2 water so they might survive a short escape. Interestingly Gourami are labyrinth fish which means they must have access to oxygen to keep breathing.

This place has the rope fish for under $26.99 right now (but it is a wild caught fish so it may go in an out of stock), also be prepared to pay $40-$50 for overnight shipping (which they've only been successful with ONCE) but our mail in Kansas is nearly always 1 day late. They also don't respond well to emails - so they have AWESOME fish but terrible customer service. They primarily grow plants and fish and brag that they even have sold to NASA.

I really want an Oscar but their size and aggressiveness with other fish mean I will never have my wish unless I win the lottery to pay for the aquarium and get a bigger house and get an assistant to help with water changes lol.

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness) and pH of your water supply. This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

 

[M!NK]

I don't know as, like I said, I plan to have this tank in the far future. I know for a fact that I'll be moving counties but I don't know to which one as that's out of my control. I plan to have this tank five or seven years down the line, so any water parameters, etc, I don't know yet and have no way of knowing.

I do know that items like driftwood and shells can change the pH and gH, so I can technically adjust it to fit the fish.

 

[M!NK]

I like the idea of Gouramis, but my dad is sold on the idea of getting African Cichlids, though we're struggling to find one that's eye-catching and doesn't want to make the world burn.

 

[Colin_T]

I plan to have this tank five or seven years down the line,

ask again in 5 years time.

peacock cichlids, electric yellows, cyprichromis, paracyprichromis are all peaceful for African Rift Lake cichlids.