Tank Mates?

[diademhill]

I'm presuming that they were the albino ones because they were all a creamy white colour. I didn't see a label on the tank to know for certain. But obvously, they wouldn't be a good idea if they are going to eat their tank mates.

I think we have got a lot of thinking to do about this. If I can set the other tank up with or without heater/filter he could have one male betta in there and then still have his community tank with guppies and whatever else would happily live in there with them. I wouldn't want him to get 4 or 5 females if they are going to rip each other to pieces.

It makes you wonder how people manage to get it all sorted - I suppose everyone makes mistakes in the early days - but I'm trying my damndest to make sure that we can get it done without losing any fish.

Jue

Hi Jue,
I think I've got this sussed.. you plan on tiger barbs which aren't ideal with the guppies you already heve......If you get pentazona barbs instead, which aren't nippy, you could move the guppies to the 180 leaving the cycled 40l for a Betta & friends.
It sounds like you need to find a new LFS - one that would sell a gold nugget for a new 40l and doesn't have Bettas because they can't keep them sounds to me like a place to avoid.
You wil notice differences in Betta keeping between Europe & the USA - here they are always considered tropical fish and kept in heated & filtered tanks. The males have to be kept seperate so people either keep one in a community or keep a small tank with just the betta.
Many stores will not sell a fish unless it is going into a filtered tank. Males are Jarred whilst growing on as it is that or drip fed barracks are the only ways of keeping so many fish apart. It isn't ideal for a pet fish or for long term keeping though.
I have a Betta in my kitchen. He has a 55l hex which he shares with red ramshorn snails. He's a georgeous black red devil crowntail from Thailand but I've never got a spawn from him as he is too aggressive and has killed three females when I've attempted breeding him. I wouldn't rish him with any other fish - My Mum has a blue boy in her very mixed 160l community who is really mellow and lives happily with danios, cardinals, corys, botias & even an equally mellow old angelfish.
Temperaments vary a lot.
Apple snails are great fun too.
Sue

 

[Jue]

Hi Sue

I should have said - we have got a 40L with the 5 guppies in it - this is Ashley's tank and the one he is trying to think of fish for. Hence the Betta/Gold Nugget dilemmas. I might get a filter and heater for the small hex tank that I've got and he could have a Betta in there so that would be one problem solved. Just got to think of some others for his main tank. Or he could go down the route of the ADFs and the Betta - he will have to decide what he wants.

My tank will be the 180L which I would like to have a couple of Bristlenose cats and a small shoal of Tiger Barb in.

Jue

 

[KeddyPie]

If your son really has his heart set on a small community, AND really wants siamese fighters... I'd defenitly go with 4 females. Though many of them are rather drab, if you look hard enough, you can find some that are just as colorful as males. I'll attatch a few quick photos of my girls, which are quite vibrant.

Also, I think that if you're aiming for a community, one reason must be for appearence - A big variety looks quite fab. I'd suggest devoting more time to making the tank look pleasing... Most of the plants in my tanks are more interesting then the fish themselves, and they are wonderful to watch and great eye-catchers, even when each tank is bland in terms of fish. It almost gives the same satisfaction, without having a lot of fish.

Because bettas are mostly surface-dwelling, one male betta will do good with most drab-colored bottom fish, assuming they fit the tank. This is assuming your fish isn't loco, like my betta that killed all 3 of my Oto's >_>

You could always risk having your betta with other fish, because sometimes it DOES work out - You'd need to accept that one day, you might wake up to a bloody tank.

Maybe just keep the guppies in there.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Jue

Albino frogs are ALWAYS African Clawed Frogs. The dwarf frogs do not come in albino. They are great pets, but cannot be kept with other fish. Quite simply, the day will come when the frog will eat the fish. One would live nicely in your 10 gallon tank provided it is fitted with a tight lid because they are jumpers. The same goes for the ADFs. Here's a link to a thread in our Invertebrates and Amphibians section that you might find interesting:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=18252

A betta is often a good addition to a tank of corydoras. Cory cats are peaceful schooling fish that tend to be active and playful, and a betta will often find them quite amusing. They get along with every other kind of peaceful fish including guppies. Here's a link that will give you an idea:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/callicht/G_1.PHP

If you are interested in them, please post in the Catfish section and I'll help you select the best size for your tank since there is a little variation in them and some are more easily obtained than others.

 

[Jue]

Hi Jue

Albino frogs are ALWAYS African Clawed Frogs. The dwarf frogs do not come in albino. They are great pets, but cannot be kept with other fish. Quite simply, the day will come when the frog will eat the fish. One would live nicely in your 10 gallon tank provided it is fitted with a tight lid because they are jumpers. The same goes for the ADFs. Here's a link to a thread in our Invertebrates and Amphibians section that you might find interesting:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=18252

A betta is often a good addition to a tank of corydoras. Cory cats are peaceful schooling fish that tend to be active and playful, and a betta will often find them quite amusing. They get along with every other kind of peaceful fish including guppies. Here's a link that will give you an idea:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/callicht/G_1.PHP

If you are interested in them, please post in the Catfish section and I'll help you select the best size for your tank since there is a little variation in them and some are more easily obtained than others.

Thanks Inchworm - I'd really appreciate your help
Do Cory cats look like catfish or do they look like "normal" fish with barbs?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Jue,

Just to give you a quick idea, here are a couple of pictures of my cory communities:

Not all of these can be readily found in the lfs, but all have the same pleasant and friendly disposition.

 

[Jue]

Hi Jue,

Just to give you a quick idea, here are a couple of pictures of my cory communities:

Not all of these can be readily found in the lfs, but all have the same pleasant and friendly disposition.

They look really cute. Do they spend most of the time on the bottom of their tank?

Jue

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Jue,

Yes, they spend most of their time there and they eat from the bottom too. They will eat food that the guppies drop, but will need more too.

Sometimes they swim up and down the glass or back and forth on the bottom, and they often spend a lot of time digging in the sand or gravel.

They interact a lot among themselves, but will not interfere with the other fish.

 

[Jue]

Are they the type that "stick" to the glass or are they different? They certainly look nice together in a bigish group.

Jue

 

[debiasir]

Are they the type that "stick" to the glass or are they different? They certainly look nice together in a bigish group.

Jue

nope they dont stick to the glass like plecos. they do swim up and down it sometimes though and are fun to watch

 

[Jue]

Are they the type that "stick" to the glass or are they different? They certainly look nice together in a bigish group.

Jue

nope they dont stick to the glass like plecos. they do swim up and down it sometimes though and are fun to watch

They look lovely how they shoal. It's nice when they are all together in one group. I've shown Ashley the pics and he seemed to be quite taken with them, so we will have to see

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Jue,

They are schooling fish and do need to be kept in a group. It can be as small as three or four, but the bigger the school, the better they like it.

Corys are more interactive than tetras and they seem to love each others company. They often touch each other and will squeeze into caves, sometimes one on top of the other. They are enjoyable fish to own. Even if you don't get them for your son, you might want to consider adding some to your bigger tank.

 

[Jue]

Hi Jue,

They are schooling fish and do need to be kept in a group. It can be as small as three or four, but the bigger the school, the better they like it.

Corys are more interactive than tetras and they seem to love each others company. They often touch each other and will squeeze into caves, sometimes one on top of the other. They are enjoyable fish to own. Even if you don't get them for your son, you might want to consider adding some to your bigger tank.

If we did put them in the 40L with the 5 guppies how many would you say would be the right amount so as not to overstock it?

I might have a think about them for the bigger tank, although at the moment I'm quite keen on getting some Tiger Barb and a couple of Brislenose plec. I saw a tank set up a few days ago with just the orange Tiger Barb in and they looked absolutely fantastic.

Jue