Tetras for Community Tank with Angels

[rdd1952]

I am going to buy the fish for my 75 gallon tonight. I plan to have 4 angels and 10 to 12 tetras (all same species), 4 blue rams and a few drarf plecos or BN catfish for algae eating. I know that serpaes, bucktooth, and maybe von rios can be nippy. Any others that I need to stay away from so they won't harrass my angels? I want to eliminate a problem before it comes up.

 

[Lateral Line]

Many tetras are perfectly harmless. Indeed, the problem is the reverse, tetras are part of the natural diet of Angelfish - as soon as they are large enough to eat them, they will.

Is this a new setup? The reaqson I ask is that a lot of the small colourful harmless tetras are sensitive to nitrogen spikes and newly setup tanks are rarely totally stable.

Black Neon Tetras would be a good choice. They are pretty tough, elegent and peaceful.

 

[snowyangel]

White skirt and black skirt tetras

 

[rdd1952]

Many tetras are perfectly harmless. Indeed, the problem is the reverse, tetras are part of the natural diet of Angelfish - as soon as they are large enough to eat them, they will.

Is this a new setup? The reaqson I ask is that a lot of the small colourful harmless tetras are sensitive to nitrogen spikes and newly setup tanks are rarely totally stable.

Black Neon Tetras would be a good choice. They are pretty tough, elegent and peaceful.

It is a new tank but fully cycled. It has been set up for about 4 weeks. Nitrite spike ended last week and I have still been feeding it ammonia until I could get the fish. I can add ammonia to bring the level up to around 1 to 2 ppm and within about 12 hours both ammonia and nitrite are back at zero. I just did the big water change this morning (second time I've done this as I thought I was going to get fish last weekend) to get rid of the nitrates.

I know that neons and cardinals would eventually be at risk. I plan to start with small angels which will probably not be any larger than the tetras for now. I have pristellas, red eyes and serpaes on my 29 gallon so I would like something different for the 75 gallon. I really like the von rios but had read that they were nippy too. I wonder if they would be ok in a school of 10 to 12 but don't want to risk buying them and then having to take them back. I had also even considered rainbow fish instead of tetras but they are larger so I would have to cut down on the number I get.

 

[Lateral Line]

All newly established tanks are unstable for a while. A tank that is stable with regular drops of ammonia suddenly looses the regular drops and gets real fish - change, ooops, sudden nitrogen irregularities. You get the idea.

Von Rio's can be nippy. Rainbows are pretty peaceful, but as you say, do grow larger, and frankly are better in slightly harder water then tetras. Top half of the tank denizens, whereas Black Neons etc., are lower half.

 

[b.c.f.c]

what about glow light tetras. there colourful peacful and just a general nice little fish. ive got 5 and there no problem

 

[rdd1952]

I have been researching all day and have a list to look at tonight.

Black or white skirt tetras
Emperor tetras
Diamond tetras
Columbian tetras
Golden harlequin rasboras

Any experience with any of these?

what about glow light tetras. there colourful peacful and just a general nice little fish. ive got 5 and there no problem

I also looked at these at lunch today so I may go that route too.

 

[nj96]

I've got 6 Columbian Tetras in my 72 gallon with 2 angels and 2 platys and everyone seems to be cool with each other. If there is any aggression, it's between the Tetras themselves, not towards the other guys. Plus I really like the coloring of them, red tails with blue on top. Really nice looking fish.

Hope that helps!

-Dan

 

[Lateral Line]

I found Colombian Tetras to be quite aggressive. Rasboras are one of my favourite groups of fish, there aren't any aggressive Rasboras.

 

[cometcattle]

I've kept Bleeding Heart Tetras with Angels and had no problems at all.

 

[snowyangel]

I have been researching all day and have a list to look at tonight.

Black or white skirt tetras
Emperor tetras
Diamond tetras
Columbian tetras
Golden harlequin rasboras

Any experience with any of these?

what about glow light tetras. there colourful peacful and just a general nice little fish. ive got 5 and there no problem

I also looked at these at lunch today so I may go that route too.

I have experience with the black and white skirts ofcourse or i wouldnt' have that pic. One of the white skirts is about 3 yrs old, he's the grampa of the bunch.
Wanna know something about them, just ask. I also kept black neons, regular neons, and glolights. I'm kinda a tetra fan )