What do ya think about this tank community?

[new_fish_guy86]

10 Tiger barbs, 5 Black tetras, 5 Flame tetras, 4 Lyertail mollies, 2 Black and 2 Red velvet swordtails, 4 platies, and 4 clown loaches?

What would you add or take away?

 

[CFC]

What size tank do you have?Do you realize that if all those fish reach their full potential size you have around 100 inches of fish there? (the clowns can get to 12 " each) so you will need a minimum of a 50g tank with extreemly good filtration needing twice weekly water changes.The mollies,swordtails and platies all prefer hard water with a little salt in where as salt will kill the clowns and maybe the tetras as well,but unless you want them to breed this can be overlooked as they are quite hardy,also i would be carefull adding any fish with long or fancy finnage with tiger barbs as they are nippy and can be very aggressive.

I would recomend choosing either the livebearers and basing the tank around them with tankmates that share the need for the same water conditions (hard and slightly brackish)or the clowns and tetras which prefer soft slightly acidic water,i personaly wouldn't use tiger barbs in a community set up as they can be so destuctive but then thats my personal oppinion.

 

[Kryten]

I would also say that the clown loaches are out of the list if you have a small tank, and that the tiger barbs can be like nippy towards fancy fins and small fish, although they should keep to themselves if you have a shoal of ten. Could be risky but can be pulled off, just think about the loaches

 

[playfulalliecat]

We have in our 55 US Gallon, platys, swords, black skirts, serpaes, a pleco, and tiger barbs. It has been my experience that with a "school" of at least 6 barbs they will fight for dominance amongst themselves but leave everything else alone. We haven't had any fin nippers at all or any problems with aggression since we got rid of the pictus (but that's another story in itself).

In reference to the question at hand.......what size set up do you have? That will tell a lot about what you can put in it. Ours is actually overstocked but we run extra filtration as well as having plants to help keep the waste down. Also we are constantly testing, that is a must!!!!!!!

 

[FOGGY]

Oh dear, here they go again, tiger barbs being nippy, RUBBISH!!!!! yes they will fight among their own to be the dominant male, but i have never seen them nip fins, come on guys give em a chance, they are great,friendly, and fun, now my ruby shark, thats agressive LOL, but a welcome balance to my tank, silver sailfin mollies can put on a tremendous display when breeding, or fending off other fish, your suggestion sounds fine. i also have clown loaches in a 45g tank, when they get too big i will sell them on, good luck

 

[Kryten]

Foggy, it is not rubbish, as many experienced hobbyists will tell you that they have experienced it. That is why I have said that by keeping a large shoal it will avoid problems

If you have always kept a large shoal you won't have experienced it but it needs to be given as precautionary advice.

Also, it isn't every day that someone will want to buy a foot long clown loach

 

[playfulalliecat]

We now have 3 tiger barbs and 2 green barbs.......they all school together and we lost one yesterday

I agree you should keep them in groups, our group seems to work really well right now.

Bear in mind, everyone who talks about fin nipping tiger barbs that, yes some do nip, I will not deny that, although we did have a single one that did just fine other than seeming a bit lonely. Any and I emphasize any fish can be aggressive. What works for you may not work for someone else. I have had zebra danios terrorize everything in my tank, likewise, for dwarf gouramies. Every time you had a fish to a tank community or species, you take a chance. Like people, dogs, cats, etc they do have their own personalities.

On the subject of clown loaches, I would not take the decision lightly on getting them. We are going to get a couple but we are constantly getting different tanks and when we get a house we will have a bigger one to put them in. Unless you plan on an upgrade in the future, steer away from large breeds of fish. There are lots of nice fish that do well in communities and don't get really big!

 

[mrV]

10 Tiger barbs, 5 Black tetras, 5 Flame tetras, 4 Lyertail mollies, 2 Black and 2 Red velvet swordtails, 4 platies, and 4 clown loaches?

If water is acidic, soft:

- 10 tiger barbs (IF only the tank is at least 160-liters)
- 5 flame tetras
- 4 clown loaces (IF only the tank is at least 350-litres, 150cm long)

Mollies, swordtails and platies need a new home.


If water is basic, hard:

- mollies, swordtails, platies (for those fish, tank shoud be at least 150-liters)

Other fishes need a new home.

 

[new_fish_guy86]

Well i am getting a 55 gal. tank. And i did some research and picked fish that the tigers would most likely leave alone. Also about the loaches the ones i saw at the store were less than 2 inches long, but if they do get too big then i will make a pond in my yard for them to live in. ( B) but they should be fine. )

 

[ostrow]

I've got to say that I really disagree with the point about the clown loaches. If they get to be 12", you'll have a story to write. In hobbyist aquariums they are likely to stay under 8" tops, and more likely around 6".

I also would say that platies and mollies can survive happily in non-brackish water. Many breeders keep them in fresh water, many suppliers ship in fresh water, so if your lfs is responsible, they will keep those fish in non-brackish tanks.

In fact, if you buy them in such a store, and put them into a tank at home and add salt, they are likely to get stressed. And vice versa, if at the store they are in brackish tanks and you bring them home, you need to keep them in brackish water.

So the trick with platies and mollies is to give them what they are used to, and if you want these other fish with them that means non-brackish. Buy from a store that keeps them and gets them from non-brackish water, and you'll be fine with them.

BTW this is not going to be difficult to achieve. At least on this side of the pond, many many suppliers keep them in non-brackish tanks.

But all this said, you'll need a large tank and there are the compatibility issues re:t

 

[FOGGY]

Sorry to dissagree big, big, time, Tigers are not aggressive i have only 2 of large adult size they are placid and good community fish, i do agree with the post that says any fish can be agressive, dont be so sure Kryten.

 

[ostrow]

Kryten, I'll tell ya this: anyone ever has a foot-long clown loach they are having trouble selling, just contact me! If you can prove the size, I'll buy it!