What To Put In My Tank?

[Aisling]

I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I've got a new tank which is going through a fishless cycle at the moment (for 21 days to be exact), I know it may take another few weeks but I'm beginning to think about what fish I want to stock it with. I'm a newbie really, and kept some mollies and guppies before in a smaller tank (before I bought this big one - 180L) which I was planning to move into the new one, but unfortunately they died before this tank cycled. So here's a list of what I think I might consider:

Mollies (maybe two sailfin)
Guppies (about four or five)
Platies (not sure how many ... maybe four)
Cherry Barbs (six)
Rosy Barbs (four)
Flying Fox (three)

Firstly, I was hoping that someone might be able to advise me if these fish are compatible. (I got a few fish books and have been reading into them) I know that my tank will have to be stocked very slowly, so I obviously wouldn't buy all of these fish at the same time! With this in mind (and if you think these fish are okay with each other) which do you think I should start with, because I'd prefer to start with the easiest hardiest fish first ... just to make sure that my water is stable enough so that my fish don't suffer any stress. Also, if you think I'm making a big mistake with any of the ones mentioned above ... what combinations have worked with you, so what would you suggest?

Thanks a million!

 

[theotheragentm]

Flying Foxes may become more territorial in older age. You might want to check out Corydora Catfish isntead.

Your Rosy Reds are also semi-aggressive. The Cherry Barbs will be fine.

Everything else is truly community fish, but be aware all fish have different personalities, so just be on the lookout for any out of character behaviour.

 

[fishboy619]

with all the livebearers you will be having a lot of fry, make sure you can prepear for them.
i agree that the flying fox and rosy reds arent suited for your tank.
if you chose corys, make sure sand is chosen instead if gravel.ottos are nice to have, but need mature well maintained tanks.

 

[Aisling]

I've got a book that says that Rosy Barbs are excellent community fish and also says that Flying foxes are agressive with age but to combat this to get at least two of them?! But I really want to try to get this right so I'll probably replace the Rosy Barbs with Zebra Danios, do you think this is okay? I want to get some sort of Algae eater but I don't want to get any catfish type things because I've heard they grow quite big and can be agressive ... does anyone else have any suggestions on other options on this? Actually, you're right on the livebearers, I just read a post on the amount that livebearers can have and I was shocked! But I love them all so much, however, if Molly's need brackish water maybe I'd be better to stay away from them and go with Platys? What do you think?

 

[corey01]

good choice- iff you want an algea eater that stays small ish try the bristlenose catfish! yes mollies do need brackish water but platys do better in brackish water aswel because they can catch deseases easily! ive got a brackish tank with tetras in them and their fine. so give it a go!

 

[theotheragentm]

Tetras can't survive in brackish water as far as I know. How did you create this brackish water?

 

[fishboy619]

tetras and platies aren't best suited to brackish, mollies however can tolarate it.platies dont catch diseases more than other fish i think, mine never have.
danios would be ok, dont see a problem with them and the other fish. with the fry all the time from the live bearers, just leave them in the tank, then when they are bigger and old enough, sell them. as for algea eaters, pitbull plecs are good, ottos are good from brown algea and some others and stay really small. snail will eat some algea too, but for the best results, an algea scraper is the best option, lol.
maybe leave out the mollies then, get some guppies, platies, maybe sword tails if you like them, an algea eater (bristle nose, pitbull, otto), maybe some pieceful barbs or tetras, and if you want, cories for the bottom.

 

[theotheragentm]

Fish, snails, or any other animal shouldn't really be used to clean algae in a tank. No fish that can fit into a tank properly can clean it if it's a real problem. Fish that can keep up with a big algae problem don't fit into the tank they are in probably. Algae should not just be cleaned up. Its source should be handled. Too much light and overfeeding combinations can cause algae buildup. Reduce the amount of light a tank receives and make sure the fish are eating all the food during feedings. That being said, Mystery Snails are great for cleaning up spots of algae on a tank.

 

[fishboy619]

i wasnt saying get a fish to sort the problem out, but ottos that stay small, as do pit bulls, and bristle nose, would all fit in the tank, and eat some of the algae, of course, some would have to be removed manually. snails also do a good job, and most stay small, great for cleaning tanks and eating leftovers.