Which Fish Next?

[CletePurcel]

I have now set up my tank with 6 cherry barbs and 3 mickey mouse platys. My wife wants to get a school of neon tetras which I will at a later date (I have heard they like a mature tank).

In the meantime I was thinking of a pair of slightly larger colourful fish, but which ones? This would then be the end of the stocking.

The tank is 100 litre and is cycled. It also has live plants.

Any suggestions? I am a beginner so relatively easy fish would be best.

Cheers.

 

[KittyKat]

Any (and only) one of these:
* 1m 2-3f Apisto. cacatuoides
..should be ok in almost any 100 litre tank

* pair of keyhole cichlids
* pair of bolivian rams
..need 3ft+ in tank length

* pair of Laetacara curviceps
* pair of Laetacara dorsigera
..also ok for under 3ft, but can be difficult to find and usually do best in softer water

 

[CletePurcel]

Thanks KK. I should have said the tank is 80x30x40cm.

I'll check those suggestions out.

 

[kharrison88]

neon tetras (i'm told) are a good hardy fish to start off with...

 

[KittyKat]

neon tetras (i'm told) are a good hardy fish to start off with...

Actually, because of how popular they are, neons are usually very inbred and quite fragile so do not do well in set-ups which are under 6 months old. I think that you will find that most people would recommend cardinals instead unless the person wanting them is patient enough to wait till the set-up is mature.

 

[CletePurcel]

neon tetras (i'm told) are a good hardy fish to start off with...

Actually, because of how popular they are, neons are usually very inbred and quite fragile so do not do well in set-ups which are under 6 months old. I think that you will find that most people would recommend cardinals instead unless the person wanting them is patient enough to wait till the set-up is mature.

Yes. I am going to wait on the neons as I said in my first post, but I am looking for something a bit bigger to round off the overall look. Perhaps a pair of 4" fish for instance.

Cichlids look like a good bet and those suggested by Kitty Kat are very nice, but I am concerned that my water is quite hard and has a pH of 7.8 which might rule some fish out perhaps. I am still researching so any other suggestions are still welcome.

 

[FishFanatic13]

neon tetras (i'm told) are a good hardy fish to start off with...

my dad was also told this and were the first lot of fish he had

 

[matt_storey]

Im no cichlid expert, but dont they grow quite large?

100L = 20g

with the other fish will this be big enough?

 

[twodoctors]

Most (if not all) cichlids will eat your neon tetra.

A dwarf cichlid like Bolivian Ram are common and depending on which site you read, are compitable with higher pH. However it will probably eat the neon as well given the chance.

My pH is also 7.8 btw.

Adrian

 

[CletePurcel]

Im no cichlid expert, but dont they grow quite large?

100L = 20g

with the other fish will this be big enough?

I am thinking of dwarf cichlids (3-4") like the cockatoo dwarf.

Most (if not all) cichlids will eat your neon tetra.

A dwarf cichlid like Bolivian Ram are common and depending on which site you read, are compitable with higher pH. However it will probably eat the neon as well given the chance.

My pH is also 7.8 btw.

Adrian

Oh

Would a dwarf cichlid eat the cherry barbs as well?

 

[twodoctors]

Im no cichlid expert, but dont they grow quite large?

100L = 20g

with the other fish will this be big enough?

I am thinking of dwarf cichlids (3-4") like the cockatoo dwarf.

Most (if not all) cichlids will eat your neon tetra.

A dwarf cichlid like Bolivian Ram are common and depending on which site you read, are compitable with higher pH. However it will probably eat the neon as well given the chance.

My pH is also 7.8 btw.

Adrian

Oh

Would a dwarf cichlid eat the cherry barbs as well?

Cherry barbs are quite decent size so the dwarf will not eat it. I have no personal experience with dwarf cichlids but people have said they only fight amongst themselves. I can't be sure whether it will eat the neon, but as I said I think they probably will given they are cichlids.

Adrian

 

[CletePurcel]

Cherry barbs are quite decent size so the dwarf will not eat it. I have no personal experience with dwarf cichlids but people have said they only fight amongst themselves. I can't be sure whether it will eat the neon, but as I said I think they probably will given they are cichlids.

Adrian

Thanks. A lot of the books I have looked at say that many of these dwarf cichlids are good 'peaceful' community fish.

Perhaps experience dictates otherwise

 

[KittyKat]

All the fish I named, including the Bolivian rams, I have either kept with neons myself or seen them kept with neons long term without problems.. I don't think any of them would eat neons unless you bought especially aggressive adults, who you kept permanently hungry and put in with the smallest neons one can find on sale in aquarium shops.