What tropical fish most interesting/compatible + questions
Discussion
To add my thoughts.....Cories all the way, brilliant addition to a community tank, I try to keep them in groups of four or more. Bronze, and "Salt and Pepper" Cories are fairly robust things, and if you do it right you can get them to Spawn. Panda cories are lovely things, but I found them quite fragile things in terms of keeping them successfully.Though I think this was due to a gravel bottom, where Panda cories prefer rooting around in sand.
Rasboras, good mid water fish, again best kept in a group. I acquired 1 scissor tail, and am looking to get a few more to make a happy group.
Gourami's, lovely placid fish, mine get to about 5 inches long.
Bulldog Plecs. grow to max 4-5 inches.
Bristlenose Plecs, I've got three males, there is a little bit of conflict with these, but it's nothing more than a bit of pushing and shoving rather than agression which results in damage to the fish. So amusing to watch, and never lasts more than a minute or so.
As others have mentioned, Clown Loaches are great character fish, I've got two, the big one is about 6 inches long, small one about half that. I've noticed they do like to lay on their sides...like going to sleep properly
I like to try to keep my fish in a natural environment, so plenty of bogwood and plants, happy fish are healthy fish, and if you get it right you will have very few problems with disease.
Rasboras, good mid water fish, again best kept in a group. I acquired 1 scissor tail, and am looking to get a few more to make a happy group.
Gourami's, lovely placid fish, mine get to about 5 inches long.
Bulldog Plecs. grow to max 4-5 inches.
Bristlenose Plecs, I've got three males, there is a little bit of conflict with these, but it's nothing more than a bit of pushing and shoving rather than agression which results in damage to the fish. So amusing to watch, and never lasts more than a minute or so.
As others have mentioned, Clown Loaches are great character fish, I've got two, the big one is about 6 inches long, small one about half that. I've noticed they do like to lay on their sides...like going to sleep properly
I like to try to keep my fish in a natural environment, so plenty of bogwood and plants, happy fish are healthy fish, and if you get it right you will have very few problems with disease.
At risk of sounding rude and slightly militant, there has been some terrible advice posted so far. I don't want to put peoples noses out of joint so apologies in advance for anyone I offend (including the OP) but you're looking at a recipe for disaster. I've skimmed the thread so I'll correct what I can remember:
First of all, and most importantly - what size tank and what sort of filtration are you running? And when you say, "the water is fine," - what are you testing for, and are you using liquid drop based kits, strip based kits, guesswork or 'the fish aren't dead so the water's fine' test? What temp is it running at? And how long has the tank been set up?
Starting at the beginning:
Neons and cardinals are shoaling fish - minimum of 6 in a tank.
Angel fish when adult treat neon's as a tasty snack - along with anything else that will fit in their mouths.
Siamese fighting fish (betta's) can mistake guppies as other fighters, and rip them apart. Some betta's can be kept in community setups but it's a risky business.
What sort of minnows? Most minnows are cold water fish and shouldn't be kept in a tropical setup.
The rope worm type thing is probably a kuhli loach. If you have sand as a substrate they're probably fine. Gravel, less so - they're burrowers.
Clown loaches grow huge - they can reach 13 inches. They're manically active. They are also schoolers, and should be kept in groups of 5-6. That combination means they need a big tank. Given how active they are, this can often disturb more peaceful fish. To summarise - they're great fish, but not suitable for most aquaria.
Silver sharks also grow huge over time. They're skittish fish that need a decent sized school and peaceful occupants. Beautiful fish, but again - not suitable for most aquaria.
Most crabs aren't suitable for most aquaria - you need to google to specific species. I believe the most common ones found in fish shops need brackish (i.e slightly salty) water. The other inhabitants don't.
Your mollies are probably fine - there is a type called 'balloon mollies' which you've probably bought.
Red tail black sharks can be very aggressive, and need a decent sized tank. I'd avoid if I were you.
Rainbow fish shouldn't be kept as pairs - they're active schooling fish, and need to be kept in groups of 6. Boesemani rainbows need a minimum of a 4ft tank. Praecox rainbows are okay in 2ft+ tanks, but whilst stunning when settled in they aren't very hardy.
If you post up tank size and filtration (internal filter, external filter, undergravel filter, sponge/box filter, sump) then I'll make a few suggestions that should work. With fish keeping you really do need to do your research though. There are a lot of good resources out there that will help you avoid making a bad impulse buy. A couple are linked below:
http://www.fishforums.net/
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/kb.php
First of all, and most importantly - what size tank and what sort of filtration are you running? And when you say, "the water is fine," - what are you testing for, and are you using liquid drop based kits, strip based kits, guesswork or 'the fish aren't dead so the water's fine' test? What temp is it running at? And how long has the tank been set up?
Starting at the beginning:
Neons and cardinals are shoaling fish - minimum of 6 in a tank.
Angel fish when adult treat neon's as a tasty snack - along with anything else that will fit in their mouths.
Siamese fighting fish (betta's) can mistake guppies as other fighters, and rip them apart. Some betta's can be kept in community setups but it's a risky business.
What sort of minnows? Most minnows are cold water fish and shouldn't be kept in a tropical setup.
The rope worm type thing is probably a kuhli loach. If you have sand as a substrate they're probably fine. Gravel, less so - they're burrowers.
Clown loaches grow huge - they can reach 13 inches. They're manically active. They are also schoolers, and should be kept in groups of 5-6. That combination means they need a big tank. Given how active they are, this can often disturb more peaceful fish. To summarise - they're great fish, but not suitable for most aquaria.
Silver sharks also grow huge over time. They're skittish fish that need a decent sized school and peaceful occupants. Beautiful fish, but again - not suitable for most aquaria.
Most crabs aren't suitable for most aquaria - you need to google to specific species. I believe the most common ones found in fish shops need brackish (i.e slightly salty) water. The other inhabitants don't.
Your mollies are probably fine - there is a type called 'balloon mollies' which you've probably bought.
Red tail black sharks can be very aggressive, and need a decent sized tank. I'd avoid if I were you.
Rainbow fish shouldn't be kept as pairs - they're active schooling fish, and need to be kept in groups of 6. Boesemani rainbows need a minimum of a 4ft tank. Praecox rainbows are okay in 2ft+ tanks, but whilst stunning when settled in they aren't very hardy.
If you post up tank size and filtration (internal filter, external filter, undergravel filter, sponge/box filter, sump) then I'll make a few suggestions that should work. With fish keeping you really do need to do your research though. There are a lot of good resources out there that will help you avoid making a bad impulse buy. A couple are linked below:
http://www.fishforums.net/
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/kb.php
The Nur said:
Tbh, I would be happy with a crab or two. I find them really funny.
Anything that can only walk sideways and had claws for hands is O.K in my book.
Can you keep crabs on their own? What sort of environment do they need?
We found a hugely knowledgeable guy whos been running his fish business 20 years who is helping us put our tank together, and i think he said (presuming you are not referring to the sexual disease) there are tropical and marine crabs, and in the former case none are fully aquatic, so your crabbies will need a rock so they can climb to the surface to have their hourly crab break and grab some air.Anything that can only walk sideways and had claws for hands is O.K in my book.
Can you keep crabs on their own? What sort of environment do they need?
@ tenohfive, there are five drop based tests the GF does, one of which is ammonia which we do daily. We haven't yet seen anything attack the angel fish, but his top rear fin is getting nibbled - possibly by the fancy which we have seen him nibbling.
We are going to wait a month more before chucking anything else in the tank, and thankfully did enough research before buying fish we wanted, and did not go for the red tail shark, silver shark, Siamese fighter, rope fish or more angels.
Would anyone hazard a guess as to how old an angel fish needs to be, before he starts snacking on neon tetras? Apparently the neon tetra is anatomically the closes living thing to a piranha, but the cardinals (which virtually look identical) grow slightly bigger - do fully grown angel fish have a big enough gob to swallow cardinals?
Great advice!
I'm hoping I'm not one of the 'bad people'! Lol
A side note my famale bossie started spawning on Sat
I'm hoping I'm not one of the 'bad people'! Lol
A side note my famale bossie started spawning on Sat
tenohfive said:
At risk of sounding rude and slightly militant, there has been some terrible advice posted so far. I don't want to put peoples noses out of joint so apologies in advance for anyone I offend (including the OP) but you're looking at a recipe for disaster. I've skimmed the thread so I'll correct what I can remember:
First of all, and most importantly - what size tank and what sort of filtration are you running? And when you say, "the water is fine," - what are you testing for, and are you using liquid drop based kits, strip based kits, guesswork or 'the fish aren't dead so the water's fine' test? What temp is it running at? And how long has the tank been set up?
Starting at the beginning:
Neons and cardinals are shoaling fish - minimum of 6 in a tank.
Angel fish when adult treat neon's as a tasty snack - along with anything else that will fit in their mouths.
Siamese fighting fish (betta's) can mistake guppies as other fighters, and rip them apart. Some betta's can be kept in community setups but it's a risky business.
What sort of minnows? Most minnows are cold water fish and shouldn't be kept in a tropical setup.
The rope worm type thing is probably a kuhli loach. If you have sand as a substrate they're probably fine. Gravel, less so - they're burrowers.
Clown loaches grow huge - they can reach 13 inches. They're manically active. They are also schoolers, and should be kept in groups of 5-6. That combination means they need a big tank. Given how active they are, this can often disturb more peaceful fish. To summarise - they're great fish, but not suitable for most aquaria.
Silver sharks also grow huge over time. They're skittish fish that need a decent sized school and peaceful occupants. Beautiful fish, but again - not suitable for most aquaria.
Most crabs aren't suitable for most aquaria - you need to google to specific species. I believe the most common ones found in fish shops need brackish (i.e slightly salty) water. The other inhabitants don't.
Your mollies are probably fine - there is a type called 'balloon mollies' which you've probably bought.
Red tail black sharks can be very aggressive, and need a decent sized tank. I'd avoid if I were you.
Rainbow fish shouldn't be kept as pairs - they're active schooling fish, and need to be kept in groups of 6. Boesemani rainbows need a minimum of a 4ft tank. Praecox rainbows are okay in 2ft+ tanks, but whilst stunning when settled in they aren't very hardy.
If you post up tank size and filtration (internal filter, external filter, undergravel filter, sponge/box filter, sump) then I'll make a few suggestions that should work. With fish keeping you really do need to do your research though. There are a lot of good resources out there that will help you avoid making a bad impulse buy. A couple are linked below:
http://www.fishforums.net/
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/kb.php
First of all, and most importantly - what size tank and what sort of filtration are you running? And when you say, "the water is fine," - what are you testing for, and are you using liquid drop based kits, strip based kits, guesswork or 'the fish aren't dead so the water's fine' test? What temp is it running at? And how long has the tank been set up?
Starting at the beginning:
Neons and cardinals are shoaling fish - minimum of 6 in a tank.
Angel fish when adult treat neon's as a tasty snack - along with anything else that will fit in their mouths.
Siamese fighting fish (betta's) can mistake guppies as other fighters, and rip them apart. Some betta's can be kept in community setups but it's a risky business.
What sort of minnows? Most minnows are cold water fish and shouldn't be kept in a tropical setup.
The rope worm type thing is probably a kuhli loach. If you have sand as a substrate they're probably fine. Gravel, less so - they're burrowers.
Clown loaches grow huge - they can reach 13 inches. They're manically active. They are also schoolers, and should be kept in groups of 5-6. That combination means they need a big tank. Given how active they are, this can often disturb more peaceful fish. To summarise - they're great fish, but not suitable for most aquaria.
Silver sharks also grow huge over time. They're skittish fish that need a decent sized school and peaceful occupants. Beautiful fish, but again - not suitable for most aquaria.
Most crabs aren't suitable for most aquaria - you need to google to specific species. I believe the most common ones found in fish shops need brackish (i.e slightly salty) water. The other inhabitants don't.
Your mollies are probably fine - there is a type called 'balloon mollies' which you've probably bought.
Red tail black sharks can be very aggressive, and need a decent sized tank. I'd avoid if I were you.
Rainbow fish shouldn't be kept as pairs - they're active schooling fish, and need to be kept in groups of 6. Boesemani rainbows need a minimum of a 4ft tank. Praecox rainbows are okay in 2ft+ tanks, but whilst stunning when settled in they aren't very hardy.
If you post up tank size and filtration (internal filter, external filter, undergravel filter, sponge/box filter, sump) then I'll make a few suggestions that should work. With fish keeping you really do need to do your research though. There are a lot of good resources out there that will help you avoid making a bad impulse buy. A couple are linked below:
http://www.fishforums.net/
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/kb.php
Mobsta said:
We found a hugely knowledgeable guy whos been running his fish business 20 years who is helping us put our tank together, and i think he said (presuming you are not referring to the sexual disease) there are tropical and marine crabs, and in the former case none are fully aquatic, so your crabbies will need a rock so they can climb to the surface to have their hourly crab break and grab some air.
@ tenohfive, there are five drop based tests the GF does, one of which is ammonia which we do daily. We haven't yet seen anything attack the angel fish, but his top rear fin is getting nibbled - possibly by the fancy which we have seen him nibbling.
We are going to wait a month more before chucking anything else in the tank, and thankfully did enough research before buying fish we wanted, and did not go for the red tail shark, silver shark, Siamese fighter, rope fish or more angels.
Would anyone hazard a guess as to how old an angel fish needs to be, before he starts snacking on neon tetras? Apparently the neon tetra is anatomically the closes living thing to a piranha, but the cardinals (whic
h virtually look identical) grow slightly bigger - do fully grown angel fish have a big enough gob to swallow cardinals?
It's not so much based on age, as fish tend to mature/grow faster with a good varied and balanced diet, and good water quality. So when small fish are small enough to fit in it's mouth then that's that basically.@ tenohfive, there are five drop based tests the GF does, one of which is ammonia which we do daily. We haven't yet seen anything attack the angel fish, but his top rear fin is getting nibbled - possibly by the fancy which we have seen him nibbling.
We are going to wait a month more before chucking anything else in the tank, and thankfully did enough research before buying fish we wanted, and did not go for the red tail shark, silver shark, Siamese fighter, rope fish or more angels.
Would anyone hazard a guess as to how old an angel fish needs to be, before he starts snacking on neon tetras? Apparently the neon tetra is anatomically the closes living thing to a piranha, but the cardinals (whic
h virtually look identical) grow slightly bigger - do fully grown angel fish have a big enough gob to swallow cardinals?
Have you told us what size your tank is yet? And what filter you use?
Hysteria1983 said:
It's not so much based on age, as fish tend to mature/grow faster with a good varied and balanced diet, and good water quality. So when small fish are small enough to fit in it's mouth then that's that basically.
Have you told us what size your tank is yet? And what filter you use?
GF bought a 90l tank. To be honest, I have no idea what filter is running, the new one which came with the tank (not a very good answer, but presumably it's up to the job) plus one from the old tank. That is all I know!Have you told us what size your tank is yet? And what filter you use?
Thanks for the pic by the way
Mobsta said:
GF bought a 90l tank. To be honest, I have no idea what filter is running, the new one which came with the tank (not a very good answer, but presumably it's up to the job) plus one from the old tank. That is all I know!
Thanks for the pic by the way
You are welcome Thanks for the pic by the way
Anyhoo, what fish do you currently have in this 90l then?
Hysteria1983 said:
You are welcome
Anyhoo, what fish do you currently have in this 90l then?
Shrimp, guppy, angel, plec, loricaria, tetra, frog, loach, hara hara, minnow, fancy, molly, and a partridge in a pear tree Anyhoo, what fish do you currently have in this 90l then?
Question: if a shrimp eats only off the bottom, will it's overall effect be that of lowering ammonia in the tank (as food on the bottom increases ammonia?) or will the amount of ammonia it produces supersede the amount it reduces?
tenohfive said:
Silver sharks also grow huge over time. They're skittish fish that need a decent sized school and peaceful occupants. Beautiful fish, but again - not suitable for most aquaria.
Peaceful, yes, but exemplary of the principle that if one fish can fit another fish in its mouth, it probably will do. I know someone who was sold one by an idiot in a pet shop for a totally unsuitable tank, along with some guppies. It eventually ate all of the guppies.Mobsta said:
Shrimp, guppy, angel, plec, loricaria, tetra, frog, loach, hara hara, minnow, fancy, molly, and a partridge in a pear tree
Question: if a shrimp eats only off the bottom, will it's overall effect be that of lowering ammonia in the tank (as food on the bottom increases ammonia?) or will the amount of ammonia it produces supersede the amount it reduces?
How long is a peice of string?Question: if a shrimp eats only off the bottom, will it's overall effect be that of lowering ammonia in the tank (as food on the bottom increases ammonia?) or will the amount of ammonia it produces supersede the amount it reduces?
If the food at the bottom is left uneaten and turns to waste, then that will make a difference. Also some tap water can contain traces of it. Also some tropical fish excrete it. The main contributor to amonia problems is over stocking and overfreding.
No fish can solely be in control of this. Especially as bottom dwellers tend to eat different foods to the other middle and top feeders. Foods that are lost and left at the bottom do sometimes get left to rot.
What foods are you feeding?
It's the waste products from fish and uneaten food that causes problems with amonia as well as a few other
If a piece of food decomposes on the bottom, most of the protein in it will go through the nitrogen cycle and add to the ammonia load. If it is eaten by a shrimp, some of it will be used for growth and incorporated into the shrimp's own proteins, the rest of it will be deaminated and burnt for energy, and the ammonia excreted. So slightly less ammonia load if eaten than if rotted, but better not to overfeed in the first place.
otolith said:
If a piece of food decomposes on the bottom, most of the protein in it will go through the nitrogen cycle and add to the ammonia load. If it is eaten by a shrimp, some of it will be used for growth and incorporated into the shrimp's own proteins, the rest of it will be deaminated and burnt for energy, and the ammonia excreted. So slightly less ammonia load if eaten than if rotted, but better not to overfeed in the first place.
Thanks for this, it makes sense.We try to rotate food between live and packaged blood worm, flakes, pellets and algae wafers. We also feed in the light and dark to help the shy fish get equal food, and are under feeding them as they have old weed (which is food) and a new tank with new water (not yet 6 weeks old) to try to keep things balanced.
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