New 200 Litre Tank Set-Up Plans?

[iliveinazoo]

I've already posted this on another forum that I visit but I'd also love to know what you good people here have to say too:
 
So after what seems like years I have finally persuaded my other half to let me upgrade my 60 litre. The new tank is approx. 200l, 44G, 53(US)G and the salinity will be approx. SG1.003@25DegC, its in the house now but we are in no rush to set it up just yet.

The tank will house my current Figure 8 puffer and because it has been historically placid I want to add some other fish, I've compiled a list of potential tankmates and have discounted some due to one reason or the other which I will detail below, I'd be grateful if you could look at the list and make any comments that you have, for or against, their stocking in the tank. Advice from personal experience would be much appreciated but advice from others research would also be gratefully received.

1. Toxotes Microlepsis Archer.----------------------------------Discounted due to risk of it eating the puffer.
2. Orange Chromide.------------------------------------------------Still a possibility but worried about it being too aggressive.
3. Marbled Mollie.
4. Kribensis.------------------------------------------------------------Discounted as only tolerates brackish water.
5. Celebes Rainbowfish.--------------------------------------------Discounted as only tolerates brackish water.
6. Wrestling Halfbeak.-----------------------------------------------Discounted due to it being too aggressive.
7. Florida Flagfish.----------------------------------------------------Discounted due to it being too aggressive.
8. Ceylon Killifish.-----------------------------------------------------Still a possibility but worried about it being too aggressive.
9. Bumblebee Goby.
10. Knight Goby.---------------------------------------------------------Still a possibility but worried that the long dorsal fin may prove too tempting for the puffer.
11. White Cheek Goby.------------------------------------------------Discounted due to it being subtropical.
12. Humpback Limia.---------------------------------------------------This is one of my most likely choices.
13. Kanu Goby Mugilogobius.----------------------------------------Likely Singleton choice.
14. Golden Wonder killifish Aplocheilus Lineatus.--------------Still a possibility but worried about it being too aggressive.
15. Rhinohorn Goby Redigobius Balteatus.
16. Filament barb.-------------------------------------------------------------Discounted as too large and subtropical.
17. Indian Glassfish.-----------------------------------------------------------Discounted as transparent and so may not be noticed.
18. Horseface loach.----------------------------------------------------------Discounted as too large.
19. Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish Pseudomugil Gertrudae.------Discounted as only tolerates brackish water.
20. Pacific Blue Eye Rainbowfish Pseudomugil Signifer.------------This is one of my most likely choices.
21. Black Banded Rainbowfish Melanotaenia Nigrans.--------------This is one of my most likely choices.

Thanks for looking and your insights will be most helpful.

 

[maurizio]

Weird nobody has replied to this yet. Although, it is indeed a huge topic....
 
Lots of the characters from your list have been in my dream list for a long time, so I have documented myself on many of them. And F8 is very high on my list. From what I read around the only reportedly safe tank mate for an F8 is a Bumblebee goby. Everything else, especially conspecifics, is at risk. You mention it has been "historically placid": does it mean you've tried him already with other tank mates? Because as I understand they are placid AS LONG AS they are kept alone!
 
This said:
 
I had Indian glassfish for a while, but together with the archers (bad idea, they remained way too small compared to the archers...). They are not SO transparent to go unnoticed! As said, mines never grew a bit, remaining around 2 cm. Delicate, shy, a bit difficult to feed.
 
Pseudomugil sp. may be a risky choice, since their fins may attract the unwanted attentions of the puffer.
 
I have Melanotaenia Boesemani, and they are a happy, lively and bold species, quite able to compete with the (twice) larger archers. Maybe that could be a good choice?
 
Good luck!
 
Maurizio
 

 

[iliveinazoo]

Thanks Maurizo! I hope the scale hasn't put people off because I am just really after input, it doesn't matter if you know only one of the species on the list I would be grateful for any information.
 
In the past my Figure 8 has shared his tank with another Figure 8, a Wrestling Halfbeak, a Waspfish and Bumblebee Gobies and did not bother them but he has been a singleton for quite a few months now.
 
I didn't know that the Melanotaenia Boesemani could be kept in Brackish tanks, they definitely are a beautiful fish but probably a little large for my tank.  Thanks also for your info. on Glassfish, if they are difficult to feed then they may struggle with the puffer!...
 
At the moment I am swaying towards 8 Pacific Blue Eye Rainbowfish Pseudomugil Signifer and a few Bumblebee Gobies with my puffer.
 
Does anyone think that an Orange Chromide would see Bumblebee Gobies as a snack?

 

[brackishman24]

The chromides won't eat the goby. I own both and the goby hasn't been eaten as the goby's head is too big and the chromide's mouth is too small.
 
May I ask what is your source of knowledge saying that kribensis is brackish because I had them breed in freshwater before.
 
Just wondered because I'm an editor of a brackish facebook page with over 50 fish & invertebrates so I can add kribensis to the list

 

[iliveinazoo]

Thanks, good to know on the Gobies and Orange Chromides.
 
Fishbase says Kribensis are "Freshwater; Brackish; Demersal" but there is an article on the Practical Fishkeeping website that states they are freshwater only which makes me reluctant to include them in my aquarium (as well as probably being too big).

 

[Ch4rlie]

Just a quick post to say that I think the Celebes and Spotted Blue Eyes Rainbowfish are not brackish water species.
 
Although think Celebes can tolerate mild brackish water conditions.
 
http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/marosatherina-ladigesi/
 
http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pseudomugil-gertrudae/

 

[iliveinazoo]

Thanks for the input Ch4rlie.  Unfortunately I can't get onto the Seriouslyfish website at the moment.
 
During my research I found that they tolerate low brackish conditions up to SG1.003 but were not brackish water species.  I have decided not to stock them for this reason.

 

[brackishman24]

Ok thanks I won't include Kribensis on my facebook page then My Celebes are in 1.005 and happy I would say not to have them in higher salinity. Chromides will do fine in higher salinity but I dunno about 1.010 or 1.015.

 

[Mads]

Nice list of fish. Seems like you got a good idea of your new tank mates.
 
How bout stiphodon rutilaureus, I keep a small school of Rutilaurus in the same salinitys as your want together with archers, f8, atlantic mudskipper, bumblebee goby and dragon goby. They stay on buttom og the tank with the bumblebee gobies and grase algae.  wery nice. 
 
Regards
Mads

 

[iliveinazoo]

Nice list of fish. Seems like you got a good idea of your new tank mates.
 
How bout stiphodon rutilaureus, I keep a small school of Rutilaurus in the same salinitys as your want together with archers, f8, atlantic mudskipper, bumblebee goby and dragon goby. They stay on buttom og the tank with the bumblebee gobies and grase algae.  wery nice. 
 
Regards
Mads

 
What a lovely looking fish, I thought Stiphodons were subtropical/coldwater but I will definately have a further look at these!

 

[maurizio]

I didn't know this one, what a lovely thing, Stiphodon rutilaureus... I can't find anywhere that they would be OK in brackish. Although 1.003 @ 25 C probably doesn't even qualify as brackish yet.

 

[Mads]

The online litterature says different things about the stiphdon species, but the IUCN-redlist  state that Rutilaurus lives at at the limits of salt water. So i change between fresh and brackish water every at every water change, to mimic the shifts that the fish have in nature.
 
 
http/www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/196403/0