A Few Fishy Queries

[DiscoS2]

Hi,
 
I am currently cycling my tank and doing some research at possible fish. I don't want the fish to kill each other or stress each other out so thought I would ask you guys.
 
I realise tank stocking is a big contributor to the stocking debate and mine is a limiting 51L. Please take that into consideration.

• Red tail black shark - I really like this fish but I have read that they are quite aggressive and should be placed with fish that aren't the same shape or colour. This is fine but is this all you need to avoid or are they territorial etc.
• Siamese fighting fish - Lovely, beautiful fish however would they get along with the aforementioned shark. I think this fish would take priority over the shark if it was one or the other but preferably both.
• Guppy - Again, really nice looking fish and I would like these in the tank along with the above two fish. Are they compatible? Anything I should know in terms of communities and what not to place them with?
• Tank Cleaner - Looking at a pleco or catfish to clean the tank but which species is difficult. Does anyone have any tips?

Thanks in advance
 

 

[fluttermoth]

Red tailed sharks, apart from the aggression issues, get far too big for a 51l tank. Normally a four foot/200l+ is recommended for one of those.
 
Both the Siamese fighter and the guppies are suitable for your size of tank, but not together. Siamese fighters see guppies as other fighters (because of the long tail) and will attack and, most likely kill them. You'll have to pick one or the other.
 
There are, in all honesty, no fish that will help 'clean the tank'. They all need food of their own and will make far more mess than they ever 'clean'. There really aren't any plecs that are suitable for a tank of that size. The few that are suitable, size-wise (hillstream loaches, rubberlip/bulldog plecs) need quite specific set ups, with low temperatures and very high flow, which would not be compatible with a fighter.
 
You'd be better off looking at shrimps and/or snails as a 'clean up crew', but you'll still need to do 99.99% of the cleaning yourself!

 

[AshleyT]

Could get a bunch of the smaller Corey's I love those guys am advise anyone to get them if they can house them haha

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes; I saw some C. hastatus in my LFS a few weeks ago and was sorely tempted. They haven't had then in again since 

 
The pygmies are nice too.

 

[AshleyT]

That's a surprise where I live most fish shops always have them in the only ones I don't like are the albino ones

 

[DiscoS2]

Red tailed sharks, apart from the aggression issues, get far too big for a 51l tank. Normally a four foot/200l+ is recommended for one of those.
 
Both the Siamese fighter and the guppies are suitable for your size of tank, but not together. Siamese fighters see guppies as other fighters (because of the long tail) and will attack and, most likely kill them. You'll have to pick one or the other.

 
I thought that this would be the case for the shark. I remember when I was younger we had one of these sharks in our tank and that was a 30L. Why do fish shops allow this?!
 
I also had suspicions that I wouldn't be able to place these together. I'm leaning towards possibly guppies as I could have more of them.
 

 

[AshleyT]

Most fish shops arnt bothered as long as they are getting paid, an with guppies you will have a lot without ku buying many haha

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yup, guppies are nice colourful fish and active too. 
 
A nice beginner fish to have, I would recommend, if you do not want any breeding just to get all males, most LFS will sell these genders of guppies separately so should not be a problem to get all males guppies.
 
However if you just want females, chances are some will be pregnant......then, boom, you suddenly have 30 guppies instead of just the 10 you bought in first place! Scenario will then be tank now way overstocked, time to either buy a new tank or to re-home overstocked guppies etc etc etc