A Little Help

[bexyjane]

I'm new to tropical fish! I have a 96 litre juwel tank and before I buy anything else (including gravel and ornaments) I tihnk it would be best for me to decide what type of tank would be best for me to keep. I have read all over that for a starter to tropicals I would be best keeping a community tank however I really like angel fish and siamese fighters, i know these are not very good mixers (not even together) but what would be the best fish to mix with these if i was to choose either one of them?
Thanks
Bex

 

[catxx]

if you went for a fighter, in a tank that big there's a few things you could have, and a lot of things you couldn't. fighters (bettas) don't make good general community fish. but you could have corydora catfish with him. or otocinclus catfish. i love corys, so a betta to occupy the top half and a good sized school of unusual corys (5ish or so) would be a perfect tank for me.

i've never had Angels, not sure how many could fit in a 96ltr (25 US Gallons). you would have to rule out neon tetras with them though, that's angel food right there.

 

[bexyjane]

if you went for a fighter, in a tank that big there's a few things you could have, and a lot of things you couldn't. fighters (bettas) don't make good general community fish. but you could have corydora catfish with him. or otocinclus catfish. i love corys, so a betta to occupy the top half and a good sized school of unusual corys (5ish or so) would be a perfect tank for me.

i've never had Angels, not sure how many could fit in a 96ltr (25 US Gallons). you would have to rule out neon tetras with them though, that's angel food right there.

I want something that along with the fighter would give me lots of colour and interest in the tank, do you think this would do that?
I know fighters with guppies are a no no, but would it be ok with platties?
Thanks
Bex

 

[PaulEbs]

Angelfish are beautiful animals...

but they need height more than width, how tall is your tank?

They won't eat neons necasarily... i have a community tank of 20 odd tropical fish, including angels and neons... they all get on fine. You could have guppies with angels too. Any maybe still get a few cories.

 

[bexyjane]

Angelfish are beautiful animals...

but they need height more than width, how tall is your tank?

They won't eat neons necasarily... i have a community tank of 20 odd tropical fish, including angels and neons... they all get on fine. You could have guppies with angels too. Any maybe still get a few cories.

My tank is 46cm tall?
What have you got in your tank? What size tank do you have?
Thanks
Bex

 

[mark.w.jones]

For angels you need an 18 - 20 inch high tank as the upper and lower fins get very long. They also need around 10 US gallons each. Youve certainly got room for one on their own and your tank is just over 18 inches high but I havnt kept individual angels in a community tank before. All ive read is not to keep them with very small fish (1" ish) as they may well eat them. If you buy a very young angel and let it mature with your other young schooling fish you might find that its fine.



ps are you fishless cycling you tank before adding fish?

 

[bexyjane]

For angels you need an 18 - 20 inch high tank as the upper and lower fins get very long. They also need around 10 US gallons each. Youve certainly got room for one on their own and your tank is just over 18 inches high but I havnt kept individual angels in a community tank before. All ive read is not to keep them with very small fish (1" ish) as they may well eat them. If you buy a very young angel and let it mature with your other young schooling fish you might find that its fine.



ps are you fishless cycling you tank before adding fish?

All I have brought at the moment is the tank! I didn't want to buy anything else before deciding what type of fish I wanted, do you think tihs is the best idea? What would be the next thing on my agenda to buy (apart from fish!)
i read that i should run the tank for a week before introducing fish and that I would probably loose those fish I did add then. but someone told me that i would runin my filter if i didn't put fish in straight away. all very confusing, I guess i just need some good honest (not you need tpo buy our product) advice!

 

[mark.w.jones]

I would highly recommend cycling your tank without fish for 3 - 4 weeks before you add anything at all. Follow the add & wait method in here:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...3861&hl=methods

Get ammonia solution from homebase cleaning products section where the brasso, bleach, vanish stuff is.
Medecine droppers are in most fish meds. I was a complete beginner when I did it and had no problems at all.

The main advantages of this is that no fish have to suffer, it's cheaper than cycling with fish and having them die + when you finish you can FULLY stock your tank with all fish you want. At the end of it your filter media is full of all the good bacteria it needs to break down fish waste. Make doing this your priority asap. and whilst your doing it research fish you want.

It's also dead handy to have a good understanding of the nitrogen cycle before you get cracking.

Good luck

 

[hoppybunn]

I don't think keeping a male siamese fighter with ANYTHING except maybe an african dwarf frog is a good idea, as they usually like to be alone. Mine is in a 5 gallon tank completley happy to have it to himself and his little hut. I do have a female though that is in my community tank with gouramis, silver dollars, a bala shark, 2 african dwarf frogs, and 2 rams, and they all get along great. She mainly does her own thing and hangs near the top of the tank. If you really like the look of them, you can probably keep a few females together though be prepared to remove one if they become nippy towards each other.

 

[mark.w.jones]

You can keep a male betta (Siamese Fighting fish) as a feature fish in a community tank but you need to carefully plan all other tank mates around it so it does somewhat limit your choice of other fish. Read this pinned topic from the betta section for suitable companions:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=96682

 

[hoppybunn]

You can keep a male betta (Siamese Fighting fish) as a feature fish in a community tank but you need to carefully plan all other tank mates around it so it does somewhat limit your choice of other fish. Read this pinned topic from the betta section for suitable companions:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=96682

Well bettas are all unique, so one betta may be mellow and not care about tank mates, while another will nip at anything. I find it's better not to risk the lives of other fish by keeping my betta seperate from all other fish except an ADF.