Are These Suitable Fish For Beginner?

[DanS]

Hi all,

Here's the details, 60 litre tank (16 G), complete beginner but doing lots of research.

I want a very natural looking aquarium - live plants, rocks, wood and will cycle it hopefully fishless cycling so i'm some time away from getting the fish...... but obviously i'm thinking about it!

So i've never kept fish put thought it would be good to start with some Platys once the tank has cycled, say 6...

The other fish i'm interested in keeping is some kind of Hatchetfish - The Marbled Hatchfish seems a suitable size... Maybe 3-4

Finally, a single Siamese Fighting Fish (male?)

So total 11 fish for the 60l tank - too many?

I know the final two aren't the easiest to keep for a beginner, but i don't want to stock up with fish i don't want?!

I also did think about some kind of catfish instead if they're all bottom feeders to occupy the bottom of the tank, but don't really know much about them.

Any thoughts on the fish above as a group and ease of looking after? Should I go for something a little simpler etc.? Also any advice of types of plants would be gratefully received.

Cheers

Dan

 

[ennbee]

Only fish i wouldn't put in there is the fighter. even platies would find the flowing fins too much of a temptation. Male fighters should really be kept in a tank of their own. I've never kept hatchets myself. As for the stocking levels you'd still have room for a few corys to scoot around the bottom of the tank, but keep them in a group of at least four.

 

[fishboy619]

either leave out the betta, or devide a 3-5 gallon part for him if you really want one. i personally think 6 platies are too many, even for the whole undivided tank, they will soon breed and produce plenty of fry. i would go with a trio of platies,1male and 2 females.hatchets are that hard to keep, search info about them on google and ask plenty of questions on this forum, with a little knowledge, or a lot, hatchet fish are good begginner fish, besides, every fish a person has has to have been his first of that species some time in the past, if you get what i mean.
as for bottom dwellers, a group of cories would look good, i prefer pygmys or albinos, but its up to you. ottos are another option, they need mature healthy tanks, so dont make them your first fish.there are hundreds of other fish out there, when i was starting, and even now, every time i get a new tank, and decide what i want to stock it with, my mind always changes 3-4 times before i finally buy my first fish.
note: i dont know if your in the UK or USA, but my 60litre tank is only 15gallons. only 1 gallon different but you need to know.

 

[Will91]

I have had a betta with a few platies, zebra danios, neon tetras, clown loaches, red-eyed tetra for two months now and everyone gets along just fine. I think with the right combination, bettas make a fine community tank fish and enjoy the company of other fish. I would stay away from angel fish and tiger barbs however - my lfs store told me they can be "nippy" with fins. It is good to have some "hiding spots" with plants, rocks, etc. if they want to be alone for a while! Regarding fry, I went with male platies since I didn't want to deal with that issue. (been there, done that!)

 

[zoekin8yg]

Don't put the betta in, it will more than likely end in disaster for someone. They arent community fish they are solitary. Sometimes you will find one with a temperament thats ok but IMHO its not worth risking the health of any of the fish.

I agree the cories would be good as they dont get too big whatever you do dont get a common plec, they get way too big.

 

[Will91]

You might find this FAQ regarding bettas helpful. They also discuss bettas as a community fish. It is from the IBC (International Betta Congress)...


http/www.ibcbettas.org/faq.htm

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yup i wouldn't go with the betta either.

to get a rough idea of how many fish you can keep you can work it out on the " per gallon rule.

you can have 1" of fish per us gallon of water in the tank. so you can have 16" of fish total.

I agree with you on not stocking the tank with fish you don't want, however it may mean patience has to come into play, you'll probably find you can partly stock with the hardy ones of the fish you want at the end of your cycle, then wait 6 months for the tank to mature (this will also give you the time to develop your skills and routine with maintenance etc) and then add the other fish you like, such as the marble hatchett fish.

for catfish look into cory's, they're pretty much the only one's suitable for a tank that size, you need to keep them in groups of 6+, there are loads of different varieties so you can hunt around for something that takes your fancy. they range in size from 3/4" to 4" so look for the smaller ones. I'd recommend just putting corydoras into google image search and finding a load of ones you like the look of, then post in the cory forum and they can help you decide which of these is suitable for your tank.

i think if you get a trio of platy's and a group of the smaller cories when you are finished cycling then wait 6 months and add your hatchetts it'll be a lovely little tank, you have something to occupy every level and have something a little different to just your 'standard' community tank.

 

[DanS]

Excellent, thanks for all the replies. I somehow double posted this thread, so i wont reply to both to save even more double threads!

ok, maybe i'll give the betta a miss..... The corys look great, although i've read somewhere a 75cm tank is recommended, whereas mine is 60cm..... I'm a compassionate kinda guy ( ) so don't wanna cramp anyone up!

In the other copy of this thread, people mentioned the Hatchets jumping out, well it may sound wierd but thats sorta what attracted me to them - those guys can fly!!! My tank is enclosed so i'd only have to be careful during maintenance times etc.

ok, subject to lots more reading and the inevitable changes of mind during cycling time...... seems like 3 platys, 6 corys, maybe 3 hatchets..... Then in comes tank number 2 i'm sure!!

Cheers

Dan

 

[DanS]

ok, back again..... just looked in some books and it seems the Corys are approx 2"-3".... 6 of those is 18" of fish!? Aren't i overstocked straight off?

Cheers

Dan

 

[bobbicus]

i would try to get all the fish same sort of age and size as this can allow them to grow in your tank and this way reducing the risk of having a "older" fish in there which may become a bully or a killer!!?!??!?!

also many that start with tropical or probably marine setups' - at first 1 tank will suffice of say 70 litres - then as the fish grow and we change our liking for different fish we therefore end up with either ANOTHER bigger tank or MTS..................(multi-tank syndrome)!

so maybe think of buying them as small juvenile fish and allowing them to grow or move to a bigger tank in the near future!!!!.......cory's are prob about 1cm when small so have a while for them to grow and maybe settle with 3?? (someone may think this is incorrect?)

......my 2 penny!!

rob

 

[Tessla]

Bettas can make good community fish so long as you have a backup plan, if you have a small 3-5 gallon aquarium just in case your particular betta doesn't get along with his tankmates you'd be fine. They're one of the easier fish to care for so long as you pay attention to their personalities. Sometimes you can purchase males kept with other fish in the store, these guys are more likely to get along in a community setting than the ones kept separately. You may also want to consider a female betta, they have shorter fins but don't lack any personality or color. I've got two males and two females kept in community settings at the moment with no trouble from them or their tank mates.

There are several species of dwarf corydoras that all stay around or under an inch, you could try for a group of those. Another option if you go for a sandy substrate is kuhli loaches. They get "long" but are very slim bodied fish, you could get away with a group of four easily. Only downside is they like to hide and are easily startled so you may not see them as much as corydoras.

There are lots of easy plants available, just make sure you know what they look like and don't get sent home with a non-aquatic plant. You may also want to boost the stock lighting depending on your current setup. Anacharis grows like a weed and is pretty much impossible to kill, you can float it at the top of the tank or root it into the substrate. Anubias and java fern can be rooted to a bit of wood, also difficult to kill. Java moss can be attached to almost anything and can even form a carpet with a little work, moss balls are an interesting addition if you can find them. Swords and cryptocoryne need a fairly nutrient rich substrate (you can give them fertilizer tabs) but are otherwise fairly forgiving. Plant section of the forums has some great information.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Excellent, thanks for all the replies. I somehow double posted this thread, so i wont reply to both to save even more double threads!

ok, maybe i'll give the betta a miss..... The corys look great, although i've read somewhere a 75cm tank is recommended, whereas mine is 60cm..... I'm a compassionate kinda guy ( ) so don't wanna cramp anyone up!

In the other copy of this thread, people mentioned the Hatchets jumping out, well it may sound wierd but thats sorta what attracted me to them - those guys can fly!!! My tank is enclosed so i'd only have to be careful during maintenance times etc.

ok, subject to lots more reading and the inevitable changes of mind during cycling time...... seems like 3 platys, 6 corys, maybe 3 hatchets..... Then in comes tank number 2 i'm sure!!

yup the hatchetts do jump so you'll need a tight fitting lid, also you need to make sure you have reasonably peaceful fish underneath. they jump when they're startled or to escape predators. So if the other fish in the tank are skittish obviously it can spook the hatchetts and the more times they jump the more chance you have of loosing them! The other benefit to waiting a few months before getting them is it gives you a chance to practice maintenance and get into your routine so when they come you won't be flustered trying to do maintenance without spooking them or leaving the lid up.

ok, back again..... just looked in some books and it seems the Corys are approx 2"-3".... 6 of those is 18" of fish!? Aren't i overstocked straight off?

some cories do get that large, there's 3 true pygmy species (pygmaeus, hastatus, hasbrosus) that only get to three quarters of an inch, and there's a few more species that stay around 1" so as long as you pick the small ones you should be fine.

the " per gallon thing is a good guideline, but that's all it is, there's a number of other factors that affect stocking. distribution of fish is one of the key factors, because each of the three species stay in they're own areas of the tank there aren't going to be any competitions for or problems with swimming space so this means you can stretch the numbers a little. Not massivley but if your a bit over then don't worry too much.