Biting The Bullet.

[-germ-]

Getting a loan.
What size tank for 1 angel, 2 dwarf gourami, 2 honey gourami, 4 hillstream loaches, 7 white cloud mountain minnows (special conditions for loaches and clouds already accounted for)?
I work it out at 40 gallons (us), is that correct?
What would be another suitable showy fish to go along with the angel, if any?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

40 should be fine, make sure it's a nice tall tank (18" min)

 

[-germ-]

your joking!!
I'd convinced myself it was 22" and deliberately ignored a half price jewel tank, damaged cabinet, must have been 50 gallon at least.....
Sure its only 18"?
Ta wigs

 

[Puffdaddy]

I think what Miss Wiggle was saying is, what ever tank you do go for make sure it is at least 18" high as the Angels are better off in tall tanks. I think 40gl+ would perfect for the fish you want. As for new additions you could go with Congo Tetra(not your average tetra) or some Rainbows. My Congo Tetra and Boesemani Rainbow get along just fine.

 

[vinylman]

Getting a loan.
What size tank for 1 angel, 2 dwarf gourami, 2 honey gourami, 4 hillstream loaches, 7 white cloud mountain minnows (special conditions for loaches and clouds already accounted for)?
I work it out at 40 gallons (us), is that correct?
What would be another suitable showy fish to go along with the angel, if any?

You'll need the water at the cooler end of the scale to cater for the WCMM. I wouldn't bother with them, that way you can have the best conditions for the tropicals.

 

[Tessla]

Refresh my memory about your current tank size. I'd keep the hillstream loaches and mountain minnows in that one so long as it's around 20 gallons at least (I think I remember it being around that), that way you can keep them at a cooler temperature and keep the gouramis and angels in the larger tank at a higher temperature. Lower temeperatures are practically a must for the loaches especially because of their high oxygen requirements, but the angels prefer much warmer water and wouldn't do at all well in an unheated tank.

Good recommendations about tank size for the angels already, 40-50 gallons sounds about right to me.

 

[-germ-]

Current tank is just over 17 gallons, i won't be keeping the minnows with the angels after all. Tried 3 of my minnows (they have just finished quarantine) in my main tank last night and in my case they are not compatible. My angel found them too foodlike. Right i'll stick to the 40+ idea and probably go for one of the large aquaone tanks.
I'll keep the minnows and loaches together in my 17 gall anything i could keep with them, or would it be more sensible to add a few more minnows? Could i add a solitary gourami? Might have to split my two male honeys, touch and go as to whether they are going to stay compatible. I have two airstones in the one tank to meet oxygen requirements; surface seriously disturbed, and according to my info so far gourami, loaches and minnows can all be kept at 24c, or is this not ideal?
What is the lowest temp a gourami can be kept at? All profiles seem to differ...
Cheers all

Ps.Sorry for all the boldness just makes my main queries more obvious for any potential posters that are rushing through!

 

[Tessla]

I'd go for a temp around 21c for the loaches and minnows, that's going to be very cold for a gourami. 24c would be fine for the gourami, but that's getting warm for the loaches and minnows. Best idea is to get a few more minnows for the 17 gallon and leave it at that, the gouramis would do much better a bit above 24c like the angels.

 

[-germ-]

Not been on for a bit, its been non-stop high drama.....
Friday, the angel that i have been going to extreme lengths and putting serious investment into decided to start nipping at the gourami, not playful or experimental nipping, there was definite malice involved.
So goodbye Blondie off to our best local LFS...
Now the two reasons i originally bought an aquarium are gone, a sinking feeling thats been slightly soothed by amusing gourami behaviour and its theraputic effects...
Phew, soldier on....
New dwarf female for my gf and a wild dwarf male for myself to replace the blondie shaped hole in my tank/brain, so....
No big community tank to come, i think i'm going to relax for a while and try to provide a good bio-tope(?) aquarium for my hillstream loaches and white-cloud minnows.....
Which brings my next disaster, second hand tank off the parents, set-up, sea-chem filtered and ready to roll. Minnows went in last night, no nitrite/ammonia and very little nitrate (due to sea-chem filter pad which is, may i say, amazing). One minnow ready to spawn, the other spawned over night which is a shame as when i woke up

The tank had developed a serious leak. Water everywhere, carpet, sockets, EVERYWHERE!!!
Minnows in a couple inches of water looking mildly panicked; me on breaking point feeling extremely panicked.
Minnows now re-homed in my starter tank, too small and basically rubbish....
Not that many will read that, need to vent but even thats failed, got to keep it polite for the kids....

Oh.....
and the weekend girl in the dry-cleaners i manage(ish) only decided to activate the magnetic lock before leaving the store this saturday, thus needing a glazier to break into the shop. Muck up the work computer to the extent i couldn't sort it because of the slow USB keyboard, so a computer engineer had to do summit to it and leave the iron on sunday, monday.....
Noose; check
Wobbly chair; check
Cyanide pill just to make sure; DOH
It'll have to wait, my gourami need some loving!
Peas......

 

[Miss Wiggle]

phew


and breathe

sounds stressy but it happens to us all from time to time, our old 30g tank sprung a leak once when i was home with a bad back, Ian was at least half an hr away and it was draining seriously fast. we'd had a hospital tank set up temporarily infront of the plug sockets so i couldn't get to them to unplug things........ that was a fun day!! makes you better prepared for dealing with these emergencies though and having all the spares and stuff you need to hand.

 

[Tessla]

Good thing you sorted out the angel problem and didn't lose anything in the tank leak! Rehoming and freak malfunctions are never fun to deal with, but it happens from time to time. I've done the second hand tank thing a lot... lets just say that only one of the tanks I've ever dealt with was purchased brand new. Between all of the leaks (one streaming right onto the powerstrip at 1am, very fun!) and that one time I accidentally bashed in the side of a 25 gallon, it's a wonder I never lost any fish from massive leaks.

Good news is leaks in tanks are easy enough to fix, I'd just suggest testing out second hands and tanks under repair outside before you get them set up nicely indoors, especially the big ones. One can never have too many air pumps and buckets around either. I'm sure that tank will be wonderful once you get it in working order.