Change Of Mind

[halfbloodprincess]

I'm the type of person who likes to plan things out before hand. So a while ago I planned out what I would want in my future 55 gallon. I've finally gotten the tank, it's all set up and cycling.

Original stocking plan:
4 yoyo loaches
1 chinese algae eater
2 Bolivian Rams
2 Angel fish
6 corydoras catfish
1 syndontis catfish
10 cherry barbs
1 bristlenose pleco
4 Khuli loaches

But now that I've had time to think about this, I've realized that cherry barbs are really not for me. I've taken the time to watch them at my lfs and they really are not what I want in my tank. I'd love to have a good schooling fish, but I'm just not sure on what. Can you give me some suggestions? I've never really liked tetras, but maybe I'd be open to them if you persuade me haha.
Thanks for the help in advance.


I also need help with my other fish tank. The occupants of my 29 gallon will be going into the 55 gallon, and I'm leaving my rainbow shark in the 29 because of his harassment of the other fish. I was wondering what type of fish would actually be compatible with him?

 

[ajs2294]

Harelquin rasboras very fun shoaling fish to watch, move around a lot more than most tetras in my opinion.

 

[Twinklecaz]

What about Harlequins?

 

[Channti]

Harlequin Rasboras are eally nice. I wanted a school in my tank, but they were too small and would have been eaten. I opted for the Serpae Tetra instead. I've got a school of 12 in my 46 gallon tank. They're really active and show really good schooling behaviour (and are gorgeous with the red bodys, black fins, and black Patch by their gills). They're very active in my tank. Keep in mind, you want something that will grow large enough that adult angels won't consider them as food. (the serpae's are the smallest fish in my tank).

 

[PDSimon]

I would increase the kuhli number to 6+, the more you have, the more they come out and the more social they are

 

[ChilliPepper]

What about Praecox Rainbowfish? I must be recommending these stunning fish to everyone at the moment

Agree with PDSimon on the loaches, they are so much happier as a group of 6+ and also enjoy some ground cover plants

 

[Channti]

I would increase the kuhli number to 6+, the more you have, the more they come out and the more social they are

I'd up the YoYo loaches to 6 as well. Loaches are a very social fish. I've got 4, soon to be 7, yoyo loaches in my 46 gallon, and I -love- them.

 

[halfbloodprincess]

I would increase the kuhli number to 6+, the more you have, the more they come out and the more social they are

I'd up the YoYo loaches to 6 as well. Loaches are a very social fish. I've got 4, soon to be 7, yoyo loaches in my 46 gallon, and I -love- them.

I love YoYo's too. I've had one of mine for about 4 years and just love him to bits. But whenever we went to buy more, none of the petstores we went to would have them. We were lucky about six months ago when we discovered one at our favorite lfs. We snatched it up the second we saw it. And I was SO excited a few days ago when we stopped at a shopping center on the way home from the beach, my mom was going to go into the grocery store to pick up a few things, and I noticed a store called Coast Pet Store and Aquarium. While my mum went to the grocery store, I went and checked out the petstore. The fish weren't the best in the world, but as I got to the end of the row I noticed a yoyo! I was so excited! And then when I went to buy him I noticed another in another tank! Snatched 'em both up. So now we have four, and hopefully we'll get more.

Anyway, haha I totally agree I really should up the loaches.
So, I've done a bit of research on the tetras and I've discovered the Lemon Tetra.

Stocking?:
2 Rams
2 Angel fish
6 corydoras
6 yoyo loaches
6 Khuli loaches
1 Bristlenose pleco
1 chinese algae eater
1 syndontis catfish
10 lemon tetras

Maybe if I bought the angels as juveniles they would grow up with the tetras and not consider them food?

I still need help with the rainbow shark -sigh-, nasty little guys.

 

[Channti]

I would increase the kuhli number to 6+, the more you have, the more they come out and the more social they are

I'd up the YoYo loaches to 6 as well. Loaches are a very social fish. I've got 4, soon to be 7, yoyo loaches in my 46 gallon, and I -love- them.

I love YoYo's too. I've had one of mine for about 4 years and just love him to bits. But whenever we went to buy more, none of the petstores we went to would have them. We were lucky about six months ago when we discovered one at our favorite lfs. We snatched it up the second we saw it. And I was SO excited a few days ago when we stopped at a shopping center on the way home from the beach, my mom was going to go into the grocery store to pick up a few things, and I noticed a store called Coast Pet Store and Aquarium. While my mum went to the grocery store, I went and checked out the petstore. The fish weren't the best in the world, but as I got to the end of the row I noticed a yoyo! I was so excited! And then when I went to buy him I noticed another in another tank! Snatched 'em both up. So now we have four, and hopefully we'll get more.

Anyway, haha I totally agree I really should up the loaches.
So, I've done a bit of research on the tetras and I've discovered the Lemon Tetra.

Stocking?:
2 Rams
2 Angel fish
6 corydoras
6 yoyo loaches
6 Khuli loaches
1 Bristlenose pleco
1 chinese algae eater
1 syndontis catfish
10 lemon tetras

Maybe if I bought the angels as juveniles they would grow up with the tetras and not consider them food?

I still need help with the rainbow shark -sigh-, nasty little #28###.

I've heard one too many stories about juvenille angels who grew up with small fish and still made them dinner as adults. I wouldn't risk it personally.

As for yoyo loaches... No stores in my area will stock them. When they do, they're so crazily priced that I refused to buy them. I went into EVERY pet store within a 1 hour radius of my house (or called them) and asked to speak to whoever made their fish orders to find out how much a yoyo loach would cost me and if they could order them in. Every store either wanted WAY too much money, or couldn't get them in. I was ready to give up. Then while at work (which is an hour and 20 mins away), I saw a small mom-and-pop operation. Went in, and was talking to the girl in there. They only have about a dozen tanks, just your common livebearers and cold-waters for the most part. Ended up going back later to talk to the manager. Explained my situation (that I seriously wanted yoyos and couldn't find them, and told him about the outrageous prices). 10 minutes into the conversation, his phone rang. His supplier was on the other end. He ended up getting me in 4 yoyos at LESS THAN HALF the price every other store I went to wanted (INCLUDING THE CHAIN STORE!). He's getting me in another 3 in his shipment tomorrow (because his staff accidentally sold a couple of mine the last time he ordered).

The moral of my story. You don't know unless you ask. A lot of stores can order you in fish if you ask them nicely. Mom-and-Pop operations are more likely to do this than chains though. Shop around. Ask questions. Someone will be able to get you them at a decent price. (For me, the decent price was more of a steal....$4.49 CDN per fish, as opposed to $10-12 everywhere else I'd asked).

What kind of Cory do you have? (more so curiousity than anything!)

 

[halfbloodprincess]

I would increase the kuhli number to 6+, the more you have, the more they come out and the more social they are

I'd up the YoYo loaches to 6 as well. Loaches are a very social fish. I've got 4, soon to be 7, yoyo loaches in my 46 gallon, and I -love- them.

I love YoYo's too. I've had one of mine for about 4 years and just love him to bits. But whenever we went to buy more, none of the petstores we went to would have them. We were lucky about six months ago when we discovered one at our favorite lfs. We snatched it up the second we saw it. And I was SO excited a few days ago when we stopped at a shopping center on the way home from the beach, my mom was going to go into the grocery store to pick up a few things, and I noticed a store called Coast Pet Store and Aquarium. While my mum went to the grocery store, I went and checked out the petstore. The fish weren't the best in the world, but as I got to the end of the row I noticed a yoyo! I was so excited! And then when I went to buy him I noticed another in another tank! Snatched 'em both up. So now we have four, and hopefully we'll get more.

Anyway, haha I totally agree I really should up the loaches.
So, I've done a bit of research on the tetras and I've discovered the Lemon Tetra.

Stocking?:
2 Rams
2 Angel fish
6 corydoras
6 yoyo loaches
6 Khuli loaches
1 Bristlenose pleco
1 chinese algae eater
1 syndontis catfish
10 lemon tetras

Maybe if I bought the angels as juveniles they would grow up with the tetras and not consider them food?

I still need help with the rainbow shark -sigh-, nasty little #28###.

I've heard one too many stories about juvenille angels who grew up with small fish and still made them dinner as adults. I wouldn't risk it personally.

As for yoyo loaches... No stores in my area will stock them. When they do, they're so crazily priced that I refused to buy them. I went into EVERY pet store within a 1 hour radius of my house (or called them) and asked to speak to whoever made their fish orders to find out how much a yoyo loach would cost me and if they could order them in. Every store either wanted WAY too much money, or couldn't get them in. I was ready to give up. Then while at work (which is an hour and 20 mins away), I saw a small mom-and-pop operation. Went in, and was talking to the girl in there. They only have about a dozen tanks, just your common livebearers and cold-waters for the most part. Ended up going back later to talk to the manager. Explained my situation (that I seriously wanted yoyos and couldn't find them, and told him about the outrageous prices). 10 minutes into the conversation, his phone rang. His supplier was on the other end. He ended up getting me in 4 yoyos at LESS THAN HALF the price every other store I went to wanted (INCLUDING THE CHAIN STORE!). He's getting me in another 3 in his shipment tomorrow (because his staff accidentally sold a couple of mine the last time he ordered).

The moral of my story. You don't know unless you ask. A lot of stores can order you in fish if you ask them nicely. Mom-and-Pop operations are more likely to do this than chains though. Shop around. Ask questions. Someone will be able to get you them at a decent price. (For me, the decent price was more of a steal....$4.49 CDN per fish, as opposed to $10-12 everywhere else I'd asked).

What kind of Cory do you have? (more so curiousity than anything!)

There had been petstores that went in and out of one of our malls, but we've had this one that went in a few years ago and he has GREAT fish. He's a marine biologist so I'm guessing that's why haha, really knows his stuff.
But yeah, I don't know why it's gotten to be so hard to find Yoyos. There used to be an entire tank full of them at my local Petco, but it's been years since they've stocked them.
Like you suggested, I've been thinking of asking the guy at the store if he'd order some for us. Once when I went in there looking for oto cats, they didn't have any and he said he'd order some. I guess I didn't even think to ask about the yoyos at the time. I'll definitely ask next time I'm in. We bought the two yoyo's we found the other day at 5 dollars a piece.

I have Skunk Cory's They're adorable little guys.

 

[ajs2294]

You'll get away with Lemon tetras with adult Angels. They get a bit chunkier than the average tetra, Neons and Cardinals are much skinnier making them an easier meal . I also find it interesting you guys can't find Yoyo's anywhere that stinks, stores around here have tanks upon tanks full of the little guys dirt cheap.

 

[halfbloodprincess]

You'll get away with Lemon tetras with adult Angels. They get a bit chunkier than the average tetra, Neons and Cardinals are much skinnier making them an easier meal . I also find it interesting you guys can't find Yoyo's anywhere that stinks, stores around here have tanks upon tanks full of the little guys dirt cheap.

Thanks for the help!

And I know! It's weird, one second every store sells them and then the next it's like they disappeared from the face of the earth! haha
Maybe they just weren't selling very well.


Okay, so:
2 Rams
2 Angel fish
6 corydoras
6 yoyo loaches
6 Khuli loaches
1 Bristlenose pleco
1 chinese algae eater
1 syndontis catfish
10 lemon tetras


And does anyone know what fish a rainbow shark actually does get along with and can live happily in a 29 tank with? I'd love to keep something other than just him in the tank.

 

[rachellouise]

Maybe if I bought the angels as juveniles they would grow up with the tetras and not consider them food?

I still need help with the rainbow shark -sigh-, nasty little guys


[/quote]

Hi just to say that i had an Angel up until a couple of months ago-he was a lovely fish called Albert!

When we added him we already had Neon Tetra and he never bothered any off them- We still have 3 original Tetra from before we had Albert. Unfortunatley he died very suddenly.

 

[Channti]

Maybe if I bought the angels as juveniles they would grow up with the tetras and not consider them food?

I still need help with the rainbow shark -sigh-, nasty little guys

Hi just to say that i had an Angel up until a couple of months ago-he was a lovely fish called Albert!

When we added him we already had Neon Tetra and he never bothered any off them- We still have 3 original Tetra from before we had Albert. Unfortunatley he died very suddenly.
[/quote]


Angels are a semi-aggressive fish. They are a cichlid. They are unpredictable. They can live peacefully with a fish for months, and then suddenly turn on it. If it is small enough to be food, it will be at some point or another down the line. I believe i read somewhere that neon tetra are part of an Angel's diet in the wild (though I could be horribly mistaken on that). My point is that they do not discriminate. If it is small enough to be food, it will be.

I do not recommend putting neon tetras in with an angel. A larger-bodied tetra would fare much bettter (Serpaes, Lemon, Black Skirt, etc.)

 

[ajs2294]

I believe i read somewhere that neon tetra are part of an Angel's diet in the wild (though I could be horribly mistaken on that). My point is that they do not discriminate. If it is small enough to be food, it will be.

I do not recommend putting neon tetras in with an angel. A larger-bodied tetra would fare much bettter (Serpaes, Lemon, Black Skirt, etc.)

Neons are part of an Angel's diet in the wild you are correct. But as far as Larger-Bodied tetras go it can be a two sided battle though they won't get eaten some larger tetras such as Serpeas are known for being a frequent fin nippers which can cause Angels to become stressed. So you better of sticking to peaceful tetras like Lemons