Community Tank

[Jue]

Hi

My son is currently setting up a 40L tank. We could really do with some advice as to what will go nicely in a community tank. He has 5 guppies in there at the moment and would really like to add something that will be a centrepiece as well as some other small fish.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated

 

[karen4kevin]

what about platies?.

 

[Jue]

what about platies?.

Yeah they are worth having a look at. I'm just completely stumped now. I've done nothing but read pages on the forum for days and my head isn't working any more

 

[karen4kevin]

Just remember if you get a male have 3 or 4 female for each male.

 

[Jue]

Just remember if you get a male have 3 or 4 female for each male.

Thanks I'll have a look at them in a min. Too much choice

 

[Annastasia]

Okay, so that's about 10 US gallons. The 5 Guppies are going to be about it, especially considering they will have lots of fry, and if you want to keep any you need room for that. You could maybe try a small Gourami, such as a Honey, if you want a centerpiece fish. But other then that...I wouldn't add much more.

 

[Jue]

Okay, so that's about 10 US gallons. The 5 Guppies are going to be about it, especially considering they will have lots of fry, and if you want to keep any you need room for that. You could maybe try a small Gourami, such as a Honey, if you want a centerpiece fish. But other then that...I wouldn't add much more.

Thanks for that - I'm not 100% sure but I think the Guppies are all male - that's always supposing the lFS I bought them from knew exactly how to sex them but they didn't have any females in there.

Asking a silly question but how can you tell the difference?

 

[Annastasia]

Ah...in that case, you have a few more options since you don't have to worry about fry. And they tend to be a bit smaller. Maybe some Pygmy Cories?

The way to sex them is to look at the anal fin, which is the fin under their stomach near the tail. The male's will have a pointed anal fin, which is actually called a gonopodium. The females will have a fan shaped anal fin.

 

[Jue]

Ah...in that case, you have a few more options since you don't have to worry about fry. And they tend to be a bit smaller. Maybe some Pygmy Cories?

The way to sex them is to look at the anal fin, which is the fin under their stomach near the tail. The male's will have a pointed anal fin, which is actually called a gonopodium. The females will have a fan shaped anal fin.

Is it true that the males are usually the brightly coloured ones? These 5 are all different - 1 is black or very dark blue with white lower back and then bluey tail (not all fancy colours), 1 tiny one- which is predominantly blue - but with pretty coloured tail (rainbow effect), and the other 3 are all orange with white tails.

 

[Annastasia]

Yes, they tend to be. But now, the females are getting much more colorful, due to all the inbreeding. If they have long flowy tails, they are most likely males though. It sounds like your's are.

 

[Jue]

Yes, they tend to be. But now, the females are getting much more colorful, due to all the inbreeding. If they have long flowy tails, they are most likely males though. It sounds like your's are.

Thanks for all your help. I will have a good think about what to do next. What have you got in your tank(s)?

 

[Annastasia]

Livebearers: Platies, Swordtails, Mollies, Guppies, Endlers

Catfish: Albino Cories, San Juan Cories, Bronze Cories, Rabauti Cories, Panda Cories

Characins: Diamond Neon Tetras

Cyprinids: Dwarf Chain Loaches, Angelicus Loaches, Gold Zebra Loaches, Golden Zebra Loaches, Leopard Danios, Zebra Danios

Anabantoid: Sparkling Gouramis, Kissing Gourami, Betta Smaragdina, Betta Coccina

New Word Cichlids: 2 Gold Angelfish, 2 Gold Rams

And 6 Betta Splendens.

 

[Jue]

Livebearers: Platies, Swordtails, Mollies, Guppies, Endlers

Catfish: Albino Cories, San Juan Cories, Bronze Cories, Rabauti Cories, Panda Cories

Characins: Diamond Neon Tetras

Cyprinids: Dwarf Chain Loaches, Angelicus Loaches, Gold Zebra Loaches, Golden Zebra Loaches, Leopard Danios, Zebra Danios

Anabantoid: Sparkling Gouramis, Kissing Gourami, Betta Smaragdina, Betta Coccina

New Word Cichlids: 2 Gold Angelfish, 2 Gold Rams

And 6 Betta Splendens.

Is that just one tank or a few? It sounds really good. I did wonder about putting a small catfish/pleco or sucking loach in there. My son absolutely adores Betta but having read about tank mates earlier I didn't think it would be a very good idea to add one to a community tank.

 

[Annastasia]

8 tanks for the big fish, and each Betta has his own 5 or 2 gallon.

No Pleco would really stay small enough. Ottos might work though...

 

[Jue]

I know - it's a real shame because they seem to have such lovely characters. I'm currently setting up a 180L at the moment so hopefully I might be able to get a couple of Bristlenose in there with some Tiger Barbs.