Compatibility Check / Fish Advice Please

[Miles_hot]

We've just gone around a couple of fish shops and taken pictures of some of the fish that we liked. From this list (and any other suggestions!) we'll pick the tank mates. Ideally we want colourful and interesting fish (like everyone) and more is better as we like shoaling fish - though we've always said that we'd have some "feature fish" however that approach is starting to wilt. I was keen on some tiger barbs as a number of members seems to really rate them and they look very nice. However some form of guppy and cardinal tetra's are an absolute must have (because I like the neon blue of the tetras and the children love the word Guppy as it is referenced in their current favourite TV program octonauts!)

Can you help me out here? I want to check that what ever list we end up picking the fish from contains compatible fish.... I also need some help the top/middle/bottom element of the selection (and is this important with only 18" of water to play with?

The tank is 220 litres, 18" high, 35" long and 19" deep (front to back) and will be planted to some degree though it will not be a fully planted tank.

The current fish list (please feel free to suggest some which we haven't seen in the shop!):

Five Banded Barb (5cm)- a strong contender!
Red Blonde Guppy (4cm)
Flame Tail Guppy (4cm) - a very strong contender!
Blonde Endler's Guppy (4cm)
Glowlight Tetra (4cm)
Cardinal Tetra (4cm) - a very strong contender
Yellow Phantom Tetra (4cm)
Rummynose Tetra (5cm)
Harlequin Rasbora (4cm)
Slim Line Harlequin
Pseudotrapeus Elongatus (we think - a lack of picture could mean this is a red herring - a quick google suggests it is a Cichlid which I suspect makes it unsuitable?)
Sunset Wagtail Platy (6cm)
Variatus Platy (6cm)
Zebra Danio (5cm)
Dwarf Gourami (7cm)
Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish (6cm)
Glass catfish (8cm)

Many thanks

Miles

 

[dtaylor21184]

i'm sure someone will be along with more advice

have you looked at corys? some really nice ones and good community fish and also shoaling fish like to be in 6+ also bottom feeders

 

[This Old Spouse]

i could be wrong but think barbs are fin nippers and might not really be suitable with guppies

i'm sure someone will be along with more advice

have you looked at corys? some really nice ones and good community fish and also shoaling fish like to be in 6+ also bottom feeders

Generally if you keep a big enough shoal of barbs they're fine. I never had troubles with mine.

If you do look at cories, please be sure you put down a sand substrate.

You can also check here for compatibility in general.

 

[fluttermoth]

Pseudotrapeus Elongatus (we think - a lack of picture could mean this is a red herring - a quick google suggests it is a Cichlid

Pseudotropheus elongatus is a Lake Malawi cichlid and is very aggressive and needs very hard water; don't get any of those!

Once your tank is cycled, I'd make things nice and easy for your selves and get a dozen glowlights (*they never look all that much in the shop, but once you get them in a nice clean tank with some plants they'll be lovely).

The glowlights aren't nippy, so once they've settled in you could add a few (all male!) guppies or Endler's.

Then you'd still have space for a few other things in a month or two. Thats what I'd do in your shoes anyway

 

[KISSfn]

i could be wrong but think barbs are fin nippers and might not really be suitable with guppies

i'm sure someone will be along with more advice

have you looked at corys? some really nice ones and good community fish and also shoaling fish like to be in 6+ also bottom feeders

Generally if you keep a big enough shoal of barbs they're fine. I never had troubles with mine.

If you do look at cories, please be sure you put down a sand substrate.

You can also check here for compatibility in general.

+1 This Old Spouse. My personal experience with Barbs is as long as they are in a group of 8 minimum, with compatible tank mates, they are fantastic, active and entertaining creatures whose bad reputation is not deserved. I love mine.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I really miss mine, KISSfn. I didn't replace them after losing them all to my temp drop. Thinking about it again though. Problem is, I think I might be adopting a couple of firemouth cichlids and I doubt everyone would be happy.

 

[Miles_hot]

Pseudotrapeus Elongatus (we think - a lack of picture could mean this is a red herring - a quick google suggests it is a Cichlid

Pseudotropheus elongatus is a Lake Malawi cichlid and is very aggressive and needs very hard water; don't get any of those!

Once your tank is cycled, I'd make things nice and easy for your selves and get a dozen glowlights (*they never look all that much in the shop, but once you get them in a nice clean tank with some plants they'll be lovely).

The glowlights aren't nippy, so once they've settled in you could add a few (all male!) guppies or Endler's.

Then you'd still have space for a few other things in a month or two. Thats what I'd do in your shoes anyway

Thanks for the warning on the PE. I thought that one of the benefits of Fishless Cycling to 5ppm gone in 12 hours was the ability to put a good load of fish in ("full bio load" - though I guess the idea of putting in little ones means that there's a lot of headroom)? Why would I want to put a small bunch of fish in and let all the bacteria I've grown die back?? Confused

Miles

i could be wrong but think barbs are fin nippers and might not really be suitable with guppies

i'm sure someone will be along with more advice

have you looked at corys? some really nice ones and good community fish and also shoaling fish like to be in 6+ also bottom feeders

Generally if you keep a big enough shoal of barbs they're fine. I never had troubles with mine.

If you do look at cories, please be sure you put down a sand substrate.

You can also check here for compatibility in general.

+1 This Old Spouse. My personal experience with Barbs is as long as they are in a group of 8 minimum, with compatible tank mates, they are fantastic, active and entertaining creatures whose bad reputation is not deserved. I love mine.

Good news there as that fish group is likely to be "mine"

Miles

 

[KISSfn]

I really miss mine, KISSfn. I didn't replace them after losing them all to my temp drop. Thinking about it again though. Problem is, I think I might be adopting a couple of firemouth cichlids and I doubt everyone would be happy.

I am so sorry to hear that, a real tragedy.

 

[fluttermoth]

Thanks for the warning on the PE. I thought that one of the benefits of Fishless Cycling to 5ppm gone in 12 hours was the ability to put a good load of fish in ("full bio load" - though I guess the idea of putting in little ones means that there's a lot of headroom)? Why would I want to put a small bunch of fish in and let all the bacteria I've grown die back?? Confused

Of course, you can put the whole bioload's worth of fish in at once if you want to. It's just that, personally, I like to have the option to change my mind on things as I go. In a tank that size, I'd advise two larger shaols rather than lots of small ones.

i could be wrong but think barbs are fin nippers and might not really be suitable with guppies

i'm sure someone will be along with more advice

have you looked at corys? some really nice ones and good community fish and also shoaling fish like to be in 6+ also bottom feeders

Five-banded barbs aren't nippy and should be fine with the guppies, especially if you have a dozen or so. Cories would be fine, if you have sand, whicxh I think they really need.

 

[Miles_hot]

Thanks for that. The plan was always to have four shoals however I suspect we may have to down grade that to three and have some shrimps later (i think I read somewhere that they can be very sensitive to a new tank?)

 

[Miles_hot]

Can the shoal fish cope with 6 or should it be more like 8?

 

[fluttermoth]

The more the better; I try for at least 12 in my shoals and the fish look far 'happier' (as far as it's possible to tell) for it.

 

[Miles_hot]

Ok so one thought is that the stocking might be:

10 x Five Banded Barb (5cm)
10 x Flame Tail Guppy (4cm)
10 x Cardinal Tetra (4cm)

Which will give 51” of fish in a 52 USG tank.

Does this give a spread of top, mid, bottom feeders etc??

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[This Old Spouse]

That looks great, Miles. Can't wait to see photos of them all settled in your tank!

 

[Wills]

IMO that tank could look very empty.... The Barbs and Guppies will hang around the upper levels and the Cardinals will stay mid to bottom but not bottom in the sense of bottom dwellers like Corydoras or Loaches etc. So far as your inch per gallon rule its okay but in a tank that size with that many small fish you can still go beyond that quite easily its not like a tank that is full of medium sized catfish and cichlids or any larger fish that produce waste individually.

I think all tanks should have feature fish and in this kind of set up dwarf cichlids would be perfect. Red Breasted Acaras or Flag Cichlids would be great as would Dwarf Checkerboards. A group of Apistogrammas are always good in a tank this size I really like Apistogramma Panduro because of the colourful females but the more common Cockatoo cichlid is always nice Keep them 1 male to a tank with a group of females and your away.

Equally I would think about a group of 8 or so bottom dwellers - maybe knocking your guppies numbers down a bit to compensate? A group of Zebra or Dwarf Chain loaches are always great! As are cories and with all the varieties available now you have quite a few options Panda Cories are my favorites

So that could look something like

4 Laetacara Dorisger (Red Breasted Acara)- 2M 2F (so you would end up with 2 pairs) - though any of the other dwarfs I mentioned would work in similar numbers.
5 Male Guppies (which ever colour variant you prefer)
10 Cardinal Tetras
10 5 Banded Barbs (good choice btw)
8 Panda Cories or 8 Zebra Loaches or 8 Dwarf Chain Loaches.

You might even get away with a few Whiptail Catfish which are always a nice addition. The Red Lizzards are quite common now a days and dont get too big or messy like. They are a nice "skinny" alternative to the smaller species of plec.

Hope thats helped
Wills