First Tank Juwel 125

[Sparex]

Hello guys Im new to the fish world had a little 29 litre tank with some gupys but thats it decided to get a bit of a bigger tank nearly finished doing a fishless cycle so will be ready to stock hopfully by monday or tuesday

here is what i got planned for the tank

zebra Loach x 5
sIlver dollar x 2
red tail shark x 1
red torpeado barb x 2
guarmi x 1
tiger barbs x 8
Neon tetras x 10
pleco x2

i dont think its will be over crowded but it will be full
just wanted some info on how these guys will get on

i understand that neons are small compared to some of the others picked and may loose one or 2 now and then
but hopefully none

and how are the group sizes do i need more than one guarmi for a friend for it or any shark for a mate for him
or is there to many barbs

any infomation is great

thanks again guys

excuse any spelling or typo misstakes typed at work and in a rush before im cought out

 

[fluttermoth]

It's great that you've asked before you get these fish, and it's great that you're doing a fishless cycle, I heartliy commend you on that, but your stocking list really needs a major re-think, I'm afraid.

With all those fish you would be hugely overcrowded...

A useful rule of thumb for beginners and stocking is; one inch of standard, slim bodied tropical fish that doesn't grow to over 3 inches to every gallon of water.

125l=27 gallons; probably more like 25 once your got your gravel etc in there.

If we say 2 inches each for a tiger barb and an inch each for a neon tetra just those species put you at 26 inches, your full stocking.
Yes, with good filtration and good husbandry you can push that limit a bit over time, but not too much!

Plus silver dollars and torpedo barbs grow to 8" and 6" respectively and need to be in shoals of 6+...the red tailed shark won't like the tiger barbs as they're too similar in colouring, what kind of gourami did you have in mind? Gouramis vary from sparkling gouramis (2 inches) to kissing (12") to giant (2 foot)...same with the 'pleco' there are loads of different species some only 4 or 5 inches and some 2 foot monsters.

Sorry to sound like such a misery guts!

 

[KittyKat]

zebra loach x 5 - too large and do better in larger groups still.. try 6-8 dwarf chain loaches instead
silver dollar x 2 - too large and schooling
red tail shark x 1 - very aggressive
red torpeado barb x 2 - too large and schooling
guarmi x 1 - dwarf and honey ok, larger not ok
tiger barbs x 8 - okish, would be better in a group of 10+
Neon tetras x 10 - ok
pleco x2 - one would be better, they can be territorial

i understand that neons are small compared to some of the others picked and may loose one or 2 now and then
but hopefully none

That's a really #105###ty way to treat your pets.

and how are the group sizes do i need more than one guarmi for a friend for it or any shark for a mate for him
or is there to many barbs

Honey gouramis do better in groups, a dwarf would probably be better off on its own or in a pair.
Sharks are too aggressive to keep more than one of most species.
Barbs are shooling, do better in groups of 6-10+.

 

[Sparex]

thank you for the infomation

i didnt relise these fish were to big i didnt think a 6inch fish would be to big hence why i posted here to find this info out

the bit where you say its a #105###y way to treat your pets is a bit over kill fella but i understand some people take offence to the natural cycle of life

i like the dworf loaches i think they are hard to find at the LFS though

the red tailed shark they dont grow to big and from a lot of people i know have kept them in community tanks with smaller fish with no aggresion problems

and the silver dollars are under a inch big at my LFS i know this isnt to say they will grow but we all need a excuse to get a bigger tank
i understand that some of these fish fully forwn will be way to big for my tank

but a 300 will probly be here within a year or so

but i didnt want to buy a 300 ltre tank they stock it with these fish and have it look empty cos in 3 years i know they will be fully grown and look fuller

if that makes any sence

ill defo stick to one pleco

and the red tropeado barb are a favourate of mine hehe so if i have to not get the tiger bards and get the torpeados instead i will liek i say all the fish will be bought at there smallest stage i want to see them grow in size and charecter

oh yes and it would be a honey gurami

once again please excuse spelling and typos

and i really do appricate the reply guys

 

[fluttermoth]

thank you for the infomation

i didnt relise these fish were to big i didnt think a 6inch fish would be to big hence why i posted here to find this info out

the bit where you say its a #105###y way to treat your pets is a bit over kill fella but i understand some people take offence to the natural cycle of life

Yeah, but your tank is not natural, is it? To put fish in there knowing full well they may be eaten (by fish that they would never, ever be near in the wild) is not a nice thing to do. One of the few advantages that fish have in our tanks is to be free of disease and predation. It's 'natural' for many fish to die young when their rivers and ponds dry up too; are you going to drain your tank down and let them suffocate?
And I'm a person who has fed many an unwanted or deformed fry to my larger fish, so it's not that I'm offended by the natural cycle of life, by any means.

the red tailed shark they dont grow to big and from a lot of people i know have kept them in community tanks with smaller fish with no aggresion problems

There are always people in fishkeeping who do everything wrong and get away with it. Fishkeeping is an art as well as a science. But, honestly (and I'm really not meaning to be rude here) why come on here and ask experienced people for their advice if you think you know better? In most people's opinion red tail sharks do grow too large for 125l.

and the silver dollars are under a inch big at my LFS i know this isnt to say they will grow but we all need a excuse to get a bigger tank
i understand that some of these fish fully forwn will be way to big for my tank

but a 300 will probly be here within a year or so

but i didnt want to buy a 300 ltre tank they stock it with these fish and have it look empty cos in 3 years i know they will be fully grown and look fuller

if that makes any sence

It makes sense, but it's wrong. Young fish need a lot of space to grow. How will you know when they are at risk from becoming stunted before they are ALREADY stunted? If you want big fish, get a big tank first.
What if you lose your job, have a death in the family or whatever and you can't afford the larger tank when it's needed (which will be in MUCH less than a year if you insist on getting those fish)?

ill defo stick to one pleco

Good

and the red tropeado barb are a favourate of mine hehe so if i have to not get the tiger bards and get the torpeados instead i will liek i say all the fish will be bought at there smallest stage i want to see them grow in size and charecter

Putting a shoal (and they do need to be in a shoal of at least 6) of six inch fish in a 125l is just ridiculous. Most fish, like people and other animals, do the majority of their growth in the first few months of life. Get the tank that suits them first, or you'll end up with sick, stunted fish. If they're a favourite of yours, why would you want to risk doing such a thing to them? Wouldn't it be better to give them the space and conditions to grow to their full beauty and potential from the start?

oh yes and it would be a honey gurami

Persoanlly I consider honey gouramis too shy and delicate to put them in a tank with the barbs etc, but I don't keep anabantoids myself so maybe some one who does knows better.

once again please excuse spelling and typos

Of course, spelling and typos are not important.

and i really do appricate the reply guys

I hope you do; we are only saying these things so that you have happy, healthy fish and the fish have the home they deserve. Like most people, I come on here to help people avoid making the mistakes that I made when I was a novice; I don't come on here to flame people or be rude!
I hope you make the right choices for you and your fish

 

[Tizer]

All i can say is dont get a common pleco, they grow large, have a look at the smaller ones, Bristlenose for example. You could get a pair and see how they get on. You will find that you will get more enjoyment from a smaller happier stock of fish, happy fish like to breed. Seeing small fry in your tank is always very rewarding. Stuff it full of fish that dont get on or ones that grow to big and even a novice will see his mistake within a few weeks.

 

[KittyKat]

i didnt relise these fish were to big i didnt think a 6inch fish would be to big hence why i posted here to find this info out

The Rio is not even a 3fter, right? That pretty much limits you to 2-3" sized fish max.

the bit where you say its a #105###y way to treat your pets is a bit over kill fella but i understand some people take offence to the natural cycle of life

Would you put a mouse together with a cat? No. Why do it to fish?
The natural cycle of life would be if you filled a whole room with muddy water and let the fish take their chances in there. An aquarium does not come anywhere close to giving your smaller fish a survival chance that they would have in the wild. It never will, so don't treat it as such.

i like the dworf loaches i think they are hard to find at the LFS though

In my experience, they're quite common.. have a look for some smaller, independent ones in your are? Also a lot of LFS will order in fish if you ask for them.

the red tailed shark they dont grow to big and from a lot of people i know have kept them in community tanks with smaller fish with no aggresion problems

Works for *someone* doesn't mean works 99% of the time. Also the sharks grow too large for a tank that size, as someone mentioned above.

and the silver dollars are under a inch big at my LFS i know this isnt to say they will grow but we all need a excuse to get a bigger tank
i understand that some of these fish fully forwn will be way to big for my tank

As mentioned above, they actually need the space to grow or it will cause problems. Upgrade first, get fish second.

but a 300 will probly be here within a year or so

but i didnt want to buy a 300 ltre tank they stock it with these fish and have it look empty cos in 3 years i know they will be fully grown and look fuller

if that makes any sence

Yes, it does.. but it is still the best option if you want the fish to grow properly. It may very well not take anywhere near three years, but closer to one year because fish generally grow fast to start with and slower as they age. Also you will probably be best off with a larger tank still for the large fish you want to keep.

ill defo stick to one pleco

Try to pick one which won't grow over 4-5".

and the red tropeado barb are a favourate of mine hehe so if i have to not get the tiger bards and get the torpeados instead i will liek i say all the fish will be bought at there smallest stage i want to see them grow in size and charecter

They need a larger tank. Get a 4+ fter as the first tank if you want them.

 

[Sparex]

ok well thanks fro the replys guys im going to stick with some smaller fish for now what can get on with tiger babrs cos i love these fish but heard they are big time fin nippers any help is all appriciated

thanks again guys

 

[moochy13]

the idea of getting 6+ of a type of fish is that they spread any aggression they have between themselves. obviously if you have 1 tiger barb, it would have to find something else to pick on. with 6+ they shouldnt be a problem, though if you want to be extra careful avoid fish with colourful, long fins, like guppies.

dont bother with the shark. i just took one back to my lfs because now hes bigger he was stopping me being able to add any new fish to the tank. they are so bad the lfs refused to give me any money for him, soon as he saw it he wasnt impressed, but he took it off me anyway. i know that the only way he can move it on is if it goes into a very big tank with fish more aggressive than it is - and these arent common.

you could try cherry barbs with your tiger barbs, and look for a bristlenose plec and your choice of small gourami, then that would probably be about it.

 

[Tizer]

Think about some five banded barbs instead of tigers, many fish shops sell these as excellent alternatives. i'm actually thinking of getting 10 or so to put in my 90 litre with my breeding kribs.

 

[Sparex]

thanks for the advice guys i decided not to get the fish that would outgrow my tank i got fish that could grow to there full size in my tank this is what i got

went out today and got my self
2 giant danios
3 boesmani rainbow fish
3 odessa barbs
3 other fish that are silver with back marking coulpe of blochy stripes and spots that grow to about 4 inch look like sharks when bigger hehe cant remeber name some sort of barb though

so now my tank has in it these +
8 tiger barbs
1 platie
2 guppys
1 pleco

tested tank 7 hours after adding

amonnia .25
nitrate .25
nitrates 20ppm

water change due tomorrow

reading semm ok shows that the fillter is working

wil test daily

 

[KittyKat]

Thank you for wasting our time by asking for advice and ignoring it.

 

[Aethanyc]

Thank you for wasting our time by asking for advice and ignoring it.

+1...I don't mean to be rude but I think you handled this whole situation terribly and if I was KittyKat or Fluttermoth I'd be pretty upset that you just completely disregarded everything I said and basically just said "F*** you, I'm gonna do what I want".

The people on this forum care about and love fish, they're not trying to stop you from getting the fish you want they're just trying to offer you solutions if the fish you want aren't appropriate for your tank. I know this from experience, and thanks to KittyKat, I found a viable solution for myself that is good for me AND good for my fish (when I get them). I wanted a goldfish setup in a 125 litre and she let me know that unless I get three juveniles less than 3" big, there's no way I could pull that off. After extensive research I also realised it would be plain ridiculous to try and keep adult goldfish in a 125 litre tank...even one. Knowing her experience far outweighs mine, I've got money saved up for a 450 litre to buy in a year's time so I can accommodate the growing fish as soon as they outgrow my tank. But three 1" fancy goldfish is all I will have in my 125 litre, for a MAXIMUM of a year or until they get to 4".

I just hope you see sense eventually and do what's right for the animals.

 

[Sparex]

hmmm ok i kind of dont understand

the fish i got are small fish and the guys at the lfs i went to i explained the size of my tank and i wanted some small but active fish they recommended the barbs and rainbow fish i asked about stocking they explained that what they recommended would be fine

it doesnt seem over crowded its busy but they all seem happy am i missing something

i changed my commen pleco to a small lepoard one because you guys said the common one would get to big

plese dont think ive ignored your advice or wasted your time dony really understand
like i said my lfs said these would be fine they dont look big and they said they dont grow big

please reply

sorry if i have caused offence some how

thanks again

darren

 

[fluttermoth]

I know it's partly the fault of the person at your LFS, but the fish you've got now are really no better than the ones you wanted before
The giant danios are 6"+ shoalers, exactly the same as the torpedo barbs.