Fish Compatability

[community begginer]

g'day everyone. i recently finished my tank (150 litres) set up and am currently trying to decide what fish to get. i was thinking a few: platies, black moores, some guppies and a catfish of some sort. 1 are these fish a good match? and 2 what would be a suitable catfish for my tank?
i would be very greatful if you could help.
regards community begginer.

 

[wendywc]

You really can't keep black moor goldfish with the others; goldfish are coldwater fish and the rest you named are tropical. Plus goldfish need lots of space, so I would recommend tropical fish instead since you have a 40 gallon tank.

I also recommend downloading Neal Monk's Can I Keep It fish compatability software... which you can download for free here. It will tell you different ideal combinations of tropical fish that you can keep.

 

[community begginer]

You really can't keep black moor goldfish with the others; goldfish are coldwater fish and the rest you named are tropical. Plus goldfish need lots of space, so I would recommend tropical fish instead since you have a 40 gallon tank.

I also recommend downloading Neal Monk's Can I Keep It fish compatability software... which you can download for free here. It will tell you different ideal combinations of tropical fish that you can keep.

i thank you very much for your help and pointing out that very big mistake.
thanks again
community begginer

 

[wendywc]

No problem. I had the same dilemma myself. I have an empty 55 gallon and was debating between making it a coldwater tank or a tropical. Goldfish have such wonderful personalities. But they need 20 gallons of room for the first fish and 10 gallons more for each additional fish. So I guess I'm going to wait until I can afford a big pond for outside.

Good luck with your new tank! You still have lots and lots of possibilties with numerous tropical fish combinations.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Leaving the goldfish to one side (for your next tank lol), guppies and platies go extremely well together IME. They are close enough in behaviour to actually swim around together and socialise. You can either keep single sex groups, or if you do want fry (and have somewhere to put them), 2-3 females per male to avoid sexual exhaustion in the females.

As for catfish, you would be looking at something smallish: perhaps either corydoras or a small loricariid (like a bristlenose plec). Corydoras are schooling so a group of 6 would be ideal, though you can keep them in numbers as low as 3. They are peaceful and great fun to watch. They don't eat algae, but an algae eater isn't really a necessary component of a tank.

Bristlenoses do eat algae- you would probably be looking at only one in a tank that size.

But there are lots of options.

 

[community begginer]

Leaving the goldfish to one side (for your next tank lol), guppies and platies go extremely well together IME. They are close enough in behaviour to actually swim around together and socialise. You can either keep single sex groups, or if you do want fry (and have somewhere to put them), 2-3 females per male to avoid sexual exhaustion in the females.

As for catfish, you would be looking at something smallish: perhaps either corydoras or a small loricariid (like a bristlenose plec). Corydoras are schooling so a group of 6 would be ideal, though you can keep them in numbers as low as 3. They are peaceful and great fun to watch. They don't eat algae, but an algae eater isn't really a necessary component of a tank.

Bristlenoses do eat algae- you would probably be looking at only one in a tank that size.

But there are lots of options.

how about albino catfich? do they eat algea and more to the point are they a good match for the guppies and platies??

 

[wendywc]

how about albino catfich? do they eat algea and more to the point are they a good match for the guppies and platies??

What catfish do you mean? There are albino cory catfishes and albino bristlenose/bushynose plecos. Like dwarfgourami said, cories will no eat algae, but they do scavange the bottom alot. And bristlenoses do eat some algae, but don't think they will take care of all algae for you since they need other foods as well. Mine loves cucumbers.

Your 40 gallon tank is big enough for a school of platies, guppies, and cories and a single bristlebose --- as well as a few more; it's up to you. You should have no problems keeping these all together; all these fish are very peaceful. I would just go to your local fish stores and see what they have and research which ones you like. Research fills in the time between adding fish, since you should add fish to your tank slowly over time.

Good luck.

 

[community begginer]

thanx for your help. i meant the albino corry cat fish. iv'e com up with a combonation of fish i wopuld like to add to the tank but im not sure if they are compatable. they are: some guppies, swordtails, a kissing gourami (depending on how many i can fit) and a few albino corry catfish. please tell me what you think and are they a good choice and why?
regards community begginer.

 

[sally2]

[
I also recommend downloading Neal Monk's Can I Keep It fish compatability software... which you can download for free here. It will tell you different ideal combinations of tropical fish that you can keep.
[/quote]


Hi i am very new
in downloading the free software is it possible to security check it before i download. I am sure it's fine but ive had viruses before so im very nervous and my pc is warning me

thank you

 

[bgormley]

Hi there
I recently downloaded it and my security checker said it was ok. It's a really useful tool!