Fresh Start

[LouieLovell]

I will be getting a 400 litre tank very soon and these are the fish i would love to have in tank.......

2 OSCARS
1 BGK
4 silver dollars
1 red tail catfish

what do you think?

 

[aquariumart22]

Hi

I think the BGK may get bulied with the oscar and silver dollars who may nip. Also once full grown, two oscars may compete for territory, even in a 400l tank. I would say pick your favorite over the oscars and the BGK and reconsider stocking then. Oscars can just get so aggressive while the BGK is fairly mellow, thus competition for food may happen.

Maybe do one oscar and the silver dollars.

Or a BKG and something like a few pairs of rams or some type of geophagus.

Not sure about the red tail catfish, I'm sure someone else will jump in to help.

 

[dougie]

Red tail cats grow to HUGE sizes. Four feet easily. Not only way too big for your tank (sorry) but way too big for 99.99999% of fish keepers. I personally think they shouldn't be sold at all. I'm not sure your tank would do two oscars with anything else either. Silver dollars look great as a shoal, again the do grow fairly big. I think you should perhaps pick your favourite: one Oscar or SD's & build your tank around them. Definitely forget the RTC. Good luck

 

[LouieLovell]

could butterfly fish and golden wonders live with bgk fish?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I will be getting a 400 litre tank very soon and these are the fish i would love to have in tank.......

2 OSCARS
1 BGK
4 silver dollars
1 red tail catfish

what do you think?

could butterfly fish and golden wonders live with bgk fish?

Only a singleton Oscar could work of those original four species ideas long term in a 400l, BGKs and RTCs get way too big (in excess 40cm, google "River Monsters" to see the numerous massive RTCs that Jeremy Wade caught during filming in South America, probably longer than your 400l), while Silver Dollars are pretty skittish and so really need a bigger group than 4 (which is already pushing it in a typical 400l). To put an Oscar in any sort of community, a 125-150 gallon tank is the sort of starting ballpark.

BGKs do best in a strong current setup, far from what ABFs and GWKs will tolerate, the only way I get away with an ABF in my riverine 5x2x2 is by having two monster fake plants breaking up the water surface as water flow barriers. Not only that, I would expect a BGK adult would probably be tempted to eat such small tankmates.

What are the dimensions of this 400l?

 

[Wills]

No sorry not going to work at all, as said above the Red Tail is a monster in the making not sure what your plan is but even just getting one to grow on is not fair because there are so few people that can cater with the needs for these monsters and buying young ones will just push up demand and we will never rid the hobby of these fish. If you like nice catfish what about Pimelodus Ornatus or Lima Shovel Nose - (but not Tiger Shovel Nose!!)?

As said as well your Oscars are not a great idea for the tank, 1 yes 2 no - general guideline is 75g for 1 150g for 2 or more.

The ghost knife would be a bit hit and miss in this tank so I would forget it from the start rather than take a risk and loose it later on.

Silver dollars are great fish and good with Oscars so how about something like

1 Oscar
5-6 Silver Dollars
3 Pimelodus Ornatus

Still a tiny bit of room but not sure what to suggest - personally I would not push it any further and have this tank as it is.

Wills

 

[LouieLovell]

Every question have asked here i have asked at my lfs and got totally different replys! jus go to show there are either after your money or they just really dont know.

 

[Wills]

Anyone who tries to sell a red tail cat for a 400 liter tank has to be ignorant to their size. They are worth so little I have unfortunately seen juveniles for sale at £2.99!!! Just mental.

Even at the best fish shops I find it hard to trust the people there, I rarely buy fish that I have no knowledge of before I go to the shop and you can kind of tell a mini monster just by looking at them I think.

A big tank is a big investment in money and time and to get the most out of them you have to stock cleverley according to what you want.

Wills