Future Prospectives

[ArcticLancer]

Hey guys.

I know it's somewhat early to be planning for a second tank when my first has yet to cycle (Almost there though). But nevertheless, it's sparked my curiosity in what I could build a second tank on.

My soon-to-have-platies 10 gallon tank was a bit small for me to get swords, so I'm wondering if a slightly larger 20 gallon could house my plans.
Would I be able to keep 4-5 swords, 1-2 opal gouramis, and 6-9 ember tetras? The only problem I could see is the embers being a bit too small for the opals, but that's why I'm here: to see if anything else is wrong.

Thanks for any answers, and hopefully you'll immerse yourself in my prospective attitude yourself!

 

[neon_platy]

i dont' know about ur plans....but i did think about swordtails or mollies for an eventual bigger tank...i really like the silver mollies that have the high fin i think is what it's called i don't know...and i saw a green swordtail on aquabid supposedly so i thought that sounded cool too for anyone that reads this like anna/natsuko that know my crazy plans, I think im ridding my bedroom of the tv and tv table to set a large stand there to setup a 55 gallon long aquarium... i'm still thinking about doing the tube thing, but maybe once the fish are in teh 55...

 

[demonmagus]

i...i really like the silver mollies that have the high fin .

Maybe sailfin mollies?

 

[dwarfgourami]

My own feeling- remembering the swords I kept years ago- is that a 20 gallon might still be a bit small for their enormous energy. A longer tank would be better. You should be aiming at 40 inches long, or at least 36.

Don't think the tetras and the gouramis would be a problem at all, but I do wonder about the swordtails and the gouramis- tank might get a bit crowded at the top and the gouramis might get stressed by the high activity level of the swords; on the whole, gouramis tend to like the quiet life.

I would post about that in the gourami forum if I were you.

Also feel 20 gals would be small for opal gouramis (if they're the ones I think they are, these common names are so confusing). Honeys would be better for this size tank.

Oh hang on (brain slowly warming up, haven't had my breakfast yet), 4-5 swords, that's 20 inches of fish, another 8 or so for the opals, and then the tetras- no, a 20 gal would get heavily overstocked in terms of bioload, too.

If I were you, I would decide first whether the new tank is going to be an active fast-moving tank or a more peaceful community. And either way, it sounds like you're looking at a bigger tank than 20 gallon. Go on, treat yourself! MTs, it gets us all in the end. I have finally got my family to agree to the 62 gallon.

 

[widgetuk]

Deffo need a bigger tank for sailfins

 

[neon_platy]

Yes it was sailfin that I saw and liked and yes I know I would need bigger tank too as I think min for one is like what 15-20 gal? Anyway, since I found a fry in teh commun tank i plan on not buying anymore fish until I get a new tank setup that is much bigger that way I can get them all in a big tank and have more room..

 

[Polardbear]

Personally, from my own experience with swordies (they control my life), I only use my 20's for juveniles. The adults are much happier in larger tanks. I've got my adults in 50, 55 and 75 gallon tanks. I just got a 29 gallon tank for Christmas which I'm going to put some adults in soon but they really haven't been happy in either my 20 high or my 20 long.

 

[neon_platy]

Yes it was sailfin that I saw and liked and yes I know I would need bigger tank too as I think min for one is like what 15-20 gal? Anyway, since I found a fry in teh commun tank i plan on not buying anymore fish until I get a new tank setup that is much bigger that way I can get them all in a big tank and have more room..

 

[ArcticLancer]

Thanks for the input.

Tank size was something I was wondering about. A 36 is probably viable, and I'd take the gouramis into concideration as well. As much as I love them, I'm not going to put them through something they'll be displeased in.
So, what about a 36 gal with ...
5-6 swords (probably works for the 1m:2f ratio)
6-8 ember tetras
5-6 zebra danios or guppies (also works for 1m:2f ratio)

Something else I've come up with is that, being tetras, they might be nippy, and then they're in a tank filled with large-finned fish. I guess that would ultimately come out to personality, but then ... who knows?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?

PS: Sorry about the gross mis-calculations on the 20. That's what I get for trying to do guestimate math at 12 in the morning.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Unfortunatly with swords you cant have more than one male in mixed gender groups unlike other livebearers, swordtail males will fight not matter how many females you have unless you are planning on 20females, which would obviously be too many for the gallons you are looking at- i would advise you keep it to just one male and at least 3females .
The ember tetra ratio sounds good, as far as i know these are quite peaceful tetras.
Personally, i would go for danios over gupppys as, as previously mentioned, swordtails are very active and guppys are not very fast fish and they may be stressed out by the swordtails high activity levels- danios on the other hand, although prefering more sub tropical temps, would be able to happily live with the danios, but they are really sub tropical fish despite so many people keeping them in hot tropical tanks- they are extremely hardy though and many sub tropical danios kept in tropical temps suffer no ill affects apart from a loss of max life expectancy.
If you are looking at an ideal happy fish tank, personally i would opt for a different fish rather than danios or guppys, opaline gouramis could technically go in a 36gal but they are more semi-agressive fish rather than peaceful community fish and a male opaline gourami would try to attack swordtails although i would think that swordtails would be too fast and agile, i take it you are wanting a peaceful community aquarium rather than a semi-agressive one, hmm...
Maybe try looking at cherry barbs instead;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=60812

Or bristlenose plecs;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loric...cistru/49_F.PHP

Or some beautiful congo tetras;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=41714

Or some queen loaches once the tank is more established;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34952

http/www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_dario.html

Or rummy nose tetras once the tank is more established;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35577

What do you think ?
Personally i would opt for the most gallons you can accomodate, the more gallons a tank holds the easier it is to maintain good water quality, and the more fish stocking options it opens up and the happier your fish will be .

 

[ArcticLancer]

Tokis, your insight is always appreciated. Always.

A group of 5 swords would be just fine. 1 male and 4 females works any day. And I have to admit, I'm rather smitten with the embers, so it's good to know they fit in, and are supposidly nice.

The last spot to fill is still somewhat distanced from me. I really don't enjoy barbs that much; there's just something about them that I don't enjoy. Plecos make me think about catfish, which make me think about otos, but I know they're o-so-fragile. However, spending most of their time on the bottom, would a small group of them fit in? Like barbs, I don't see much in loaches, so I'm not going to choose them first, and as much as I love the embers, most tetras are really hit or miss with me I guess I'm a fussy fish-keeper >_>

I guess I should reinterate that this is all just a small game of fantasy. I don't know if I'd be able to get this tank anytime within the next 2 years, as right now my room couldn't accomidate anything larger than the 10 I already have. I'm just curious to see what I could pull off with slightly more space.

Still, thanks for the input. Anyone else have 'magical'-fantasy tanks they want to share?