Good Lord.... How To Choose?

[Anthony!]

Empty 55 gal. Bought for $50, with good iron cabinet/stand, and no hood, which is a bit of a pain, but it still works. I could'nt be happier, really . The only question is, what would you guys go for? By the way, if you've kept angelfish, and know your stuff about them, answer me this:

• What is a SAFE number to keep in the 55 gallon? I'd rather not have it to be an all angel tank, and I'm just afraid of angry, homicidal breeders... Maybe just 1 you think? or three? I have no clue, and all the time in the world to get information.

• How do you figure 1-3 angels would do with a shoal of skirt tetras? Good sized one, maybe 6-8.

Back to the topic in question.... What would you like? Angelfish, or Snakeheads? (CFC's profile)

And now, more questions.... (This time, for the Ceylonese Green Snakehead keepers)

• Define for me a small group for a 55. Would that be 2 to three, or 4 to 5? I'd think 4 to 5 would be terrible overstocking.... but then again, I'm asking questions for a reason.

• What would be a good idea for tankmates? Larger (congo) Tetras? Anything over 4" or so?

As always, thanks for putting up with my questions you're all great


It's late, I've had a hard workday (darn service station,... everybody complains about gasoline prices... not like I can change them) so I apologize if I've come off like an idiot.

 

[andywg]

You are in the US which makes importing, keeping and breeding any snakehead (Channa spp. and Parachanna spp.) illegal. Rather than a state by state thing, this is a federal law.

Grouping snakeheads can be hit and miss, I have a group of 9 Channa gachua in a 75 gallon (3x2x2) and all is fine for now. However, if a pair should form you can expect some serious nastiness to ensue on the other snakeheads and any tank mates.

I would say 3" is the minimum safe size for a tank mate for the dwarf species of snakeheads.

 

[Tolak]

Angels, when full grown, need 10 gallons per fish, meaning you could keep 5 in a 55 gallon. Potential breeders need 5 gallons per fish, that gives you 11 in a 55. To avoid mayhem, split the difference, start with 8. If you keep up on tank maintenance you could keep them to adult size, any pairing & breeding aggression would be spread among the other angels.

3 angels is the worst to keep in anything other than a really huge tank, you have a 75% chance of getting a pair, and when it happens, the third fish will be the main target of aggression. You are better off with a single angel than 3.

Angels, being new world cichlids, can be unpredictable, keep a divider handy. Starting with 8 will give you the option of trading any uncompatable fish due to aggression, giving you a better chance of a relatively peaceful tank long term. I went through around 15 angels to find 7 that would work in my 65, it was all aggression issues.

As andywg stated, snakeheads are a no go in the U.S. They went state by state for a number of years, until they are just oughtright banned nationwide.

 

[kramers]

As andywg stated, snakeheads are a no go in the U.S. They went state by state for a number of years, until they are just oughtright banned nationwide.
[/quote]
Ok just a little off topic, why are they illegal?

 

[Anthony!]

you know, I was wondering the same thing.... hmmm... wonder who I could call and ask?

 

[andywg]

they are illegal as a number of species can survive the winter in the US, even quite far north. Once established they tend to decimate a natural bio-system and as such the authorities do not want to risk people importing redline snakeheads that then get set loose and turn into 3 foot long monsters with inch long teeth.

The above, coupled with the general lack of natural predation in the US is what prompted the ban.