Just Bought A Massive Tank!

[Reid.]

ive just bought a 6ftx1.5x1.5 tank (~380l) pretty cheap!

ive been running my own tank(160l) for about 4 months now and everythings going great, my livebearers are giving me loads of fry every month or so, and ive found eggs on my plants which i would imagine means all the other fish are happy enough too! ive also got a variety of fish inc corys, baby angels, baby kribs, guppies, mollies, several tetras - as you can see i like small baby fish lol!

im just looking for some advice on what way to go about this, as i said above i like relatively small fish - i know the angels will grow but when they do i'll swap them at the LFS for more babies - and would pretty much like to keep a massive tank full of small fish.

i want to try some different fish too though. i was really interested in starting a marine tank because they always seem so much more colourful and pleasing on the eye but after reading a few stickies i wouldnt have a clue where to start there, whereas im starting to get to grips with my current tank.

what types of fish should i be looking at, remembering relatively small (under 3") and colourful, again i would love to get loads of babies and watch them grow, then when the get nearer adult size swap them for smaller ones again.

What options do i have for plants and rocks etc too? i think i'll be going for a sand substrate, IMO it looks so much better than gravel. i would like my tank fairly planted with lots of hiding spaces for babies but i dont know much about plants.

sorry for the long post but any help would be much appreciated!

 

[MermaidMel]

Gosh a 6ft, happy days!

I used to like SMALL fish but found even in my 4ft they got lost and I can't see them from the settee properly and have gone for slightly bigger like angels, gourami etc

Danios would love a tank that size, they are so active. Harlequins also, very hardy and a they shoal beautifully and look awesome. But seriously the more you fill that tank the more babies will get eaten, so if you want to keep your livebearers make sure you plant it really well, especially with floating plants.

 

[Reid.]

Gosh a 6ft, happy days!

I used to like SMALL fish but found even in my 4ft they got lost and I can't see them from the settee properly and have gone for slightly bigger like angels, gourami etc

Danios would love a tank that size, they are so active. Harlequins also, very hardy and a they shoal beautifully and look awesome. But seriously the more you fill that tank the more babies will get eaten, so if you want to keep your livebearers make sure you plant it really well, especially with floating plants.

aye i did think about that but chances are it will replace my 160l in the living room (which is a pretty small room) so i dont mind wee fish, although in saying that even the guppies i bought when i 1st started the tank are maybe just bigger than an inch in size.

thats also why i asked about planting for the tank, my girlfriends eyes watered up when she watched a molly swallow a baby guppy whole! what type of floating plants should i be looking at, any in particular?

i love danios too, theres a fella from up the road on ebay who sells large groups of fish so a super shoal of danios will probably be one of my 1st buys for the tank!

thanks for the reply!

 

[MermaidMel]

Gosh a 6ft, happy days!

I used to like SMALL fish but found even in my 4ft they got lost and I can't see them from the settee properly and have gone for slightly bigger like angels, gourami etc

Danios would love a tank that size, they are so active. Harlequins also, very hardy and a they shoal beautifully and look awesome. But seriously the more you fill that tank the more babies will get eaten, so if you want to keep your livebearers make sure you plant it really well, especially with floating plants.

aye i did think about that but chances are it will replace my 160l in the living room (which is a pretty small room) so i dont mind wee fish, although in saying that even the guppies i bought when i 1st started the tank are maybe just bigger than an inch in size.

thats also why i asked about planting for the tank, my girlfriends eyes watered up when she watched a molly swallow a baby guppy whole! what type of floating plants should i be looking at, any in particular?

i love danios too, theres a fella from up the road on ebay who sells large groups of fish so a super shoal of danios will probably be one of my 1st buys for the tank!

thanks for the reply!

What's the lighting like in your tank? As a planting newbie, I decided to go for everything that would grow with or without my help. Floating plants I use are Amazon Frogbit which work well but also apparently riccia is good for floating and something I can't remember the name of like salvitens or something lol.

Java moss, java fern, anubias all do well if attached to bogwood with cotton. But if you are asking about planted tanks you ought to go to the planted forum as they can help you more. You need bushy plants that will grow well like Elodea so the fry can hide. You could also think about a nice large shoal of cories, they are very gentle and will keep the sand bed clean for you.

 

[rossyt99]

Hi, Danios (Zebra or Pearl) would look great + How about a large shoal of Cardinal Tetras (15-20) as they look stunning against a lush-green background in a shoal.

Have you considered Endlers? (nice coloured) or Harlequin Rasboras??

I prefer Medium/large fish myself, with one shoal of Tetras in as the dither-fish.> would take the Angels of you when they grow, if you lived close-by.!

 

[Reid.]

Hi, Danios (Zebra or Pearl) would look great + How about a large shoal of Cardinal Tetras (15-20) as they look stunning against a lush-green background in a shoal.

Have you considered Endlers? (nice coloured) or Harlequin Rasboras??

I prefer Medium/large fish myself, with one shoal of Tetras in as the dither-fish.> would take the Angels of you when they grow, if you lived close-by.!

aye sadly most of the folk on forums seem to be from down south which isnt great, especially when your selling/swapping or wanting to buy fish.

are endlers basically just guppies?

ive just been having a look at larger fish but they all look slow and relaxed, im really looking for a rather active tank - im not after much eh

 

[rossyt99]

Are you from down South also??

Endlers have a bit more about them than Guppies>Similar though.

Have you thought about 'Clown Loaches'> very lively and can grow up to 8-10 inches, wouldn't bother small fish and are colourful...

 

[Reid.]

Are you from down South also??

Endlers have a bit more about them than Guppies>Similar though.

Have you thought about 'Clown Loaches'> very lively and can grow up to 8-10 inches, wouldn't bother small fish and are colourful...

nah im from glasgow, so just a tad more northern than most

been looking at a few cichlids to maybe go in with my smaller fish, clown loaches look pretty cool!

to be honest im pretty much just looking for pics of colourful fish and then trying to read up on them to see if they'd fit the rest of my criteria - relaticely small and active (yet peaceful)

 

[Mikaila31]

A large school of rainbows either boeseami or red irian would be really pretty.

 

[rossyt99]

For small, colourful Cichlids maybe search on Kribs (Kribensis), Keyhole Cichlid, Golden Ram or Agassiz Dwarf Cichlids.
They shouldn't bother small fish and are pretty colourful.


(Glasgows a cool place> Mate lives on Sauchihaul street)

 

[Reid.]

For small, colourful Cichlids maybe search on Kribs (Kribensis), Keyhole Cichlid, Golden Ram or Agassiz Dwarf Cichlids.
They shouldn't bother small fish and are pretty colourful.


(Glasgows a cool place> Mate lives on Sauchihaul street)

i think thats the plan then, some small cichlids, in along with my other small fish. 380l should allow for a fair few wee fish!

ive got some baby kribs just now that are cool inquisitive wee things.

fish ive seen today i'd like (still trying to find out if they'll all be ok in the one tank)

kribs, small angels, small rams, Checkerboard Cichlid, Firemouth cichlid, lemon cichlid, danios, tetras, guppies, mollies, plecos. corys, scissortail rasbora, clown loach.

still open to ideas though but would most of them be ok together? ive been trying to research each fish but its taking a while lol!

what sort of tank set up would be best for a stocking list like above?


*is your friend right in the city centre or away at the other end? bet he's paying a fair few quid in rent! im only 5 mins from the city centre in the southside, its good having everythign so close but im not keen on the business of the place and would love a move out into the country!

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

Hey sounds great! I love having new big tanks.
Well this is what I would suggest having in there:
Gouramis
Loaches
1 Red talied black shark
Hatchet fish
South American cichlids
Danios
Minows
Corydoras
Plectomus
barbs
Swordtails
Tetras
Guppies
Just pick some if you want to I just made a list from the top of my head of peaceful and small fish. You could have a thriving community.
If you wanted a community of salt water fish. I would leave it for the more experienced as they are very demanding and hard to keep and if you are looking for brightly coloured fish go for african cichlids they are very vibrant in coulour, hardy and easy to look after. (keep them in a community though)

Hope it helps Tom.

 

[Reid.]

Hey sounds great! I love having new big tanks.
Well this is what I would suggest having in there:
Gouramis
Loaches
1 Red talied black shark
Hatchet fish
South American cichlids
Danios
Minows
Corydoras
Plectomus
barbs
Swordtails
Tetras
Guppies
Just pick some if you want to I just made a list from the top of my head of peaceful and small fish. You could have a thriving community.
If you wanted a community of salt water fish. I would leave it for the more experienced as they are very demanding and hard to keep and if you are looking for brightly coloured fish go for african cichlids they are very vibrant in coulour, hardy and easy to look after. (keep them in a community though)

Hope it helps Tom.

cheers Tom, thats a list of pretty much EXACTLY what i was thinking!

roughly how many fish do you think it would take to fully stock a 380l tank? im thinking of maybe half stocking and just letting nature takes its course with some survival of the fittest with baby fry - although thats saying i can get the fish to breed ok, which with the exception of guppies and mollies is something new to me!

would i be able to have a few bettas in their? i know their rather territorial but with it being such a large tank maybe 3 females and a male?( i'll ask these in the right forums too but its easier to have all the info here than answering questions with the same info)
what way would be best to setup the tank as in heavily planted/rocks etc for a stocking list like above?

 

[rossyt99]

I would sway against having Betta's in there> mine suddenly turned on my Gourami/ Angels (Large) and Swordtails.

The Male/Female can fight/kill each other also. (Shame, but they could be fine for months, then aggro starts)

Firemoouth Cichlids can get real aggressive if they start to breed, but one should be O.k.


It would be good to have tall/broad plants at back and sides, with small carpet-like grassy plants at front, with cream/white rocks and some 'Mopani Wood' features. (Mopani wood looks better than Bogwood but usually costs a bit more)



*Mate lives about 5mins from centre, past a cool bar which you can sign your name on the tables. (Forgot the name but it's got a good dukebox and has live bands on >Not too far from 'Stereo Bar' where F.Ferdinand started out)

Anyway, Be good to see your final choices.


Oh, forgot nearly, the Barbs would nip a Betta's fins (+ maybe the Angels also)

 

[bloatedguppy]

I would consider getting a school of pearl gouramis if you really want color! there not small but there not huge they only get 4inchs, also there quite peacful I have 2 males and 1 female which I know you should'nt do but they gey along in my 30 gal great. As in color there probably the most colorful gourami species and from my experiance the best.