My Big Debate

[Spader]

i think u should return the livebearers also for something else. or maybe get more unusual livebearers. good luck!

 

[Opcn]

I say if you like your common livebearers keep them, nothing wrong with em, no reason to upgrade unless you find something you like better.

balas in a 40 g? LOL

THATS LIKE A HUMAN LIVING IN A CARDBOARD BOX

OR A PLECO IN A FISHBOWL

Or like trying to get people to believe that you are constructively adding to a forum while typing in all caps.

I would suggest you remove this whole post avirex, it does nothing but tear down.

 

[Sp3nc3r]

well this is an interesting chit chat

my opinion, go for a species tank

i've always wanted an all angelfish tank

 

[PaulEbs]

Well, the sharks are going to their new home asap, read up about stunting, and that's the last thing I want to do tot hem, plus they are already sexually mature

The Plec is going on Ebay soon, I sold a larger one to Sue last year...

I think I'm going to add a few more to the shoals, including a few more rasbora's and penguin tetra. then either introduce another Gourami, or a couple of angelfish.

Does anyone have any experience with adding new angels to the same tank as a breeding pair? Would this cause any problems?

Thanks.

 

[PaulEbs]

bump

 

[TammyLiz]

Hi Paul,
I agree adding to the shoals would be nice. Personally, I think a large shoal looks much nicer. Penguin tetras are very nice.

I have not kept angels before so can't comment on that, other than that I've heard that a breeding pair can be pretty brutal to any others in the tank.

Gouramis make it difficult to add more because they are territorial. I think I remember a thread a while back where you were trying to figure out what kind of gourami you have. You still have listed in your profile that it is a blue pearl gourami but we figured out it is actually an opaline gourami? I am pulling this off the top of my head since I'm too lazy to look back at the moment (I'm so sick right now, I'm always lazy when I'm sick). Adding more will most likely cause issues with the one you already have, since her territory has already been established--she won't be happy with intruders. However, Sylvia, a member on this forum with a lot of experience with gouramis, claims that rearranging the tank so the old gourami thinks it is a new area, and adding more than one new gourami of exactly the same size as the existing one, may be sucessful without a lot of fighting/killing between them all. In the end, it might be easier to just keep your single gourami, since she has been alone for a long while.

HTH.

 

[PlecMama]

Hey! there's Malcolm and me!

 

[sparrow6190]

you can have tetra's and angels together..... not in all cases admittedly as the tetra's are a natural food source for angels, but if they grow up together or you get the tetra's as adults and the angels as babies then they should be fine as they won't see the tetra's as a food source, if Paul's had them in the tank for a while with none getting eaten then they probably won't get eaten!

I have 2 marbel angelfish in 20 gallon with 4 neon tetras and the entire tank operates perfectly, probably the healthiest tank I have, and great for plants
I have a pair of kribs in there too, and they all get along fine and there is no fighting

 

[PaulEbs]

TammyLiz, havn't changed my profile for a while, will get on it, and thank u by the way for helping me with that. After re-reading that topic, and what you and other's said before I'm not sure now whether another gourami is fair on the current oldie. Although the decor changing is an ingenious idea, I'm going to use that when i take away the sharks and replace with shoaling fish anyway to help the new ones out a bit, so they can all restart their house searching

I don't think i would like to risk upsetting the current angels either, with the introduction of some smaller ones. Instead, I have finally decided on this plan..

Replace the bala's with..
3 more neons, 3 more rasbora's, and 3 more penguin tetra.

And replacing the common plec with a bristlenose [or smaller [any suggestions]].

So eventually, my stocking will go a little something like this:

10 neon tetra,
6 harlequinns,
5 Phantom tetra,
5 penguin tetra,
2 adult angels,
2 zebra loaches,
2 adult female guppies,
1 balloon molly,
1 bristlenose,
and the opaline gourami.


If this is overstocking the 40 UK gallon then please let me know what would be a better line up...

the penguins seem to be abolustely fine just the 2 of them, so they could always stay that way rather than bumping the shoal up to 5?

Thanks.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

good topic here about small plecs so you can get some ideas http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=132656

yes re-arranging the decor should help with agression issues, I've a couple of 'agressive' tanks and I try to add some new decor or move it whenever I add a new fish.

I think your probably a little overstocked there 'officially' but if your willing to do loads of maintenance and keep on top of it. Personally I'd reduce the number of mid range swimming fish and put a bit more ground crew in to spread it over the tank a little better, maybe swap one of the shoals for a shoal of cory's

 

[Iron Man]

I also agree rearranging the decor makes the fish think its new territory. Its a favorite tactic for many cichlid owners when they have to introduce a new fish to the tank.

 

[TammyLiz]

For a smaller pleco I would suggest the one I have in my 55 gallon tank, a rubbernose. He is adorable. They grow to a max of 4 inches. He takes care of the algae all by himself. I have caught him munching on my plants a couple of times though. Usually not too much damage, although I suspect he is the reason my crypt hasn't been happy lately--it doesn't appreciate him cleaning off the leaves. You'll probably have these issues with any small pleco, unless you get ottos. I had a couple of pitbull plecos (also very cute, stay at 2 inches, but mine mysteriously died ), and I believe they caused my hornwort to defoliate at one point. However, I have seen them in a display tank at a pet shop once, and it was fully planted and beautiful so they can't do THAT much damage. Like I said, it is an issue that is possible in a planted tank with plecs.

I do think your two penguin tetras will be fine alone if you're not set on adding more. The lower bio load will give you a tiny bit of extra cushion for any missed maintanence in case of a family emergency or whatever. I once had two penguin tetras in a community tank for a year and I can attest to their happiness. They didn't mind a bit. So I believe you when you say yours are fine.