Need Some Ideas/help

[coldcazzie]

Tank: Juwel Rio 240.

Current inhabitants:
2 angelfish (approx 3-3.5inches body length each)
2 spotted hoplos (1 is 6inches total length, the other is 4.5inches total length)
3 red tailed sand loaches

I also have 3 bolivian rams in quarantine at the moment, which I hope to put in in about 3 weeks. Am also hoping to get 3 or 4 pearl gouramis when I can find some.

I started out with 6 loaches, but keep finding bodies, and I suspect that the angelfish, having spent their entire lives in tanks with fish the same size or larger than themselves (ie discus, other angels, hoplos etc) are just too tempted by small fish that look like they might be dinner. The pair of them couldn't care less about the hoplos, but were very interested in the loaches when they first went in and whenever the tank light goes off they go into stalk mode...

I would like more fish in there, but the majority of fish are small and I just don't want to risk it. I'm even thinking about putting off putting the rams in until they are grown bigger...

Any ideas?

 

[ellena]

What about trying to find large specimens of some of the bigger tetras? Like serpae or columbian? Or a shoal of congo? How big are the sand loaches?

 

[coldcazzie]

About 2 inches.

 

[Honeythorn]

Black widow tetras or giant danios perhaps?

 

[coldcazzie]

Where are rainbow fish in the species index - I can't find em anywhere. The issue will be finding bigger specimins - mostly lfs only sell em when they still little. However, QSS do have a display tank with rainbows and scissortails etc in, so I might be able to persuade them to part with some of them...

Having thought about the whole thing I'm starting to wonder if I should fish the rest of the loaches out and put them in my QT with the 3 rams. It seriously defies the point of having the rams in quarantine, but it would certainly remove them from the radar of angels with stalk mode engaged!

I just don't know what to do?! don't want to lose any more fish, and don;t want to risk putting more small fish in the big tank - they are very expensive snacks!?

 

[coldcazzie]

Ok, I now have 1 loach, having fished 2 bodies out just after dinner

The last remaining loach has gone in my QT in an effort to save its life, and I guess I'm not putting small fish in my tank ever again...

So now my stocking/plan is...

2 angels
2 hoplos
3-4 pearl gouramis (assuming I can find larger ones rather than dinky ones)

??

rainbowfish? scissortails? maybe a pair of BNs, seens as they were part of what I originally wanted...?

*sigh*

 

[drobbyb]

Where are rainbow fish in the species index - I can't find em anywhere.

For rainbow info try here.

 

[Wills]

Aww thats unlucky sounds like the angels are in bad habbits now. I would stick to medium sized fish like think of a fish and then think of the next size up for example your hoplos are a bit like big cories. So for your mid water how about things like columbian tetras or buenos aires tetras these are some of the dither fish that people use for aggressive SA and CA cichlids.

With the lace gourami I would be cautious as these are very placid and not sure if they would match upto aggressive angels. I think if it were me I would start looking for SA cichlids that are suitable to mix with aggressive angels but not so mean that the angels would get battered. Have you looked at festivum cichlids? They are similar to angels and could be what they need to calm them down.

Wills

 

[coldcazzie]

Or blue acaras maybe...?

I guess with the gouramis it might almost be better to go for some more stroppy ones like golds/blues as they are more likely to have attitude, but I get the feeling that the angels would be fine with fish the same size as them, it';s only when they are smaller than them that they start trying to eat them.

That's the problem with tetras like the buenos aires tetras - yes they get big, but they start small, and I'm not sure if they would last long enough to actually get to their full size!

 

[Wills]

Or blue acaras maybe...?

That's the problem with tetras like the buenos aires tetras - yes they get big, but they start small, and I'm not sure if they would last long enough to actually get to their full size!

I think a blue acara would work but double check Ive never had them in the past. I was thinking if you can find adult ones or try and get some xl ordered in? Congos could work they are nice and chunky to start off.

 

[Davo86]

a Blue acara should be fine,

I would be looking at red/boesmani rainbows, Larger Swordtails, a single Kissing Gourami, yellow/blue Congo tetras, polypterus, Panchax etc..

I wouldn't risk keeping Buenos Airies tetras or Giant Danios or similar with the Angels as they can sometimes nip the angels fins to shreds,
(something i found with mine when i tried keeping them together)

 

[coldcazzie]

Would a single acara be better or a pair? I do quite like them... there are also kissing gouramis in the lfs so that's certainly an option, they also have congo tetras in, but will have to check on the size...

Would like to put my next lot of fish in on thurs when I rescape (am hoping that taking the angels out to rescape will help), so something that is actually in the shop would be good!

 

[Davo86]

no, last thing you want is the acaras breeding, the tank is not big enough for a pair with other tankmates and aggression may be a problem for the angels,
A single specimen will be much more compatible with the other fish listed and will show much more personality and character when kept on its own.

 

[coldcazzie]

Right, so my options could be, with the current inhabitants of 2 angels and 2 hoplos:

1 acara
1 kissing gourami (would that get too big for my tank?)
some congo tetras (maybe 8?)
some rainbows

obviously not all of those...

are Panchax killifish? Sorry, I know I should research, but bogged down in revision until Weds afternoon...

 

[Davo86]

I would say that a single Kissing Gourami in this type of setup would be fine, IME although they are capable of getting bigger, they usually get to 6-8"

Yes Panchax are a predatory killifish (These look great with Angels IMO) the ones you want are often called Golden Wonders