Tank ideas

[Ryuko]

I currently have a 72 gallon bowfront aquarium that I want to stock, but I'm not sure what to put in it. I was hoping to do a large school of neon tetras or another small fish, but my sister is hellbent on getting two angelfish to put in it. This ruins my plans for a large school of small fish since the angels will just eat them I'm not tho familiar with medium to large fish since I've been working with smaller 10 gallon tanks. I had been hoping to start a colony of cherry shrimp but those will just end up as fish food for the angels. Anyway I'm just looking for suggestions for this community tank. This will be a planted tank.
Thanks,

 

[Byron]

We need to know your source water parameters before we can recommend fish. This refers to the hardness (GH, meaning general or total hardness) and pH, but also the KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity) is worth knowing. If you do not know these values, see if they are listed in the data on your water authority's website, or you can call them. If you find the numbers, also give us the unit of measurement as there are several.

Aside from the above, a "pair" of angelfish is not a good idea unless they are a bonded male/female pair (and they must select their respective mate from the group) and you want to breed them. Angelfish are shoaling, living in small groups, and this is important. A group of five minimum, if this tank is at least 4 feet in length. They are territorial, and will develop an hierarchy within the group. However, tankmates have to be carefully chosen with angelfish as you mentioned. Angelfish might not be the best option here.

We can consider various suitable fish once we know the water parameters. And the dimensions of the tank might be useful too.

Welcome to TFF.

 

[Ryuko]

Straight from my two the water has
PH ~7.7
GH 10°
KH 7°
The tank is 48-3/8"L x 18"W x 23"H

I don't particularly want tho have angel fish, but my sister is being stubbon since I will not allow her to put in some goldfish, since I want it to be a planted tank.

 

[Byron]

Straight from my two the water has
PH ~7.7
GH 10°
KH 7°
The tank is 48-3/8"L x 18"W x 23"H

I don't particularly want tho have angel fish, but my sister is being stubbon since I will not allow her to put in some goldfish, since I want it to be a planted tank.

You could do a group of five angelfish if it comes down to that. But keep in mind, there must be five, not two or three or even four. Second, in a group of five there will likely be both genders, and that means a pair could bond; spawning angelfish can be very nasty, and that would mean removing either the spawning pair, or the other three. Dead fish would be the result if not. even if a bond doesn't occur, male and female may still spawn but this can be worse still.

This hobby is unique in that we are keeping living creatures and each species has "expectations" as to its environment, meaning area, aquascape, other species, numbers for shoaling species, water parameters, light, water current, etc. These expectations are programmed into the species DNA. If we ignore them, we are being cruel and inhumane. There is no alternative to proper care of fish. Get this across.