Upscale Little Tank To Larger Tank, Or Larger Tank Mean Larger Species

[super-MAGuire]

I have been given free rigne over a 7 or 8 it may even be 9ft long tank about 18" tall and 18" wide. I am tempted to stock it with larger species... However this tank is on display and wouldnt want massive fish fighting all the time and eating smaller species.

My idea is to keep it simple and get
15 of so zebra danios (top sorted)a mix of tetras, probs neon and rummy noses,
2 or 3 male dwarf gouramis
6 or so female gouramis
10 (20) of couple of tetrea species, probs rummy nosed and neon as they are quite different looking
10 variatus platy
10 bronze or peppered corys
6 bristle nosed plecs

This would be my small tank set up scaled up... i was wondering if people would suggest stocking larger species? any stocking lists/hint would help

i was thinking malawi cichlids, but the set up isnt right and wont beable to change it that drastic.

 

[super-MAGuire]

I have been given free rigne over a 7 or 8 it may even be 9ft long tank about 124" tall and 24" wide. I am tempted to stock it with larger species... However this tank is on display and wouldnt want massive fish fighting all the time and eating smaller species.

My idea is to keep it simple and get
15 of so zebra danios (top sorted)a mix of tetras, probs neon and rummy noses,
2 or 3 male dwarf gouramis
6 or so female gouramis
10 (20) of couple of tetrea species, probs rummy nosed and neon as they are quite different looking
10 variatus platy
10 bronze or peppered corys
6 bristle nosed plecs

This would be my small tank set up scaled up... i was wondering if people would suggest stocking larger species? any stocking lists/hint would help

i was thinking malawi cichlids, but the set up isnt right and wont beable to change it that drastic.

 

[Llegmore]

Personally, I think a huge tank like that will be wasted on the little fish. They'll find loads of places to hide and you'll never see them (especially if you're planning on planting and decorating heavily). You could have discus fish. They aren't aggressive. I'm sure there are plenty of other big fish which aren't aggressive either. Sorry ... mind blank right now but I'll have a think and get back to you.

Also, you could get a larger species of gourami such as pearls instead of the dwarves.

 

[super-MAGuire]

Personally, I think a huge tank like that will be wasted on the little fish. They'll find loads of places to hide and you'll never see them (especially if you're planning on planting and decorating heavily). You could have discus fish. They aren't aggressive. I'm sure there are plenty of other big fish which aren't aggressive either. Sorry ... mind blank right now but I'll have a think and get back to you.

Also, you could get a larger species of gourami such as pearls instead of the dwarves.

I was thinking angels or discus, but as not sure on water parameters and compatibility with smaller fish, i was thinking of larger species of gourami, but i dont think they look as nice as the dwarfs.

I was thinking the exact same, with it being a waste on alot of smaller fish, but thought it would be a safe bet and easy to maintain... although i would love larger species. The tank previously had a mixed community but ended up with a couple of silver shark that had beaten everything to death or ate them... so their off the list.

 

[Flute]

A South American community would look incredible in a tank that size! You could go for a group of angels as a centre piece, then maybe a couple of species of medium or dwarf cichlids- keyholes, krobia xingu, laetracara species etc. any cichlid that are relatively peaceful, maybe some apistogramma groups for colour, and large shoals of tetra- flame tetra, rummynose, lemon, cardinals, etc. A couple of fancy plecs and a big shoal of corys for movement, IMO it would look amazing!

Lots of bogwood, anubias, java fern and almond leaves.

Lol, I think I just described my dream tank XD

 

[DrRob]

For a simple display tank a large shoal of small fish such as tetras can look spectacular, plus, given enough hiding places and a large shoal you'll actually see a lot more of them than you would in a smaller tank with less cover, with more natural behaviour.

I'm guessing, if it's not your display tank, which is why you can't mess around too much with it, that you're limited on how much you can change around the set up and the water parameters. What are we working with, as a stock tailored to the conditions will be far less trouble than a compromise.

 

[super-MAGuire]

For a simple display tank a large shoal of small fish such as tetras can look spectacular, plus, given enough hiding places and a large shoal you'll actually see a lot more of them than you would in a smaller tank with less cover, with more natural behaviour.

I'm guessing, if it's not your display tank, which is why you can't mess around too much with it, that you're limited on how much you can change around the set up and the water parameters. What are we working with, as a stock tailored to the conditions will be far less trouble than a compromise.

I dont know yet, as i have not been able to test them. But obviously i can set the temperature to whatever i want... and the place is not too far away from my house, water may be similar? so its very slightly acidic 6.8 or something, pretty soft (cant remember the figure) their is a little bit nitrates in the water from the tap, but i want to plant it out pretty well. Substate is regular gravel, plenty of bogwood in their already. I was condsidering 6 angels or so maybes a couple of rams on the bottom. I have not got much experience with these though.

Would the gourami be out the question with angels present?

 

[DrRob]

Gourami's and cichlids can be fine. I've had some problems with the combo in both directions though. Pearls are generally more placid than the 3 spots and their various colour sports. The dwarves should be fine.

 

[super-MAGuire]

Gourami's and cichlids can be fine. I've had some problems with the combo in both directions though. Pearls are generally more placid than the 3 spots and their various colour sports. The dwarves should be fine.

I think the stocking may go as the top of the page +6 angels... loads of length for them to spead over so should be no fighting...

 

[Davo86]

I'd be tempted to go with an Asian cyprinid tank, tiger, rosy, clown and arulius barbs will all get to a nice size in a tank that big and will keep the tank nice and active, plus you could mix in a group of clown loach, a single red fin shark and maybe a shoal of giant danios for the upper level to ensure there is always plenty to see

 

[super-MAGuire]

I'd be tempted to go with an Asian cyprinid tank, tiger, rosy, clown and arulius barbs will all get to a nice size in a tank that big and will keep the tank nice and active, plus you could mix in a group of clown loach, a single red fin shark and maybe a shoal of giant danios for the upper level to ensure there is always plenty to see

From what i remember i think that was what they had in orignially... and i remember seeing just one silver shark getting bigger and bigger much faster than all the others... this was the final fish left... other than i one very shy albion red fin shark i think it is... it is hard to tell. I will have a brows through the cyprinid section see if anything takes a fancy...

 

[cambojnr]

I'd be tempted to go with an Asian cyprinid tank, tiger, rosy, clown and arulius barbs will all get to a nice size in a tank that big and will keep the tank nice and active, plus you could mix in a group of clown loach, a single red fin shark and maybe a shoal of giant danios for the upper level to ensure there is always plenty to see

From what i remember i think that was what they had in orignially... and i remember seeing just one silver shark getting bigger and bigger much faster than all the others... this was the final fish left... other than i one very shy albion red fin shark i think it is... it is hard to tell. I will have a brows through the cyprinid section see if anything takes a fancy...

some pics of this would be nice

 

[super-MAGuire]

I'll do a befor and after pic

Its kind of looking a little bit sorry for itself with cables and airlines running all over, fake plants floating about... waters crystal though, suprisingly.

so i have a plan of cleaning it up and stocking it up over 4-6weeks... if all goes to plan.... which it wont.

BTW, i only have 2 gourami left out of the origninal fry... they have just been dyeing randomly... another batch of fry has just hatched to wrigglers though.... so going to try keeping water lever higher and a bit warmer i think would be good

 

[cambojnr]

I'll do a befor and after pic

Its kind of looking a little bit sorry for itself with cables and airlines running all over, fake plants floating about... waters crystal though, suprisingly.

so i have a plan of cleaning it up and stocking it up over 4-6weeks... if all goes to plan.... which it wont.

BTW, i only have 2 gourami left out of the origninal fry... they have just been dyeing randomly... another batch of fry has just hatched to wrigglers though.... so going to try keeping water lever higher and a bit warmer i think would be good

sad to hear, but for the fry you should just try get a tank like 60l just for them to grow out in, you could probs get one pretty cheap somewhere then it would be easier to look after them instead of having lots of tubs and airlines all over your room. as I think I read somewhere that you could keep about 30 fry in a 15gal until they are big enough to sell on. I also now have a spare 60l tank with a stand my old marina s15 filter and a brand new heater for it that I might sell on soon, cause am not even gonna use now as plan on getting a 200l later in the year.

 

[super-MAGuire]

I'll do a befor and after pic

Its kind of looking a little bit sorry for itself with cables and airlines running all over, fake plants floating about... waters crystal though, suprisingly.

so i have a plan of cleaning it up and stocking it up over 4-6weeks... if all goes to plan.... which it wont.

BTW, i only have 2 gourami left out of the origninal fry... they have just been dyeing randomly... another batch of fry has just hatched to wrigglers though.... so going to try keeping water lever higher and a bit warmer i think would be good

sad to hear, but for the fry you should just try get a tank like 60l just for them to grow out in, you could probs get one pretty cheap somewhere then it would be easier to look after them instead of having lots of tubs and airlines all over your room. as I think I read somewhere that you could keep about 30 fry in a 15gal until they are big enough to sell on. I also now have a spare 60l tank with a stand my old marina s15 filter and a brand new heater for it that I might sell on soon, cause am not even gonna use now as plan on getting a 200l later in the year.

simply dont have the space... i have a 10gal waitin for some platy to move on... next couple of weeks they should be gone, so after they have gone i think they might go in their with a air driven pump rather than the internal filter. I was going to try breed my peacock gobys in it, and a pair of fancy guppys i want to see what young i get out of them, as i have them in with a male fighter... so they just provide him with alot over dinner lol