What Fish Should I Add To My Community Tank?

[mrlewis1978]

Hi guys

I have my first tropical tank, it has been running for about a month now. The tank is 48 inches X 18 inches X 12 inches (I think it is 200 litres). I have 3 large pieces of planted bogwood in the tank and the following fish: 6 clown loaches, a pearl gourami pair, a dwarf gourami pair, and a 6 inch common pleco. At the moment all of the fish get along really well. All the water tests are fine as I cycled the filter for a few weeks before I got my first fish. I am looking to add a few more fish to the aquarium. I am more interested in less larger fish than many smaller. Can you guys help me out as to what are nice/suitable addidtions to my tank?

Cheers

 

[ZoddyZod]

well firstly the clown loaches will need a larger tank EVENTUALLY. They do grow to a foot long but it takes them several years.

The common plec grows much faster and up to two foot in length......so that will need a new, larger home.

The dwarf gourami 'pair'. Is that a male and a female or two males? Either way you will probably end up with aggression issues. 2 males will fight, to the detah, 1 male 1 female and the male will harrass the female, also likely leading to death. If you've got a female, then add another (or two) to spread the attention of the male.

A nice sizeable shoal of tetra or rasborra would work. 20 of any of the following as an idea

neon tetra
rummynose tetra
harlequin rasborra

 

[mrlewis1978]

Thank you.

Both of the gourami pairs are male/female. I will add a few female pearl gouramis. Do you think I need to do the same for the dwarf?

I know the plec and the loaches will grow, I have plenty of space to upgrade my tank as needed.

The rummynose are great looking fish - just looked them up.

 

[Tizer]

love my rummynose & harlequins

deffinately consider some more loaches and a bigger tank, the sooner the better, its hard to spot stunting.

how did you cycle the filter out of interest? Your description didnt look very...detailed. have you tested the water since cycling etc? just making sure

 

[mrlewis1978]

I was given the tank by my brother in law who had used it until the same day with his fish but he got a bigger tank so I had an established filter. I kept the tank running with the plec in (which he gave to me)for 2 weeks before adding the fish. In these 2 weeks I added stuff which I bought from the local fish shop (Sorry I dont remember what its called) to improve the filter. I bought the fish in 2 batches. Half one week, half the next week. All levels in the water are really low every week. What is stunting? Sorry im a neewbie.

 

[ZoddyZod]

the plec will grow FAST, just so you know.

It's the dwarf gourami that I'm worried about.....not sure on the temprement/behaviour of the other gourmai species you have.

 

[the_lock_man]

All levels in the water are really low every week. What is stunting? Sorry im a neewbie.

When you say "really low", you should be saying zero (we're talking ammonia and nitrite here), because anything higher than zero is high.

Stunting is where a fish is in an aquarium which is too small for it. The external body stops growing, however the internal organs do not. Not what you call pleasant for the fish.

 

[Tizer]

What lock said, he knows all about stunting. Hes 4 foot tall and 18 stone, poor little fella, was locked under the stairs through his teen years

Same deal for the fish.