What Should I Do?!

[LoachLover!]

I currently have a planted community tank (200 litres) but things have now changed....

I am now not wanting to keep it as it is. The planted aspect of it is not how I want it, and I am unable to get the results that I want. I do not have a high tech tank, and therefore I cannot do what I want to do with it plant wise.

The fish are (despite apparently being compatible) occasionally being nasty. My youngish zebra loaches have killed 5 rummies and then eaten the eyes out of another 2. 

I am just not finding it fun anymore. However, I have spent so much time, money and effort on this and I am unwilling to just let it go. I need something lower maintenance but still interesting. I am after fish with a bit more personality.

I have thought about 2 or 3 fancy goldfish, but I dunno how interesting they'd be. 

What are some suggestions for stocking a 200L, are fancy goldfish are good idea or not? Any other ideas? Maybe a small breeding project that can be done in one tank?

(I don't want anything involving live plants!!)

 

[wrightt3]

I've never kept goldfish before so I can't comment on how interesting they would be but personally, I think cichlids are your best bet if your looking for personality. Depending on dimensions (you need 4ft at least) you could possibly have a pair of jack dempseys or a similarly sized cichlid or you could look into smaller cichlids such as salvinis if the tank isn't big enough.
 
As for decorating, type in central American biotope for some ideas.

 

[MBOU]

Goldfish are a lot of work to keep clean and even one on its own will, down the years... out grow 200L, let alone 2-3 of them...
 
How about creating a purely hardscape tank? I have one that is gravel passed with rocks and some lovely twisty wood spiralling up and I have a few bits of vallis scattered about, mainly because I couldn't reach to get the stuff out!! But now its the only plant... its doing really well....
 
Gone with a really simple tiger barb tank. 10 gold, 10 green, 10 normal tiger barbs, 2 goldring sewellia loaches and 5 cories. All very simple and looked a little boring at first when tigers were tiny but now they are bulking out, they look pretty good and swim round with their own colours! Rummy nose, harlequins and glowlight danios and glowlight tetras also look really good in these tanks. As do big shoals of microrasbora.
 
The trick (in my opinion) with hardscape tanks is having less species and having one main shoal with a few odds and ends... maybe a catfish or two or a pair of cichlids etc
 
http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1411&bih=814&q=hardscape+fish+tank&oq=hardscape+fish+tank&gs_l=img.3..0i24.1317.5506.0.5771.19.13.0.6.6.1.339.1629.6j6j0j1.13.0....0...1ac.1.23.img..4.15.912.sCJ4jzIUXcE

 

[ech0o]

Yea a schooling fish with different variations, so that you have several types of fish, although they recognize each other in a school.  This would be the most low maintenance method, as well as a school of bottom feeders such as cory cats or dwarf loaches.   The tiger barbs were an excellent idea, you can get several variations to change up the appearance, and they don't generally kill other fish.  They also don't generally get messed with by many other species, we have a school of 9 in an aggressive cichlid tank and they for sure have no issues with any fish in the tank.

 

[SamB]

I have a tiger barb tank that's really fun. It's a 29 gallon, 13 tiger barbs and hardscape (soon to have one albino bnp in it.)  They are incredible to watch! They school a ton, very curious, and definitely not shy (even though they were when I first got them).
 

 

[LoachLover!]

Tiger barbs look nice actually in a big group For some reason, as nice as they look, they have never appealed to me (I don't know why cos your group looks nice !)
 
I was looking at doing something like this hardscape: http/www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=8&p=0&a=0&at=0 and maybe doing a big shoal of rummies and then some nice cories on the bottom (plus my bristlenose pair)...
 
What do you think?

 

[Ninjouzata]

That looks beautiful! I hope you are successful in this. Looking forward to pics

I love love love my rummies & corys!

 

[coolie]

SamB, do you feed your Barbs Salad?

 

[Ruskull]

Tiger barbs look nice actually in a big group

For some reason, as nice as they look, they have never appealed to me (I don't know why cos your group looks nice !)
 
I was looking at doing something like this hardscape: http/www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=8&p=0&a=0&at=0 and maybe doing a big shoal of rummies and then some nice cories on the bottom (plus my bristlenose pair)...
 
What do you think?

 
That tank looks great, notice how they stuck with a lot of a single schooling fish?  That's part of what makes it's so appealing.  Not that you couldn't have a centerpiece fish, or a pair of something, but keep it simple.
 
They also have a single, striking looking piece of wood rather than a few unmatched pieces like many other tanks.  All the rocks are gathered nicely too.

 

[SamB]

Tiger barbs look nice actually in a big group

For some reason, as nice as they look, they have never appealed to me (I don't know why cos your group looks nice !)
 
I was looking at doing something like this hardscape: http/www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=8&p=0&a=0&at=0 and maybe doing a big shoal of rummies and then some nice cories on the bottom (plus my bristlenose pair)...
 
What do you think?

 
I love them in a big group, they definitely stick together even when theres a ton of empy space on the other side of the tank. it's cute. right now mine are small and i can't wait for them to grow! They're really going to fill the tank nicely.
 
Thats an awesome design. I love it topless with the wood peeking out. Personal preference is against that white substrate, especially with the albino bnp in there..
 

SamB, do you feed your Barbs Salad?

 
I'm not sure what that is? Like, literal salad?

 

[coolie]

 
I'm not sure what that is? Like, literal salad?

 
Yes, start with nice green lettuce leaves. Both your Barbs and you will miss out on so much if you don't.

 

[haleem8777]

you can feed fish salad i thought it was just cucumber and other vegetables similar

 

[snazy]

Tiger barbs look nice actually in a big group

For some reason, as nice as they look, they have never appealed to me (I don't know why cos your group looks nice !)
 
I was looking at doing something like this hardscape: http/www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=8&p=0&a=0&at=0 and maybe doing a big shoal of rummies and then some nice cories on the bottom (plus my bristlenose pair)...
 
What do you think?

 
Looks good on the picture, but it has no cover whatsoever for fish. Useless stones are taking up half the bottom that would be beneficial to the corys instead. Also I could only imagine debris gathering between these stones.  The lights look too bright too, like algae magnets.  This type of tank seems to have been setup just for show, not for keepers. But with some tweaking it may work.
 
If you don't want a planted tank, then a black water tank is interesting if you can source some dry oak leaves or almond leaves and combine with some driftwood and caves.
 
Alternatively, if you still like plants, a soil tank type Walstad method requires little input once it gets going and grows healthy plants without the expenses or effort high tech tanks require. 

 

[SamB]

you can feed fish salad i thought it was just cucumber and other vegetables similar

 

 

 
I'm not sure what that is? Like, literal salad?

 
Yes, start with nice green lettuce leaves. Both your Barbs and you will miss out on so much if you don't.
 

 
 
Awesome! I will get a clip and start them munching