What Should I Put In My 37 Gallon Tank

[tropicalfish311]

I am going to get a 37 gallon tank what can i put in it. I dont really want to put anything small i kind of want some discus or maybe some angel fish what do you think?

 

[onidrase]

I am going to get a 37 gallon tank what can i put in it. I dont really want to put anything small i kind of want some discus or maybe some angel fish what do you think?

Discus need a much bigger tank than a 37 gallon. I'd say at LEAST 55.

I'd got for 1 angelfish if you do go for those, and some smaller shoaling or schooling fish that are compatible. Do some research online, as some fish can be too aggressive for angels, and angels can be too aggressive for some other fish.

With a 37 gallon, you're a bit limited on not wanting anything small. As it's a pretty small tank.

Other larger fish consist of bigger gouramis, though they can be aggressive to each other, as can angelfish, which is why I said to only get one. You can't only get 1 discus because they like company of other discus, and that's why 37 is too small.

 

[ZoddyZod]

discus - no
Angel - possibly, as long as the tank has a MINIMUM water coloumn (not tank height) of around 20" to accomodate their adult size.

there are LOTS of other options, but you seem to be interested in cichlids? If that's the case, there are many dwarf or medium sized cichlids that could live in that tank. Depends if you want a community, breeding, species only tank....etc.

give us a clue!

 

[tropicalfish311]

thanks i think ill get a angel fish and some tetras and maybe some rams

 

[tropicalfish311]

how many cichlids can i get for my 37 gallon tank

 

[onidrase]

thanks i think ill get a angel fish and some tetras and maybe some rams

Make sure your tank is fully cycled and the water condition is pristine, as angelfish are very very sensitive. I'd actually hold off on getting one until you have a fully matured aquarium, maybe till it's been running for a few months.

Some larger end tetras I can recommend you are bleeding heart tetras and red eye tetras. Get get around 3 inches in length, and they're quite hardy.

And bolivian rams are a good choice, they're very hardy and don't need high water temperatures like blue rams. I've got a couple myself, they're quite fun to watch.

how many cichlids can i get for my 37 gallon tank

Two is a good number for rams. I don't know much about other small cichlids.

If you're looking at larger cichlids, probably only 1. two is cutting it, as they'll probably fight a lot. and you won't be able to keep a majority of larger cichlids with tetras, rams or angelfish.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you are looking for more cichlids, another option might be a group of apistogrammas. Depending on the footprint of your tank, you might be able to get 1m/3f. Be absolutely certain to get only one male and watch the females carefully. Each female will need their own cave/space, while the male will patrol the entire tank. Whether you plan to spawn them or not, they will need to feel secure in their own space or else fighting will break out with the females. You might also want to break up the sight lines along the bottom so that they can't see each other from their caves.


Going for bigger cichlids in large numbers isn't really a good idea. Also, I'm not sure that you would want to mix rams with apistos either. The larger tetras would still be a good choice with these guys as well. Don't go for serpae or skirts though, as they can be nippy and aggressive.

 

[tropicalfish311]

what types of large cichlids would you recomend

 

[onidrase]

what types of large cichlids would you recomend

All that you can fit that is commonly found are firemouth cichlids and convict cichlids.

If you get a firemouth and a convict, they'll fight to the death.

And if you get a convict, it'll be hard to find anything you can put with it that won't die.

The firemouth will also be a pest when it grows old, though I've never had mine kill anything.

You can NOT keep these with angelfish, bolivian rams, or quite a bit of tetras, they'll kill them or pester them into a stressful death. The best you'll fit in would be tiger barbs, and that's about it. Depending on the aggression of your individual, you might not even be able to get those.

The only other cichlid I'm aware of that will fit is a keyhole cichlid. They're more peaceful, but they're not as easily obtained. They can live with tetras and rams and probably angelfish, but they won't be able to fit with any aggressive fish, as they're very shy and will hide rather than fight.

All in all, unless you find keyhole cichlids, I would not get a larger cichlid.

Severums, jack dempseys, green terrors, discus, oscars, mbunas, ect will not fit in your tank, so don't think about those. The biggest you can go is about 6 inches, give or take an inch.

You're really, really limited here, to be honest. If you want big fish, you need at least a 4 foot long tank. What you've got is basically a 29 gallon tank with a few inches on the top, which does not matter much to most fish, they like distance, not height.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi tropicalfish311 and welcome to TFF!

I'm going to assume you are a beginner to the hobby, since this is our beginners section, although that might be wrong, sorry!

It is so tempting to try and keep large difficult fish right from the beginning. They are often striking and can be seen from across the room. They garner verbal reactions from your friends. None of us are really in a position to tell you not to try this, and you might in fact succeed, with some hard work and luck. But it is worth a shot I think to suggest perhaps taking a longer path to your goals.

Getting experience in the hobby takes some time, even with the best of help. Getting some experience with fish that are easy will give you a gut feeling for how fish behave when they are healthy and happy. Once you have actual experience with this it is easier to take on fish, like some of the cichlids, that have some pretty quirky and challanging habits! You just have more more practice and can better separate the basic care from the special things you need to do with special fish.

A 37 would be a great tank for some shoals of tetras and perhaps a pair of angels (I'd suspect a 37 would have 17 or 18" of height - maybe I'm slightly more risky than ZZ on the height issue, but the fact that the tank is more than 30g is quite important and you've already got that.) The angels can give you a taste of of some of the personality things you can get from cichlids but without some of the more complicated territory issues.

About 3 years or so keeping a tank like this will go a long way to preparing you for a specialized cichlid tank and then in the long run you'll be getting closer to the experience you want for that big very special tank of discus.

WD

 

[tropicalfish311]

alright hows 2 angels and 6 black neon tetras and maybe like 3 guppies

 

[onidrase]

alright hows 2 angels and 6 black neon tetras and maybe like 3 guppies

The angels might eat the tetras and guppies at full size. It's not a 100% chance, people do keep neons and such with angels with success on occasion, but I'd steer clear for a just in case.

Guppies also should be kept in bigger groups than 3, 6 is my magic number with all schooling and shoaling fish.

I'd aim for fishes that grow around 3 inches in length, or are at least full bodied if they stay around 2 or lower.

My favorites are bleeding heart tetras, red eyed tetras, and black phantom tetras, though there is a large selection to choose from.

Please please please make sure you read up on fish in or fishless cycling, take your pick, though everyone is going to suggest fishless. It's much less painful and stressful for the fish, and all it requires is a little patience. Do not cycle your tank with angels if you do pick fish in, they'll die very quickly.

 

[tropicalfish311]

ok thanks for all your help guys