Which Is More Peaceful?

[bloatedguppy]

Well My mom wants to start a large aquarium later this summer and where looking at tanks around 60-90 gal and where set on having a big community tank!
I'm coming up with what I could put in it as there are so many choices but let me tell you what I already know whats going in, 5 giant danios , 2 soon to be 5 clown loachs, and maybe my 3 pearl gouramis. Now I was wondering which has a better temperment rainbow sharks or redtail botias? I know there both semi-aggresive but which one is going to more sutible? I love there color but I heard the botias can be fin-nippers which isnt good if I want gouramis or angel fish, also can I put any tetras in with them such as young rummy nose? Anyway I'm trying to look at some cool fish or even eels if anybody has any thoughts but please let me know!

 

[england]

1 senagal birchir<great eel like fish>
1 hoplo catfish
2 angels
5 gaint danios
for starters

 

[Davo86]

Hey
The redtailed blue botias are one of the most aggressive botia species so wouldn't be good. ! rainbow Shark would be ok,
depending on final dimensions and volume i would go with something like the following:

5 Giant Danios
5 clown Loach
3 Pearl Gouramis
1 Rainbow Shark
2 Keyholes
2 Angels
6 Large Swordtails (2M 4F)
3 Sailfin Mollys (1M 2F)

 

[Mr._Fishy]

1 senagal birchir<great eel like fish>
1 hoplo catfish
2 angels
5 gaint danios
for starters

A senegal will eat the danios. Even the giant ones.

Ryan

 

[kniesh]

A Senegal would very rarely come accross the Danios, an if it did it could never on this planet catch one. If you did add a Senegal the smaller tetras are definately a no, no an u may well lose the clowns depending on the size as they grow a lot slower than the Senegal. I dont thin a Senegal is going to be appropriate for what u want tho, although if u dont get the smaller tetras u may be ok. A rainbow would be nice in there, why not try a school of Tiger Barbs, they would look really cool in a group of around 8 and at that amount should leave the Gouramis alone

 

[loachman]

botia modesta (the redtailed blue loaches, can also be more yellow tailed) are very aggressive so they would probably not be a good choice.

 

[Biulu]

If you want botias, why don't you add a group of botia striata? I love their stripes....

 

[bloatedguppy]

Well looks like I won't be getting the blue botias then, but I'll tell you my ideas of what I want it to be since I was a bit in a rush. I'm reall trying to stay away from larger fish, such as cichlids, I'm wanting to have a couple of schooling species of fish such as tetras and rasboras. Also I'm thinking of having ethier gouramis or angel fish cause I love my pearls and I don't want bullieing angel fish unless anyone has a good oppion about keeping the 2. I'm also wanting a verity of fish as well as bottom dwellers. I like those catfish with the long whiskers the are silver with black dots sorry I don't have the name but every pet store sells them. How would Kribs do in a large tank with med to small fish and are they pretty hardy? Also what seems to be better for a tank I'm looking at, A redtail black shark or a rainbow shark? Anyway thanks for some tips and I hope I can get some more!

 

[schooly20]

IME the rainbow shark can be a bit of a fin nipper and I dont think thats what you want in your tank. I dont know if you had thought about it or not but a pair of bolivian rams might look nice in that tank as well. I believe they would be fine with community fish.

 

[Biulu]

Personally I am not a fan of sharks, and most species seem to get agressive with age. The one with the whiskers is really nice, but I believe they need some salt in their water. I had one and he didn't last long. They told me then that it was because of the brackish water, but it might not be the same species.

I would stay with the clown loaches for the bottom, and you could add a pair of rams or kribs to it. Kribs are only notorious breeders and get agressive with other bottom dwellers (ie your loaches). Rams are normally (not always though!) a bit calmer in that respect also because they don't breed like rabbits.....

I do not have much experience with danios, but you could add a shoaling fish which is a bit larger, as normally any fish that can fit another fish in it's mouth will eat it..... There are enough tetras and rasboras though which are not too small, so you can have your pick there.

There is a nice site which details compatibility of fish, maybe you can have a look there: www.thinkfish.co.uk

Good luck

 

[bloatedguppy]

The catfish I was looking at where pictus and pearl catfish as the look awsome and don't sound aggresive. Also they don't get huge only between 6-9 inchs ,any advice?

 

[Davo86]

I think one compatibility issue you will have is the Giant danios with smaller tetras and rasboras, I also have 5 and i keep mine with fish that can easily hold their own (i.e. smaller cichlids, a RTB shark, Botias, and various catfish) Giant Danios are notorious for bullying smaller fish such as rasboras or small tetra species.

The silver catfish with black spots sounds like pim pictus, these will eat small fish in the night

Ok so these are what you have so far
5 Giant Danios
5 clown Loach
3 Pearl Gouramis

IMO possible tankmates could include

A shoal of Rainbows, Boesmani, Iranian Red or blue for example
1 pair of Kribs or Rams
1 Rainbow Shark or RTB shark
Bristlenose or Bulldog Pleco
Botia almorhae, Or striata, Or kubotai
Larger Tetras such as Blue Colombian, Black widows, Serpae or black phantom, (tetras could nip at your Gouramis though)
Large Swords or Sailfin Mollys
shoal of Scissortails
SAE's or Flying Fox

 

[fish are friends....]

I'd do something like this:

5 Giant Danios
5 clown Loach
3 Pearl Gouramis
2 Angels
5 Large Swordtails (2M 3F)
3 Sailfin Mollys (1M 2F)
6 kuhli loach
8 cardinal tetras
8 rummynose

 

[Davo86]

The catfish I was looking at where pictus and pearl catfish as the look awsome and don't sound aggresive. Also they don't get huge only between 6-9 inchs ,any advice?

did the pearl catfish look like Mystus castaneus?

Either a small group of pictus or Mystus (if thats what it is) would be ok if you didn't go for tetras or rasboras as these would sooner or later become food

 

[bloatedguppy]

Ok these are the fish I have in my 30 gal now, 2 yo-yo loachs, 2 clown loachs, 5 aussie rainbows, 3 pearl gouramis, 1 back khuli, 2 neons, 1 rummy nose, 1 blood fin tetra, 5 giant danios, 3 swordtails, and 2 otto's, I know thats alot but thats why I'm upgrading. My plan was to cycle my new big tank for 2 weeks or until my amonia is down the add the Giant danios first and the slowly add more fish like the loachs since they are more sensitive and me and my mom are arguing about if I should keep my smaller tank.