# help with fish desicions



## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

right i've done loads of research and i'm ready to start looking into what fish i can have...

i only have the room for a 90ish litre tank and am looking at the 550 ufo's or the ar620's both aqua ones

now i only want freshwater tropical 

i definately want a plec, a few shrimp and some communal fish

i'm just looking for advice on breeds and how many fish the tank would take

(i would like brightly coloured species)


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

well for a plec in a 90l you would be looking at bristlenose really, they stay smaller maxing at around 5inches. only 1 as they will be a high bioload, they are little poop machines. it will need a piece of driftwood in the tank at all times as they need it in their diet, and will need fresh veggies to feed on at least twice per week. i feed mine a slice of courgette weighed down in the bottom of the tank over night 2-3 times per week.

shrimp im not sure about as ive never kept them. i know a lot of fish will snack on them.

for the community fish, if you want brightly coloured ones which are nice and active all over the tank you could look at platys (come in so many colours and wont outgrow your tank), guppies, harlequin rasbora, neon/cardinal tetra. cant think of any more right now.


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

thanks for the advice...

on the mixture you gave me how many of each could i house in a tank of that size


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## clairethorn (May 2, 2008)

Never underestimate odessa barbs and black ruby barbs, they look dull in the shops but once settled in they can be very colourful! And they are cheap!
Good luck!


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

just had a quick google image of the barbs and they look good... particullarly the black ruby's... are they ok in a communal tank how big do they grow

and i'm liking the guppies, platy's and harlequin rasbora...

so saying 1 bristlenose plec, 2/3 guppies, 3/4 black ruby barbs/odessa, 1/2 platy's, 1/2/3 harlequin rasbora and some red cherry shrimp say 4/5

would this be do-able in that size tank


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## bigpig (Dec 8, 2009)

The shrimp will not really add to the Bio load so you can have a decent sized group of them. I recommend at least half a dozen Cherry shrimp, and depending on your water, and the other inhabitants, they should breed and you will have loads by this time next year.
As for fish, again depending on the hardness of your water, definetly one Bristlenose, fantastic little creatures.
Rather than two or three shoaling species, I would recommend getting one larger shoal of the same fish. They will look better, and exhibit more natural behaviour in a larger shoal.
Practical fish keeping website used to have a stocking densetity caluclator.
If not there, just google tropical aquarium stocking densetity caluclator and hopefully something will come up.


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

great advice thank you very much...

so would the black ruby barbs be ok in a shoal with the shrimp and the plec or would i be better off with the guppies...?

i like the both of these


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## clairethorn (May 2, 2008)

black ruby barbs are fine in community tank and grow to around an inch long. I have 8 in my community tank along with 8 odessa barbs, black finned shark, pakistani loach, couple rainbow fish, various assorted corys, bristlenose plec, one lone one-eyed moonlight gourami, pair dwarf gouramis, 4 clown loach and a few danios. That's just my personal choice tho. If i could start from scratch i would have the same, but also replace my beloved reed fish who died a few months back (can't find another one!).


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

sounds like a nice tank...

how many would you recomend along with another schoal of some sort with the plec and the shrimp..?


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

any barbs need to be in groups, preferably 6+ as they can be nippy towards other fish if not kept entertained with their own kind.

if you do go barbs id avoid the guppies as they may well get snacked on with their long flowey tails, not worth the risk.

i would go for 
1 bristlenose plec (remember the driftwood is an essential to keep them healthy,you only need a small piece if you arent keen on the look of it)
6 ruby barbs
8 harlequin rasbora
then some shrimp if you want them

this would push your stocking to max in my opinion, and you will need a good filter on there and will have to keep up with your weekly partial water changes but i feel it would be a lovely looking tank. you will need some live plants too with the shrimp as far as im aware, the plants will also keep your water in better condition between water changes.


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

I wouldnt trust them barbs with shrimp.


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

oops read that wrong sorry.
You can get shrimp in there, just make sure you provide plenty of hiding places and make sure moss is always available so they can snack on when they please.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

German Blue Rams all the way!!! 90liters is around 20-30 US gallons if Im not mistaken, which will be more than adequate for a pair if not 2 pairs of any type of ram or Dwarf Cichlids. They are also a non-aggressive community fish and can be kept w/ other dithers such as Gouramis, Angelfish, Barbs, catfish, etc.

Why do I reccomend these over all other options? Cichlids are highly intelligent, family oriented, group-organized, dazzling-animality (personality), , long-lived, prolific breeding, , extraordinarily colored, and amazingly great parents. Sound interesting? I think so.

Victor Creed <------current owner/breeder of over 20 different Cichlid species and over 200 individual fish.


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

well i've had a good load of advice, from you lot and the shops

i've decided to go with a leopard plec, a red fin black shark and a group of barbs and a group of i think there zebra danio 

how's this sound


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

i have a new idea  sorry for the mind change but i've had loads of info from the shop and am more clear on what i want from my tank...

so here we go...

1 common plec, 1 red fin black shark, 6 black ruby barbs and 2 kribensis cichlid's

how does that sound..? any and all advice greatly appreciated


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

Common pleco is a no no as these need very big tanks due to their adult size which can reach upto 2ft and the black shark will be too big to i think and them barbs wont be able to fend off the shark as he will be much bigger and sharks are territorial so would need a bigger tank or he could claim your whole tank as its territory.


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

the sharks only grow to 4" and like to scavenge on thier own 

so stick with the leopard plec then...


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

They grow to 6inch and yes they are solo fish and are naturally very aggressive and will beat your barbs up in a smaller tank as they are terriorial.


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

thats srange then the bloke in the shop recomending 1 for what i wanted :/ plus they had 1 in an established tank with loads of barbs an tetras


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

They can be kept with other fish but tank must be large enough, 50gal is recommended as minimum.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

i have a red tailed black shark in my community tank with tetras etc, he is very territorial and he is getting towards 6" now. ive had him since about 1/2" long, they need larger tanks than you have, mine is in a 4ftx2ft tank and i wouldnt go smaller than that for one.

the common pleco is an obvious no no given they reach around 2ft long. 

good rule of thumb...dont listen to the sales people in the shops, they are there to do 1 thing...sell fish and make money. very few actually know what they are talking about,even if they do tell you they have one, know someone who has one, has had one in the past etc. do your own research, check at least 3 different sources for each fish you are researching to ensure you have accurate information :2thumb:


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

Ok no problem I'll leave the shark... I was just going on what I've been told and researched myself

So either a bristlenose or leopard then the black ruby barbs and the 2 cichlids


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

are you talking about a leopard sailfin pleco? they are going to grow way too large for your tank, easily hitting a foot long. you will need to stick with bristlenose or bulldog plecos really, both will be fine in your tank. remember they will need real driftwood in there at all times and will need feeding, if left to eat algae they will slowly starve to death. bristlenose are my favourites, they come in a variety of colours from brown, to albino and calico. there are also long fin varieties but the barbs will likely snack on them.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

Ash1988 said:


> They grow to 6inch and yes they are solo fish and are naturally very aggressive and will beat your barbs up in a smaller tank as they are terriorial.



I very much disagree w/ this statement. Redtail Sharks CAN grow big, but they are not aggressive, plus they have very small mouths and i don't think they even have any TEETH to boot. I have a Rainbow Shark which is very closely related and I keep it in a 55 gallon NURSERY tank w/ about 100 baby Royal Gold Saum/"Green Terrors", 40 Jaguar Cichlids, an Ottocinctus and 3 Corydoras catfish. The Shark is the shyest and most timid in the entire tank and spends most of his time hiding behind the heater.

Either way, the pair of Kribensis will keep everything else in check, especially if they breed.....and that goes for ALL Cichlids in breeding pairs.


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

Victor Creed said:


> I very much disagree w/ this statement. Redtail Sharks CAN grow big, but they are not aggressive.


I agree with what the others have said re redtail sharks... either way I'd avoid them!

I would go for cardinals, the bristlenose and a pair of dwarf cichlids... I have a real soft spot for rams but getting quality stick can be tricky.

Good on you for researching!

Oh check out ebay for used tanks... much cheaper than buying new and there's always plenty of nearly new tanks to choose from... which leaves more money for decor/fish


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## clairethorn (May 2, 2008)

I have had no probs with my red finned shark but he does swim about and show the rest who is boss at times, no probs with nipping from him or the barbs tho. I'd go with a bristlenose plec rather than the common...too big!
Your last suggestion sounds good to me!


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

clairethorn said:


> I have had no probs with my red finned shark but he does swim about and show the rest who is boss at times, no probs with nipping from him or the barbs tho. I'd go with a bristlenose plec rather than the common...too big!
> Your last suggestion sounds good to me!


Thank you that's what I'll be doing... I'm going to firstly put the plec in with the barbs for a week, then add the cichlids and then after another week add the shark...

Would this be ok in that order..?


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

bush basher said:


> Thank you that's what I'll be doing... I'm going to firstly put the plec in with the barbs for a week, then add the cichlids and then after another week add the shark...
> 
> Would this be ok in that order..?


That might be rushing things in terms of stocking... Once the water params are good and stable, I'd add 3 or 4 barbs one week, keep an eye on the params and then if all stays well add another 3 or 4 the next week. Keeping an eye on the water params still I'd add the bristlenose, leave adding anymore fish for a week or two and see how the water params look.

This gives you time to be certain of your choice in cichlids, and means the bioload won't be put under too much pressure at any one time.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

bush basher said:


> Thank you that's what I'll be doing... I'm going to firstly put the plec in with the barbs for a week, then add the cichlids and then after another week add the shark...
> 
> Would this be ok in that order..?


thought you dropped the shark idea? they need at least a 4ft tank, what dimensions is this tank of yours? i dont get why people want to cram bigger fish into smaller tanks, especially when they need territory such as these guys.


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## bush basher (Jul 1, 2008)

it's the aquaone 620 

oh right, i have been having conflicting thoughts on the shark and i have been assured by the people in the shop that it would be fine with the other fish as long as its established with them first...

i will wait longer between adding the fish... and i am certain on choice of cichlid... 

thinking of the king tiger plec now tho as there the only ones compatible with cichlids


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

A lot of fish shops give out false advice just so they can earn money, they couldnt care about you or the fish they are selling you.

That aqua 620 is too small, its only 24.5inch long.
Dwarf cichlids are peaceful.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

simply put, your tank isnt large enough for the shark to be comfortable, they are fast swimming energetic territorial fish. mine is really very sedate for his species, but he still occassionally chases one of the loaches or tetras round the tank, and he hates the pleco probably due to them inhabiting the same areas. all these fish have been together since very small juvenile fish. they cant really do any damage IMO as they arent built to attack, but their chasing etc may well stress your other fish to the point of becoming ill. although i love my shark, and seeing him grow from the tiny baby to the big fish he is now, i wouldnt buy another one, hes not often out, and when he is hes a stroppy little sod :lol2:


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

Ash1988 said:


> A lot of fish shops give out false advice just so they can earn money, they couldnt care about you or the fish they are selling you.
> 
> That aqua 620 is too small, its only 24.5inch long. Also bad idea about the king tiger pleco as this can grow to half the size of your tank, you will need a pleco that stays smaller than 6inch.
> Dwarf cichlids are peaceful until they breed so you can get a pleco but it has to be smaller than 6inch, you will need something like a bristlenose or bulldog pleco.


king tiger plecos only reach like 5" dont they? i think they need a meaty and veggie diet though so not as easy to keep as say bristlenose but im sure they dont grow that large. i dont know though, im not pleco expert.


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> king tiger plecos only reach like 5" dont they? i think they need a meaty and veggie diet though so not as easy to keep as say bristlenose but im sure they dont grow that large. i dont know though, im not pleco expert.


My mistake i got mixed up with a different plec.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

How big is the OP's tank in U.S. gallons? can someone help me understand that, then perhaps suiting fish to tanks would be easier, cuz I just make guesstimates which I think are close, but I could be a whole 10-20 gallons off.


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## goldie1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

it is 90L, so approx 24 us gallons or a little less i think.


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## Victor Creed (Aug 25, 2010)

goldie1212 said:


> it is 90L, so approx 24 us gallons or a little less i think.


Ok cool, so I was right on target when I guessed 20-30 gallons  thnx


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