Which fish choose?
Discussion
My girlfriend has recently found a new home from her cold water fish, stuck a heater in and turned out once cold water fish tank into a tropical fish tank.
Que the need for new fish.
So the classic Tetras (5x Glow Light) were brought to start it off. The next week we brought another classic, Guppies (x3 male). There are also two Apple Snails which area actually quite interesting to watch.
So far, these fish are quite easy to keep and low maintenance in the tropical fish world. But... I want a feature fish (if not too high maintenance!), or well something a little different anyhow. The pet shop said that a Fighting Fish was out of the question due to the Guppies.
I've been thinking of a type of small catfish maybe? She's countered with Gold Zebra Loaches as they're on the smallish side where by Catfish can get huge! (Is there a classic Catfish that stays small!?)
I was also quite taken by a Red finned Shark that I saw. It looked quite a striking feature fish if you will but she's read that it won't like living with the other fish.
So what fish do you have that are quite a striking example?
Oh and the tank is a 48L jobby.
David
Que the need for new fish.
So the classic Tetras (5x Glow Light) were brought to start it off. The next week we brought another classic, Guppies (x3 male). There are also two Apple Snails which area actually quite interesting to watch.
So far, these fish are quite easy to keep and low maintenance in the tropical fish world. But... I want a feature fish (if not too high maintenance!), or well something a little different anyhow. The pet shop said that a Fighting Fish was out of the question due to the Guppies.
I've been thinking of a type of small catfish maybe? She's countered with Gold Zebra Loaches as they're on the smallish side where by Catfish can get huge! (Is there a classic Catfish that stays small!?)
I was also quite taken by a Red finned Shark that I saw. It looked quite a striking feature fish if you will but she's read that it won't like living with the other fish.
So what fish do you have that are quite a striking example?
Oh and the tank is a 48L jobby.
David
For that size of tank your options are very limited.
A honey gourami would make a lovely feature fish but needs a mature tank - when she changed from cold water to tropical did she empty the tank and clean out etc, or literally just add a heater? If it's the latter (and the tank was running for 6 months or so prior to the switchover) I'd definately go with a honey gourami. If you'd gone for a slightly bigger tank (a 65L 2x1x1ft tank can easily be had second hand for £10) I'd suggest a pair of Bolivian Ram's, but I wouldn't chance it in the tank you've got.
Any of the red tailed sharks (there a few different types) are out - all get too big, and some (like the red tailed black shark) are too aggressive. Siamese fighters (or betta's as they're often called) are also out, your fish shop was correct in that (but don't rely on them for advice - do your own research.)
Catfish come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In terms of that size tank you might (at a stretch) get away with 6 pymy corydoras - cory's are fantastic little fish that need to be kept in groups of 5/6 minimum but are full of character. They are pretty active and swim everywhere but are generally bottom dwellers. The other option is a pair of otocinclus - small algae eating catfish that spend their days attached the the glass of the tank.
If the filtration is reasonable I'd go the Gourami/pygmy cory route. If it's not great I'd go Gourami/Oto's.
As a side note (and hopefully I don't sound patronising) but do you know about cycling a tank, and do you use dechlor?
A honey gourami would make a lovely feature fish but needs a mature tank - when she changed from cold water to tropical did she empty the tank and clean out etc, or literally just add a heater? If it's the latter (and the tank was running for 6 months or so prior to the switchover) I'd definately go with a honey gourami. If you'd gone for a slightly bigger tank (a 65L 2x1x1ft tank can easily be had second hand for £10) I'd suggest a pair of Bolivian Ram's, but I wouldn't chance it in the tank you've got.
Any of the red tailed sharks (there a few different types) are out - all get too big, and some (like the red tailed black shark) are too aggressive. Siamese fighters (or betta's as they're often called) are also out, your fish shop was correct in that (but don't rely on them for advice - do your own research.)
Catfish come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In terms of that size tank you might (at a stretch) get away with 6 pymy corydoras - cory's are fantastic little fish that need to be kept in groups of 5/6 minimum but are full of character. They are pretty active and swim everywhere but are generally bottom dwellers. The other option is a pair of otocinclus - small algae eating catfish that spend their days attached the the glass of the tank.
If the filtration is reasonable I'd go the Gourami/pygmy cory route. If it's not great I'd go Gourami/Oto's.
As a side note (and hopefully I don't sound patronising) but do you know about cycling a tank, and do you use dechlor?
We have the same size tank.
Our current stock is:
3 x Male Guppies, 1 x Lampeye tetra, 2 x Male Endlers (babies) and 2x Khuli loachs. We also have a zebra snail, 1 Amano and 2 cherry shrimps for cleaning duties. The tank is busy with that lot, and the Khuli loaches only tend to come out at night.
Our current stock is:
3 x Male Guppies, 1 x Lampeye tetra, 2 x Male Endlers (babies) and 2x Khuli loachs. We also have a zebra snail, 1 Amano and 2 cherry shrimps for cleaning duties. The tank is busy with that lot, and the Khuli loaches only tend to come out at night.
Never really kept a community tank but I would maybe reccomend have a look at some corydoras catfish, they stay quite small as far as I know, they look pretty cool too. Maybe a khuli loach too if the tank is big enough!
I agree about danios maybe being too active for a small tank like this, I kept 4 in a small tank and I didnt think they had enough space for the amount they swam about the tank. But they may be ok.
I had two dwarf gourami and they both chased the tetra I had in the tank about.
A bit off topic, but what about a shrimp? If your going to being keeping small non aggressive fish a shrimp might be a great addition to the tank!
I put some malaysian trumpet snails, blue and red ramshorn snails in my 180litre tank. They do a good job of keeping the gravel clean and my fish eat them to keep them from over populating.
I agree about danios maybe being too active for a small tank like this, I kept 4 in a small tank and I didnt think they had enough space for the amount they swam about the tank. But they may be ok.
I had two dwarf gourami and they both chased the tetra I had in the tank about.
A bit off topic, but what about a shrimp? If your going to being keeping small non aggressive fish a shrimp might be a great addition to the tank!
I put some malaysian trumpet snails, blue and red ramshorn snails in my 180litre tank. They do a good job of keeping the gravel clean and my fish eat them to keep them from over populating.
Frist impressions, "Which fish choose?", bugger!
Second thoughts, thanks for the replies people. My internet has been down over the last couple of days, but it's back up now, so I'll get reading a googling recommendations and see what my thoughts are.
It's a 48L
tenohfive - She had gold fish in it for about a year or more. When we brought the tank, it came with a heater, but as it wasn't of use to us at the time, it's been sat in the draw out of the way. The previous goldfish went to become class pets (she's a teacher) The heater was added and away we go.
A Honey Gourami doesn't quite do it for me from looking at the pictures. After googling 'Gourami' without the Honey prefix though, it brings up some striking vibrate fish. Would they be an option? I have no names as Google images file names didn't have any.
The Pygmy Corydoras suggestion looks closer to the mark for me. I think I remember reading/ hearing that having a few fish that live at different levels is the tank is best. E.g. Catfish spend most of their time on the sea bed as it were while the Tetras and Guppies float around the mid drift. Is this right?
With regards to looking after the tank water. She seems to know what she is doing. To be honest, it isn't my interest, I just want a cool looking fish in the tank as I have to look at it daily. I have to get my 'interesting fish' selection past her first before it'll even see the tank.
skip_1 - I think the Cherry Shrimp sound a brilliant idea, but I flirted the idea with the tanks owner and she's not loving the idea of shrimp in her tank.
Male Endlers look quite odd, but interesting with it.
Khuli loachs looks awesome. Are they of an eel background? I bet this suggestion will go the same way as the shrimp one though to be honest. Also, I've not seen these around. Common place at a pet shop, or more specialised?
ShiggyBiggs Loving the shrimp idea as it's something different to the classic 'fish', but she's not going with it.
Second thoughts, thanks for the replies people. My internet has been down over the last couple of days, but it's back up now, so I'll get reading a googling recommendations and see what my thoughts are.
It's a 48L
tenohfive - She had gold fish in it for about a year or more. When we brought the tank, it came with a heater, but as it wasn't of use to us at the time, it's been sat in the draw out of the way. The previous goldfish went to become class pets (she's a teacher) The heater was added and away we go.
A Honey Gourami doesn't quite do it for me from looking at the pictures. After googling 'Gourami' without the Honey prefix though, it brings up some striking vibrate fish. Would they be an option? I have no names as Google images file names didn't have any.
The Pygmy Corydoras suggestion looks closer to the mark for me. I think I remember reading/ hearing that having a few fish that live at different levels is the tank is best. E.g. Catfish spend most of their time on the sea bed as it were while the Tetras and Guppies float around the mid drift. Is this right?
With regards to looking after the tank water. She seems to know what she is doing. To be honest, it isn't my interest, I just want a cool looking fish in the tank as I have to look at it daily. I have to get my 'interesting fish' selection past her first before it'll even see the tank.
skip_1 - I think the Cherry Shrimp sound a brilliant idea, but I flirted the idea with the tanks owner and she's not loving the idea of shrimp in her tank.
Male Endlers look quite odd, but interesting with it.
Khuli loachs looks awesome. Are they of an eel background? I bet this suggestion will go the same way as the shrimp one though to be honest. Also, I've not seen these around. Common place at a pet shop, or more specialised?
ShiggyBiggs Loving the shrimp idea as it's something different to the classic 'fish', but she's not going with it.
Edited by Gingerbread Man on Thursday 31st March 23:08
There are lot's of flavours of gourami and honeys are the only ones that I know of that are small enough for that size tank. One other option I can think of are a pair of peacock gobies - I've finally managed to get hold of a few for one of my tanks they're a very impressive little fish - they are small though, only about an inch long so I don't know if they'd amount to centrepiece fish.
Having fish in different levels is a good idea. Saying 'catfish like the bottom' isn't particularly accurate - there are thousands of varieties of catfish, some of which like the bottom and some don't. Cory's are bottom dwellers however. You've already got some tetras which are mid level dwellers, so a centrepiece fish along with cory's or shrimp (a good call btw) would finish the tank off nicely.
ETA:
A note on khuli loaches, most articles I've read recommend a minimum tank size of 65L and a minimum of 3-4 of them in a given tank. I suspect that'll be a bit too much. Not to mention the substrate - gravel isn't suitable given their tendency to dig.
Having fish in different levels is a good idea. Saying 'catfish like the bottom' isn't particularly accurate - there are thousands of varieties of catfish, some of which like the bottom and some don't. Cory's are bottom dwellers however. You've already got some tetras which are mid level dwellers, so a centrepiece fish along with cory's or shrimp (a good call btw) would finish the tank off nicely.
ETA:
A note on khuli loaches, most articles I've read recommend a minimum tank size of 65L and a minimum of 3-4 of them in a given tank. I suspect that'll be a bit too much. Not to mention the substrate - gravel isn't suitable given their tendency to dig.
Edited by tenohfive on Friday 1st April 13:30
skip_1 said:
That is the exact same tank as ours. My missus wasn't too keen on shrimp at first but once she saw them in the fish shop she had to have a few 
I think I've pursuaded her that shrimp are the way forward. How many do you have?In a fish shop at the mo about to get some corys. No shrimp in sight.
The honey gouramis looks alright in the flesh acturally.
ShiggyBiggs said:
How about some killifish? Ive been tempted for a while to buy a couple of packs of eggs from ebay too see how it works out!
Some of them have really nice bright markings. Im not sure what size tank they would require though.
Killis can be kept in small aquaria, but personally I wouldn't overcrowd them. I've not kept killis myself but I gather that they aren't brilliant in a big community, but kept as the only thing inhabiting their area of the tank they should be okay. Just steer clear of the Golden Panchax - you'll notice smaller fish go missing around them.Some of them have really nice bright markings. Im not sure what size tank they would require though.
Link below for one of the varieties of killifish I almost bought. The websites knowledge base is pretty handy for care information:
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/profile.php?genus=Fun...
For bottom dwellers in a tank that size I would go with Panda corys - http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?s...
or for something a little different but probably harder to find
Pitbull plec - http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?s...
both in a group ideally, 4-6.
Loricariidae (plecs) are addictive though I will warn you.
I bought a common plec on impulse, a year later I had over 20 sp. on the go!
ETA - What dimensions are the tank in inches?
One lone ancistrus may work if your filtration is sufficient
or for something a little different but probably harder to find
Pitbull plec - http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?s...
both in a group ideally, 4-6.
Loricariidae (plecs) are addictive though I will warn you.
I bought a common plec on impulse, a year later I had over 20 sp. on the go!
ETA - What dimensions are the tank in inches?
One lone ancistrus may work if your filtration is sufficient
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