View Full Version : 5ft Community Tank mates
Hi all
I currently have 1Parrot and 3 Silverdollars, So I decided I want a big community tank I was thinking of the following:
Congo/Cardinal Tetra's
Two dif types of Corydorra's
Harlequins
Neons
Clown Loaches
Lemon Tetra's
Glowlights
Rummy Noses
Black Neons
Zebra Danios
and a Red Tailed Blk Shark
Please comment on the above...Need advise on this??
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?6588-Community-fish
Hi Hein.
Check out my tankmates. Very similar to what you want, might help.
Watch out for that red tail shark mine was quite agro
F
thanks Go-Big, did you have any probs with your red tail shark??
Mine still very small but i anticipate problems in the future.
I am looking for a shark but one that won't be problematic later on.
Well this is the sharks out there. Google them and read more. Some might be on the BL, i didn't check.
Red tail black shark
Rainbow shark
Pink Rainbow shark
Sailfin shark
Chinese banded hi fin shark
Bala shark
White tip shark cat
Pangasium catfish
partoon catfish
thanks Go-Big very helpful indeed lol no work being done here today lol.... google here i come.
I think I will just go with the BALA SHARKS maybe two..
Go-Big
I have a pair of convicts in my tank, do you think they will be a problem?? Maybe anyone else has some advise for me??
I think I will just go with the BALA SHARKS maybe two..
I understand they like to school.
The thing is they get so big, thats why I only wanna get like two.
Most of those sharks get too big or too aggresive. Hein, i cant help you with those Convict question. never had them so the info i can give would not be personal experience.
mydummyname
22-02-2011, 08:06
Hi all
I currently have 1Parrot and 3 Silverdollars, So I decided I want a big community tank I was thinking of the following:
Congo/Cardinal Tetra's
Two dif types of Corydorra's
Harlequins
Neons
Clown Loaches
Lemon Tetra's
Glowlights
Rummy Noses
Black Neons
Zebra Danios
and a Red Tailed Blk Shark
Please comment on the above...Need advise on this??
hi dude, sounds like a nice setup, however, silver dollars are true schooling fish and you will need at least 5 of them, i would recommend 7, if you have the space.
you will find that your clown loaches (i hope you have more than 3) should school with them to some extent.
bala sharks, 2 will not be enough, these are shoaling fish (they forage on their own but school together when they feel nervous or scared) however, if you have a school of silver dollars or tinfoil barbs, they will feel more relaxed and at ease.
always aim for 5 or more bala sharks.
read my thread on bala sharks here: http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?4022-My-bala-shark-tips
rainbow sharks/red tail sharks/flying foxes, these are fish that are termed semi aggressive, but i would say this is a VERY aggressive and territorial fish and should only be kept with suitable tank mates. i would say with tiger barbs or neons, white cloud mountain minnows also would work, i would advise against keeping tiger barbs with neons and white clouds. you end up with dead neons/clouds.
rainbow sharks tend to ignore neons and white clouds but you get that cool schooling effect on the neons cause they are cautious around the rainbow shark ;)
a) never keep a rainbow shark with a bala shark.
b) never keep a red tail black shark with a bala shark.
c) never keep a red tail black shark with a rainbow shark.
any of these combinations will cause havoc in a tank
hi dude, sounds like a nice setup, however, silver dollars are true schooling fish and you will need at least 5 of them, i would recommend 7, if you have the space.
you will find that your clown loaches (i hope you have more than 3) should school with them to some extent.
bala sharks, 2 will not be enough, these are shoaling fish (they forage on their own but school together when they feel nervous or scared) however, if you have a school of silver dollars or tinfoil barbs
Hi Okay so now I have decided to go with 5 tinfoils and 5 dollars, the parrot, the plec and that's it...
I wanted to plant but I don't think the plants will last long with the above mentioned
mydummyname
22-02-2011, 08:59
once you've seen the above guys streaming across your tank... you will never look back ;)
okay so I would like to show you this tank... Took the pics with my BB so please note I will have a asian blur lol....
7044
The one filter, must admit cleans a tank up nicely....
7045
The other filter on the other side.....
7046
mydummyname
22-02-2011, 09:05
i like it!
tinfoils and silver dollars might prefer finer substrate like pool filter sand tho..
I want to get that black volcanic substrate but this costed me a small fortune so it will all come in good time..Still a work in progress
705170507048and some of the little guys I got with the tank.....
7047
7049
oscar freak
22-02-2011, 09:46
if your convicts are a pair EXPECT BIG TROUBLE.
Lol oscar freak they are and chase the hek out of eachother but they getting a seperate tank on their own a nice big 4ft.
TropicalBoy
22-02-2011, 12:27
"Hi Okay so now I have decided to go with 5 tinfoils and 5 dollars, the parrot, the plec and that's it...
I wanted to plant but I don't think the plants will last long with the above mentioned "
Hi Hein
I have a 5 foot and have had success with 5 bala sharks, 8 tinfoil barbs , 8 silver dollars , 2 parrots , 3 cigar sharks,
clown loaches , congo tetra etc..
Make sure that you and more than enough filtration and you will be able to house these fish with ease.
I am adding a UV sterilizer this week as well so I believe Filtration no problemo hehe.
TropicalBoy please post some pics would like to get a feel for it????
I am adding a UV sterilizer this week as well so I believe Filtration no problemo hehe.
TropicalBoy please post some pics would like to get a feel for it????
Do you have the UV filter already. Give more info please. Price, flowrate, watts?
Go-Big
Lol well I don't know but will check this afternoon...Hmmmm price I got two UV Sterlizers the two filters, a Boyu drum filter, 5ft tank with fish, 4ft tank, 3ft tank with built in filter and a 2ft all tanks with lights and complete except for the 2ft all for R1500.
Ja but will pm you, know a place where I can get you some.. Will check when I go by there again and let you know.
Yes please. I saw one 12w and flowrate of 550l/h for R450.
One Pic with the lights on.. There's going to be no plants in the tank and from what I hear dollars aren't that big on bright lighting.. Please correct me if I'm wrong but if I do plant the dollars and tinfoils will destroy the plants>>> So I guess fake plants is the way to go...
7083
oscar freak
23-02-2011, 09:20
yes they will
mydummyname
23-02-2011, 11:11
One Pic with the lights on.. There's going to be no plants in the tank and from what I hear dollars aren't that big on bright lighting.. Please correct me if I'm wrong but if I do plant the dollars and tinfoils will destroy the plants>>> So I guess fake plants is the way to go...
this tanks looks really good dude..
you are right, neither tinfoils nor silver dollars like bright light, but once they settled in and are comfortable, they should worry about it anymore. when i first got tinfoils i only had 5 of them, and they just cowered in the corner all the time, i did some reading and added 2 more. with 7, there was an IMMEDIATE difference, they came out of hiding, streamed across the tank no matter how bright the lights were. the fear just seemed to disappear.
as for plants, they would stand no chance. my tinfoils completely demolish a 2cm thick slice of cucumber in less than 30 minutes. plants wouldnt even last that long.
its a real pity one cant plant a tank with these guys coz it would look amazing!!
only thing you should watch out for is, that tall ornament, if your fish do get a fright they gonna take off like a rocket at blinding speed, and they might hurt themselves on something like that, rather get some tallish fake plants for them to swim between, they need lots of "cover" for them to feel safe, if they feel they can easily hide in case of danger, they are more likely to be at ease and swimming in the front.
only problem is that these fake plants cost the earth. horribly expensive.
Keep the tank well covered also if you going with tinfoils, dollars and sharks. They get jumpy.
I had a bala shark that jumped out a small gap between my glass covers. How he found that gap beats me. He then ended up 2 metres away from the tank. I don't know what drove him to suicide. He was well looked after with the rest of the gang. But these things happen I guess.
Hey there
Thanks for the advise still deciding on the bala sharks mydummyname and mxz please post some pics would like to get the feel for it?? Thinking of this last night and I have a question, how much is too much in a 5ft tank?? How many dollars,tinfoils and balasharkies can I fit in there and remember there is still the plec and parrot to be added???
Please advise??
TropicalBoy
23-02-2011, 14:32
Hi Hein
Please find attached a picture as request, unfortunately i took the pic using my phone7091
Wow TropicalBoy looks great... What is the content of the tank, how many fish?
mydummyname
23-02-2011, 14:36
here are some vids of my tank, tanks a little over stocked at the time as i had inherited a few fish with it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cglxg0VSH24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEmMyHkfp7E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39AW76BIt3o
i do however sell my tinfoils whenever they get to about 15cm-16cm or so and get new ones as they grow very fast. but once i've removed them, i immediately see the effect on the bala sharks. more nervous and jumpy
mydummyname
23-02-2011, 14:39
Hi Hein
Please find attached a picture as request, unfortunately i took the pic using my phone
very nice!
what else do you have in there?
hein24 I don't have the sharks anymore. Had them years ago. Didn't take much pics back then. Also had some tinfoils which grew like crazy. I wouldn't suggest you go with all three, sharks, tins and dollars. Stick with two to be safe. They eat everything and all get huge.
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?1683-Warning-to-Fishkeepers-Giant-Fish-for-Sale/page3
mydummyname
23-02-2011, 15:13
i doubt you'll be watching anything else in that tank either lol, they will be the most active fish in there and will steal all your attention lol
Can't wait will be placing them all on sunday!!!!!! Will go get the other 2dollars Vez and then add them to the tank with the other BIG female, will also stop at the LFS to pic up an additional 4 dollars (still babies), not to mention the plec and the parrot needs to be introduced to the fellow tankmates..... Very excited!!!!! The 8tinfoils will need to wait a bit until all the debit orders went off lol.
mydummyname
23-02-2011, 15:35
lol that is a LOT of fish! i thought i was bad! hehe
minimum 2X 20% water changes a week dude, and lots of airation and good filtration ;)
TropicalBoy
23-02-2011, 17:03
Wow TropicalBoy looks great... What is the content of the tank, how many fish?
Thanx guys
I have sold a few fish, but the stock list was as follows:
3X CIGAR sharks
4x golden tinfoil barbs
4xsilver tinfoil barbs
8xsilver dollars
1xangel
2xcongo tetras
1xhi-fin plecostomous
1xsynodontys networks
1xpictus catfish
5xbala sharks
1xblack ghost knife fish
11xclown loaches
1xramirexi
1xuaru
2xparrot cichlids
1xancistrus
I got rid of some fish and added
2x geophagus surinemesis
1xgeophagus redhump
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