New 150l community tank

I've started a 150l community tank a couple of weeks ago. I used water from my koi pond (been going for months) to try and minimize the risk of the nitrogen cycle. I added fish on a weekly basis (trying not to add too many at once).

I now have a community that comprises of:
- 10 guppies (5 male and 5 female)
- 8 neons
- 8 red danios
- 4 corys (2 different types)
- 2 red line torpedo barbs
- 2 bala sharks (tiny)
- 2 rainbow sharks (tiny)
- 2 elephant nosed fish (small/young ones)
- 1 sumo loach
- 9 snails (5 golden apple, of which one is a monstrous size, and 4 black ones)

I have several plants in the tank, but not sure whether I'm going to planted tank route. I also have oxygen in the tank (which might not excite the plants). the plants might end up in my koi pond if they struggle in the tank.

I'm using a Eheim 2217 filter (planning a big tank for next year).

Currently my whole community seems happy.

I tried to pick fish that would get along and did as much reading as possible. I will have to move the elephant nosed fish to a bigger tank when they grow and eventually the bala sharks as well.

I'll post some pictures later.

I was hoping to get some comments and advice from the experts as to whether anything alarms them in terms of the community that I have put together. Anything I should be on the lookout for?

I would really like to add a "knife fish", but haven't come accross a species that will not become aggresive towards the other fish. I also have a tiny Pleco who is spending the summer in my koi pond and feasting on the algae. He will move towards the end of summer to my tropical tank. Any advice on how to acclimatise him from the colder water to the warm water would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

@FreshWater, a couple of warnings and things to look out for...

Torpedo Barbs seem to get fairly large and are active swimmers, so you might want to look at moving them to a bigger tank too.
Generally Rainbow sharks can't be kept in pairs, so keep an eye on them, I'm sure they will get more agressive as they grow.
Bala Sharks are best kept in a group of 4/5 because they are generally shy fish and a shoal helps with that, but I've only ever kept them in pairs and I've had no problems. The problem is that they get really large and keeping a shoal is not really practical for most people.
Elephant nose fish also seem to be territorial as they grow up and generally don't enjoy being kept in pairs. The other 'problem' with them is that they do require a specialised or frozen food diet, so bear that in mind too. They also get large and will have to be moved to a larger tank when they get bigger.

As for knife fish, the brown knife fish seems to be a fairly mellow species, but I can't remember how big they get. I have a pair of Black Ghost Knives and I love them, I've had them since they were tiny so they've grown up with me. I find them to be fairly peaceful, but the male does tend to get to about 50cm, but my male is only over 30cm so far and my female is about 27cm odd. They tend to bicker with each other, but they generally leave the other fish alone.

My recommendation for acclimatizing your pleco is to buy another tank that you could put him into over winter. You can start him off from cold and then gradually bring him up to warmer temps. Please remember that these guys also get really BIG so you will probably need to get an appropriate sized tank...

HTH...

 

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.
I got most of my more exotic livestock (and advice regarding them) from Sam's.

They get to about 15cm max? But I have witnessed their swimming power. There were only 2 left in the LFS and the guy took more than 10 minutes to catch them in the small tank!
I'll move them to the larger tank at some point.

I wanted only one, but the guy at the LFS told me I need either 2 or 4! I'll see if I can split them up once I have a bigger tank.

Here also I was advised not to take one as I planned but to take a pair. I've gotten 2 months of bloodworm supply for them. Hopefully they will survive. Hopefully the new tank will be large enough to accommodate 2 once they are bigger. I suppose both would want their own "shelter" at seperate ends of the tank.

Thanks, I think you have convinced me to take a pair of black ghost knives, but I will only buy them once I have the bigger tank. They can grow up in it!
I was told not to get one either because they create an electric current in the water and they are calmer when there is more than one. Any truth to this?


Thanks again - I really appreciate the feedback and advice.

 

Problem number 1 right there.

Don't accept any advice from them. Rather consult with us first and do research before you get any fish. When I started out he wanted to sell me Angels, Oscars, Bala sharks and Pengasius catfish for a 150L tank.

You should also quarantine any new fish you get. Especially if you continue buying from there.

I have not had many good experiences purchasing there and just thought I'd give you a heads up.

 

Thanks for the warning. They have a new shop in Brackenfell (Aquatic Vision) that is quite convenient for me.

Sam's and Panorama Pet Shop (Parow) seemed to be the better informed people (compared to other LFS I've been to), but I will turn to the forum first next time.

PS. What places would you recommend to buy livestock from? Especially in the Northern Suburbs, or anywhere in Cape Town?

 

I get livestock from sponsors on the forum. Altum - WaterZoo is in Cape Town. He can sort you out with anything.

http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/forumdisplay.php?59-Sponsors

 

My tank:


The community:
Bala shark :
Black snail (does anyone know the species?)

 

Cory (which species?)

Elephant nose

 

Giant Golden Apple Snail :
Guppies :
Rainbow shark:
Red Danios :

 

Cory's look like Corydoras schwartzii... Nice little fish! If I were you, I would get rid of the blue light. Get a 10 000K tube and possibly a 14 000K tube. If you are not growing plants, then these colours will be more pleasing to the eye.

 

Red-lined torpedo barbs :
Sumo loach :
Neons:

 

Thanks, I'll be at the pet shop tomorrow after work to check the prices on those tubes!

 

I'll have a 600+ liter tank ready in 3-4 months time. I'll look into softer substrate. The Elephant nose fish, barbs and sharks will move there once they get bigger.
The light is normally off and the room completely dark. It does not get much light during the day either, except when in use. All the fish seem happy at the moment.

Just checking is the tank overstocked right now, or will it be once the fish gets larger? (I'm still inexperienced at this)
At the moment it seems to be peace and harmony in the tank...

 

Thanks - would it make sense to put fine sand on top of the current substrate? Or must I replace it? (Adding it would seem less disruptive).

 

I could not get a 14 000K tube, but I got an unused 18 000K from a friend. It makes an enormous difference!

 

The cories are: the spotted one looks like a Julii and the darker one is a Swartzi.
The tank look like its overstock, but it look nice!