Hello there!
I am just now setting up a new tank, have been doing a lot of research, checking out all of the pet stores in the area. I am getting a lot of conflicting advice, just looking for people who may have more experience than pet store employees who have never had a tank!
I know that it will take me months to get my aquarium fully stocked and going the way I have it envisioned in my head, but here is my general plan:
38 Gallon Geneva series tank. 36x12x20. I will have dark mixture of gravel, dark red, black, brown. I have a large cool decorative piece of driftwood (fake) that measures around 15x11x15. It has a lot of holes, open middle, lots of hiding places.
5 Tiger Barbs
4 Albino Tiger Barbs
1 Pleco
1 Red Tailed Shark
3-5 Swordtails
1-2 Underwater Crabs
maybe a few other fish, maybe not (will decide if I get this aqarium up and running well)
Penguin 330 Biowheel Filter
200 watt heater
Haven't decided whether or not to get power head, aerator, whatever it's called.
This may be a laughable list for all I know, but very few people agree. Some people have told me the Tiger Barbs will eat the other fish alive, but others have said in schools of 4 or 5, they calm down and aren't so agressive. Some have said only 1 Red Tailed Shark in a tank, others say 3 or 4! I chose the swordtails as a book I purchased says they are peaceful and get along with other fish, also they will give me a well-layered aqarium. I chose the crabs because I think they are great, but nobody at any pet store knows much of anything about them!
I have no intention of having guppies, angelfish, cichlids, or oscars. I love the way tetras look, but pretty much everyone agrees that tetras won't work well in a barb-dominated tank, and I really really like the barbs. I could almost be happy with just a mixture of barbs!
I hope I gave enough information. I would be happy to hear any advice about keeping the fish that I am contemplating, and any potential tankmates that may work well with my list. Also, is it really worth my time to buy a 10 gallon tank with a small filter to quarantine fish for a couple weeks before I put them in my main tank?
Thanks!
Paul
I am just now setting up a new tank, have been doing a lot of research, checking out all of the pet stores in the area. I am getting a lot of conflicting advice, just looking for people who may have more experience than pet store employees who have never had a tank!
I know that it will take me months to get my aquarium fully stocked and going the way I have it envisioned in my head, but here is my general plan:
38 Gallon Geneva series tank. 36x12x20. I will have dark mixture of gravel, dark red, black, brown. I have a large cool decorative piece of driftwood (fake) that measures around 15x11x15. It has a lot of holes, open middle, lots of hiding places.
5 Tiger Barbs
4 Albino Tiger Barbs
1 Pleco
1 Red Tailed Shark
3-5 Swordtails
1-2 Underwater Crabs
maybe a few other fish, maybe not (will decide if I get this aqarium up and running well)
Penguin 330 Biowheel Filter
200 watt heater
Haven't decided whether or not to get power head, aerator, whatever it's called.
This may be a laughable list for all I know, but very few people agree. Some people have told me the Tiger Barbs will eat the other fish alive, but others have said in schools of 4 or 5, they calm down and aren't so agressive. Some have said only 1 Red Tailed Shark in a tank, others say 3 or 4! I chose the swordtails as a book I purchased says they are peaceful and get along with other fish, also they will give me a well-layered aqarium. I chose the crabs because I think they are great, but nobody at any pet store knows much of anything about them!
I have no intention of having guppies, angelfish, cichlids, or oscars. I love the way tetras look, but pretty much everyone agrees that tetras won't work well in a barb-dominated tank, and I really really like the barbs. I could almost be happy with just a mixture of barbs!
I hope I gave enough information. I would be happy to hear any advice about keeping the fish that I am contemplating, and any potential tankmates that may work well with my list. Also, is it really worth my time to buy a 10 gallon tank with a small filter to quarantine fish for a couple weeks before I put them in my main tank?
Thanks!
Paul