I have MTS and I need HELP :)

[shady3210]

Some of you may have seen me looking for advice a few days ago in this thread:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=62706&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Well since then I was able to convince my GF/fiancee that in order to get the angels she wants we NEED a bigger tank so I am now shopping for a 75 gallon I also convinced her that we NEED a heavily planted c02 injected tank... And then she tells me she wants a 20 gal of her own So if anyone is having trouble getting a gf,wife, significant other letting you get a larger tank find a larger fish that they like.

So besides all that I do have a couple questions:

1) I have read that keeping smaller fish with angels might be bad but if you introduce them last and as juveniles they should be ok. I'm hoping this is true
2) How many angels should I put in this tank? I'm thinking 2 maybe 4
3) would a redtail shark behave in a tank this large? I don't want him attacking my bottom dwellers or smaller fish
4) what else would go well in this tank?

 

[rich311k]

Congradulations on your upcoming purchases. Four angels would easily fit in that tank. The red tail should be fine as long as he is the only red tail in the tank. Neons, small guppies and maybe cardinals would really be the only fish at risk from the angels.

I would suggest a nice school of your favorite tera or rasbora as tank mates. Maybe a pearl guarami or two for the top.

Have fun planning and good luck.

 

[mrcrazypants05]

Well I don't really know anything about angels.. but my friends mom had 2 angels in her 75 gallon... they seemed to do just fine. Oh and uh my girlfriend doesnt like my fish... lol she picked out my Oscar at the LFS though... I've heard the redtail sharks are fine unless you keep more than 1... i her they mostly attack their own species or ones that look like them. I think... I'll wait for someone else that knows more to jump in

 

[tetrin]

welcome to the fold .

1. neons would be eaten when angels grow up. i've kept them with harlequins, but they'd try to take the occasional nip at one. IMO, all smaller fish are at risk when the angels grow up, but then again, people have had success keeping them with small fish.

2.10g / angel is the standard rule. but if 4 angels pair up, the others might be cornered. so you can start with 6-7 juvies, wait till 2 pairs are formed, and remove the rest.

3. a rts is very very unpredictable. but i'd say 1 would be ok in a 75g

4. lots and lots of other fish .

 

[shady3210]

I'm thinking a nice size school of black skirt tetras to go with the angels to start with. And maybe some cherry barbs for some more color but i'm afraid of the angels makeing dinner of em, but in a havily planted tank with driftwood they should have plenty of hideing spots.

I have a pearl gourami now that might find its way in the tank but I was also looking at some rainbow fish. Anyone had any issues with rainbowfish? I have never kept them.

For the botum I was planning on 1 red fin shark maybe a school of 6-8 cories. I have otos in the other tank but they seem abit to small for this tank any larger catfish/pleco suggestions that work as well as the little otos on algea?


Oh and what is a good snail killer? I have heard certain loaches are.

 

[Stuart]

Most botia species are good snail eaters - clown loaches and dwarf chain loaches amongst the best of those.

Tanganyikan synodontis species, like the S.multipunctatus, are good snail devourers too - but I'm not sure they will like the water conditions in a tank aimed at softwater species.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm thinking a nice size school of black skirt tetras to go with the angels to start with. And maybe some cherry barbs for some more color but i'm afraid of the angels makeing dinner of em, but in a havily planted tank with driftwood they should have plenty of hideing spots.

Just chipping in with one of my observations. It's not the angels that would have a problem with the barbs, it's the skirted tetras. Barbs are known to nip and long finned species and the skirted tetras have long flowing fins.

The rainbows are a much better community species for the other fish you are contemplating.

Plecos and/or corydoras will also work. I have one sailfin pleco, 4 julii corydoras and 7 baby Bristlenose's (they will not get bigger than 4-5"). Majority of them will be placed in new homes once they grow out a little more.

 

[shady3210]

Thanks on the loach tip. Clowns get a little big for my taste but I may looked at a school of a smaller species.

Jchillin are you suggesting replaceing the barbs or black skirts with the rainbow fish? I may end up keeping my cherrys in my 25 gallon with my mollies.

Would there be much point in adding corys to a tank with a school of loaches? Other then they fact that they are insanly cute?

Also my water isn't really acidic now its about 7.1-7.2. Would rainbows be ok in this? Also when I add my c02 this number may drop some.


Thanks for all the help Think I found a used 75 gallon and a stand/hood for 100.00

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Another thing on red tail sharks. Pretty much want only 1 red tail shark in the tank, unless you want just a shark tank, then a school of 8 or more is ok. If you only have 3 or 4, the strongest will kill off the weaker sharks, but in a large group, they tend to become less aggressive.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I have 2 Striped Loaches. They look cool and they are definitely snail busters. If you need to get rid of snails, striped loaches are the way to go if you want to keep smaller fish. If size doesn't matter, then clown loaches are great too.

 

[gheitman]

If you are going to add angels you definitely want to avoid getting some of the smaller species, especially neon tetras, since the angelfish will look at them as food. I would suggest some of the larger tetra species like the black skirt tetras mentioned above or the Columbian red and blue tetras.

I concur with the idea mentioned earlier of getting 6 or 7 juvenile angels and going for 2 adult pairs in a tank that size. Also get a half dozen cories and you might consider a South American puffer. Puffers are fun fish to watch and unlike most puffer species this one is a true freshwater species from the Amazon basin and it gets along well with most other fish. I've kept one with angelfish and they didn't have any problems with fin nipping or other signs of aggression.

 

[shady3210]

Think I have decided on the stripped loaches for my tank. Like the look and size and can have a decent sized school of them.

As for the puffer I like them but haveing to cut their teeth kinda turns me away from them.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_striata.html

 

[shady3210]

Thanks for the link alot of good info on them

 

[Lonewolfblue]

After 2 weeks with the striped loaches, boy, lots of empty snail shells, lol. Got to do another vacuuming. And that's with just 2 striped loaches. They are very happy.