Just got a new tank

[Andydg]

Hey everybody I just purchased a 29 gal tank from work for $13 and got all of the stuff. Recently I've been planning on a 55 so that's what I've been concentrating all of my research on as far as what fish will be alright in that size. I've already got a livebearer/tetra community tank, and an Oscar tank. I'd like to get some Angels for the 29 gal along with some baby Polypterus Palmas that we just got in at work. I know that the polys are aggressive with their own kind and will be alright with larger fish that they can't fit in thier mouths. OK...I guess what I want is a tank with semi-aggressive fish. I know that most get pretty good sized but I can take them back to work or give them to my uncle. What are some cool looking semi-aggressive fish that will eat feeders??? Sorry about the length of this post.

 

[Menagerie]

You want semi-aggressive fish who will eat feeders, correct?
I would think the fish have to be big to eat feeders, unless the feeders are relatively small--check out African cichlids and South / Central American cichlids or even Lake Tanganyika cichlids. You are basically looking for fish with BIG mouths--I don’t know which ones have the biggest mouths, but they are out there. Not all cichlids get huge; just choose wisely

 

[millipede]

fish...

Some fish, once they've eaten fish, will not want to ever stop eating fish... I had this little catfish that I caght when it was only an inch or so long and I had it til it was at least 6 inches... I remember when it was only four inches long it would eat any type of feeder I put in there... Chances are, if that fish had survived the trip to Arkansas, it would have been quite large by now... That little thing, if it couldn't fit the fish in it's mouth, it would take it in bites, usually starting with the belly. I couldn't say for sure but I'm willing to bet some convicts would eat feeders as well as a parrot... those are the only things I can think of that might... I'm sure there's a whole lot more... Another thing you might not be interested in is other animals such as turtles or small snakes. They will both eat feeder fish and you could have a really cool tank with land and water... I see that you have some birds... If you haven't already, make sure you stop by www.birdadvice.com and if you're interested at all in a reptile or amphibian, or other, check out www.reptileadvice.com

 

[Andydg]

Thanks for the great advice. Will Convicts and Parrots get along together with a Poly and a snowflake eel???

 

[millipede]

I see a few questions still unanswered... i don't know the answers to them but I thought I'd bump this one to give it another chance in case they were still waiting for an answer...
Have you found anything for the tank yet?

 

[Christmasfish]

Most polypeterus can eat a tankmate 2/3 their size....unless it is armoured, high bodied, fast or just big. I want tankmates for mine but have found out that the bigger ones can huck down an adult clown loach. So of course now the clowns are with the black ghost instead.
Cichlids are out because bichirs are slow and can get their only form of locomotion totally torn to heck by an aggressive or territorial tankmate. They are easy going guys except with other bichirs (what is it with air breathing fish and non-community attitudes?!).
I have a large tank coming this summer to be his permanent home. He has cut in line with my BKG sice his rate of growth is near alraming. He at tidbits the size of a pellet a mere month? ago and now eats 3-4 whole baby sand gobie (cardnial size fish). By the way as a culler it is better you whack his meal. Or he'll just have a lot of company til they are too thick to move away...^_^. See this guy in action in the next post...

 

[Christmasfish]

Oh And here is a picture of mid size bichir eating whitefish fed by hand..kinda. ^-^
scroll down and see the movie clip..cool!
http://www.fishtanksandponds.com/polypterus.htm

 

[Andydg]

That's a cool vid. But I was talking to my uncle, he raises African Cichlids (Purple Frontosas and a few others) but he was unreachable for a while when he was on vacation he told me with a 29 gallon tank to go with Lake Malawi Cichlids. So I think that's what I'm going to do with the 29, but the 55 that's going to be mine soon I'm really thinking about the Bichirs.

 

[Menagerie]

Many Lake Malawi Cichlids are highly adapted to eat algae that grow on rocks. Research the fish before you purchase, because many of them require veggie matter. Also, find out what size the fish will become. My cichlids that were in a 29 got moved to an 80 gal. Just be careful and do your homework ahead of time! Oh yeah—and HAVE FUN!!