Aquarium Advice Please?

[CRS95]

Hi there thought i would join up because i need some advice on starting up my tropical freshwater tank, could you please take a look at my proposed fish and see what compatibility is like? I have done a fair bit of research but am getting mixed messages.

Proposed tank 1 - a 200 litre
* A male Siamese fighting fish
* 6+ neon or cardinal tetra
* a smallish plec
* 1 or 2 african dwarf frogs

and i will be open to further suggestions or changes? the tanks i have found are around 200 litres so pretty big but i still am not really sure how many fish you can get in there?

The other fish that interested me were black ghost knife fish, but what other fish would be compatible with these? Also i have heard that they are actually quite boring but i thought they looked cool. Are they a bit too specialist for a beginner though?

If my proposed tank is really stupid then can you suggest a few variations for a big started tank?

 

[98kshooter]

Hi and welcome to AA....
The one that sticks out to me right away is the Betta. If you get one with Aggressive traits.. he we wreak havoc on the other fish, and will end up in his own tank.....

 

[Convict2161]

Welcome to the forum

 

[redsea]

Welcome to our community, enjoy!

 

[dmolavi]

Welcome aboard.

I have had African Dwarf frogs before, and even with covers on the tanks, they seem to find their way out, usually where your filters hang on.

 

[CRS95]

Ok so i have actually found a tank that is a 240 litre that I think I might buy, this is my new proposed tank:

240 Litre
* 6+ cardinal tetra
* 6+ rummy nosed tetra
* 2-4 dwarf gourami
* a male Siamese fighting fish (i like crowned ones but concerned about fin nipping?)
* a fairly large bristlenose plec or a golden nugget plec
* a couple of small albino corydoras

How compatible is this? I am not sure about the betta, thinking maybe leave it out if i can have lots of the gouramis and tetra but would like one if he will settle. Also, i would like a fairly large plec, maybe something over 8 or 9", they always seem to be mixed without causing much trouble when i see them?

I plan to decorate the tank very well, mainly with natural rocks and driftwood, maybe some amazon style roots going down the back of the tank and a nice sand or gravel base. Would a mix of real and fake plants be alright as I'm assuming the real ones will keep getting eaten?

 

[CRS95]

Yeah I have gone off the idea of frogs now was just an idea really as I have seen them getting on well in community tanks with things like betta and they are something a bit different. Probably will just focus on fish for now

 

[CRS95]

Yes I was concerned about that but I always see them getting on fine in community tanks despite what everyone says, I'm thinking of getting some dwarf gourami and more tetra now do you think the betta would go wit that or is it just a no?

 

[98kshooter]

Alot depends on the betta's personality. I have had some that are gems in a community...and I have had others that are flat out terrors among other fish. Even the best tempered bettas have troubles with the tetras and Gouramis. Tetras seem to drive them nuts with constant motion...and gouramis are fellow labyrinth breathers and for some reason that bugs bettas as well. And there are cases of reverse bullying the tetras can gangup and fin shred a betta pretty well...I had it begin in my tank before and had to remove the betta for his own good. If you decide this mix, watch the community well, and have a bowl ready for the betta and a net handy! Just sayin', bettas have the potential to go 0-Agro in seconds, an are very capable of killing smaller fish. For example I have 4 male bettas...only 1 of which I would trust in my community right now...the other 3 would just have a target rich environment!