fish compatability/suggestions

[Thomasdrr]

For our 20gal tank we would like...
Tetras (fruits and I can't remember the name of the other. Flame something. Dark bodies with red fins.)
Dwarf gouramis
Tiger barbs (probably not happening)
Mollies
Platies
Guppies
Spotted puffers

 

[Tim Wheatley]

You definitely cannot have everything you want in a 20 gallon. It's simply too small. But keeping a few fish of the same type might be cool.

Was the tetra you were looking at Serpae Tetras? They look like this:
Serpae Tetra | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Serpae Tetras are fin nippers.

Gouramis are very nice fish, but multiples can be a problem I believe. I've only ever kept one at a time.

Tiger Barbs are great fish, but I'd avoid mixing them with anything else. In a species tank (just them) they can be fun. See the fish profile in my signature below.

Mollies, Platies and Guppies can all co-exist, but will breed even if you don't have any males (female livebreeders are supposed to be capable of holding sperm until they are in a suitable environment to use it).

Spotted puffers may not mix with anything else on your list. Green Spotted Puffers specifically do not mix with anything.

FYI, Puffers are predators and only very, very, very, very rarely can mix with anything else - and even when they do it is usually just another Puffer. Many people say "oh, my fish is fine, he hasn't killed my -insert fish here-" The fact is, he hasn't killed your fish YET.

 

[McLumpy]

If you're looking for input on compatibility, I have a link to a freshwater compatibility chart in my signature. It doesn't list the Spotted Puffers, but those are Brackish fish, (same goes for the Mollies), and it's suggested that they have some salinity in their water.

I have both Brackish and Freshwater breeds in my tank and what I did in the beginning was add a very small amount of API Freshwater Aquarium Salt to my conditioned water when doing a PWC. I made sure it was completely dissolved in the conditioned water before adding it to my tank.

As time progressed, I added less salt to help the brackish breeds convert over to freshwater. From what I've read, there will always be some level of salinity in the tank once you introduce salt to the water, so they should have enough in there to thrive and stay healthy.

Keep in mind though that when you do use salt, you take a risk that the freshwater fish could get burned. Others will suggest that salt is not needed at all, (which is fine), and that may be the case. However, I've found that a very little amount of salt went a long way w/ increasing the comfort and activity level of my Brackish fish.

My suggestion would be to not add any salt at the beginning and see how your fish act. If they're lethargic and their gill function looks less than normal, then add a very small amount, (for your tank size, maybe 1tsp), and see if that helps.

Keep in mind that one of the drawbacks of using salt is if you plan on using it to treat Ich outbreaks, it probably won't work as well. This is why when I have an Ich situation, I use Ich Attack in lieu of the salt method.

Hope this helps!

Welcome to AA btw!

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Well IMHO because Brackish is a mixture of seawater and freshwater, freshwater salt is not the type of salt they may need at all. I used Instant Ocean (used for marine tanks) in my brackish tank because this added the salts and nutrients of an actual brackish environment. But I don't know if that was what the OP was asking or even knew.

 

[McLumpy]

Well IMHO because Brackish is a mixture of seawater and freshwater, freshwater salt is not the type of salt they may need at all. I used Instant Ocean (used for marine tanks) in my brackish tank because this added the salts and nutrients of an actual brackish environment. But I don't know if that was what the OP was asking or even knew.

Ok, I suppose I may overloaded the OP w/ additional info regarding the use of salt. But I didn't want the OP to fall into a trap that most people fall in by listening to "experts" at their LFS.

My LFS told me to add the exact amount of salt that is directed and this was even after I told them that I had freshwater fish that can't tolerate large amounts of salt. I knew better and did more research before adding any salt to my tank and what I suggested to the OP was per my own experience and extensive research.

Oh and +1 for bringing up the breeding issue w/ the livebearers, Tim! Very good point!

Edit: Forgot to mention my reason about suggesting Freshwater salt instead of Marine. You are correct about Marine salt, (as per how you use it... for a complete Brackish setup). If the OP is wanting to have both Brackish and Freshwater breeds in the same tank, Marine salt shouldn't be used as it's more potent than Freshwater salt, (at least that's what I had researched). I don't know if that's true or not, but Freshwater salt has definitely helped with the gill function and activity level of my Brackish fish.

 

[tyspot1000]

Welcome to AA!

You could do tetras, I would reommend not to get the so called 'fruit' tetra (They are dyed fish; very painful for the fish. Buying them will only encourage the breeders to make more). You could try white skirt tetra (The dyed fish without the dye).

I would recommed only getting one Dwarf gourami. Just like the betta species, they are territorial/ aggressive towards their own kind and other gouramis. They are a bit moody; so if you want, get a honey gourami instead.

Like said, I would just recommed keeping the tiger barbs in a species on tank. As aggressive nippers they are, its best keepin 'em alone.

Just leave the spotted puffers out. They need at least a 30 gallon for one and on top of that, they are brackish (most likely needeing full marine whem mature).

Mollies do better in brackish, but can do fine just without it. Platys are not brackish, they do not require it.

 

[McLumpy]

Mollies do better in brackish, but can do fine just without it. Platys are not brackish, they do not require it.

Oops! This is correct. I had listed the Platy as being Brackish. Thanks for the correction, Tyler!

 

[Thomasdrr]

Thanks for all the help, but IDK what brackish, OP, or LFS means. Also, the only 'fish store' i have access to is Wal Mart =( nearest PetCo/PetSmart is 2 hours. IDK if that would be ok for the fish.

Basically, just a recap, about 3 or 4 platties, mollies & guppies and 1 dwarf gouramis would be ok?

 

[tyspot1000]

Braskish is a mixture of saltwater and freshwater. LFS = local fish store. OP = originaL poster (you in your case).

I would recommed to not get fish from walmart; packed with disease. Its worth 2hrs to go get good quality fish in my opinoin

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Brackish = weak saltwater. Some fish need this kind of water. Puffers definitely do. Other fish you mentioned just prefer brackish.

LFS = Local fish store.

I moved fish 1000 miles in buckets, taking 30 hours. Once you understand the fundamentals I would look for somewhere other than WalMart.

 

[James_in_MN]

You could do tetras, I would reommend not to get the so called 'fruit' tetra (They are dyed fish; very painful for the fish. Buying them will only encourage the breeders to make more). You could try white skirt tetra (The dyed fish without the dye).

Geez, first the glo danios, now another unnaturally messed-with fish? Bleh.

 

[tyspot1000]

Geez, first the glo danios, now another unnaturally messed-with fish? Bleh.

Yep, but I believe these were out before the Glo Danios.

 

[akkitten]

Check this website for compatibility I found its pretty accurate: Tropical Fish and Aquariums Compatibility

 

[Thomasdrr]

Ok, thank you to everyone! Now just 2 more questions for now-
1. Is there any special way to transport the fish for the 2 hour drive?
2. We got a 5in1 test kit that tests Ph, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity and hardness. Are any of those aka ammonia or do we need the seperate kit?

 

[akkitten]

You need to test for ammonia. Did you buy strips or the API liquid drops kit?

 

[akkitten]

Have you already cycled your tank without fish?

 

[McLumpy]

I don't have any suggestions for transporting fish for a long length of time, (never had to do that). I would think that there would be a few threads on here that relate to this topic though. You could always do a search or maybe someone will chime in on here and give you some pointers.

Aside from driving a long distance to get your fish, you could always order your fish online. There are some really cool sites you could browse, (and they have a larger selection of fish). The only drawbacks are you must be available when they're delivered, and the shipping costs are pretty steep.

I do agree w/ the others about staying away from WalMart! That is no joke about how they neglect their fish! The last time I went to WalMart, I headed to the pet section for a few things and saw 3 containers on the shelf... all 3 had dead Bettas in them and I could tell that they were there for a while! There were also at least 2 dead in every tank and I actually watched a Molly die while I was there.

The 5-in-1 test kit? Are you referring to the test strips that you dip in the tank water? If so, those aren't nearly as accurate as a liquid test kit, like API Freshwater Master Test Kit, (this is the most popular kit available-and works well as long as you follow the directions carefully).

The 5-in-1 kit doesn't include a test for Ammonia either. Whereas the API Freshwater Master Test Kit does. As far as testing for Alkalinity and Hardness, you could always purchase individual liquid test kits for those as they don't come w/ the API Liquid Test Kits, (at least not in the Freshwater Master Kit).

 

[ejaramillo01]

+1 for the API liquid master kit

 

[tyspot1000]

1. Is there any special way to transport the fish for the 2 hour drive?

Just put it in a place where it will not tip over and toss around. If you are worried about the water splashing around in the bag, dont be (Surface agitation brings more oxygen).

2. We got a 5in1 test kit that tests Ph, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity and hardness. Are any of those aka ammonia or do we need the seperate kit?

Sorry to say this, but Test strips are highly inaccurate (giving you false readings every time). I would recommend getting a liquid test kit (Preferably the API Master test kit) to test your parameters.