Which fish?

[elmonty]

I'm just getting started. I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank. I'd like some medium-sized fish and possibly a small school of small-to-medium fish.

I'm considering a pair of kribensis, but I don't know what to put with them. I realize that saltwater fish are much more colorful, but I'd like to get some colorful freshwater fish. I'm considering tiger barbs and upside down catfish. Perhaps the catfish and kribs, both being bottom dwellers, won't be good together?

Any suggestions?

 

[tkos]

A school of barbs would be good, make sure to get 5 at least so they keep thier aggresion to themsleves.

You might wish to stay away from other bottom dwellersas the kribs can get tough during breeding.

Zebra Danios are nice in a school as well.

 

[Sati]

Just so you know, upside down catfish are nocturnal and like to hide when the tank lights are on so you might not see them much. I know that's how it is with mine. Every morning when I turn the tank lights on, he darts to hide amidst the plants, rocks, and wood.

 

[Menagerie]

WELCOME Elmonty!!!

Perhaps the catfish and kribs, both being bottom dwellers, won't be good together?

Don't do it !!! My fiancé lost all his cories and kribs to :censor: upsidedown catfish.
If you want color, have a look at my sig (29 gal)--with the exception of two dull tetras--everyone is gorgeous! I highly recommend a "herd" of cories; they are just wonderful, always moving. I have pandas, julii and something else, they school together along the gravel and even though they are not full of color, their different patterns add to the tank. If you like reds, go for a school of Serpae Tetras. German blue rams are lovely and I have silver-tipped tetras, the males are orangish with striking silver tips. If you want 'docile' tetras, stay away from ones that have a rounded body shape--they are the ones that have a rep as nippers. FYI--my tank was intended to be a 2" fish and under tank, so you may want something along the lines of brichardi, which get up to 4". Instead of a catfish (I am now leery of all of them with smaller fish), plecos are fun--they are smaller ones out there including the rubber lipped and pit bull.
In the end, the decision is yours; just do your research so all the fish you choose are compatible. Don't forget to let us know what you decide!!

 

[elmonty]

Thanks for the tip! I'm definitely looking for fun and colorful fish, but I want 1 or 2 decent sized fellas, as well. That's why I'm considering the kribs. However, the Electric Yellow Cichlid has also caught my eye. But I'm concerned about their possible aggression.

Are there other types of fish besides cichlids that are as large (4" to 5") and colorful as these? Is a 29 gal tank too small for this size of fish in a community?

 

[Menagerie]

Hmmm, please clarify. You want to put in an Electric Yellow Cichlid with smaller fish? Having owed an Electric Yellow, I would advise against it. She lived with other cichlids, but I would not have trusted her in a community. How many fish overall do you want to put in the tank? I saw rams at a LFS two weeks ago that were 3-4" and very colorful.

 

[elmonty]

Having an all-cichlid tank doesn't bother me, but being a beginner, and having only a 29 gal tank, I'm not sure I'm a good candidate for that.

Are you referring to a Bolivian Ram? Looks very pretty, but according to FishProfiles.com, they only get up to 2.2".

 

[Menagerie]

When my fiancé started out, all the cichlids were in the 29 gal, and then they grew up! There are MANY cichlids; the ones from Africa have a rep for aggression, such as Lake Malawi. Other African areas are Lake Tanganyikan and the Lake Victoria Basin. Then there are South American cichlids, which are known for being less aggressive.
Of course there are always exceptions and I am not an expert! There are great books out there on cichlids from different regions—just check out Amazon for their selection. A good “owner’s manual” for your fish is worth its weight in cichlid pellets! HTH

 

[elmonty]

I've browsed FishProfiles.com today and saw several medium-sized fish that appeared interesting and weren't classified as "aggressive". With the exception of the gouramis and the rainbow fish, these are mostly bottom dwellers.

Kribensis
Rainbow Cichlid
Electric Yellow Cichlid
Cylindricus
Goldie River Rainbowfish
Pearl Gourami
Blue Gourami

Which of these would work better in a community tank with a school of smaller fish (apparently not the Electric Yellow)? 3 species would be nice in the tank. I had a hard time finding compatible fish that were mid- to surface-dwellers.

BTW, my pH is 8.0.

 

[Sati]

WELCOME Elmonty!!!

Perhaps the catfish and kribs, both being bottom dwellers, won't be good together?

Don't do it !!! My fiancé lost all his cories and kribs to :censor: upsidedown catfish.

We can't be talking about the same fish! My upsidedown catfish is extremely peaceful. Synodontis nigriventris is a great community fish in my experience. How odd...

 

[Linsay]

We have 2 upside down cats. They were hysterical in the beginning chasing eachother around and having fun. Now they pretty much always hide!

 

[Menagerie]

I don't know what to tell you Holly, the upsidedowns were the culprits and I refuse to even look at them at the LFS.

Elmonty, I don't know the type of ram I saw, but it was definitely close to 4".

I have been using this site lately, maybe it can help you out: www.thetropicaltank.co.uk

 

[elmonty]

Okay, this may be what you are referring to:

Microgeophagus ramirezi

According to FishProfiles.com, this is aka Butterfly Cichlid, and requires a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. My pH is 8.0.

 

[Menagerie]

They only get to 1.4", that's not what I saw. Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
is a ram aka Butterfly cichlid.

Just because your pH is 8 right now, doesn't mean you can't change it. There are plenty of products out there!

 

[mgkaelen]

elmonty... some gourami's are really pretty, as are killifish!!... here's a good website with LOTS of pictures with LOTS of FW fish options...

www.aquariumstuffers.com
www.liveaquaria.com

 

[elmonty]

Okay, here's my new plan for my 29 gal... Some combination of Rams, Rainbowfish, and cats/cories/algae eaters. Possibly a Gourami or 2 if there's enough room. Or a larger cat.

Comments? Which would be a good starter fish (and plant) for cycling?

I'm not going to mess with an ongoing chemical treatment to change the pH. I'm just going to have to get fish that are compatible with pH 8.

 

[Menagerie]

Have a look at this article: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=101
It discusses pH and specifically

If you want to keep trickier fishes like Discus, Rams or certain anabantoids, it might be necessary to change the pH and hardness before buying fish. Always ask your retailer about their water when getting new stock for your tank.

Using driftwood, which you can buy at the LFS will, over time, lower your pH.
I would caution against a larger catfish--this is from a post by RogerMcAllen:

In general, a cat is omnivorous and will eat anything that will fit into it's mouth. Mine takes flakes, floating pellets, sinking carnivore pellets, FD bloodworms, and anything else I put in there. It is always good to have a nice variety. They are very fond of small fish, so make sure any tankmates are bigger than the mouth or 2/3 the lenght of the fish. Another option is rounded fish, like a silver dollar or most ciclids. That is a very hard shape to swallow so they are usually left alone.

Do your research, talk to the LFS about their water parameters and choose wisely. Most of all—Have fun!

 

[Menagerie]

Here is a site that lists a bunch of cories--you can click on a cory and see its "needs"
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1161

In the post "Would this be a good set up form my 10 gal?" someone has a pH of 8 and was getting advice on what type of fish there.
HTH

 

[mgkaelen]

rams are GREAT fish. i hear that they can be difficult/finnicky, but i haven't run into the problem personally.... i think part of it is that i didn't realize that they were finnicky at first. it didn't lead me to freak out and constantly try to make sure that my tank was okay (which it was obviously because they didn't die) --- but they are BEAUTIFUL, a PERFECT size for a 29 gallon in my opinion, and they are just so good all around. i also have 2 gold gourami's and i love them too. they are so pretty... there are a LOT of other kinds of gourami's that are pretty as well. i really like the albino paradise ones.. they are all white and they have a lot of pink on them . i cycled my tank with tetras and then i returned them to the store i would NOT recommend doing neon tetras as a fwe will die off (i hear they aren't the most hardy of tetras) --- i did mine with silver tipped tetras. danios are also a good fish to cycle. if you plan to have a school in your tank at all, you can probably buy them and have them cycle your tank. returning fish can be tough (i became attached to my fish even though they were only tetras!) . well this post has been long. ha ha. bye!

 

[Allivymar]

I love my rams. That being said, my tanks run around 6.0 pH; I wouldn't subject em to a pH over 7.0. And my first batch of rams (Germans and Bolivians) all keeled; they can be pretty sensitive to disease.

With a pH of 8.0, I suggest sticking with fish that are compatible. Do you know what your water hardness is (did I miss it?). If the water is hard as well, you might want to look into Mbunas (african Lake Malawi cichlids) as you were considering. shawmutt did a great setup with a 55g; you may want to msg him and see if he has any suggestions.