Which of these fish need friends???

[spoonman]

Over the past few months I have accumulated quite a menagerie of fish in my 6' 84G community tank. I am looking for opinions on what species I should add numbers to. I dont want to add any species, just plus up the numbers of the species I already have. I realize that eventually some of the fish will have to be moved to a bigger tank (the balas) but for now they all get along and are going to stay. So give me some ideas on which species I should plus up and how many I should add of each. Here is the present stocking:

4 Large Angels
2 Bala Sharks 3"
3 Clown Loaches 2"
2 small breed plecos
2 zebra danios
2 pictus catfish
1 twinbarb platy
1 neon tetra (been in the tank over a year)
1 redeye tetra

Thanks for your help. I know some of these shouldnt get along, but they do. That neon was one of the first in the tank.

 

[crusch]

Over the past few months I have accumulated quite a menagerie of fish in my 6' 84G community tank. I am looking for opinions on what species I should add numbers to. I dont want to add any species, just plus up the numbers of the species I already have. I realize that eventually some of the fish will have to be moved to a bigger tank (the balas) but for now they all get along and are going to stay. So give me some ideas on which species I should plus up and how many I should add of each. Here is the present stocking:

4 Large Angels
2 Bala Sharks 3"
3 Clown Loaches 2"
2 small breed plecos
2 zebra danios
2 pictus catfish
1 twinbarb platy
1 neon tetra (been in the tank over a year)
1 redeye tetra

Thanks for your help. I know some of these shouldnt get along, but they do. That neon was one of the first in the tank.

I've read that the pictus cats as well as the clown loaches should be in groups of 3 or more. I had 1 clown loach for a long time, I never really got to see him much. Than I gave him to my gf and she got 2 more and now they are out all the time!

 

[spoonman]

My pictus are totally nocturnal. The clowns are out all day digging in the gravel for food.

 

[kaiofcanada]

Ohhh sppon....I vote that you give that singleneon tetra some friends. For the loveof all schooling fish. hahaha

Oh wait...large angels...they don't eat the single guy I guess?

Otherwise...I also vote in kind for friends for the redeye tetra and a couple more zebra danios. See if you can find the long finned variety.

 

[spoonman]

I agree on the neon, redeye and the danios... How many do you think? BTW, most of these are rescues, thus the odd numbers....

 

[kaiofcanada]

yay for rescues!!!! I do rescues too...and adoptions.

Lemme see...not sure what colours your angels are in the tank. But I always like having a little colour in my tanks. I vote you get 5 neons, 4 redeyes and 1 or 3 more danios...and 2 more twinbarb platys.

 

[spoonman]

I will have to get big neons. I think small ones would be in danger from the angels, balas or the pictus....LOL. I will try to find some larger ones. The angels are: 1 large yellow, 2 large all black and one large marble.

 

[beglely]

Im surprised the pictus havent made a meal of your neons. During my first aquarium venture at the beginning of the year I made the fatal mistake of mixing neons with a pictus...suffice to say he appreciated the live food.

 

[spoonman]

I dont know why they havent eaten this lone neon. This is why I havent added more until now. I have been afraid to. My pictus are bout 4-5" long too. I will have to get the biggest neons I can find. I will definitely get them when they go on sale, in case they do become food. LOL

 

[kaiofcanada]

ok ok...I would feel bad about adding the neons now...I am voting for the platy expansion instead as well as the danios and the red eye tetra. I think even big neons might end up as lunch sooner or later lol

 

[spoonman]

Could bolivian rams survive in this tank? My LFS friend got some and is giving them to me if I want them. Is this not a good mix for them?

 

[DizzCat]

Could Bolivian rams survive in this tank?

Sure I had 2 Angles in with my Rams at one time. I had to give the angels to the lfs because they got too big for the tank. The Rams claimed the bottom spaces and the Angels the top half. The only one I have no experience with is the Bala Sharks.

I say up your numbers of Danios. You can easily do 10 in that tank! They are so busy all the time and cruise back and forth along the top half of the tank. I really like mine better than the tetras, who seem to just hang out in the back behind plants all the time. I have a mix of Zebra and Leopard Danios in my Ram tank.

 

[spoonman]

I knew I shouldnt have started this thread. I went to give the tank some bloodworms last night for a treat before bedtime and cant find the neon. Looked again this morning and he is gone. I cant believe it!!! He was one of the first in that tank and now hes gone. I am going to add some danios, redeyes, platys and some of the bolivian rams I think over the next month or so. Thanks for all the input. RIP little neon. I KNOW IT WAS YOU MR. PICTUS. YOU DONT FOOL ME!! FISH ARE FRIENDS****NOT FOOD*****

 

[JPKeenan]

Plateys are fun!

Funny thing is the Zebra Danio in my one tank are more aggressive towards each other than the CAE is??!?!

 

[kaiofcanada]

I knew I shouldnt have started this thread. I went to give the tank some bloodworms last night for a treat before bedtime and cant find the neon. Looked again this morning and he is gone. I cant believe it!!! He was one of the first in that tank and now hes gone. I am going to add some danios, redeyes, platys and some of the bolivian rams I think over the next month or so. Thanks for all the input. RIP little neon. I KNOW IT WAS YOU MR. PICTUS. YOU DONT FOOL ME!! FISH ARE FRIENDS****NOT FOOD*****

ohhh...bad bad Mr Pictus! Sorry spoon...guess I should have cheered louder for the little neon.

My angels apparently ate my new juvenile SAE's while I was on vacation. grrrr RIP little simaese dudes. I guess you didn't stand a chance.

 

[mom2reds]

neon are said to be natural prey for angle fish. I would say that I would up the platys and the tetras

 

[spoonman]

Mr/Mrs Platy is now dead also. I saw some red streaks developing on it a little too late. I believe it succumbed to septicemia. I did pick up 6 boliviam rams from my LFS guy for $4.99 ea. Now I am just going to get a few more redeye tetra and a few more danios and be done with that tank for a while. Am setting up my 29G for a growout tank for my cichlids. Gonna see if I can save some of the next batch of fry.

 

[mom2reds]

cool be sure to post pics, I love boliviam rams but my LFS never has them, and the owner says that he can't get a good source for them and they always die along with rummy nose tetras, and these are two of my fav. fish

 

[cwt]

Danios will be aggressive and nippy in small groups (single, or 2 or 3 of them). Should keep more than 6 in a tank to keep them happy.

You have so many cleaner fish already, why not some mid-top tank types, like some oddball tetras (any kind but the neons)... AFTER topping up the danio count.

 

[spoonman]

gonna do 4 or 5 more redeye and zebras. Ideas???? My wife just called and one of my balas is swimming around the tank with one of my new bolivian rams in its mouth. I am very angry at this point. And nervous about other fish now.