Types of fish to put in tank!

With my entire convict tank extincted, I am going to remove my ropefish and put some new fish in the 48 gallon tank. Since this one is my father's and my tank I can't buy a new oscar and so we have to come to a compromise. This compromise is that this new tank is going to be the complete opposite of the aggressive convict tank and is now going to be a very peaceful tropical freshwater community tank. I already know that we agreed on two german/blue rams, but we don't know what else. Any advice. He is definetly thinking about cardinals, neons and pearl gouramis but that is not final. However, he wants colorful, peaceful and attractive fish, like the ram.

 

Read the post Tropical Freshwater Fish...put some of those fish in except the Discus.

 

Yeah that post has a lot of info in it about tropical freshwater fish. You should get a few clowloaches no-matter what!

 

yeah clown loaches are the best, though be careful at times, though they will match with any fish sometimes a grown tiger barb isnt the best of ideas, my friends loach was killed by one.

 

I'd go for the rams, rummy nose tetras, cochus blue tetras, and maybe a couple of angelfish. Also a few clown loaches for the bottom. I think that would be a very attractive tank

Or, to do things on a bigger scale. Maybe some congo tetras, lemon tetras, and bolivian rams.

 

I wanted clowns, but I thought that they get very big?

 

Yes, clown loaches get around 10" but they are extremely slow growing. I know someone who has a 7 year old loach that is only 6" (and it's in a big tank so it's not sunted).

So eventually you'll have to find them a bigger home, but it will take several years.

-Chelle

 

How much space do clowns need? Also, I would love those cochus blue tetras but I doubt any of the lfs around me will carry them. I wonder if Big Al's does?

 

Also, I would probaly have gotten an angel but aren't they aggressive, I don't like them, I think they lack personality and/or uniqueness. Also, the ones I have seen, seem to have very little color. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Koi angels can be very colorful. There are also, silver w/stripes, solid silvers, blacks, golds and mixed orange, black and white types. Not to mention the different types of finnage that are available now. I know someone on another forum that has six black veil tail angels along with several koi angels; they are so pretty!

Angels aren't aggressive at all, occassionally they can be a little territorial when they get bigger but no more aggressive than rams. Personally, if I had only ever seen the small angels inside the lfs' then I would never want any either but they really are beautiful as grown ups. Just don't keep them with neons and they'll be fine (they eat neons in the wild).

I had a pair of angels as a kid and they were the fish who had the most personality in our tank. It was also lots of fun to watch them lay eggs ALL THE TIME!

Anyway, that's just my experience with them. If you don't care for them I wouldn't want to try and push them on you

 

3 full grown clowns would need about 100 gallons. I think 3 clowns should be okay in the 40 gallon until they are roughly 5" or 6".

-Chelle

 

But, could I mix the angels with cardinals, cause I think it is a must for my father to have cardinals or neons and would a pearl gourami be safe, cause some look very nice.

 

Yep add the cardinals first and then the angels. Get small angels to start with. They should get on fine with a pearl gourami

 

Iight, thanks. So far I going to see what my father has to say, cause so far for the 48 gallon we are going to put 2 rams, 3 clown loaches, 1 angelfish, 1 pearl gourami af few cardinals and a couple cochus blue tetras if I could find any (cause I doubt my lfs carries them). Do the cochus blue tetras go under another name and are they common? Also, how does this stocking sound so far?

 

Well, maybe you would want some rainbowfishes, even though they can get quite large..Best of luck..

 

What is the general rule of thumb of how many fish you can keep in a fish tank, because the one inch rule applies only to fish up to 4 inches?

 

try a couple of angels

 

For larger fish, it's best to just do some research. Do a google search and find about 5 or 6 sites that list a recomended tank size. You should be able to get a good idea between that and a little common sense (for example, this site: http://www.petfish.net/Iridescent_Shark.htm, says that 20 gallons is the minimum tank size for an iridescent shark. It should be a no brainer that a 3' - 4' fish is NOT going to be able to live in a 20 gallon tank).

-Chelle

 

Alright, thanks!

 

some people are real idiots and just say wrong info. i went to walmark and asked how big of a tank 1 would need and the fish were 1". i learned this from Tina1... the person said 1g. i just left the store and haven returned since :wink: