Fish selection and specs for new 100 gallon tank

[Heady]

I bought 5 young balas (5") to go in my 55 gallon tank on the advice in Baensch's Aquarium Atlas. BIG mistake. Turns out they need more space because they're so active. So, instead of getting rid of the balas, I'm ditching the 55 and setting up a new 100 gallon acrylic tank (60" long x 18" deep x 20" tall). :D

Stand and Canopy: DIY, 4x4 and 2x4 base structure covered with maple plywood and hardwood molding. Honey colored gel stain.
Lighting: 2-2x55W compact fluorescents from AH Supply.
Substrate: Onyx sand (9 bags).
No CO2: Which many say is a mistake. (I may be swayed seeing as how I've already spent $1200... I mean, who needs to eat?? )
Misc. driftwood and maybe some rocks.
Plants: As many as I can fit. Sorry but I'm still learning plant ID... Cabomba and java fern already purchased, plus an as-yet unidentified stem plant that looks a little like really tall clover with roots sprouting out from each set of leaves. I will also be adding a short foreground plant, species as yet undecided (dwarf hairgrass??). I want more plants but am not sure which ones or how many yet.

All supplies are already sitting in my living room. I'm currently varnishing the stand and then I'll put together the lighting. I will be setting up the tank this weekend, and transferring all the fish from the 55 gallon to the 100 gallon right away. (I've been cycling my new Eheim 2028 on my 55 gallon for 3 weeks.)

In addition to the balas, I already have one 12" pleco. I want to add at least 5 corydoras sterbai in a couple of weeks. I would also like to take advantage of the sand substrate and get some kind of burrowing loach. Would kuhlis get eaten by the balas when they're full grown?

Any suggestions on alternate loach species (if not kuhlis), or input on whether having burrowing loaches is a good idea at all in a heavily planted aquarium?

Also, any suggestions for additional fish? I'm partial to fish that are peaceful but have interesting "personalities" or quirky habits.

[Richer]

I hate to say this... but imo, I don't think a 100 gallon tank is large enough for 5 bala sharks. In fact, I personally don't think bala sharks should be sold as aquarium fish to begin with. They can grow to be somewhat large, and really really need their swimming space. I suppose your setup will work for the time being, but its not ideal.
If you can, see if you can bring your sharks in for store credit... there are many other fish out there that will work in a tank like yours, and look just as nice as a bala.

HTH
-Richer

[optix]

He's right. Bala's can grow to be 1 1/2 to 2 feet long, and 5 of those in a 60x18. Thats not adequate

[Heady]

Balas don't get more than 12-14". Minimum tank size recommendations range from 55 gallons to 70 gallons depending on where you look; mine is a 100 gallon. I'll be keeping them. Anyway thanks for your input.

Anyone with species suggestions?

[beviking]

Sorry Heady, it's late for me and no species suggestions as of yet. I DO want to see some pics of your set up though, sounds awesome. busy with work now but if I brainstorm some sp.'s I'll post later. They would be smaller fish since I prefer smaller fish b/c you can fit more in and it gives the illusion of more space. Whatever you do, I'm sure it will look great! Good luck!!

[andruboz]

the balas will want open water for swimming so with all the dough spent on plant growing lights, i would plant clumps like the infield of a nascar track. that way the balas have open water in front and back.

wont a small burrowing loach get confused with a huge pleco dropping when vaccuming gravel? i rather like the weather loach
but it gets up to 8". anything in the 2" range looking like a worm will probably end up bala food.

the gold variety of the chinese algea eater is pretty neat looking.
might have a little difficulty with personality. i just bought one. now i cant find it. hope it wasnt a $3.99 dinner for somebody.

a school of 5 columbian tetras if you want a school that likes to hover and pose. or a school of 6 tiger barbs [ 2 normal, 2albino, 2 green] if you want to watch a bunch of fish constantly whup each others butts. both should be too tall or quick to fit in a bala's mouth until the balas are a 10-12" long.

and lastly some fat docile moderately colorful fish. if i say blood parrot, the crap hits the fan [this thread would get hijacked into an anti bp tirade] so i'll say a fish like a blood parrot. i just dont know what fish that is. anyone?

[nboylie]

Heady, I really think you should consider what these people have said to you about the bala's. I think the reccomendations you have heard about were for ONE I am thinking, and because that they like to school, you might be in trouble. and the plants might get destroyed too. Just a suggestion.



Stuff to go with them.. hmm clown loaches are nice, and as someone said maybe some tiger barbs?

[Heady]

I did consider what people told me when I had them in a 55, which is why I went to all the expense of buying a new 100 gallon ($1300, so far). Whether I'll be keeping the balas or not is not up for discussion. I'll be keeping them, period. Suggestions for making the best of the situation are welcomed.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6526&highlight=bala

BTW I'll be selling the giant danios to the fish store because one of them has been defending his chosen territory of the entire middle open area of the tank. (The balas have been hiding under the plants to keep from getting chased.)

andruboz, that is a good idea! Thanks for the input! Other ideas welcome...

[brianfl]

Has anyone ever seen a bala in captivity that is 1.5' or 2'? Most in captivity, even in ponds don't get over 12". Most well less than that. That is pretty much standard with all fish. No fish that I know of grows as big in captivity. The length is the important factor and 5' should be enough.

So should all fish that have the capability to grow larger than 12" be banned from sale? I don't think so.

[dbcb314]

yeah, gettem heady


yall worry too much about what fish will fish where instead of answering the question being asked. i think that will work find. let heady do what she wants.

a giant danio chasing away bala sharks? that funny

maybe you should try a banjo catfish or some other small catfish. alot of them burrow in the sand, and most getter bigger than loaches and they wont be confused with food

[Luca Brazzi]

And if they do get too big...

Grill Em!

Yum.

[Heady]

No kidding. Here's a pic of a full-grown bala from another forum:

[somefinnfishy]

First G danios are not a good mix with balas.Balas are very timid and the constant movement of the danios FREAKS them bad.
My sugestions for fish.Most of what I list I've had in a 150 worked/looked great.Plants were hard as I had plant eaters.
3- 6" balas, 20 congo tetras,two dwarf brissle nose plecos,5 long fin rosey barbs,trio of fist sized sevrums,ram variety and a black tail shark.
All of these fish work great with balas exept the rosys bit to active for some balas.
They will sell balas to guys with ten gallons and there they die!
What heady has done for the sharks is AWESOME IMO and IF they ever get a foot heady will up grade to a 220 I'm sure:D
BTW I work a big store and we never see big balas come in if they do they are worth money.

[Mr.Jingles]

that bala in the pic isnt more than 10 inches.

[andruboz]

i always saw skinny balas in lfs's. i had 3 in a 55 for a while and they had some serious meat on them. i traded them in at about 8 inches
and they were as fat as the one in the pic. the lfs had one sold the same day. the other one had a cloudy eye and sold in 3 days.

[Heady]

HEY GUYS here's an update!!

Starting at 7am, I didn't get the 55 torn down, the 55 re-set up at Mom's, and the 100 set up here and up and running until 11pm!!

That pleco was SERIOUSLY a bi*ch to move. Worse than last time, 3 years ago, when I moved from the apartment to the house. One of us was going to be seriously injured then I got lucky. Used a small net to scoot him into a cooler tray, slammed a tupperware lid on there, and used binder clips to keep him in there. They don't make tupperware big enough to hold this mother. He's almost 13" long and when his dorsal is raised he's about 3-4" tall. Pectoral to pectoral is something like 5". He put up a huge fight, it was a NIGHTMARE. I think the next time he leaves this tank it will have to be when he's cold & dead.

Anyway. I got 5 cory sterbai at a lfs on sale for $9.98 each, the best price I was able to find. The cories are schooling and going up and down, up and down all sides of the tank, and the balas are so cute, they are like kindergardeners holding hands - one will be in front, the next will be right behind, etc. - until they decide to stay in one spot for awhile. Then they all congregate together for a little bit then they single-file around the tank some more. Really really cute!

The pleco is NOT happy at all. Really striped and hardly ever comes out from under his driftwood. Oh well, he was like this last time I had to move him and he came out of it then. He'll be fine in a few days.

The Eheim was hard to set up in the SeaClear acrylic aquarium. The holes they make for you are not very conveniently placed for canister filtration. Anyway I got the 2028 set up and running, the 2213 I'll set up today or tomorrow on the other side of the tank. The Ebo-Jager heater is working and I'm debating whether I need to add the other one or not. Maybe I'll wait until the lights are set up and running before I decide if it needs more heat or not.

Anyway, I want to be careful about my next fish choices - I don't have a lot more space left for new fish (assuming 12" full size of the balas).

Any more suggestions would be great!! :)