Basic questions I can't find answers for. *newbie*

[reignman40]

I am new to the fishkeeping hobby and I have been very diligent so far in regards to the unsurmountable amount of research I have done. But I am running into some questions I can't seem to find answers to.

I plan on getting at least a 40-50 gall Freshwater tank. I have done a lot of research and I really want to go with a live planted aquarium. The fish I'm leaning towards getting are as follows:
Violet Goby (1)
Bala Shark
Red-tailed Black Shark (1)
Possibly:
Angelfish
Tiger Barbs
Clown Loach
Corydoras (I hope that's right)

My biggest issue I am running into is how many could I get? I don't want to overstock the tank so I wish to leave room for them to develope some as I cannot right now afford a larger tank. Which leads to my second question...

Does anyone know how quickly these fish will grow? I need to know the time frame I may be looking at before having to buy a larger tank to house the fish that will get too large for the 40-50 gall.

Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone out there notices something wrong with my planned fish as far as compatibility issues, or just overall advice I may have missed, please let me know. I have done a lot of research but may have missed something. My brain is filling up quickly here.

Thanks in advance,
Curtis

 

[LogJam]

Well, I'm new as well. I know bala sharks get large, but I am not sure how much tank you need for them. I'm sure others will answer that.

I do know that tiger barbs are fin nippers, and would harass the long fins of the angels you are considering.

I thought the goby can be an easy target for more aggressive fish - maybe the Tiger Barb or Red-tailed shark - and can get up to 2 feet in length. I read you need at least an 80 gallon tank for them!

Corys are probably the most peaceful fish you can get. I love 'em!

Kind Regards,
LogJam

 

[WinterWind]

I think you should go with a 55 gallon, since they have a good size and are very easy to find and set up. They are also a bit larger than 40-50 gallons and that might give you a few more choices.

First off, I don't think you should keep clown loaches. They can get up to a foot long and need to be in groups, so in a 55 gallon they will be quite crowded. Cories will be a better idea, or you can get dwarf chain loaches or zebra loaches. The dwarf chain are small loaches but very interesting to watch. The zebra loaches get around 4-5 inches max. All need groups to be happy.

Like mentioned already, a bala shark will not do well in that size tank. I heard of people keeping them in 180 gallons, and yet they still got too big.

Good luck with your tank.

 

[phanmc]

Don't know much about the violet goby so can't help ya there.

Bala sharks can get to be a ft long and are schooling fishes, a 75 gallon tank with a long footprint should be the minimum tank size IMO.

A red tail shark grows to about 6" and are territorial, only 1 per tank.

Angels can grow to about 6-7" and form mating pairs, you can probably fit 2 pairs in a 50 gallon though they will become aggressive when spawning.

Tiger barbs are notorious fin nippers and I'd keep them away from the angels. They also require a school of at least 6.

Clown loaches can grow to be over a foot long, they are also schooling fishes and are not recommended in a tank less than 100 gallons.

There are several different species of corydoras, all of them are very peaceful. They are schooling fishes as well and are much more active in groups of 6 or more.

A fish's growth rate is heavily dependent on the amount of food you give them. Feed them more than once a day and they will quickly reach their full size in a year or sooner.

Personally, I would drop the balas and clown loaches from the list unless I was planning to upgrade to a 100+ tank within a year.

 

[reignman40]

I was sort of afraid I would get that answer. I was really wanting the Bala Sharks. The Clown Loaches I pretty much thought would be too big. Possibly just go with the Zebra Loaches instead. The Tiger Barbs came into mind mainly because I hear a lot of people keep them in community aquariums that have the red-tailed shark. But I may get something different as I really wanted the Angelfish and don't need that to become a problem.

As far as the Goby I know that thing will get from what I read up to 14-15" and will eventually need a bigger tank. Again that's one of those ones I REALLY wanted but I also don't want an overcrowding issue.

So far then my revised planning would be:
4 Angelfish
1 Red-tailed Black Shark
1 Violet Goby
4 Corydoras
3 Zebra Loaches
and Live Plants

Is this too many fish for a 40 gall? 50 gall?
I REALLY love the shark looking fish. Can anyone think of another fish of that type/look that would go well in this tank?

Thanks again everyone,
Curtis

 

[Holly9937]

The balas are cool fish, I have a few myself (in a 180 gallon). I would not go less than 125 gallons for them they not only get big, they are very fast and active swimmers and can spook easily. Plus they grow pretty quickly. Have you ever seen scissortail rasboras? It is a bit of a stretch to say they look like balas, but they are silvery, and very pretty under the right light. They also are schooling fish and keep together pretty well, unlike some of the tetras I have that are "supposedly" schooling fish. I think they get to be around 5-6 inches (?). You might want to consider a school of some sort of tetra as opposed to the barbs, since you're set on the angels. Most of them don't pick on other fish too much, especially if you get 6+

 

[Candycat21]

The Violet Goby is a big no. They are brackish water fish (mix of saltwater and fresh water) and dont do well at all in freshwater tanks for a long period of time. And if kept in the proper tank conditions and fed regularly, they can grow fairly quickly...a 2 ft fish doesn't belong in a 40-50 gallon tank IMO
The 4 Angels sound good as well as the corys and zebra loaches. I would maybe add 2 more cories to make it 6.
The red-tailed shark should be okay. Make sure you dont add another shark of the same or similar species as they tend to be aggressive and harrass each other.
I have Serpae tetras and rummynose tetras in with my Angels and they both keep to themselves. The serpaes are a nice red and look good in a large school.
With the angels, if you end up with a pair or who knows, maybe even two pairs...like was mentioned earlier, they will be very aggressive. I lost one full size angel to a breeding pair from their constant picking and chasing and harrassing. They can be relentless. Very nice fish though, so you would have to be prepared to deal with that situation if it does happen to come up. I wouldn't worry about it until it happens though....just be prepared for anything

 

[reignman40]

Yeah I just figured out before I read your response Candycat that the Violet Goby would not work in freshwater.

Anyone have any suggestions for a cool "eel" like freshwater I could get that would work well?

Also for the 40-50 gal size is this too much?

Thanks

 

[LogJam]

Maybe a khuli loach? That is eel-like and doesn't get too big. They are very fun to watch, but are more nocturnal, I believe.

Kind Regards,
LogJam

 

[firefly]

Good for you for doing research before buying! That's always a good thing, especially with live animals. You've already learned that violet gobies are out, and that balas and clown loaches will get too large. (you could do some clown loaches in a 65g tank, but it would be pushing it...).

So, as for an eel-like fish, I'd go with Kuhli loaches. They are a great fish, don't get too large, and are very peaceful. You would want several of them though (say five or six) as they tend to hide a lot if they don't have company. They prefer a sandy bottom and will burrow in the sand. I am doing a planted tank set-up with a sand bottom myself, and may do some kuhlies in there. (don't use an aragonite sand for saltwater though, this buffers the PH to a higher level than angels or plants need, and will burn the plants..)

I would do about six Kuhlis, and few angels (maybe three). If you like the black/silver look of balas, you could do lampeye tetras. The body shape is a bit stockier, but they're a pretty black/silver and stay small. You could do a nice sized school of about ten of those. I love cory cats, but they don't tend to mix well with loaches (esp. larger ones) as they are both bottom dwellers. I would not do the tiger barbs, as they are likely to shred the fins of the angel fish. But, Kuhlis, lampeyes and Angels would make a nice tank. The Kuhlis are most commonly a brown/black stripe, but can also be found in solid black. That would make a nice tank, and you could probably also have a rainbow or red-tail shark (just one), and if you keep up on regular water changes and have good filtration it should be o.k.
I'd start everyone out in the large (50g tank, though you could probably find a 55g easier and cheaper), and let them grow up together. This should prevent problems between the angels and the tetras. I'd also do a fishless cycle using ammonia so that you can add all your fish at once. What sort of filtration are you planning? Are you going to use CO2 for the plants? You could have a nice piece of planted driftwood for decor along with the other plants, and it would look very nice! Just be sure to provide ample swimming room for the tetras and angels.

Emily