New Guy / New Tank

[Miles69]

Hi,
Brand new here, and glad I found this fourm. My goal is to kill the least amount of fish ..and gain the most amount of enjoyment from this new addiction.
After looking around a bit it seems that I found the right place.

I just purchased a used Ocianic 40 gal strech Hex aquarium for just $20. What a deal you say..
Well as most of you know, some $300 + later I have all, or most, of t what is needed. So now I have it setup, cycled, and stable with 6 Tiger Barbs dashing about.
So I have some questions about fish I want to add. Searching thru the internet I stumbled across what was a community 6 environment which is is made up of mainly semi-agressive fish plus some maintenance fish.

So along with my 6 Tiger Barbs I made a posible shopping list looking like this.
I know there are more than my tank can support, but if some of you could help me with the list I would be thankfull.
Shopping Cart





ImageItem DescriptionQuantityUpdatePriceTotal46400 - PANDA CORYDORAS CATFISH$6.29$18.8762510 - RED TAIL SHARK S.$3.49$3.4966700 - SILVER DOLLAR$4.99$9.9862320 - RAINBOW SHARK M.$4.99$4.9921500 - BLUE GOURAMI$3.49$13.9622200 - GOLD GOURAMI$3.39$13.5662024 - BALA SHARK M.$4.99$4.9934030 - GERMAN BLUE RAM$8.99$8.9990127 - B.B. ORNATUS CICHLID$5.99$5.9992360 - ACEI CICHLID$2.99$2.9947005 - COMMON PLECOSTOMUS S.$2.99$2.99

[Miles69]

M<y shopping list got jumbled up but I think you can see what I'm looking at.
Thanks in advance.

[stevenallenbarnard]

all in all I'd say that that's too many fish for a 40g. Personally, you have some good choices but I would drop the acei cichlid, the ornatus cichlid, all three of the sharks, and switch the common pleco with a bristlenose or something that gets smaller. I'd also add a dinosaur bichir for the oddball affect. you've got some good choices though. welcome to the box.

[imagirlgeek]

Welcome to the Box!

Considering that your tiger barbs are the first group in the tank, it's going to be a little harder to add new guys in...not impossible...you'll just likely see more aggression from the barbs since they've established their territory.

Red-tailed Shark/Rainbow Shark -- Good with barbs. Occupy different area in the tank, and are equally aggressive.
Bala Shark -- NO. Will outgrow your tank, plus do much better if kept in groups.
Cory --Would also be okay with barbs, but make sure to get a group and only if you don't get the sharks. The cories and the sharks occupy the same areas.

All the cichlids will become too aggressive. If you want to do cichlids, you should do ALL cichlids. Otherwise you're looking at some pretty significant bullying and death. And if you are going to keep Silver Dollars, definitely don't go with cichlids....Silver Dollars are shy and skittish, I imagine the cichlids would stress them out horribly.

Gouramis are fairly slow-moving so the barbs might get nippy with them.

The common pleco will outgrow your tank fairly fast, bristlenose are my choice.

Just my thoughts...nothing more. Enjoy!

[wesleydnunder]

all in all I'd say that that's too many fish for a 40g. Personally, you have some good choices but I would drop the acei cichlid, the ornatus cichlid, all three of the sharks, and switch the common pleco with a bristlenose or something that gets smaller. I'd also add a dinosaur bichir for the oddball affect. you've got some good choices though. welcome to the box.

I concur, except for the bichir. I wouldn't add one to this tank.

Mark

[Darbex]

I would have to agree if you want barbs in the tank I would do barbs and maybe the small sharks. Or you could go tetras with rams. The 40G would be too small for your list. I also agree with others to go with BN plecos and not common plecos. By the way welcome to the box.

[fishboyt]

Welcome! I agree with what everyone else said.

[Zulaab]

Welcome to the Houston Fish Box :)

With what you have already.. I would pick up a group of 6 cory's, 3 Bristlenose Pleco's... get them young and small. (ask around here.. we have plenty of breeders of them)
I would spend some time planting up the tank so there is a good amount of growing so when you add anyone else not listed above, they will have places to hide and move around and can hide from the barbs incase they get aggressive.

I think everyone here has given you a good start to work on :)

Again welcome to the Houston fish box !

Jesper

[Miles69]

I knew that I Had listed too many fish on my shopping list, and I can't thank you all enough for your help. So what I'm going to try is:
4 Panda Corys
2 Silver Dollars
2 Blue Gouramis
2 Gold Gouramis
2 Blue Rams
1 Clown Pleco

What does that sound like, Also just a note. I got the Tigers to start my new tank, and read that when in groups of 5 or more they dend to stay to them selves.. We will see.

[CichlidFan]

Howdy.......got enough advice yet? :)

Welcome to the box....

CF

[Mzungu]

4 Panda Corys
2 Silver Dollars
2 Blue Gouramis
2 Gold Gouramis
2 Blue Rams
1 Clown Pleco

What does that sound like, Also just a note. I got the Tigers to start my new tank, and read that when in groups of 5 or more they dend to stay to them selves.. We will see.

I, personally, would ditch the silver dollars and add a few more panda cories. Everything else looks good. Although I, uh, seventh the advice of other to go with bristlenose plecos. They're extremely hard-working, and you can get them from numerous people here on HFB.

Tiger barbs do tend to be less nippy in a larger group, but I've also found that the first group of fish in a tank can tend to get a bit territorial, no matter what species. But, your wish list fish will be fine with them. (I have a group of 8 year old tetras that rival cichlids in their aggressiveness, lol.)

Welcome to HFB!

[Miles69]

I ran a search but did not come up with any recent seller for the bristlenose plecos..
Also does anyone have experiance with Ultimate Fish on 2920 in Spring. It seems to be the closest non-petsmart type of location.
Again thanks to everyone for their help.

[FuzzyDragon09]

I'd also add a dinosaur bichir for the oddball affect.

-1

I concur, except for the bichir. I wouldn't add one to this tank.

+1 For the tankmates you are planning on and the size of the tank, I would not get a Polypterus senegalus senegalus. BUT if in the future you want to set up another tank and have a couple of them, I would do some research first.

This page has the best information for them: LINK. Just read all of the stickies.

BTW Welcome to The Box! I think it's everyone's goal to have their fish live a long time. This is a great site and there are alot of knowledgeable and experienced keepers on here.

[Airjammer]

Welcome to the box!! If these folks can't answer your questions, NO ONE CAN!!!

[Zulaab]

From your location I take it you are up on the north east side of town.
Ultimate is one of your closest locations, but for what you are looking for this might not be the right store for you. If you have the capabilities to do so I would recommend strongly a trip down to the southwest side of town.
There are MANY stores there that will have what you are looking for at a lot less than what Petsmart / Petco is going to have in stock.

Someone else will need to jump in here to give a good location near you who will stock what you are looking for because I personally am more into other kinds of fish that neither petco/petsmart sells therefore the only thing I can recommend is area stores closers to me, which would be City Pets, Xtreme, HAW Fish Gallery, Fish Ranch II, all stores located on the Southwest side of town.