Rate My Fish Tank

Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:56 pm GMT   Reply      

I've got a 25 gal Tall tank that I just started cycling. This is my first attempt at a tank and so I would like to see what people think of my idea for stocking the tank (once it's done cycling of course). Currently there are 3 fish that I would really like to get. I'm thinking a Clown Plecostomus for my 2nd fish. After that I'd like to add a Red Tailed Black Shark and finally an Odessa Barb. First of all I need to know if that combination would work. From what I've found it seems that the Shark and Barb are both territorial and aggressive, but tend to work with other fish of different species as long as they are similar in size.

To start the tank though I'd like to introduce 3 hardy schooling fish that prefer the middle or top of the tank. I need help in this area because I don't have any specific species in mind. From what I can tell it will most likely be difficult to find a species that would flourish, due to the aggressive nature of the fish I plan on introducing later.

Are there any livebearers that would be good? From my research if I get two females and a male they should start producing frys fairly early on. I'm not opposed to nature taking its course so if the parents, and later the other fish were to eat them I would not be too heart broken. Also if some were to reach maturity there are multiple stores nearby that I could sell them to for credit.

I'm thinking about possibly going with Giant Danios in the hope that their larger size would deter the other fish from attacking them. I'm worried though that such large fish would not work out well in the constraints of the tank.

Finally are there any non fish animals that might work in this sort of tank? I like the blue lobsters, but from what I've found they would not work in a set up like this, so I'm thinking about African frogs or some sort of larger shrimp.

Thank you ahead of time for any help.

Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:44 am GMT   Reply      

The Shark, Pleco and Giant Danios will all get too big for a 25 gallon.

You said that you wanted to start with a "hardy" fish? You could go with some zebra danios, the danios are about as hardy as they come. You could also try white clouds which are similar to danios and just as hardy. IMO I would stay away from the shark (in a 25 gallon) it's just too small of a tank (sorry)

Some good livebearers would be either guppies or platies. They both get along great in most community tanks and have a variety of different colors to choose from. I would go with at least 3 females for every male. I would look at oto's cats in plance of the pleco. Oto's are great little algae eaters and they stay very small. Again this is just my opinion.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:28 pm GMT   Reply      

I bleive The Red Tailed Shark, Clown Plecostomous and Giant Danios only grow to about 4". I understand that mass plays a part, but the Shark and Plecostomous are pretty slender. As far as the Giant Danios go though, I think I would prefer to go with something a little samller, as long as the shark or barb wouldn't be a big threat to them.

Thank you for the suggestions though, I will look into the Otos for sure. I'm not at all opposed to ideas regarding the pleco, I just want an interesting algae eater that will stay around 4". As for the Guppies and Platies, which types would be able to handle an aggressive barb or shark?

Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:40 am GMT   Reply      

True they only get about 4-5 inches but that's pretty big for a 25 gallon. You could manage w/the shark/danio/plec but you wouldn't have much more room for anything else. Maybe a small school of barbs?

I think Platies would probably be okay. You could also look at swordtails, they're a specific kind of platies that can hold thier own in a tank with sharks ( I would only get 1 male swordtail) if you decide to go that route. Hope this helps!

Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:15 pm GMT   Reply      

Well, I think I'm dead set against the shark now, but I'm still wondering about the Odessa Barb. One reccomendation I got was to get three Odessa Barbs, and then one other school of similar sized fish (Mollies, Swordtails, or Dwarf Gouramis) and a small clown or bristlenose pleco. Personally I like that idea. Does that sound legititamate?

Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:48 am GMT   Reply      

Most of the fish you have mentioned I have no experience with, but have you checked the compatability chart here on the site? It isn't law, but a nice rule of thumb IMO.

Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:51 pm GMT   Reply      

You wouldnt be able to have a school of Dwarf Gouramis unless they were female. Ive got only one male in my 30 gal.

Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:59 pm GMT   Reply      

Plecostomus produce an enormous amount of waste, that plays a significant part in the size of tank they need. Also, the shark being so territorial, they need more space than a typical 4" fish. I've had red-tailed sharks, love 'em, but they do need their space, lots of it.

Z

Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:00 pm GMT   Reply      

If I'm not too late I'll give you a few suggestions as well ^^

The types of fish you mentioned off first are not all bad choices. Though the plec and silver dollar may not fit the shark is still alright if you don't mind not have as many fish in the tank. If you want to put like one shark in with about 3 - 4 Barbs that would actually probably be alright.

With territorial fish its all about how you set up the tank. You have to provide tons of hiding spaces and occasionally move things around to mix up the territorial markers. Some territorial fish have something called acquired territory syndrome. I believe that's what I think its called anyways. Its when a fish becomes to used to the territory marker that they try and expand to more parts of the tank putting the rest of the fish at risk. It's best to move things around frequently so that they do not get attached to the same territory. This is also a great thing to use when introducing new fish to the tank especially with territorial fish.

If you decide to go against barbs and sharks later on, you can try other types. Gourami's make great additions to a tank though they also like to have their own territories. Another option can be smaller schooling fish. Danio's and Platy's are nice. These types of fish tend to stay near the middle or top of the tank and fill it out well.

For the bottom of the tank, if you would like a few fish, I would recommend corydora's. These fish like to be in a school together and it makes them feel safe. They are very peaceful and fun to watch while they search the floor of the tank for scraps of food. Just remember if you decide on these guys to feed them like regular fish too because they can't live off the scraps of other fish alone.