What now

Well, after making a huge mistake about getting the wrong fish and having to take them all back to the shop, we dont want to make the same mistake again.

We've got a 100 litre tank, and it has got 10 Harlequin Rasboras in at the moment and the water is great.

What we want to do now is get some more fish but we want to get the right ones.

Which ones should we go for. We want fairly active ones, bit of colour, and definately dont want ones that will become aggressive or too big for the tank. Any ideas??

Hi Bravo..

How long has the tank been running?
How long have the harlies been in there?
When you say the water is 'great' what exactly are the readings for ammonia, pH, nitrIte & nitrAte?
What is your routine as regards water changes?

All of the above will help us to advise you further

Well you already have your shoaling fish so maybe go for something a bit larger such as Honey Gouramis that are colourful but peaceful. You could also add a Bristlenose plec (single individual) and/or Zebra loaches (at least 3) as bottomdwellers.

Livebearers such as platies, guppies, mollies or swordtails are usually considered "beginner fish" but you can get some lovely colourful varieties and, provided you have the correct ratio of 1 male:3 females, you shouldn't have any problem with aggression (famous last words!).

Only add 1-2 fish a week though to give your filters time to adjust and keep an eye on water quality by testing for ammonia and nitrite for 2-3 days after you've added the fish. Also, be aware with 10 fish already in the tank, you probably only have room for about 5-10 more depending on species size so choose wisely.

munchycarrot wrote:

Hi Bravo..

How long has the tank been running?
How long have the harlies been in there?
When you say the water is 'great' what exactly are the readings for ammonia, pH, nitrIte & nitrAte?
What is your routine as regards water changes?

All of the above will help us to advise you further

Hiya Munchy. Well the tank has been running for about4 or 5 months now. We did have fish in it but they were all bought out of ignorance and had to be returned to the shop before the bolshy oscar ate them all. We then got the harlies to keep the tank ticking over until we decided what else to get. They have been in about 3 weeks now. The water stats are 0 and the Nitrate is 15

Mary wrote:

Well you already have your shoaling fish so maybe go for something a bit larger such as Honey Gouramis that are colourful but peaceful. You could also add a Bristlenose plec (single individual) and/or Zebra loaches (at least 3) as bottomdwellers.

Livebearers such as platies, guppies, mollies or swordtails are usually considered "beginner fish" but you can get some lovely colourful varieties and, provided you have the correct ratio of 1 male:3 females, you shouldn't have any problem with aggression (famous last words!).

Only add 1-2 fish a week though to give your filters time to adjust and keep an eye on water quality by testing for ammonia and nitrite for 2-3 days after you've added the fish. Also, be aware with 10 fish already in the tank, you probably only have room for about 5-10 more depending on species size so choose wisely.

Do gourami's need anything special and are they a peaceful fish? We dont want to have a load of babies swilmming round so is it possible to have all males of these fish or does that cause problems?

Well Mary and MC got there first but, there are lots of fish to choose from but make sure as Mary said, only get a few at a time to make sure that the filter adjusts. Also choose you fish wisely to make sure that they will keep in your tanks limit. Including adult sizes! Good Luck

I think female guppies are great although they are not very colourful. They are a nice size and make a good presence in the tank. I have found that make plattys can be a bit aggressive if there is another male platty in the tank so would avoid that if I were you.

I think if youy get any female livebearers the chances are that you might end up with some fry, even if you havent bought a male to go with them. They are a tyoe of fish that only have to shake hands and they are pregnant! :lol:

Bravo wrote:

Do gourami's need anything special and are they a peaceful fish? We dont want to have a load of babies swilmming round so is it possible to have all males of these fish or does that cause problems?

surely all males is a bad idea? most men love the ladies

may i suggest plecs (unsure which type would be suitable for your tank) *help someone*

Swordtails - pinapple female swords tails look nice ratio 1m:2f

However the more i look at the cichlids the more I am drawn to the Rams also like the look of Viejita Dwarf Cichlids and Kribensis.

Some Cichlids can be aggressive

Please note i have very little knowledge atm of whats best with what so somone else may wanna give better advice

GeordieDave wrote:

surely all males is a bad idea? most men love the ladies

Indeed.

With gouramis, there's no danger of fry overload as you have to provide specific conditions for them to breed. Depending on the species, it's recommended to have one male to two females or just females. Keeping only males can lead to aggression as the lack of a lady will cause them to have territorial fights.

Rams are lovely fish, GD. I had four - a pair of Blue and a pair of Bolivians but alas, I only have one of each left. They're not a beginner fish but should only be added to a mature tank and one that has soft and neutral to slightly acidic water.

Also ask what water type the LFS is using too?

I am reading about cichlids and they all say to add to a "mature" tank (is that a time scale or after several fish death )

GeordieDave wrote:

I am reading about cichlids and they all say to add to a "mature" tank

One that has been fully cycled for at least six months.

o god i got a long wait then

GeordieDave wrote:

may i suggest plecs (unsure which type would be suitable for your tank) *help someone*

Good point GD, bristlenose plecs are suited to smaller tanks :lol: I'd go with 2 in a 100L

Well I have one BN in a 90L and he's very territorial so I'd only recommend two if it's a male-female pair.

GeordieDave wrote:

o god i got a long wait then

It's tough isn't it Always check with the fish info because some fish need mature tanks

Bravo, can I make a suggestion as someone who started with fish and had to return them to the lfs too?

Go for the basic normal uncomplicated community fish. You are juust learning the 'trade' (not being insulting I'm learning too) and I have found it reassuring to learn how to look after fish that are 'easy' to care for.

BN's are great little fish, and a lot of people seem to go for them, Harlies, Guppies, Mollies, Tetras, Barbs, all make a good show and give colour too.

Very good advice Fishfand and I agree completely. Once you're more confident in your abilities to care for the fish and maintain the tank, that's the time to start choosing the more specialist species which usually means another tank! :lol:

so that's how it started with you then Mary! :lol:

its how it started with everyone lol

Yes indeed. I thought I'd be happy with my 90L tank until I discovered that there were species that required a larger tank and so I stepped on that slippery slope of More Tank Syndrome/Bigger Tank Syndrome and never quite got off it again...:lol:

it is an addictive hobby. we all seem to become infected with the WAG's mentality - never satisfied with what we have and always wanting to go and spend money to get something else :lol:

ive managed to resist having my hair dyed blonde and getting breast implants though! :lol:

driver wrote:

>ive managed to resist having my hair dyed blonde and getting breast implants though! :lol:

Not this though

driver wrote:

it is an addictive hobby. we all seem to become infected with the WAG's mentality - never satisfied with what we have and always wanting to go and spend money to get something else :lol:

ive managed to resist having my hair dyed blonde and getting breast implants though! :lol:

We are an open minded lot on here driver, so please, if you ever succumb to that urge, feel free to talk about it on here. we are your friends

Yes, lol i've seen 'On the buses'