Help with fish selection

psilo357

I'm about to finally be investing in my 75 or 90 g tank. I have a few fish selected that i would like to be stocking in it, and want some advice and recommendations on what else I should get, just looking for lots of ideas I guess.

Right now I have a 20g (long) with 4 small african cichlids, a common plec, and 2 clown loaches...( I know, i need a bigger tank, and thats what im doing here :)) So I plan on taking the cichlids back to the fish store, so i can have a more community tank with all different fish, here is what I like so far:

3 - Clown Loach (love these guys, one more to add to my 2)
1 - Common Pleco that i already have

Current thoughts of what else (in order of interest), this part for more debate:
2 - Pictus Catfish (or other cool catfish, just like these so far)
1 - special pleco of some type (royal or emperor or another type i dont know about)
1 - Red Tail Shark
1 - Black ghost knife
maybe some schooling fish of some type
maybe a fressh water eel
maybe bala sharks

some other colorful fish that swim in front of the tank really, all but the top part is really up for debate.

Please, any recommendations welcome.

I will be using a small gravel substrate most likely, maybe sand if i can be talked into it, but i use this small gravel sand right now in my 20, from some sand products company, cheap too, which is why i like it, comes in 50 lb bags, and is dirty to start out, but once you flush it out a half dozen times, works great, and not too sharp, the cichlids love digging in it, and the loaches skimming over the top.

I will be putting rocks, driftwood, and maybe some rooted or floaing plants in, a teracotta pot or two, maybe a half one for a neat cave or soemthing, a clear tube if i get a black ghost knife, as they are really cool...

thanks for any and all discussions, help me pick my fish!!!

mollies

good ideas. the ghost knifes are realy sensitive to difrent waters. might read up on them first. i like mollies. and tetras. the pictus cat are hard to. the water has to be just right.

onefish2fish

the clown loaches and common plecos both get over a foot long, as well as the bala sharks.

personally im a fan of large schools of neon tetras.

mollies

i agree with the com plec would be way to big i found out the hard way.

JohnnyD44

clown loaches and common plecos will get too large for that tank, like the others said.

as for a smalelr pleco, you could try a brittlenose? I am also in the same boat as 1fish, i love big schools of neon tetras, and in a 90G tank you could get a pretty sweet assortment of colors that would look great, like 18 of them

Byron

Following the same line as the previous answers, I wouldn't mix all your suggested fish together in a 55g. The clowns and sharks will grow, and the knifefish is something I would not add until I knew a lot about them (which I don't). You're on the right track, asking before buying, so you should be able to avoid trouble and be successful. Read up on any fish you are considering; even simply do a Google search of "Neon Tetra" for example with bring up several sites with info on their requirements; do that for all the fish you're considering, and then decide which ones will be compatible. All the fish in a tank must be similar in water requirements--temperature, pH and hardness. Know the parameters of your tap water so you'll know beforehand what needs to be done to accomodate the fish you want; you either have to alter the water for the fish, or select fish that like your water. While many fish are somewhat adaptable, it comes down to replicating their natural needs as closely as possible if they are to be healthy and free of stress.

parakeeto225

Suggestions:
fish:
- 5 or 6 tiger barbs.
- plecos (grow huge!)
- Maybe a pack of serpae tetras.
- More clown loaches (awesome fish)
- 2 or 3 xiphidus (might get eaten)

plants:
- nymphaea lilly red or green (could get plant bulbs for three dollars in walmart. 3-5 inches of growth.)
- Anubias nana
- water weeds

hope I helped!!!

psilo357

Alright...so much info so little time...thanks for all the posts already

So, i think i have decided to attempt a Discus tank instead...i was thinking this as my mix

4 Discus (buy them young)
2 German Blue Ram
~12 cardianal tetras (or maybe a mix of cardinals and neons?)
3 clown loaches
1 pleco (this guy i still have, if i start to see problems with him messing with the Discus, he will be given to the lfs for sale to someone else)

How does this look for a 75 or 90g tank? More fish? Less fish? different fish?

sorry for all the questions, want to get this all planned out before i spend money that i have to lose by giving back to the fish store, like im about to do with my african cichlids...

Thanks everyone

onefish2fish

Discus are going to need excellent water conditions and juvees need multiple daily feedings. i dont have experience with these fish but i have a feeling that 4 is to many in this size tank, someone please correct me otherwise.

psilo357

man...seem like with most fish that are even somewhat nice, you get to have 1 in a 90 gallon tank...gets a little carried away IMO...ive seen lots of wonderful aquariums in my day, and they are the livelier ones that seem to do better. Especially when you go to state aquariums and whatnot, there are TONS of fish in those...

However, if it is too many, then its too many, but 9 nice fish in a 90 gallon tank seem acceptable to me, plus those little tiny neons...

Now what about:

2 Discus
2 angel fish
2 Blue Ram
~10 cardinal or other tetra
3 Clown Loach
1 red tail shark
1 Common Pleco (until he gets too big or hurts other fish, if so, he is gone...would need some other algae eaters and bottom cleaners...cory cats maybe?)

thanks