Fish compatibility charts

[Lady Hobbs]

http://www.elmersaquarium.com/000tropfishcareguides.htm

http://www.timstropicals.com/Compatibility/CompatibilitySearch.asp

http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/freshwater_compatibility_chart.php

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm

Just remember, all fish are individual little critters. Because the charts may say they may get along, it doesn't mean they will. There are always exemptions to the rule.
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[URL="http://www.elmersaquarium.com/000tropfishcareguides.htm"] (http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/freshwater_compatibility_chart.php)

[William]

Nice post. Thanks

[Glasstapper]

haha! We must be doing all of the same research, hobbs! I visit each of those sites daily. :)

[NorthernBoy]

Great site. I havent seen this one yet. Ty

[kimmers318]

Just always remember that each fish has it's own personality and what one says will work doesn't always....which is why I have some misfits in my large tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

Kimmers, how well I know. LOL I have two angels that fight like mad but of course the charts say they are compatible. So much has to do with how many fish you have, more females than males, etc. I have purposely gotten mostly males just so all that aggression in mating doesn't start.

It does give an idea of what is most likely to go well together and after that, we just have to take our chances.

[kimmers318]

So true Hobbs...my 29 gal was purchased to house 1 pair of kribs, a few german blue rams (yes, demonshark, GBR's:)), possibly a couple of bolivian rams and some small tetras for dithers. My initial gbr wouldn't accept females, the bolivian ram or the tetras. I even tried dwarf gourami's, also recommended on elmersaquarium....Demon would have none of it, apparently he didn't read any information on what he was compatible with.

[Severus]

Yea, i use the charts as more of just a guideline

[Newbie]

Thanks for this information - I have just found some really helpful information on the Elmer's link - i think that ill add that one to my favourites.

[Lady Hobbs]

There's a lot more to keeping fish than I bargained on myself. You can't just go out and buy what you think is cute, for sure. You need to make sure what size it will become when it's grown, what is gets along with, what goes best with the pH you have, etc, etc.

I'm almost too embarrassed to admit it on the forum but guess what my first fish were when I had my 10 gallon tank? Three bala sharks. :( Oh me, Oh my. They tell you nothing in the stores and stupid me probably never asked anyway.

I kept the sharks but now have added larger tanks and now do my research first! I probably sat on the internet for a total of 3000 hours reading.

[Severus]

I can defianitly agree with you there hobbs. There are a bunch of aspects to fish keeping. Im glad i know now what i do though

[kimmers318]

The internet is such a wonderful tool isn't it?! When I was sold my first dwarfpuffer as a community fish was when I first started researching. I started to notice nipped fins....sat and waited until I found the culprit, my beloved Missy...cute as can be, smallest fish in the tank and smiling the whole time! She was separated until I could figure out what to do and thus the 10 gal dp tank was born.

[scrumpot]

I just found this thread. Yippee................I too did a bad thing. I have three balas in 55 gallons. What do I do when they get too big? I expected them to die already. I guess I am just a lucky beginner. I checked out the links in the previous posts. I CAN get other fish after all. The fish store people say not a good idea. Think I should try something? One of the links said that Barbs, danios, gourmis, loaches, plecos and rainbowfish would be okay and not listed with a caution. Thoughts?

[Lady Hobbs]

Bala's get along with all community fish. They are very peaceful. However, they get about a foot long and a 55 will not work for them. They should have 100 gallon.

[scrumpot]

So do I give them to a 100 gallon tank person or wait? I don't want them to suffer any. You say peaceful? The store says not so much.

[Lady Hobbs]

They are very peaceful and pay no attention to any others. I've had them with bigger fish down to neons with not a peep from them. Problem is, they are very, very fast and the bigger they get, faster they swim and more energic. They disrupt smaller moving fish, keep fish from skoaling that are sharing the tank with them. They get moving so fast they slam into the sides of the tank and decorations as well. Mine just had his lower half of his face torn off and they were only about 6 inches and in a 55 gallon. I would return them to the store. Stupid stores just don't tell you how large they get.

[Severus]

Yea, it is going to be easier to get rid of them before they get any bigger. They are a cool fish but for three of them i would want like a 100 -125gal like hobbs said.

[kes]

I think I've been lucky as in the road next to me is a brilliant LFS (it doesn't do my bank balance a lot of good though..)

You just want to buy everything when you start out but my shop will be unhappy selling fish if they don't think they'll be compatible with what you've got.

When I first finished cycling and started introducing livestock, they got me to bring in a water sample to be tested every time I added more fish.. I thought it was a real pain in the backside at the time but I appreciate it now! :ezpi_wink1:

[jeffs99dime]

i would definitely take the balas back to the store or give them to someone who has a tank big enough to house them properly.:thumb:

[Lady Hobbs]

I think I may add those links as a sticky so they don't get buried in old posts. I think the compatibility charts are very useful, especially to newbies.

[Severus]

Good idea hobbs

[Drumachine09]

Stupid stores just don't tell you how large they get.


I noticed this too. Walmart lowballs their Oscar size. They say 8 inches. Lying cheapskated.

[jeffs99dime]

I noticed this too. Walmart lowballs their Oscar size. They say 8 inches. Lying cheapskated.

yeah. they lowball every size. apparently all you need for a full-grown bala shark is a thirty gallon tank and they only get to be 8" max. (this was petsmart- i argued with the salesman trying to sell 6 of them to someone with a 30 gallon tank!) needless to say, his sale fell through. lol

[Drumachine09]

SCORE!!!! points for jeff!!!

[jeffs99dime]

SCORE!!!! points for jeff!!!

yup! go team! lol

[Drumachine09]

Victory is ours!

[scrumpot]

I checked out the links to the sites for compatability. I just put in a kissing fish and two tiger barbs. Added another placo. I know that you all are not keen on the balas that I have, but I have them now and can't take them back. Hopefully, if and when the time comes I can find them a home. Anyway.....up until today they have been race track fish. Lightening fast from one end of the tank to the other. Now they seem to have really slowed down.