wondering if my fish setup is ok

[jackismith]

We have 2 tanks and they ahve been running healthly for about a year now, i was just looking for any info about our fish lineup.. any comment and critizisms are welcome...
Tank # 1
Silver shark
Red tail shark
2 large angelfish (breeding)
Pleco
large catfish
3 neon tetras
4 black light tetras......... i know tetras are supposed to be in larger groups but my husband is an idiot (SHHHHHH!)

Tank # 2
Large goldfish
3 aquatic frogs
Albino redtail shark
4 bloodfin tetras (2 adults 2 babies)
Beta (we nursed him back to health thank to an evil friend)
Pleco
1 Tiger barb


thats it.... any comments please:help:

[Lady Hobbs]

Tanks sizes would help.
But...Tank 1
I would rather see people get more fish but less varities. For instance, instead of 3 neons,3 tetras of one kind and 3 of another kind still, to get maybe 12 neons and 6-8 of another type. These fish are skoalers and like to be kept in large groups of their own. They won't show their true characterists unless in large groups or will seldom skoal in small groups. Different tetras also will not skoal together. Neons are really more the merrier and make a stunning aquarium if there are many. Red Tail Sharks get about 5 inches but Silver Sharks about 8". I don't know if they'll get along. Angelfish are also aggressive when breeding. They are cichlids and act like them at times and once again the tetra's may be in danger. Sharks will eat the babies, too.

Neons should not be kept with angels. Angels can regard them as food. You said you have a "large catfish" and a pleco both. Once again, I don't know the size of your tank but pleco's can reach 20 inches and even larger.

Tank 2....Goldfish are a cold water fish and you have it with the warm water fish. They generally can not live in warm water for long and should only be with other goldfish. That's why when you see them in the stores they are only with other golds.

I don't know what type frogs you have but some get very large if they are of the African type. And will eat everything. Again you have another pleco that may become a giant. And you have a Betta with a Tiger Barb. Tiger Barbs are fin nippers and not good company for a Betta but there once again, you only have one.

In my opinion, I think you'd do best checking into what species are compatible with what, what size they will grow to, what the pH should be for the varities you plan to have and if they require several tank mates of their own species or are "loners." Stick with they types you like and have a nice selection of those varities instead of so many different species trying to co-habit together.

[Fishguy2727]

In general neons are fine with angels IF and only IF they were raised with the angels. As the angels get big enough to eat the neons, they generally won't if they recognise the individuals. But if you add more the angels won't recognise them as more than food, and that is what they will become.

[jackismith]

In tank 1 the neons group together in their seperate groups of 3 and 4. the 2 sharks are friends and dont bother anyone, i think the silver shark is a bit dumb, hes always running into things but i think its because his eyes are on either side of his head, he almost looks like a hammerhead. The pleco and the catfish do not get along, i personally hate the catfish he is huge and is going to be transfered into another tank were getting set up. The angelfish we have the big one is about the size of my hand & fingers spread out, they dont bother anyone, only chase the other fish away whenever they are cleaning off their breeding plate. When we first got them the red tail shark and the large angelfish had a minor scrap, and the shark has an angelfish mouth sized hole in his side...just a scar now, they get along fine now.

in tank 2 the large goldfish which is about a decemetre long and 2 inches wide is just a sherman tank of a fish, he was one of the starter fish you put in when your tank gets set up for the first time, hes the only survivor and hes going strong, the albino redtail shark used to pick on him but i think hes lost interest. 3 frogs just do their own thing, hiding in different places, play with each other. The 4 bloodfin tetras travel in groups of 2 because 2 are larger and they get chased by the tigerbarb quite a bit.. hes a little @$$hole that tigerbarb....i havent seen him pick on the betta though.. hes usually hiding in the bushes at the top of the tank... the pleco just does his thing....good little pleco.

p.s. the first tank is a 30 gallon and the second is a 25 gallon, i should post some pics up ig your interested.

[Lady Hobbs]

the first tank is a 30 gallon and the second is a 25 gallon, i should post some pics up ig your interested.

Yikes. Your tanks are wayyyyy over- crowed.

[Incredulous_Ed]

Too many fish for that size aquarium. Maybe it would be sort of all right if you changed the water often.

a tiger barb doesn't seem like the best tank mate for a betta, especially if there is only one tiger barb. Tiger barbs will nip the fins of the betta, right?

[Juannie]

Personally I'm thinking you should seriously look at getting some larger tanks. I've kept lots of different fish together and learnt the hard way. I have my bala shark in a tropical tank, it's a 4foot tank only 1 foot high & wide and he's about 16cm long - he'll have to be moved eventually because even though he sits in the corner you can see it's not long enough - he's in with tetra's, gouramis, kribs, cory's, severum etc - he's never tried to eat the tetra's so I'm pretty lucky. With your pleco's be prepared for them to grow rather large, and create a lot of waste - they're pretty strong and can get very pushy, so you don't want them in with anything too small. I have one pleco and he would be easily 30cm long, he's in a 4 foot tank with a large oscar & synspilum - even then I'm looking at getting a 6foot tank.

Best of luck with everything though.

[86vwgti8v]

I would vote that the breeding angel's are going to raise some heck in that tank. someone's going to get hurt.
tiger barb's are evil. all other barbs are great fish but the tigers are mean.
Doesn't the goldfish produce way too much amonia for it's tank mates?

[Slinky_Bass]

In general neons are fine with angels IF and only IF they were raised with the angels. As the angels get big enough to eat the neons, they generally won't if they recognise the individuals. But if you add more the angels won't recognise them as more than food, and that is what they will become.
Hmmm, not so sure about that, in my very first tropical tank (50 gal) i had four angels, 10 neon tetras and four bronze corys (got all of them in one go). About a year on i started noticing that my neons were dissapearing, I figure my biggest male ate them one by one because the neons never looked sick and I never found any bodies!

[Fishguy2727]

There are very few rules in fishkeeping, and compatibility of any kind is definitely not one of them. The scenario I stated is the trend, and no more than a trend.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I would get a third tank and move some of the fish into it. Maybe the angels could have their own tank, and the goldfish really need to be a cold water tank. You could always make him a pond :)

[Slinky_Bass]

There are very few rules in fishkeeping, and compatibility of any kind is definitely not one of them. The scenario I stated is the trend, and no more than a trend.
Hah, and don't i know it. Sometimes (like when my angels are really fighting it out) i wish they really were the peaceful community tank mates i've read about. But then again, if all my fish did "stick to the rules" then I wouldn't have my leaf resting corys or incredibly bold and entertaining skunk loaches :D