greenidentity

First off, let me say I am so glad I found this site! Very informative. Me and my boyfriend have recently started a new tank. He is somewhat more knowledgable with fish and tank set-ups, as he has had experience on and off throughout his life. However, now that we have some things going on, I wanted to see if anyone could give me advice on what kind of fish to get? Here's the current set up.

37 gallon tank, we have:

2 Albino Cory's
2 Chinese Algae Eaters (I've been told these may eventually be aggressive)
1 Blue neon tetra
1 Black Neon Tetra
2 Underwater Frogs ( I don't know the proper name for them...)
2 Larger fish that we don't know the species as they were gifts (they look plain and silver, one has some gold flecks on it's body, each are about the 3-4 inches)

It's sort of a hodge podge mix of fish, I know. My concerns are schooling..I realize the tetra's and corys may do better in a school, but I don't want to crowd the tank. Is it beneficial to have 3 blue tetra's, and 3 black tetra's, or is it pointless becuase of the difference in size? Should we school some corys too, or a whole different species?

Here's a list of fish I've eyed that are desirable to purchase in the future, which will determine the answer to the question above......

Angelfish
Silver Dollars
Guppies
Mollies
betta's
More Tetra's
More Cory's

Any suggestions are MUCH appreciated!!

Richard

Additional tankmates for your Neons since they're happier and healthier in schools of at least six might be the way to go, and taking into account the size of your tank, you can safely add five more of each to create a heck of a visual.

Stradius011

I would not keep the Chinese Algae Eaters. They grow to 11 inches! They will damage scales of their tankmates. It is important to know the 2 frogs. It is either the African Dwarf or the African Clawed Frog. African Dwarf Frogs are very peaceful and the water level should be low since they come to the surface to breathe(they're not the best swimmers). African Clawed Frogs, however, are very carnivorious. They also ate a betta once! The difference between the frogs is that African Dwarf Frogs have webbed feet while African Clawed Frogs have clawed feet.

greenidentity

Those are good answers, but don't answer my questions too well. What I need to know is:

Will tetra's of different colors school together?

We already have 12 fish in our 37 gallon tank (just got 2 new Corys the other day, totalling 4, 2 albino and 2 spotted) It's not realistic for me to get 10 more tetra's, unless I get rid of some of the other fish. That IS a possibility, but what I'm asking is if I DO get rid of some fish to make room for more, what would be good combinations? This is why I posted what I currently have, and what I would want to purchase in the future.

Also: my frogs have webbed feet, but I do see them swimming to the top once in awhile. All of our fish and frogs have been peacefully co-existing for about a week now, and all seem healthy.

Any answers to my questions are very appreciated. Thanks!

smillermom

Well, if you just started your tank without cycling it, you will start losing your fish, I am sorry to say. The problem is your information. You have some fish listed that you said are 3-4 inches long now. Welll, the fish store sells juvenile fish, not adult sized fish. For all we know, you have fish that will grow to a very large adult size, thus taking up all you tank room or not being appropriate for your size tank. Get more info on the 2 fish first so we know how big they will get as adults. When you figure inch/gallon rule, it is to adult sizes. Then, if you have fish that will get quite large, it is 3 gallons to every adult fish inch.

greenidentity

The tank has been cycled. The larger fish we have were gifts, and I believe are some sort of bigger tetra's. Possibly a Congo Tetra, and a Red Eye Tetra. I have taken size into consideration, and so far have concluded I have 2 choices:

One, I could have a tank with mostly smaller fish and have a few schools of different species, (one guppy, one neon tetra perhaps) though I'm not sure if 2 different species in the same tank will still school with thier own species?

Two, I could have mostly larger fish (AngelFish, Silver Dollars e.t.c.) and a few Corys since they seem to be compatible with many fish.

The thing is that I would really like some Mollies and Platies, but from what I've heard, pairing them up right can be tricky.

That's what I have so far.

Tumbleweed

Similar fish will school together. My neon tettras and glowloght tettras school togther and so do all of my plattys.

Gunnie

Welcome to FishLore! Yep. Choices in your tank can get quite tricky. There's always pros and cons when making choices. If you want mollies or platys, then get them. I would get rid of the algae eaters and get a bristlenose pleco instead. I'd also trade in the neons (both species) if you want the mollies or platys more. It sounds like you have silver dollars. They are great fish, but I'm not sure they would do well in your size tank as they get bigger. I think I read they need at least 55 gallons and should be in a larger group than you have. Silver dollars are also very serious about keeping your greenery at a minimum, so if you have ideas about having live plants in your tank, you will probably be limited to java moss, java fern, and anubias in your tank. Everything else will be eaten.

I don't really think mollies and/or platys are difficult fish to keep. You could always trade in the fish you have for store credit and get the fish you want. I think the corys would be just fine to stay in the tank. Cory cats are great to keep the food on the gravel to a minimum, and they add a lot of activity to the lower level of the tank. They are easy to keep fish if you get the more common corys. Panda corys are a little more sensitive and need extra clean water all the time to thrive.

greenidentity

Thank you very much for your insight! I actually don't have any Silver Dollars yet, but see them as very desirable. But, since we are only working with a 37 gallon tank, it looks like I am going to have to stay away from any larger fish, and instead try to have a few schools of smaller/medium sized fish. I am leaning towards having a school of neon tetra's, and a school of guppies, or one Betta, and assorted Mollies, Platies and Swordtails, of course keeping the Corys in there too.

Does anyone know about the African Dwarf frogs? I am having some trouble finding compatiblity info on them. I would like to keep them if possible.

Gunnie

Yeah. Those silver dollars are quite interesting to me also, but I've never had any.

Here's some links I found doing a google search on african dwarf frogs:

http://allaboutfrogs.org/froglnd.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_dwarf_frog

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1262596

Isabella

Well, I've had one Chinese Algae Eater (scientific name: Gryinocheilus Aymonieri) in my 30 gallon tank for over 2 years now. He only grew to about 5 - 6" and it doesn't look like he's growing anymore. In my "Freshwater Aquarium Encyclopedia" it says this algae eater "grows to 10" but usually much smaller". If this fish grows for more than 2 years then maybe mine still has to grow. But as I've said before, it doesn't appear to me that he's still growing.

As for the temperament of this fish, YES, it can get aggressive with time. They are even reported to suck on fish's slime coating. If you want a good algae eater for your 37 gallon tank, the true Siamese Flying Fox (Crossocheilus Siamensis) would be great, or a Bristlenose Catfish, or a few Otos. Just one Flying Fox or one Bristlenose Catfish would be enough. As for the Otos, they should be in a group (which is OK because they're very small).

Stradius011

I admit that I don't know that much on these fish and I never had them before. I just read it off books and websites. All I do is read all day.

Gunnie

There's nothing wrong with getting information from the net. I have no experience with these fish either, but would have probably said the same thing. I have read what you wrote numerous times on these forums.

Tumbleweed

I agree with Gunnie Getting info off of the net is ok, and I am a firm believer that you can never have too much information, the only problems you can have is what yhou do with that information.

Isabella

LOL ... I agree with all of you too. But folks ... I didn't mean to say Stradius' advice wasn't helpful! If that is what I sounded like - I apologize! I rather meant to say, that although Chinese Algae Eaters are reported to grow to 10 - 11 inches, they seldom grow that large in aquaria, and I gave my own example to supplement this. I think they only grow this big in nature. Though I apologize, again, if I am wrong.

Stradius011

LOL! There is no need to apologize Isabella! (I personally don't get why you are apologizing.)

Isabella

LOL ... I thought that ... maybe others thought that ... I sounded as if I were trying to say that ... what you said ... was incorrect - LOL what a ridiculous and long sentence! LOL Anyway, that is not what I meant at all

greenidentity

For anyone insterested, we ended up getting an Angelfish today! We still have all the other same fish in there, and we are going to see how it goes before we start deciding what fish to take out and what fish we want in there. The Angel is so pretty and graceful, my boyfriend wants 2 more already, but I'm not sure if a 37 gallon tank is enuogh for 3, plus 7-12 smaller fish/frogs. If we like the Angel that much, we may end up just having a few and not having many otehr fish in the tank, maybe 4 at most.

One thing, we had tested the ammonia levels just prior to putting the Angel in and it was at around .05. I know that is pretty low, and we had just done a 25% water change. How can we get this level down to 0? Does anyone have any tips for me about what goes well with Angels and how to care for them properly? So far it seems like a very calm and beautiful fish.

Tumbleweed

My angels get a long with almost everything, but that is mine. It also depends on how old they are. When they get older they can get territorial and nip and chase other fish. But I would wait for Isabella to answer she has a lot of experience with angels.

greenidentity

Update for those who care:

We just got an additional air pump (were only using one before) so now we have 2, plus we got a new filter (didnt have one before) and from my boyfriends reports, the fish are swimming around like crazy. I almost wonder if they are uncomfortable, or if the new stuff is pushing the water around and they have to swim against it? I havent seen them in person yet, but I will tomorrow. We also got some stuff to lower the ammonia, but I'm also aware a filter may help with that, so we aren't doing any ammonia testing/ altering until tomorrow, after the filter has had a chance to run for a little while. I hope all this is ok.

As for the fish, they seem to all get alone fine. They just swim about on thier merry way. Since the filter has been put in, I'm told the frogs have been much mroe active. Instead of hiding alot and only coming out once in awhile, they are swimming about actively. I hope this isn't a cause for any concern. I don't know what the signs of agitation are.

Thinking of getting one more angel. Would the lone Angel be much happier with some company? Also: can we pair same sex Angels? We don't neccesarily want to breed, and I hear Angels can get a bit nasty when breeding? Also: the tank is 20 inches tall. Is this absolutely not tall enough? Or is it tolerable?

What I would ultimately like in my tank are: My 2 frogs. 2 Corys. The 2 "Mystery fish" (we want to try and keep them if possible), one school of small fish (tetra's or guppies), possibly a few Platies and/or Swordtails (do these fish even school??), and we would like to have 2 Angels, only if it makes the lone one happiest to have company.

Again, ANY advice is much appreciated!!!

Gunnie

I wouldn't add any more fish until your tank has no more ammonia in it. It sounds like the extra filtration and air pump have made the conditions better in the tank, and your fish are swimming around a lot more because of it. Once you get the conditions right, you could probably add just one more angel (I've forgotton what else is in the tank). If you have 3 angels in a tank, the odd one will get bullied.

greenidentity

We are not planning on adding any more fish for a week or two. Hopefully by that time the ammonia will be sorted, and we will make sure it is beforehand of course.

Also--I've now included my setup in my signature. I don't plan on keeping it that way--I listed my plans for the tank in my previous post.

So two same sex Angels would be ok then?

Gunnie

It is very difficult to sex angels, and I don't think it matters what sex they are anyway. I think a 3rd angel would probably be bullied anyway whether the 2 were a mated pair or not, but I'm not sure about this.

greenidentity

I don't plan on having 3 Angels.

I just wanted to know if the same sex together were ok.

I'm not so sure about what to do now..the Angel we do have just always hides behind the plants and stays near to the bottom or in the middle . It also isn't coming out to eat much. The 2 "mystery fish" we have are the big pigs of the tank, so they gobble up all the food pretty fast. I've tried reaching my hand slowly down to the Angel with a pinch of food in my fingers....but he just swims away from me. Are Angels normally this shy? Or is he unhappy due to the tank not being tall? (it's 20 inches tall) or does he just need a buddy?

No one really bothers anyone else at all though. I just feel bad for the Angel......

Stradius011

I think it needs a friend. They are social fish and need to stay in pairs or groups.

Butterfly

Angels are fine alone,(yes same sex angels will be fine together) but if there is any ammonia or nitrites in the tank at all they will be very uncomfortable. When angels are happy they are the pigs for food and they beg constantly. I would personally leave the tank as is or reduce the fish load, and continue to do partial water changes to get the ammonia down.
Two angels are the most I would put in a tank that size and they will need places to get away from each other, rest or just hang out. Plants real or artificial are the most natural things that come to mind. Decor can also provide visual barriers and hiding places.
Be prepared if you have more than one angel they will spar. They will do this to claim territory and if they are opposite gender they will spar to see if the other is a suitable mate. Hope that helps
Carol

greenidentity

That is very helpful, thank you! We did test the ammonia the other day and it is down to 0. We have yet to do a nitrate test. I also suspect the angel may be a little cold--the tank is usually around 75-78 degrees. We are going to get a different heater. The load we have in the tank now is so light already that I dont think I'll remove any fish quite yet. I also don't know if I want 2 Angels fighting in the tank, and if the one is ok by itself.....maybe we can leave him and get a different variety of fish than what we have now (a school of some sort, platies and swordtails hopefully).

We'll see--thanks for the suggestion and I'll update soon.

smillermom

I personally would not add any more fish in your tank for a while. When I read a post from you about filtration, you mentioned you bought a filter, did not have one before? This leads me to believe you did not understand the question of cycling. Beneficial bacteria that will consume your ammonia and changed it to nitrates may not have built up in your tank. The more bio-load you add, the higher your ammonia will be. I would sit back, keep checking the ammonia, do a water change (25%) when you read ammonia otherwise water change once a week, and wait for your tank to become more established. You do have quite a few fish already in your tank. Start adding up the adult inches in your tank, 1 inch to every gallon rule and you will have a fair amount as is. You can still add some fish but wait a while. Tetras do like to school so 6 would be a nice school of your smaller fish.

greenidentity

The tank had been cycled...I don't know much about it but my boyfriend had it set up for a long time with no fish. There was no filter though. He said he had had fish all his life without filters, and I said we'd better have one and do things right if we were gonna have a large tank with a good amount of fish in it. So we put one on there. We've had all the fish in there for around 3 weeks now, exluding the Angel who is just a week old in the tank. The fish have all been happy and healthy thus far, the ammonia is at zero and the pH is fine. Like I said before, only thing yet to test is nitrate and that will be done this weekend.We have been doing water changes, vacuuming and regualr testing and all seems fine.

So in short, THE TANK HAS BEEN CYCLED. ALL THE FISHIES ARE FABULOUS!

And I'm guessing we have around 25 gallons worth of fish in our tank. I don't see that as very much in a 37 gallon tank. Of course I won't overstock it, and please pay attention when I say I want to add fish, I'm not saying I want to add fish ON TOP of what I have. We will probably get rid of 4-6 fish and then get new ones to complete the final "plan" for the tank. I plan on using up to 30-32 gallons of water in fish.

smillermom

Again, I beg to differ. You have to have a source of ammonia for the tank to start cycling. This comes from fish waste, or adding food daily, or live fish. Unless your boyfriend is using ammonia to start the cycle and work through the process, just setting up a tank with no fish does not cycle it, filter or not, 3 weeks or 3 months it is still a tank with just water in it. I would not add any more fish for at least a month and see what happens. I am sorry to sound negative, but read the stickies with your boyfriend on the process of cycling and decide from there!