Versaceboy

G'day to the forum from Oz and a newbie to this site! I have a question I'm hoping someone out there can help me with... I am buying a new tank for 'my boys' this week, as they have outgrown their current tank (it's only a 30"x14"x16" 29 gallon job)! They are 3 shubunkins each about 8" and 1 plecostomus also about 8". The boys eat flake and blood worms with the occasional live feed plus pumpkin for pleco! They are going into a new 6'x2'x2' 178 gallon tank (which I know they are gonna go ape over!), and with the extra size comes a chance to englarge my population a bit too! I am thinking of getting three or four bala/silver sharks and one or two more plecos. Tank is kept at 28 c and about pH6.8-7.0, new tank will be the same temps and pH of course so by logic they should be ok!? Question is will they co-exist well with my big shubunkins? If not any thoughts? :P Thanks heaps eh!
Peter

Versaceboy

G'day to the forum from Oz and a newbie to this site! I have a question I'm hoping someone out there can help me with... I am buying a new tank for 'my boys' this week, as they have outgrown their current tank (it's only a 30"x14"x16" 29 gallon job)! They are 3 shubunkins each about 8" and 1 plecostomus also about 8". The boys eat flake and blood worms with the occasional live feed plus pumpkin for pleco! They are going into a new 6'x2'x2' 178 gallon tank (which I know they are gonna go ape over!), and with the extra size comes a chance to englarge my population a bit too! I am thinking of getting three or four bala/silver sharks and one or two more plecos. Tank is kept at 28 c and about pH6.8-7.0, new tank will be the same temps and pH of course so by logic they should be ok!? Question is will they co-exist well with my big shubunkins? If not any thoughts? :P Thanks heaps eh!
Peter

Blethly

well shubunkins are a type of goldfish and they are a coldwater fish so i'm surprised they're doing so well in such a high temp. from what i've read bala sharks are quite peaceful and with your shubunkins as large as they are i dont see a problem with housing them together. i would tune down your heater a to about 26 c if you can. 27 is on the very high side for most goldfish. good luck and congrats on the new monster tank lol!!! i dream of having the room and floor support of such a tank.

MaddieLynn

Bala sharks are tropical and goldies really should not be kept with them because of the different temperature preferences.

Annadvn

The shubunkins are cold water fish, and the bala/silver sharks are tropical fish. They both need different water requirements to live.

They both need separate big tanks, they both will get huge and balas need temps around 75-80F where as the shubunkins need temps around 70F (the plecos really should be in a tropical tank too)

I would get a few more goldfish varieties, but remember they are very messy and foul up the water quickly. Personally i would not get any more plecos as 1 will be able to handle cleaning a tank of that size, and again they are very messy.

If you really wanted to keep the 2 types of fish together you would have to balance the temperature carefully and accept that the higher temperature is likely to shorten the life of the shubunkins as it will speed up the metabolism, same as it will decrease the life of the bala/silver sharks.

Anna

aquarist48

Agreed. Goldfish cold water Bala's tropical and best kept separate. Rule of thumb for goldfish that seems to work for most goldfish keepers: The first goldfish 20 gallons and 10 gallons for each additional goldfish. This will help to maintain your cycle along with frequent water changes.
Pleco's are large waste producers as well and should be in the tropical tank also.

Versaceboy

Thanks for all the handy advice guys n girls! Its a shame eh, really wanted to put something other than more goldies in there. Where I am here in Oz, its pretty warm n so I didnt think the h20 temp was too bad, n the guy at the shop said they'll handle it, n they do! Didnt realise that it would affect their lifespan badly. Main reason for the new tank is to give em some room and the pleco has become a bit aggressive with the boys, now hes getting bigger, so I was hoping that with more bottom area to call home he might settle a bit!