New Here

[Antonian]

Hello everybody I’m new here and am excited to be part of this community. I am not an expert by any means but have always done freshwater and am looking for advice. Currently I have a 36 gallon bow front that’s mainly a guppie tank with a few other species and recently started a 65 gallon tank that ended up with a collection of fish given to my by people who no longer could care for their tanks plus a few of my own and now I feel at a loss of what direction to take my tank. There Is currently a Rafael catfish,two spotted common pleco,1 angelfish a couple of gourami and 5 Corydoras and a leopard ctenopoma. Where do I take it from here I am unsure what else would be safe for this tank I tried some kitty tetras and the leopard ctenopoma wouldn’t leave them alone so they went to the guppie tank. Any advice on live stock choices to add and potentially live plants to add diversity to my tank?

 

[Dawn Michele]

Welcome to Fishlore!!! Pretty tank!!!

 

[Makuarium]

Hello everybody I’m new here and am excited to be part of this community. I am not an expert by any means but have always done freshwater and am looking for advice. Currently I have a 36 gallon bow front that’s mainly a guppie tank with a few other species and recently started a 65 gallon tank that ended up with a collection of fish given to my by people who no longer could care for their tanks plus a few of my own and now I feel at a loss of what direction to take my tank. There Is currently a Rafael catfish,two spotted common pleco,1 angelfish a couple of gourami and 5 Corydoras and a leopard ctenopoma. Where do I take it from here I am unsure what else would be safe for this tank I tried some kitty tetras and the leopard ctenopoma wouldn’t leave them alone so they went to the guppie tank. Any advice on live stock choices to add and potentially live plants to add diversity to my tank?

Welcome to fishlore! I don't know if I'd suggest anything more, the fish load seems where it should be, especially with your common pleco and angel fish. What kind of gourami do you have?

For a pop of red I suggest the kleinar bar sword I got some from H20 plants and they are just beautiful. Maybe a dwarf aquarium lily but kept trimmed as a bush.

 

[AJE]

Good looking tank, welcome to fish lore!

 

[goldface]

HI and welcome. I personally would not recommend anymore fish. Be happy with what you have, and if any get too much to handle (as in too large and heavy on the bioload), then rehome as necessary.

For plants, I recommend rhizome plants. They are plants that attache to things, like rocks, wood, and other hardscape. They are not meant to be buried. In fact, burying them usually means eventual rot and death. Some examples of these types are anubias, java fern, and bucephalandra.

 

[Swlws]

Welcome to Fishlore. Still new(ish) to the fish world myself, I don't have any stocking comments but it does look good to me as it is now

 

[86 ssinit]

Nice looking setup!!! Welcome to fishlore. Unfortunately as stated already that tank is full. The common plecos and Raphael cat will get big. About a foot each. If those pleco were given to you I’d rehome them before you get attached. Or at least one of them.
In the front right corner you have a java fern(Wavy leaves). That needs to be attached to wood or a rock with root out of the substrate. That great looking sword plant behind it will benefit from a root tab monthly . Next how much gravel do you have in that tank. I usually have about 2” in my tanks. Or in that tank at least 60lbs. Good luck with the tank and allways ask questions. Lots of good people here .

 

[CandyCane701]

Welcome! Love the tank!

 

[Antonian]

Thanks for all the advice everybody! I’ll be sure to take that plant on the right side out of the gravel and attach it to some drift wood. I will also keep the stock as is and I’d

 

[Antonian]

Like to keep trying new live plants so I will keep everybody updated on this tanks progress

 

[Dennis57]

Welcome to Fishlore, I am also kinda new so can't give much advice. Your tank does look nice

 

[Makuarium]

Thanks for all the advice everybody! I’ll be sure to take that plant on the right side out of the gravel and attach it to some drift wood. I will also keep the stock as is and I’d

The java ferns all right as long as you don't have the rhizome buried.

 

[Antonian]

HI and welcome. I personally would not recommend anymore fish. Be happy with what you have, and if any get too much to handle (as in too large and heavy on the bioload), then rehome as necessary.

For plants, I recommend rhizome plants. They are plants that attache to things, like rocks, wood, and other hardscape. They are not meant to be buried. In fact, burying them usually means eventual rot and death. Some examples of these types are anubias, java fern, and bucephalandra.

Thanks for the stocking info! I have 1 opaline gourami and 1 pearl that’s just a little guy still. Corry cats are a mix of panda, albino and shwartzie cats. How do you recommend attaching plants to things I have always used fishing line but is this the best method?

 

[Brian Knowles]

Welcome Aboard!!!!!!!

 

[goldface]

Thanks for the stocking info! I have 1 opaline gourami and 1 pearl that’s just a little guy still. Corry cats are a mix of panda, albino and shwartzie cats. How do you recommend attaching plants to things I have always used fishing line but is this the best method?

I just use superglue, the no-run gel type. Don't use a lot. A dap or two on the rhizome, then attach.

 

[Brian Knowles]

Welcome aboard!!!!!!

 

[Antonian]

Well quick update everyone. I did a water change last night and found some mysterious eggs on a leaf in my tank. I am unsure who laid them and when but if I look closely I can see movement instead the eggs.

 

[Antonian]

Seems I have 5 babies so far until they get bigger I'm going to assume these are Corey cats.

 

[Antonian]

so I spoiled myself today with a new light!

 

[Antonian]

well I am setting up a 125g soon and couldn’t help myself when I seen this little guy at a local store. He will be in my 65g for a couple weeks well the 125g finishes it’s cycling.

 

[PascalKrypt]

Haha, good for you on deciding on an upgrade! You've got quite the collection of awesome fish. I'm also really curious to hear about the fry - are they still alive? Have you figured out whether they are cory's yet?

(P.S. On the Leopard Bush Fish, from what I have read about them they are rather ferocious predators. Not sure how big those cory's are but I hope they are not dwarf species?)

 

[Antonian]

Haha, good for you on deciding on an upgrade! You've got quite the collection of awesome fish. I'm also really curious to hear about the fry - are they still alive? Have you figured out whether they are cory's yet?

(P.S. On the Leopard Bush Fish, from what I have read about them they are rather ferocious predators. Not sure how big those cory's are but I hope they are not dwarf species?)

Fry are alive in there own 10 gallon grow out tank they turned out to be panda Corys! They will stay in the grow out tank until they no longer fit in my bush fishes mouth he is quite the predator indeed. The 125g was also influenced by giving him a home I’d like to keep most my fish in the 65g and put the royal and bush fish in the 125g to start off.

 

[Antonian]

Ps. high fin albino Cory are a gift for my brothers birthday soon just letting them get fat.

 

[PascalKrypt]

Fry are alive in there own 10 gallon grow out tank they turned out to be panda Corys! They will stay in the grow out tank until they no longer fit in my bush fishes mouth he is quite the predator indeed. The 125g was also influenced by giving him a home I’d like to keep most my fish in the 65g and put the royal and bush fish in the 125g to start off.

Cool Congrats on getting them to do well!

I'm actually interested in owning one of these guys, but I was wondering if you have any idea of the minimum size of fish that would be safe with them? Would they not attack a 2" fish? A 2" amano shrimp? Or does it really need to be 3/3.5"+ in order to escape an adult (not sure how old yours is?). A lot of this predatory fish compatibility advice online tends to be of the unhelpful "don't keep with small fish" or "don't keep with fish that fit in its mouth". Yeah great, but unless I already own one how am I supposed to know where the cutoff point is...

 

[Antonian]

Cool Congrats on getting them to do well!

I'm actually interested in owning one of these guys, but I was wondering if you have any idea of the minimum size of fish that would be safe with them? Would they not attack a 2" fish? A 2" amano shrimp? Or does it really need to be 3/3.5"+ in order to escape an adult (not sure how old yours is?). A lot of this predatory fish compatibility advice online tends to be of the unhelpful "don't keep with small fish" or "don't keep with fish that fit in its mouth". Yeah great, but unless I already own one how am I supposed to know where the cutoff point is...

Iv owned him since he was about 1in or so and he’s about 5 years old now 4in easily I know from my experience he eats any shrimp I put in the tank no matter how big! The rule of if it fits in its mouth definitely applies here I lost a couple kitty tetras to him and even my 4in fish Will sometime get beat up by him! The older he gets the more of a tank he becomes if you are into aggressive fish he is cool and has a odd behavior and a huge mouth. I would only suggest one if you have a backup plan for him if he starts to be too much.

 

[PascalKrypt]

Iv owned him since he was about 1in or so and he’s about 5 years old now 4in easily I know from my experience he eats any shrimp I put in the tank no matter how big! The rule of if it fits in its mouth definitely applies here I lost a couple kitty tetras to him and even my 4in fish Will sometime get beat up by him!

Thank for this information, super helpful. So they are kind of like having a spiny eel in your tank. Too bad - I have a preference for smaller fish (and larger amano's) to go with my oddballs and it doesn't sound like that will work out At all.

 

[Antonian]

Thank for this information, super helpful. So they are kind of like having a spiny eel in your tank. Too bad - I have a preference for smaller fish (and larger amano's) to go with my oddballs and it doesn't sound like that will work out At all.

Yea honestly I was sold this fish as a “semI aggressive fish” but the bigger he got the more I realized he was definitely a predator. You can always get another tank and dedicate that one to bush fish but then you end up like me 4 tanks in and more coming!

 

[PascalKrypt]

Yea honestly I was sold this fish as a “semI aggressive fish” but the bigger he got the more I realized he was definitely a predator. You can always get another tank and dedicate that one to bush fish but then you end up like me 4 tanks in and more coming!

I was lucky to find a trusty website which listed it as calm but extremely predatory. That combined with the size made me get the rough picture Little sad to see it confirmed, but it is what it is. Sorry about the weird (LFS?) misinfo. It sucks especially when you are misinformed about compatibility as most other things are fixable way easier than this.

Haha, I've only got one main tank that is the centerpiece of the living room and there won't be any more of that size. Just no I do have a 20G, 12G and about a dozen nano tanks but basically any fish over 2" has to be compatible with what I've already got in the main. Which includes amano shrimp. Otherwise I would've gotten a peacock eel and an african butterfly fish before I had even read about your lovely oddball. (Also I've read it is pretty inactive and I do like to include some active fish in a tank ... it sounds like a pain to find such a tankmate suitable for such large predatory fish that also won't be aggressive towards it)

Sounds like you have things all figured though x3