RTS habitat questiOn?

Would it be ok to house a RTS in a 60 gallOn tank with sand substrate and fake plants? Or if not what is the proper set up to having a RTS? I've been try a read up on them and I'm very intersted in getting one. But I wanted to to sand and fake plants in my upcoming 60 gal long..

 

They are a great fish first of all I have one but they are aggressive which you should know. They live in rivers in south east Asia and yes a sandy substrate is better, 55 gallon would be the min. tank size because of their large territory's. Choose your tank mates carefully and only get one for that size tank. Have lots of hiding places to ease aggression, they also seem to be less aggressive when they are with larger tank mates from my experience.

 

Oh ok cool. I was getting worried I kept seeing people with pics of them in rock set ups. I will have a cave or 2 in there. Also I love pleco's. In a 69 gallon would that be enough room for the pleco? Generally speaking of course. Also as far as the plants go. I would have to do like a black Ecco complete set up versus black sand? Or could I just use alotta fake plants and rocks?

 

Ya me too I have a bushy nose pleco for some reason Ive never seen pleco be attacked or be aggressive to other fish there pretty much that guy that's chill but you don't want to mess with him and what species of pleco. Also you wouldn't need fancy substrate if your doing no plants but I highly suggest you do have plants. You can do the black sand or the eco stuff are you doing a biotope or something?

 

Just your regular common pleco or red leopard pleco. N I want black sand ultimately. I just wanted plants cuz I keep reading that the RTs likes plants. But do they have to be real plants? I'm still a beginner and don't know if I can handle real plants this early in the game

 

well your regular common pleco can get very big(12") and will put a big bio load on your tank which will use a lot of your fish space so you might want to consider a smaller pleco. All fish like plants some more then others, Plants are not difficult either I understand your a beginner but there pretty much like another fish. Try live plants after a couple of months when you get used to the fish tank maintenance if your up to it. There are many advantages for live plants you can look at fish lore's articles they have lots of useful info. on this stuff and when you have any specific questions just ask the forum.

Also for your red tailed shark (RTS) don't add him first since its an aggressive fish you want to add the more peaceful ones first so it doesn't claim the whole tank as its territory.

 

Oh ok. Well if I do dEcide to go live plants. That takes sand Out of the equation right? If so least I don't loose the black color cuz all live plants I see in my LFS have a black color to it. And yes I want to add the RTS last. After I handle everything else I like on my list..

Now would a black shark be the same as having a RTS ? Or can I have one RtS and one black shark?

 

I'm not familiar with that species is that the one that gets really large? Research it.

If you like the sand a lot and your interested in plants what I did was I got a nutrient enriched substrate which is like your eco stuff and I put gravel on top to cap it because I liked the colour of the gravel better. In total I have 1"gravel 1" nutrient enriched substrate.

Not sure when you mean black stuff on the plants at your LFS could be some type of algae but I'm not exactly sure.

Also what other fish and plants are you interested in getting?

 

I'm not familiar with that species is that the one that gets really large? Research it.

If you like the sand a lot and your interested in plants what I did was I got a nutrient enriched substrate which is like your eco stuff and I put gravel on top to cap it because I liked the colour of the gravel better. In total I have 1"gravel 1" nutrient enriched substrate.

Not sure when you mean black stuff on the plants at your LFS could be some type of algae but I'm not exactly sure.

Also what other fish and plants are you interested in getting?

The black stuff I was referring to was the Eco start stuff. I just know whatever substrate I want it to be black. But I like the look of the sand the most. It's kinda classy in a since. But as far as plants I haven't really started to research them. I'll do that as I get closer to getting the bigger tank. I'm hoping to hold off until July cuz my LFS is having a store wide sale then. And everything will be cheaper. Plus it will give me a couple months to get used to doing everything in my current 20g

 

Sand is fine for a substrate for plants.

If and when you want to do live plants lighting is the important factor - it all starts with the light. It also depends on how much time you have for a planted tank. Low-light plants are good beginners like Java Fern, Vals, Anubias and Java Moss.

RTS like lots of hiding places in form of caves, lots of fake plants and some driftwood. It makes them happy. Space is the most important also.

Tankmates need to be chosen with care. Active schooling fish like Rainbowfish and Giant Danios. It will chase smaller fish including Rams that stay near the bottom.

 

What about tiger barbs? And glofish?

 

Lol I have 8 tiger barbs in my setup and they do fine with the rts my tiger barbs like to annoy the rts by going up to his cave then it will chase it away. Tank mates wise most barbs will go with a RTS, gouramis, rainbow fish I kept with them, angelfish and there's many more you just don't want to pick species that are territorial and make their territory at the bottom of the tank like the rts. Like AlyeskaGirl said your going to get a new light fixture or get some plant growing bulbs if you want plants.

Glo fish not really sure are they the genetically modified zebra danios or something that have bright colours

 

Yea that's them. The bright Danios

 

Maybe try getting a 3 spot or pearl gourami there very beautiful fish and you only need to get one it would be a perfect first fish for your tank but you couldn't the tiger barbs though there would be a chance of the fins being nipped.

Pearl (left) Three spot (right)

 

so pretty much u would need fairly larger tanks mates for the RTS... I was in pets mart today and they had some there. But none of their tales seemed to be red... But I have a powder blue gourami now who would be transferred to the 60 gallon once I get it

 

ya you can like I said in earlier reply's it seems to ease their aggression or get small fast robust species and usually their not in the best shape, usually gray and don't look good. I was lucky I found a nice one they will get better colours once there in your tank and you take good care of them

For the powder blue you can keep it in the same tank if you want.