which species go well with Tetras?

[chappa]

I have a 140 liter aquarium with 30 tetras. Which species should I add
now, to go with them?

[Elaine T]

chappa wrote:
> I have a 140 liter aquarium with 30 tetras. Which species should I add
> now, to go with them?
>
Depends. Are you looking for color, scavengers, oddball fish, or algae
eaters? Do you want fish from the same part of the world? Most
community fish with a mouth that isn't bigger than the tetra can go in
with tetras.

Some options are corydoras catfish, otocinclus for algae, small fancy
plecos, a dwarf gourami, small barbs, danios, rasboras, or loaches. I'm
sure I've missed some.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Gill Passman]

"Elaine T" > wrote in message
. ..
> chappa wrote:
> > I have a 140 liter aquarium with 30 tetras. Which species should I add
> > now, to go with them?
> >
> Depends. Are you looking for color, scavengers, oddball fish, or algae
> eaters? Do you want fish from the same part of the world? Most
> community fish with a mouth that isn't bigger than the tetra can go in
> with tetras.
>
> Some options are corydoras catfish, otocinclus for algae, small fancy
> plecos, a dwarf gourami, small barbs, danios, rasboras, or loaches. I'm
> sure I've missed some.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Just did a quick calculation and I'm guessing your tank is around 40UK galls
max. What, if any, fish you can add will depend on the tetras that you have
as you already have 30 of them. If you are not prepared to do a lot of very
hard work and have a very good filtration system look at 1inch per fish per
gall....I calculate my neons at 1 inch per fish...but some tetras are a lot
larger than that....

There are some of us on this NG, me included, who do keep what I would term
a "fully stocked" tank....but it is a lot of hard work in maintenance and
water changes....and constant water quality monitoring....it can work though
if you put in the work.

Personally with 30 tetras in that size tank (of course depending on what
they are) I would either just add something small that will do some
housekeeping like Otos, or get another tank for the overflow of tetras and
add something else to your main tank, or keep everything as it is and not
add anything, or return some of the tetras to your LFS....

JMHO
Gill

[Billy]

"chappa" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I have a 140 liter aquarium with 30 tetras. Which species should I
>add
> now, to go with them?


IMO, nothing. That number of fish, and that size tank, may be about
maxed out. Of course, I don't know what types of tetras you have.
Even if you have neons, you're close to being stocked unless you have
some pretty major filtration going on.....Like a couple big Eheims or
something. <g>


billy

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

chappa wrote:

> I have a 140 liter aquarium with 30 tetras. Which species should I add
> now, to go with them?


30 Tetras in a 140 l tank is already a considerable bioload, so
currently I would not add anything (except live plants, if you don't
already have them).

However, as time goes by some of your fish are going to meet their
maker, and then you could consider some bottom dwellers to replace them.
In the following I assume that you have soft, acidic water, as required
by tetras. _Ancistrus_ (single or pairs) and/or _Corydoras_ ssp (groups
> 5) come to mind, these will help you keep the tank clean.

The clown fish (_Botia macracanthus_) also lives at the bottom and is a
real character (my personal favourite!). Note however that you need to
keep them in groups (at least 5 to 6). Although they are small when you
get them in the shops, they live some 30 years and in that time slowly
but surely grow almost a foot long. So eventually, you will need to get
a bigger tank for them (or sell them to somebody with a big tank, large
clown fish fetch good prices). Clown fish eat just about anything you
feed them, but absolutely love snails, which they will eradicate from
your tank within a few days.

_Synodontis nigriventris_ (the upside down catfish) lives directly below
the surface, looks extraordinary but can be a bit difficult to keep.
Also surface dwelling, but a bit boring, is the zebra fish.

A real eye catcher for the mid-water level is the male siamese fighting
fish (_Beta splendens_), who despite his name is completely peaceful to
other fish except male _Betas_, which he will fight to death. If kept
with females he will defend a breeding territory against other fish. The
breeding behaviour of _Betas_ is very interesting to watch. In that
respect similar is the american-flag fish (_Jordanella floridae_), a
good algae eater.

Of course there are many other suitable fish, so above list is rather
idiosyncratic. You may also consider the addition of invertebrates, for
example ghost shrimps.