Addition to Community Tank?

[Patti]

Hi,

I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4 phantom
tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this be
too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he died
yesterday :(

[Gill Passman]

Patti wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4 phantom
> tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this be
> too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he died
> yesterday :(
>
>
>
Sorry about your Gourami :-( I've got a pair of the blues and they are
very pretty....

You probably could add some more fish into a tank this size but before
doing this I suggest you run some tests on your water to see if it gives
any indication as to why the Gourami died. These would be
nitrite/ammonia/nitrate/pH. When did you last add fish/plants to the
tank? Maybe something came in with an addition.

Gill

[Elaine T]

Patti wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4 phantom
> tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this be
> too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he died
> yesterday :(

If your pleco isn't huge, your tank can certainly handle a couple more
fish. Gill's right that it would be nice to know why the gourami died,
or at least be sure your tank conditions are good. However, dwarf
gouramis seem to give a lot of people trouble for no good reason.

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

[Patti]

I tested my water today 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and ph 7.6. I do a 10 percent
water change every week. The Gourami had a case of fin rot a few weeks ago
.... actually I had a female then to, but she died right away. I treated the
tank with Maracyn for about a week and a half and the male Gourami seemed to
be better the last two weeks or so, but then yesterday he suddenly died. I
guess he wasn't as cured as I thought :(

I have several live plants in my tank that have been there for about 6
months. The last fish I added were 3 zebra danios a week ago. They appear
to be very healthy.

I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before adding any new fish to be sure
everything else is okay. I'm just trying to get some ideas of what other
colourful fish I could add. Any suggestions? I may try gouramis again
.....they're very pretty.

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
.. .
> Patti wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4
phantom
> > tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this
be
> > too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he
died
> > yesterday :(
> >
> >
> >
> Sorry about your Gourami :-( I've got a pair of the blues and they are
> very pretty....
>
> You probably could add some more fish into a tank this size but before
> doing this I suggest you run some tests on your water to see if it gives
> any indication as to why the Gourami died. These would be
> nitrite/ammonia/nitrate/pH. When did you last add fish/plants to the
> tank? Maybe something came in with an addition.
>
> Gill

[Patti]

The pleco is about 4 inches long.

"Elaine T" > wrote in message
t...
> Patti wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4
phantom
> > tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this
be
> > too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he
died
> > yesterday :(
>
> If your pleco isn't huge, your tank can certainly handle a couple more
> fish. Gill's right that it would be nice to know why the gourami died,
> or at least be sure your tank conditions are good. However, dwarf
> gouramis seem to give a lot of people trouble for no good reason.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Gill Passman]

Patti wrote:
> I tested my water today 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and ph 7.6. I do a 10 percent
> water change every week. The Gourami had a case of fin rot a few weeks ago
> ... actually I had a female then to, but she died right away. I treated the
> tank with Maracyn for about a week and a half and the male Gourami seemed to
> be better the last two weeks or so, but then yesterday he suddenly died. I
> guess he wasn't as cured as I thought :(
>
> I have several live plants in my tank that have been there for about 6
> months. The last fish I added were 3 zebra danios a week ago. They appear
> to be very healthy.
>
> I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before adding any new fish to be sure
> everything else is okay. I'm just trying to get some ideas of what other
> colourful fish I could add. Any suggestions? I may try gouramis again
> ....they're very pretty.
>
> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>Patti wrote:
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4
>
> phantom
>
>>>tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this
>
> be
>
>>>too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he
>
> died
>
>>>yesterday :(
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Sorry about your Gourami :-( I've got a pair of the blues and they are
>>very pretty....
>>
>>You probably could add some more fish into a tank this size but before
>>doing this I suggest you run some tests on your water to see if it gives
>>any indication as to why the Gourami died. These would be
>>nitrite/ammonia/nitrate/pH. When did you last add fish/plants to the
>>tank? Maybe something came in with an addition.
>>
>>Gill
>
>
>
Gouramis from my experience seem to be very hardy - they have been the
first fish in 3 of my tanks and are all still doing well. The only issue
you might run into is agression especially with two males or if you go
one male/one female he might hassle her. I've got 3 Blue/3 spot/opaline
Gouramis in one tank but I believe they might be more aggressive (the
male rules all the other fish in the tank - lol), as I mentioned before
I have two dwarf blues that get on great (one male/one female) and two
very peaceful Pearl Gouramis that have never shown any signs of
agression (again 1 male/1 female).

I would agree with the waiting for a few weeks. Maybe something came in
with the Danios. I would certainly hestitate to rush in and add more
fish after an unexplained death....

Gill

[Elaine T]

Gill Passman wrote:
> Patti wrote:
>
>> I tested my water today 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and ph 7.6. I do a 10
>> percent
>> water change every week. The Gourami had a case of fin rot a few
>> weeks ago
>> ... actually I had a female then to, but she died right away. I
>> treated the
>> tank with Maracyn for about a week and a half and the male Gourami
>> seemed to
>> be better the last two weeks or so, but then yesterday he suddenly
>> died. I
>> guess he wasn't as cured as I thought :(
>>
>> I have several live plants in my tank that have been there for about 6
>> months. The last fish I added were 3 zebra danios a week ago. They
>> appear
>> to be very healthy.
>>
>> I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before adding any new fish to be sure
>> everything else is okay. I'm just trying to get some ideas of what
>> other
>> colourful fish I could add. Any suggestions? I may try gouramis again
>> ....they're very pretty.
>>
>> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
>> .. .
>>
>>> Patti wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I have a 25 gal community tank. Currently, I have 5 zebra danios, 4
>>
>>
>> phantom
>>
>>>> tetras and 1 pl*co. I'd like to add 1 or 2 larger fish ... would this
>>
>>
>> be
>>
>>>> too many? I did have a dwarf blue gourami for about 4 months but he
>>
>>
>> died
>>
>>>> yesterday :(
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Sorry about your Gourami :-( I've got a pair of the blues and they are
>>> very pretty....
>>>
>>> You probably could add some more fish into a tank this size but before
>>> doing this I suggest you run some tests on your water to see if it gives
>>> any indication as to why the Gourami died. These would be
>>> nitrite/ammonia/nitrate/pH. When did you last add fish/plants to the
>>> tank? Maybe something came in with an addition.
>>>
>>> Gill
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Gouramis from my experience seem to be very hardy - they have been the
> first fish in 3 of my tanks and are all still doing well. The only issue
> you might run into is agression especially with two males or if you go
> one male/one female he might hassle her. I've got 3 Blue/3 spot/opaline
> Gouramis in one tank but I believe they might be more aggressive (the
> male rules all the other fish in the tank - lol), as I mentioned before
> I have two dwarf blues that get on great (one male/one female) and two
> very peaceful Pearl Gouramis that have never shown any signs of
> agression (again 1 male/1 female).
>
> I would agree with the waiting for a few weeks. Maybe something came in
> with the Danios. I would certainly hestitate to rush in and add more
> fish after an unexplained death....
>
> Gill

I've seen a 20 tall with a three-spot gourami and an angelfish. They
pretty much ignored each other except for an occasional bit of chasing.
I think the mix works better than two angels and two gouramis.

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

[NetMax]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
.. .
> Patti wrote:
>> I tested my water today 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and ph 7.6. I do a 10
>> percent
>> water change every week. The Gourami had a case of fin rot a few
>> weeks ago
>> ... actually I had a female then to, but she died right away. I
>> treated the
>> tank with Maracyn for about a week and a half and the male Gourami
>> seemed to
>> be better the last two weeks or so, but then yesterday he suddenly
>> died. I
>> guess he wasn't as cured as I thought :(
>>
<snip>
>>
> Gouramis from my experience seem to be very hardy - they have been the
> first fish in 3 of my tanks and are all still doing well. The only
> issue you might run into is agression especially with two males or if
> you go one male/one female he might hassle her. I've got 3 Blue/3
> spot/opaline Gouramis in one tank but I believe they might be more
> aggressive (the male rules all the other fish in the tank - lol), as I
> mentioned before I have two dwarf blues that get on great (one male/one
> female) and two very peaceful Pearl Gouramis that have never shown any
> signs of agression (again 1 male/1 female).
>
> I would agree with the waiting for a few weeks. Maybe something came in
> with the Danios. I would certainly hestitate to rush in and add more
> fish after an unexplained death....
>
> Gill


Either the UK is getting its gouramis from elsewhere, or your experience
has been lucky (or skilful). Dwarf gourami have been showing a lot of
trouble in the trade, with the biggest suspect being the years of hormone
laced waters being used to create only male fry.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Gill Passman]

NetMax wrote:
> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>Patti wrote:
>>
>>>I tested my water today 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and ph 7.6. I do a 10
>>>percent
>>>water change every week. The Gourami had a case of fin rot a few
>>>weeks ago
>>>... actually I had a female then to, but she died right away. I
>>>treated the
>>>tank with Maracyn for about a week and a half and the male Gourami
>>>seemed to
>>>be better the last two weeks or so, but then yesterday he suddenly
>>>died. I
>>>guess he wasn't as cured as I thought :(
>>>
>
> <snip>
>
>>Gouramis from my experience seem to be very hardy - they have been the
>>first fish in 3 of my tanks and are all still doing well. The only
>>issue you might run into is agression especially with two males or if
>>you go one male/one female he might hassle her. I've got 3 Blue/3
>>spot/opaline Gouramis in one tank but I believe they might be more
>>aggressive (the male rules all the other fish in the tank - lol), as I
>>mentioned before I have two dwarf blues that get on great (one male/one
>>female) and two very peaceful Pearl Gouramis that have never shown any
>>signs of agression (again 1 male/1 female).
>>
>>I would agree with the waiting for a few weeks. Maybe something came in
>>with the Danios. I would certainly hestitate to rush in and add more
>>fish after an unexplained death....
>>
>>Gill
>
>
>
> Either the UK is getting its gouramis from elsewhere, or your experience
> has been lucky (or skilful). Dwarf gourami have been showing a lot of
> trouble in the trade, with the biggest suspect being the years of hormone
> laced waters being used to create only male fry.


I'll try and find out where the Gouramis that are sold locally come
from. I would guess, although I may be wrong, as they are so common they
will be UK bred. Would be interesting to find out...

Gill

[Ali Day]

> I'll try and find out where the Gouramis that are sold locally come from.
> I would guess, although I may be wrong, as they are so common they will be
> UK bred. Would be interesting to find out...

It's 5 years since I left the UK, but back over there, and it seems to be
still true for here (France) that most tropical fish if not bred in Holland
are imported through there.

Cheers

A

[Gill Passman]

Ali Day wrote:
>>I'll try and find out where the Gouramis that are sold locally come from.
>>I would guess, although I may be wrong, as they are so common they will be
>>UK bred. Would be interesting to find out...
>
>
> It's 5 years since I left the UK, but back over there, and it seems to be
> still true for here (France) that most tropical fish if not bred in Holland
> are imported through there.
>
> Cheers
>
> A
>
>
Asked in my LFS today. They get all their Gouramis from Singapore (long
way to travel). He also reckons I've probably been lucky with the Dwarf
Gouramis :-)

Gill

[[email protected]]

Once I know my tank is okay, could I add a few clown loaches or will it
be too crowded?

Patti

[Gill Passman]

wrote:
> Once I know my tank is okay, could I add a few clown loaches or will it
> be too crowded?
>
> Patti
>
You will have opened the floodgates with that question - lol

We all have differing opinions with Clowns - I know that Derek (a
regular poster) has Clowns in a 10 gall without any problems. Others
have very different opinions - and we all get quite passionate about our
Clowns :-)

Fully grown Clowns are 12 inches although this rarely happens in
captivity but that being said they do grow big...if you want Clowns you
would have to be prepared either to eventually get a tank large enough
to accomodate them or return them to your LFS.

I would never keep less than 3 together - they are very social fish with
their own kind...keeping them on their own or in small numbers is not
fair on them. I prefer 6 but currently only have 3 in my community tank.
Personally I wouldn't keep them in a tank less than 40 gall but again
others do successfully so just very much IMO. In terms of your fish load
you could do it for a while....

I love Clown Loaches and wouldn't not have them. They are great to watch
and fun to keep although they do have their own potential problems
mainly ich....

A good place for research, if you haven't found it already, is:-

http://www.loaches.com/

Gill

[Patti]

Thanks for the website and the advice :) .... I guess I'll have to do some
more research. I would like to get a larger aquarium down the road, so if
I did decide to get 3 clown loaches I could always move them when they get
too big. I'm not getting anything for a few weeks, anyway, until I know
my tank is safe. So, in the meantime, I'll keep looking around for other
ideas.

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
.. .
> > >
> You will have opened the floodgates with that question - lol
>
> We all have differing opinions with Clowns - I know that Derek (a
> regular poster) has Clowns in a 10 gall without any problems. Others
> have very different opinions - and we all get quite passionate about our
> Clowns :-)
>
> Fully grown Clowns are 12 inches although this rarely happens in
> captivity but that being said they do grow big...if you want Clowns you
> would have to be prepared either to eventually get a tank large enough
> to accomodate them or return them to your LFS.
>
> I would never keep less than 3 together - they are very social fish with
> their own kind...keeping them on their own or in small numbers is not
> fair on them. I prefer 6 but currently only have 3 in my community tank.
> Personally I wouldn't keep them in a tank less than 40 gall but again
> others do successfully so just very much IMO. In terms of your fish load
> you could do it for a while....
>
> I love Clown Loaches and wouldn't not have them. They are great to watch
> and fun to keep although they do have their own potential problems
> mainly ich....
>
> A good place for research, if you haven't found it already, is:-
>
> http://www.loaches.com/
>
> Gill

[Gill Passman]

Patti wrote:
> Thanks for the website and the advice :) .... I guess I'll have to do some
> more research. I would like to get a larger aquarium down the road, so if
> I did decide to get 3 clown loaches I could always move them when they get
> too big. I'm not getting anything for a few weeks, anyway, until I know
> my tank is safe. So, in the meantime, I'll keep looking around for other
> ideas.
>
> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>You will have opened the floodgates with that question - lol
>>
>>We all have differing opinions with Clowns - I know that Derek (a
>>regular poster) has Clowns in a 10 gall without any problems. Others
>>have very different opinions - and we all get quite passionate about our
>>Clowns :-)
>>
>>Fully grown Clowns are 12 inches although this rarely happens in
>>captivity but that being said they do grow big...if you want Clowns you
>>would have to be prepared either to eventually get a tank large enough
>>to accomodate them or return them to your LFS.
>>
>>I would never keep less than 3 together - they are very social fish with
>>their own kind...keeping them on their own or in small numbers is not
>>fair on them. I prefer 6 but currently only have 3 in my community tank.
>> Personally I wouldn't keep them in a tank less than 40 gall but again
>>others do successfully so just very much IMO. In terms of your fish load
>>you could do it for a while....
>>
>>I love Clown Loaches and wouldn't not have them. They are great to watch
>>and fun to keep although they do have their own potential problems
>>mainly ich....
>>
>>A good place for research, if you haven't found it already, is:-
>>
>>http://www.loaches.com/
>>
>>Gill
>
>
>
Good idea....Clowns are very sensitive to water quality so you need to
be spot on before putting them in...hmmm bigger aquarium - the dreams of
many (including me) :-)