From Coldwater to Tropical fish

Question
QUESTION: I recently got rid of my Gold fish and an now wanting to go to a tropical community.

I had in my 55 gallon tank; 2 Oranda's and 2 fancy fantails, 2 albino and 1 peper cats, 1 rubberlip & 1 upside down cat.

They were in the same tank for quite a while with no problems. Tank kept usually about 70 degrees.

For filtration;

Fluval 405 Canister with simple pond filter & biomax, besides the foam prefilters.
Aquaclear 110 HOB with foam prefilter, and biomax.

No heater. (Have one never used it, tank normally stays around 68-70) Will use it when put tropical fish in and keep tank around 75.

No chemicals, never used, nor carbon.

I never checked levels of nitrates, ammonia, etc. I didn't feel I needed too, never had a problem.

When ever I cleaned the tank, or changed water, I always added general aquarium salt, just a few small hand fulls.

Here are the fish species looking @.

Wife likes; spotted african leaf fish, Angle fish, Platty's & molly's.
Son likes; bala / silver tip / rainbow & red tail sharks, blue tetras, & other tetras.
I like gouramis both Honey sunset & blue. Also ghost / Pictus / eclipse Catfish.

What fish above can be put together without any conflict, etc.

Still have in 55 gallon tank; 2 albino and 1 pepper cats, 1 rubberlip & 1 upside down cat.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Steve,
So lets review over the species in the order you listed -  :-)

African Leaf Fish -  A highly unusual species that grows to about 3 inches in most cases. It is a predatory fish that will quickly snap up any fish that can fit into its mouth.
The African Leaf Fish is also a shy and nervous creature with specific needs such as perfect water quality. They really may not be the best choice for your community tank.

Angel Fish - Now these are a fantastic aquarium fish. They usually make good community fish and the only problems you may run into is when the angels are adults and you have a pair that are trying to setup house and spawn. A small group of 3-5 would be fine in your setup.

Platies - Hardy, very colorful, enjoys being in groups, very playful and easy to keep. Will have live babies every month and some of the fry usually manage to survive the hungry mouths of other fish.  Platies would be very compatible with Angelfish. Their bright colorations would contrast nicely with the silvery/white/black of the Angelfishes colors.

Mollies - Many varieties are more delicate and need 'true' brackish water (slightly salty water made up of marine salt) to remain healthy long-term. Mollies are not as hardy as platies in my experience and they don't seem to do well unless water conditions are pristine. I would avoid them for now.

Bala Shark - These fish are striking! But they can (and do) grow up to 10-12 inches long and they prefer to be in shoals of 5 or more ideally. They would be compatible with Angels and Platies but they are going to mature at a large size and could make your tank very crowded as they are a very active species.

Silver Tip Sharks - These catfish are actually a brackish water species and won't do well long-term when kept in freshwater for their whole life. Regular aquarium salt does not provide all the right minerals to create 'true' brackish water. These catfish also can grow up to 14 inches long! Best to avoid these.

Rainbow Sharks and Red-Tail Sharks - Now either of these species would be a fine addition to your setup. They are both compatible with Angels and Platies but -only- chose -one- of either species. Don't mix these kinds of sharks together because they are very territorial. Both species aggressively defend their territories so only keep one Red-Tail or one Rainbow Shark. Both species reach roughly around 5-6 inches in length.

Blue Tetras and other tetras - Most tetra species are peaceful, reasonably easy to care for, and usually compatible with most other community fish. Research a couple of species you have in mind. They would make good addition to your community if you do indeed decide on Angelfish and Platies.

Honey sunset and Blue Gouramis - Now if i'm thinking of the right species. The Honey Sunset is a variation of the vividly colored Dwarf Gourami. And the Blue Gourami is quite simply the 'Three-Spot Gourami' ... Both species make decent community fish. They can be shy at times but provide plenty of plant cover and some floating plants to help them feel more secure. Both are compatible with Angels, Platies, Tetras and your current catfish I should add.

Ghost Catfish are fascinating fish. They do have special needs in order to thrive long-term. They must have very good water quality and tankmates shouldn't be too aggressive. These fish are known to be peaceful to the point of being very timid! Lots of plant cover help and you -must- keep these fish in shoals of 6 or more otherwise they will become very listless and usually become very ill.
They would be compatible with Angels, Platies, Tetras, Gouramis and Catfish.

Pictus Catfish - a generally easy-going active catfish that prefers to be in groups of 4 or more. They grow to about 4 inches.  They can be predatory and will eat small tetras or guppy-size fish. Fish that are too big to fit in their mouths are usually safe. Their boisterous behavior often bothers quieter, slower moving species.

Eclipse Catfish - These fish exhibit such an interesting coloration and I must admit they are quite a cute little catfish species. They are primarily nocturnal and peaceful but the drawback is they can grow to 18 inches. Keep in mind there is no such thing as a fish growing to the size of the tank. Don't let the pet-store people convince you otherwise.

So I really hope this helps you in choosing fish for restocking your aquarium. It sounds to me like your family would enjoy a peaceful community tank with fish inhabiting all the levels in the aquarium. So you might want to look into 'Top-dwelling' species like danios, hatchetfish, gouramis of course, ect.. Mid-level fish like Tetras and Angels. Bottom dwellers like your already existing Catfish. And even fish that swim in all levels like Platies.

Going this route can help the aquarium seem more balanced with fish. And makes the tank much more interesting as well!

I hope this helps and Good Luck!!
Susan~




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, Susan. Thank you for your informative reply. I think I will generally stay with Tetras.

I like the Skirt, Red Minor, Bloodfin & bleeding Heart Tetras. I may or may not get angel fish.

My question on the tetras.

I know these are more of a schooling fish, however will the different types of tetras school together?

Also, what is a decent number to get, before there is too many?

Thank You.

Answer
Hi Steve,
Good idea with sticking with tetras!

The individual species of tetras really do best if kept in decent-size groups versus mixing a lot of fish but only 1-2 individuals within a species. The aquarium tends to not look quite right when there are only a few of each species of tetra all mixed together. They will sometimes school together, but more often they will not.
Simply try to keep each species in a group of at least 6 or more.  More is always better!

When keeping small fish with a low bioload like tetras. You can estimate roughly the number you can keep by giving each tetra at least 1-gallon of space. If the fish is a chunkier species (like platies) allow for more space. And Angelfish should have at least 10-gallons per angel. These beautiful cichlids must have their space.

Gallons per fish ratio depends upon the fish species in question. There is no strict rule. Only basic guidelines.

I hope this helps and good luck!
Susan~