freshwater community

Question
QUESTION: I bought 2 buenos aires tetras for my tank, and I bought a book on fish too, but now that I read it, it gives me list of fish for a 30 gallon tank (which I have) and it includes: 2 bloodfin tetras, 3 black neon tetras, 2 glowlight tetras, 3 cherry barbs, and 4 bleeding heart tetras.  1st of all is this a good list?  2nd, since I bought buenos aires's, and it lists blood fins, can I still use my fish?  They eat the same thing( flakes, bloodworms) and they are about the same size, but can buenos aires's live with the other listed fish?

ANSWER: Hi Sarah
I had to do a quick search on teh buenos aires tetras, I always forget which is which when it comes to tetras.  I actually have 3 of those in my community tank.  I pulled up this site on them, and they mention they are one of the more aggressive tetras, none to be fin nippers.  

http://www.timstropicals.com/Inventory/TetraLarge/BuenosAiresInfo.asp

Now, I have mine in I think it's a 35 gallon tank, with black skirted tetras, a gourami, 2 platies, cory cats, a pleco, red tail shark, and a couple zebra danios.  None of my fish have nipped fins, and those tetras don't chase any of the other fish in the tank at all.  I did originally have 4, one died though, but never had problems then either.  They are very quick swimmers, and do gobble up the food quickly.  So, from my experience with them, I think you should be ok with them and the others you mentioned.  But, as with any fish, it really depends more on their individual personality if they'll get along ok.  Sometimes combinations work out ok, and other times they don't.  

For your list, I would lose one group of those you mentioned, and add 3 or 4 corydora catfish-just make sure they're the all the same kind.  They'll stay at the bottom, and clean up the leftover food.  They're pretty easy to care for, just drop a few shrimp pellets in a few times a week to vary their diet.  They'll also eat the flakes and bloodworms.  And, eventually after the tank starts developing some algae, I'd add a small pleco-like a rubber lip pleco or a bristlenose pleco. I say to lose one group of those fish, because all those you mentioned are pretty much going to be swimming in the middle to top area of the tank.  You want to make sure there's going to be enough "swimming room" as well.  And, barbs and tetras are known to sometimes be fin nippers, but not always.  Just keep an eye on them and watch for aggression.  

Hope that helps and good luck with your new tank!

Christy



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

QUESTION: Ok! Thank you! That helps a lot! There is one problem though: I have 1 crayfish.  Will any fish get to big, and eat him?  Or are the cats small and the crayfish will catch and eat them?  Thanks again!

Answer
Hi Sarah
I'm not too familiar with crayfish-I've always wanted to get one of those blue crayfish, they're neat looking!  But what I read, didn't seem they were too compatible with fish.  None of those fish you mentioned will get big enough to eat him, but I believe the crayfish are more nocturnal, and might go after some of the fish at night when they're sleeping.  And, cory cats like the bottom area as well, so they'd most likely be the ones attacked.  So definitely a no on the catfish.

I remember reading you definitely don't want slow moving fish with them, but I do know people have successfully kept them with some fish.  As for the secret to it, I can't tell you that lol.  I pulled up a few links on them and compatibility with fish, browse through them to get a better idea.  
This first one talks how it would actually sit and wait for the fish to start eating then ambush them...

http://www.anapsid.org/crayfish.html

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article40.html

Those were the only 2 I could find off hand, and they say it's not a good idea to have any fish with them, including zebra danios-which are quick swimmers.  So again, it's another one of those situations it may work out ok or it may not....might be best to pick up a 10-20 gallon tank for him to have to himself.

Good luck with the crayfish and your new fish!  Let me know if you have more questions!

Christy