# Need Help Choosing Proper Fish!



## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Hey everyone, I am new to this forum but just need general help with new tank mates.

I currently have a 90 gallon freshwater setup.
Just transferred from a 40 gallon and this thing looks a little empty 
I house:
1 - 5" Pleco
1 - 2" Rosaline Barb
1 - 3" Pictus Catfish
1 - 2" Gold Guarami
Also, this tank houses an adult Japanese Pond Turtle, roughly 5" from tip to tip of shell.
My turtle has never eaten a fish since the 3 years Ive had him so don't worry about "slow" fish.

I am looking for a schooling fish but also want color, as well as size(Bigger would be better). The reason I truly joined this forum is because it was the MOST active aquarium forum on the net and my local pet stores employ dingbats. Please help! I will take any and ALL input!

Thanks!


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

you could get 4 more roseline barbs to complete the school, you could probably get some rams(bolivian, German Blue, etc) as well for color. what is your pH and is the tank planted?


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Manafel said:


> you could get 4 more roseline barbs to complete the school, you could probably get some rams(bolivian, German Blue, etc) as well for color. what is your pH and is the tank planted?


Yes, the tank is planted. Sorry. Heres a pic:










I have heard rams can be beautiful! And thanks for the suggestions!!


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

looks nice. I love rams because their colors are wonderful, and they have good temperaments. But they aren't really a schooling fish like your wanting. have you thought about doing some Danios or something?


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Yeah. I just looked up Rams. Their beautiful! Also, i never thought about adding more barbs. My barb loves to be chased. Adding some buddies will help him out! Also, i have heard of danios but never saw any in person. Thanks for your input as well!


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Manafel said:


> looks nice. I love rams because their colors are wonderful, and they have good temperaments. But they aren't really a schooling fish like your wanting. have you thought about doing some Danios or something?


Also, what would be the max amount of fish I could add without compromising their comfort zones. I want a colorful tank with mildly bigge fish (Not tetras or guppies) and I want groups of the same fish. Im thinking more along the lines of adding 2 more Rosaline Barbs, 2 Rams and maybe 1 more fish. I want the last fish to be bigger and be non-aggressive of course.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Brian757 said:


> Also, what would be the max amount of fish I could add without compromising their comfort zones. I want a colorful tank with mildly bigge fish (Not tetras or guppies) and I want groups of the same fish. Im thinking more along the lines of adding 2 more Rosaline Barbs, 2 Rams and maybe 1 more fish. I want the last fish to be bigger and be non-aggressive of course.


You could try some rainbowfish, I have heard that they can get a decent size. the big problem is that even if a fish is peaceful, if another tank mate will fit in it's mouth, it's going to be a snack. You could add a school of Congo tetras too.(they get over 3 inches I believe) Stocking the appropriate levels can be tricky. The inch per gallon rule really isn't accurate, most of the time, I just stock until it sounds right :/


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Manafel said:


> You could try some rainbowfish, I have heard that they can get a decent size. the big problem is that even if a fish is peaceful, if another tank mate will fit in it's mouth, it's going to be a snack. You could add a school of Congo tetras too.(they get over 3 inches I believe) Stocking the appropriate levels can be tricky. The inch per gallon rule really isn't accurate, most of the time, I just stock until it sounds right :/


What in your opinion would sound right when it comes to a 90 gallon tank. I just want it to look alive. My tank looks so dull because there really isnt anything in there. I want schools and something that has size. I liked your rosaline barb idea and quite possibly the cichlid rams. I want fish that at their full grown size, will not need to be relocated. So maybe instead of 4 total fish that I have now, maybe 8-10 fish to a 90 gallon tank? Seem appropriate?

Also, I have been looking at various users on here and they have 55 gallon tanks with around 20 fish! So I must be slow on the take here!


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

what you have to consider is the size of the fish, and how much waste they produce. for example. your pleco(if a common) will get massive, and plecos poop a LOT. For example. I had a pleco in my 75 gal tank with my fronts, I had a nitrate problem, had to do two water changes a week. I moved that pleco to a 55 with less fish in it, and the nitrate problem wasn't nearly as bad in my 75. 

I personally:
Would get 4 more roseline barbs. Barbs need to be in a school of 5 or more anyway, and maybe even a few more if you want a bigger school.
2-3 German blue rams for color
for your centerpiece fish, I would say some anglefish(3-4) would look great. or a shoal of silver dollars I have heard works as well.
I would get that stock, and wait and see how it works before adding in more fish.

As far as other users having a lot of fish in the tanks, they either have the filtration capability, or they do enough water changes that it's not as big of a deal. Or the fish are just really small


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Manafel said:


> what you have to consider is the size of the fish, and how much waste they produce. for example. your pleco(if a common) will get massive, and plecos poop a LOT. For example. I had a pleco in my 75 gal tank with my fronts, I had a nitrate problem, had to do two water changes a week. I moved that pleco to a 55 with less fish in it, and the nitrate problem wasn't nearly as bad in my 75.
> 
> I personally:
> Would get 4 more roseline barbs. Barbs need to be in a school of 5 or more anyway, and maybe even a few more if you want a bigger school.
> ...


Exactly, I don't want my nitrogen cycle to fly through the roof. I do have an external filter and have an attachment/extension on it. But yes, my pleco is a common and they do get huge! I like your idea and never knew that about barbs. German blue rams are beautiful. I cna guarantee you by this weekend, I will post a picture of my tank with your ideas. I might wait on my centerpiece fish. But maybe 2 angelfish to substitute a centerpiece? I just dont want fish nipping at my angels.


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## Sherry (Nov 22, 2011)

There is a really great fish/tank calculater here
aquadvisor.com
It really helped me...


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

oh yeah, I forgot about that engine, you could try that and see how over/under stocked you are


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Hey, i visited that site and it didnt seem easy to navigate. Can I get some help? Im at a pet store. I let everyone know my decision when i leave.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

the roselines are an excellent choice(got 15).They school, eat algae and get more colorful with age.Also grow large(enough for 90).Clown loaches are pretty cool also with good coloring(they like to school).


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> the roselines are an excellent choice(got 15).They school, eat algae and get more colorful with age.Also grow large(enough for 90).Clown loaches are pretty cool also with good coloring(they like to school).


Wow! You have 15 of them?! The store near my house sells 1" rosaline barbs for $11.99 each. Sound reasonable? 




Manafel said:


> AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor



Ahh, thank you! Its the same site minus the "u". Thanks everyone! 


Oh! And Ive decided to get:
4 Rosaline Barbs, 
1 brasiliensis cichlid,
1 Blue Acara
& 2 Green Severums.
They rarely stock Bolivian Rams 

The fish department guy was trying to help me pick out a centerpiece fish. He was trying to sell me on a young Gar.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

roselines are 7.99 at petsmart(only fish I buy from them) and 19.99 at my LFS. They were on sale for 5.99 when I got 5-10. Five of mine are over 3 years old and about 6" long now.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> roselines are 7.99 at petsmart(only fish I buy from them) and 19.99 at my LFS. They were on sale for 5.99 when I got 5-10. Five of mine are over 3 years old and about 6" long now.


Wow! Thats awesome! Please post a pic of your tank! I cant wait to get full grown Rosaline Barbs. And I am on my way to a Petsmart near my house. Will send pictures.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

checkout my photo gallery"my stuff" There in my 180 g.One of my favorites(all the way around{haven't found anything bad about them yet}).Almost became extinct still "magic secret" how to breed.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Are my other choices good? The Blue Acara, the brasiliensis cichlid, and 2 green severums?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

The acara and the brasiliensis may fight, and the brasiliensis gets big - it probably isn't one species but several similar ones, ranging up to 20cm plus but heavy bodied and beefy - a serious filtration challenge. Acaras are also robust.

severum are tough. When they are all grown, you'll be pretty crowded and with them and a turtle, you will be changing a lot of water every week. In dirty water, sevs develop 'hole in the head', an unsightly dangerous condition.

Beware of anyone who tries to sell a young gar to a new aquarist. There couldn't be much worse advice offered. It may be small and young now, but as it grows, it will try to eat everything, including the turtle. It's a predatory fish that gets big.
It will enjoy the rosalines, in time.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

navigator black said:


> The acara and the brasiliensis may fight, and the brasiliensis gets big - it probably isn't one species but several similar ones, ranging up to 20cm plus but heavy bodied and beefy - a serious filtration challenge. Acaras are also robust.
> 
> severum are tough. When they are all grown, you'll be pretty crowded and with them and a turtle, you will be changing a lot of water every week. In dirty water, sevs develop 'hole in the head', an unsightly dangerous condition.
> 
> ...


Well I am NO stubborn fish keeper. If there is a big possibility that I could be putting fish into harms way, I will be avoiding it at all costs! And I knew the fish store guy was mental right when he mentioned the gar. My turtle is my primary concern. So should I just forget those cichlids and just add 4 rosaline barbs and maybe 2-3 green severum and thats it? I would be completely happy with that!!


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## Sherry (Nov 22, 2011)

Brian757 said:


> Wow! You have 15 of them?! The store near my house sells 1" rosaline barbs for $11.99 each. Sound reasonable?
> 
> Ahh, thank you! Its the same site minus the "u". Thanks everyone!
> 
> ...



Sorry about that..... my bad..........


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Sherry said:


> Sorry about that..... my bad..........


No worries Sherry. You brought up the idea in the first place! Thank you.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

*UPDATE:*

FUTURE PURCHASES - 4 Roseline Barbs from this big warehouse an hour away I found! (1 for $9.99, 2 for $16.99, 3 for $25 and 4 for $30) And then an additional 25% off on Wednesdays(Wet Wednesdays) So $22.50 for 4?

PRESENT PURCHASE: 2 - 2" Geophagus Cichlids. Fish expert in a fish warehouse about an hour away said they are compatible, also, these Brasiliensis "Geophagus" get to around 3.5-4" big, and to stay far away from Blue Acaras. He was helpful and friendly 

Heres some pics of them on the way home:









Here they are, about to receive drip line acclimation.









Tell me your thoughts!*c/p*


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## Sherry (Nov 22, 2011)

Very nice choice....


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

My gold guorami is actually violently chasing them after Ive done ornament rearranging and fed my fish prior to their arrival. He wont stop. They are hiding but when he sees them, he chases them into corners. What should I do?


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

Brian757 said:


> My gold guorami is actually violently chasing them after Ive done ornament rearranging and fed my fish prior to their arrival. He wont stop. They are hiding but when he sees them, he chases them into corners. What should I do?


Keep an eye out, if it continues to happen you will have to move either your gourami or the new fish into a different tank.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

jbrown5217 said:


> Keep an eye out, if it continues to happen you will have to move either your gourami or the new fish into a different tank.


I moved my guorami out. But i got two new geophagus cichlids and the bigger one is nipping at the small one. Will that stop? Is it just territorial? Dont same species fish need to establish a dominance order? Or will one kill the other?


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

*UPDATE:*

I added - 
4 - Roseline Barbs
6 - Tiger Barbs
2 - Geophagus Brasiliensis Cichlids

So, total...

1 - Japanese Pond Turtle (Adult 5")
1 - Common Pleco
1 - Pictus Catfish
2 - Geophagus Brasiliensis Cichlids (PAIRED)
5 - Roseline Barbs (1 SCHOOL)
6 - Tiger Catfish (1 SCHOOL)
PLUS! - Plenty of new Wisteria!!

Everyone is getting along great. I will post pictures soon.


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