# Community Tanks?



## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Well I definately am not new to the freshwater hobby but I only keep bettas and I have to community tank experience. But lately i'v been having the urge to get one. Here are a few questions... 

what is a good community tank starter fish? 
Are goldfish easy to care for? 
what do you think of your comunity tanks? *banana dance


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

gold fish = nasty dirty disgusting fish Well that is IMHO at least. But I'm a big fan of tetras and I'm sure there are people that dislike them. So to each is own I guess.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Goldfish are major waste producers and really shouldn't be kept in anything less than a 40 gal. They don't make good community fish as their water parameters are different.

There are a few different styles of community tanks. Easy, peaceful, aggressive. Then cichlids. What size of tank and what style are you interested in?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

When starting a new tank I have found common platties to be very hardy and forgiving.

I also start the tank as a planted tank with lotsa plants right from the start.

I have also found the neon tetras require peat moss in the substrate.

just some ideas.

worth .02 at most.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

susankat said:


> Goldfish are major waste producers and really shouldn't be kept in anything less than a 40 gal. They don't make good community fish as their water parameters are different.
> 
> There are a few different styles of community tanks. Easy, peaceful, aggressive. Then cichlids. What size of tank and what style are you interested in?


Well my friend has a 20 gallon that she will be getting rid of but I would like something bigger. I also really like guppies and I kept them a few years ago.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

beaslbob said:


> When starting a new tank I have found common platties to be very hardy and forgiving.
> 
> I also start the tank as a planted tank with lotsa plants right from the start.
> 
> ...


My cousin had a platy that was really nice looking and live for seven years! So i'll think about getting some.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

If you can get as big as you can afford and have a place for. Its so much fun having a large tank to scape and stock.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Yes I agree, big tanks are awesome! my only problem is I have a seperate room for fish and small animals (due to cats that enjoy fishing) and that room already has fish, rabbits, snails, guinea pigs and other animals so I don't have a ton of room for a new tank


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## mielikki (Aug 29, 2009)

Platy's, or Guppies are a great choice. Keep in mind that they are livebearing fish, though, and you could end up with some fry.
Mollies are fun, too, actually.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

buying the biggest you can afford or have room for doesn't mean to go buy a huge tank. A 29 gal basically has the same footprint of a 20 gal. Then there is a 20 long that is even better in my eyes as the foot print is longer.


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## Jasone487 (Oct 28, 2009)

BlueSaphire said:


> Yes I agree, big tanks are awesome! my only problem is I have a seperate room for fish and small animals (due to cats that enjoy fishing) and that room already has fish, rabbits, snails, guinea pigs and other animals so I don't have a ton of room for a new tank


Plan on starting your own zoo soon ?And i thought i had quite a bit of pets. Lol


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Jasone487 said:


> Plan on starting your own zoo soon ?And i thought i had quite a bit of pets. Lol


Hehe I practically have one already LOL!*r2


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

A community tank is easy to get going. Goldfish are not tropical and would not enjoy the temperatures that we use for most tropical fish. Some of the more common livebearers like guppies or platies are great starter fish for a tropical tank. Since you already have functional tanks, you have the most important thing for a new tropical fish keeper. You have a filter that would be a great starter source for a fishless tank cycle so that you can stock the new tank in fairly short order. The quickest way I have found to start a new tank is to use it as a cleaning bucket for an established tank's filter. Where you end up is with a filter on the new tank that has a sample of the right bacteria for the new filter already in it. After that, a short period of "fishless cycling" and you will have a fully functional new filter that is ready to take on a serious fish load. I find that I can almost always create a filter clone this way in less than a week, with no harm done to my existing filter.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Oldman said:


> A community tank is easy to get going. Goldfish are not tropical and would not enjoy the temperatures that we use for most tropical fish. Some of the more common livebearers like guppies or platies are great starter fish for a tropical tank. Since you already have functional tanks, you have the most important thing for a new tropical fish keeper. You have a filter that would be a great starter source for a fishless tank cycle so that you can stock the new tank in fairly short order. The quickest way I have found to start a new tank is to use it as a cleaning bucket for an established tank's filter. Where you end up is with a filter on the new tank that has a sample of the right bacteria for the new filter already in it. After that, a short period of "fishless cycling" and you will have a fully functional new filter that is ready to take on a serious fish load. I find that I can almost always create a filter clone this way in less than a week, with no harm done to my existing filter.


Thanks for the adice! I have been told to only get one or 2 fish at a time, is that true?


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

If you can get a proper cycle on your new filter by dosing the new filter from the old media cleaning and then developing the new filter to handle a large biological load using ammonia, your new tank can be easily stocked at 60% or more of its full levels right away. If you choose to not do a filter clone or do not then use a fishless cycle approach, you definitely should severely limit your initial stock levels. It really depends how far you are willing to go with the clone in your new filter. I dose a new filter, that has been treated to the right bacteria, with water containing about 4 or 5 pppm of ammonia and verify that it processes down to zero ammonia in about 12 hours without having any nitrites present at those same 12 hours. If I can reach that condition, often in less than a week, I am ready to do a large water change to remove any nitrate build and then add my stock of about 60% to the newly cycled tank.


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

Freshwater & Brackish Compatibility Chart incase you haven't stumbled across this yet, it might come in handy picking fish out.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

squirrelcrusher said:


> Freshwater & Brackish Compatibility Chart incase you haven't stumbled across this yet, it might come in handy picking fish out.


Thank your for that! I have started to think about maybe getting fish that are cmpatable with my female betta.


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

Most of the less aggressive moderately small fish will do fine with a betta splendens of either sex. That is things like endlers, mollies, rasboras, etc. Bettas can become victims of nippy fish and of course you don't want fish big enough to eat them.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Oldman said:


> Most of the less aggressive moderately small fish will do fine with a betta splendens of either sex. That is things like endlers, mollies, rasboras, etc. Bettas can become victims of nippy fish and of course you don't want fish big enough to eat them.


Thanks for the info! Your really helpfull! I really like platties have you ever kep them with bettas?


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

I had a tank that I was trying to keep cycled and just threw all of my unsorted fish into it. It was eventually turned over to the intended inhabitants but in the meantime had a half dozen platies, another half dozen sparkling gouramis, a male betta, some cories and even a few ghost shrimp living in it. I never crowd my fish, this was a big tank. Crowding can lead to aggression that is just not seen with appropriate stocking levels.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Oldman said:


> I had a tank that I was trying to keep cycled and just threw all of my unsorted fish into it. It was eventually turned over to the intended inhabitants but in the meantime had a half dozen platies, another half dozen sparkling gouramis, a male betta, some cories and even a few ghost shrimp living in it. I never crowd my fish, this was a big tank. Crowding can lead to aggression that is just not seen with appropriate stocking levels.


Do you think a 20 gal. is big enough for 3 platies a female betta and a mystery snail?


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## Jasone487 (Oct 28, 2009)

Im New to this whole thing also, but a i saw a few places say general rule is 1 inch of fish per gal. of water Max.


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

watch what you get if you decide to get guppies. just about anything with a hunting instict will try to eat or kill guppies; they seem to be the BOTTOM of the food chain! platies, mollies, and swordtails should be ok with the betta, but if you decide to get guppies, be careful and watch the betta closely.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Fishboydanny1 said:


> watch what you get if you decide to get guppies. just about anything with a hunting instict will try to eat or kill guppies; they seem to be the BOTTOM of the food chain! platies, mollies, and swordtails should be ok with the betta, but if you decide to get guppies, be careful and watch the betta closely.


Ya, I don't think I want guppies, I would prefer platties, I don't think I want swordtails because they are agressive fish and my betta is very small and would be damaged easily


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

Oldman, you had gouramis in with a betta? I was always told that bettas and gouramis wouldn't get along because the gouramis have the long feelers which upset bettas. Good to know. I guess is depends on the temperment of the individual fish.


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Me? No.


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## Shotgun (Mar 1, 2009)

commuties can be so fun IMO. i recommend getting a small 30g community to start. Since ur starting out, i would recommend some 3-4 cories, 10 neon tetras, and some guppies. this should be a set up which is on the "easier" side...


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## BlueSaphire (Nov 3, 2009)

Shotgun said:


> commuties can be so fun IMO. i recommend getting a small 30g community to start. Since ur starting out, i would recommend some 3-4 cories, 10 neon tetras, and some guppies. this should be a set up which is on the "easier" side...


Thanks! I have been thinking realistically late;y and i'm not so sure a community tank would make sense for me, i'm thinking of breeding rosy red minnows in albino, and also rosy red, fathead hybrids as a little challenge for me, I have been looking around, and unless it's a fish that can live in a very, very cold climate (AKA my basement*J/D* LOL) I only have room for a 10-15 gallon. I saw some 15c minnows and cheap 10 gallon tanks at my LFS.......it's tempting LOL. *w3


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