I am a first time fish keeper, I have a new tropical tank, I set it up on Wednesday just gone.
It is 150 litres, so I quite like Angel fish, how many can I have? I read one pair, assuming that's the case what other fish would play nicely in this tank?
My Dad had 12 tanks in the mid 1980s but I forget all the details and he isn't here to advise sadly.
I want a fun busy and active tank that looks colourful but obviously a setup where the fish have room and are happy.
Those are fake plants but I will be adding some real plants too.
Posted by codecreate
17 Comments
Real plants first, and then cycle! Or is it already cycled?
IMO you can think about levels of where the fish dwell! i would definitely look into some bottom feeders that wouldnt crowd to much with the fish that swim more in the middle of the tank!
You could also try to do some sort of schooling fish, i would definitely add those in BEFORE you add the angels, just because IME angels tend to get a bit territorial
Get those fake plants out of there. Real plants will help water quality and they eat the leftovers
https://preview.redd.it/1nnjryjnvetg1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52e6cb96879717005cbf3ad803c8f24dc00ded4e
This is my 40 gallon (similar size). Only one pair of angelfish and 7 kuhli loaches. My angels are assholes and try to kill all other fish. Kuhli loaches have been the exception. But it’s personality based. I had them in a 55 gallon community tank and had to get this just for them. Have an extra tank ready if you plan on adding other fish just in case.
Please look into the nitrate cycle before you add any friends, don’t make the same mistake many of us have.
If you want an active tank schooling fish are amazing!
Real plants help significantly with cycling and make water changes far less frequent if you have to do them at all.
I have Platys and the plants and cycle come together nicely to only need a 10% change about every 2 months and top offs from evaporation
Is it cycled? If not then don’t add any fish. Moss your chance to add real plants before the fish. Cycling is super, super important
https://preview.redd.it/laddepoozetg1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8657f6a48a15b521e089184b7ab7b887209625b4
Real tropical btw
Is it me or does this tank setup cause anxiety?
That tank on that base would keep me awake at night 😂
https://preview.redd.it/77qn5nhg0ftg1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e649ad074283bc576f35ad2f8529ef16a204ba83
This is my 40 gal, would def benefit from some more real plants and maybe some floaters
Make sure to cycle it correctly. As for fish, grab and API master test kit plus GH and KH tests and see what your water is like. That should be a significant factor in the fish you chose so you don’t have to be adjusting chemistry. The reality is that most fish can live significantly outside their native ranges for things like hardness and PH, but do the testing so you don’t end up with a large mismatch.
When people are saying “cycle,” they’re talking about the nitrogen cycle of an aquarium.
Fish excrete ammonia through their gills, and fish waste and poop also create ammonia, which is deadly for fish. A certain type of beneficial bacteria convert the ammonia to nitrite, still toxic for fish. Then another type of beneficial bacteria convert nitrites into nitrates – a less toxic form that fish can deal with. The nitrates are absorbed by live plants as a source of food, or is removed through a weekly partial water change.
Most of the beneficial bacteria live in the filter media and on the surfaces, not in the water column. They also take a while to colonize, thus the 4-6 week “cycling process.” The API Freshwater Master Kit is generally used to test the water parameters, with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and <40 nitrate being the accepted parameter for a fully cycled tank.
You already got lots of good comments here, most importantly related to cycling the tank. Best to use an API master test kit to monitor your progress.
For larger tropical fish like angelfish, you want a *natural* environment. Which means removing the fake stuff.
So plants and driftwood.
For plants, I recommend anubia and Java fern as good starter plants. Those are easy and can just be attached to driftwood or rocks. They don’t require soil and must not be buried.
For driftwood, they have some good deals on Amazon for mopani wood. It’s a gamble because you can’t choose the exact piece but they come in 2 packs and there’s at least one you will like.
In a 40 gallon tank, you shouldn’t get more than two angelfish. They get pretty big.
Good luck.
If you can get some water from an established tank and add to yours, it will speed up cycling. In a month add a few danios and later add a little catfish. Keep testing the water.
Personally; I’d not add real plants later but roughly immidiately.
Grab a bit of floater as they do a terrific job of filtering out nitrates (waste product)
As others have stated; research the famed ‘nitrogen cycle’.
We have Garra flavatra’s. They are quite the busybodys. Always inspecting the bottom or the glass. We also have hatchetfish, quite calm, float at the water surface and are generally chill bit sometimes get the zoomies and are quick as F*ck.
I can reccomend shrimp. They are a very good cleaning crew. Neocardinia come in a lot of colors. We have 15. On a big tank as yours you could easily add 25 and wonder where they all went.
Also, don’t underestimate a snail. I’m willing to bet money you’ll get them for free as you buy plants but if you want a ‘i chose this’ snail i can recommend the Tylomelania. Slow breeders, that’s a massive plus.
Have fun!
I’ve kept every type if fish for 40 years. Feel free to ask specific questions or message me
START HERE:
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/nitrogen-cycle
ONCE CYCLED:
A single angel is much easier and better than a group. They can be very territorial and killers in groups. But peaceful alone
For fun colorful hardy active beginner fish i always recommend livebearers, some platies and guppies. Maybe mollies. They will eat algae.
Start with a few and let them breed. Once you have tonnes, add a single angel.
The angel will eat many babies and keep the population reasonable.
People will suggest corydoras for the bottom level would be fun and hardy. They will starve, the livebearers will outcompete them for food.
For more detailed info check out aquarium coop on YouTube or their forum. They have lots of beginners and livebearer videos.
Neon tetras probably they’re a beginner friendly fish and match the tropical vibe