Community aquarium examples?

[SunglowRTB]

Anyone know of a good web site that lists examples of community aquarium setups? Here is an example of what I mean:

A few examples of community aquariums for beginners

The Small Aquarium (80 liters)
Going for small, schooling fish is recommended in small aquariums since they will make the aquarium look more alive than a few bigger fishes would. You can for instance get one dozen of Zebra Danios and one dozen of small, hardy and colorful tetras. Both species can be kept in small schools consisting of no more than six specimens, but such tiny groups do not look very striking in the aquarium. Sticking to a few species and getting a lot of fish from each species will normally produce the best effect in small aquariums. In addition to the schooling fish, you can add one male and one female Swordtail and enjoy their interesting behaviors. To keep algae under control I recommend getting two Bristlenose catfish (one of the Ancistrus spp.).

The Asian Riverbed Aquarium (120-200 liter)
This set up is very nice if you are willing to install a fairly strong current in your aquarium. It will mimic a South-East Asian riverbed biotope and should therefore ideally be heavily planted. Keeping a planted aquarium is actually easier than keeping a non-planted one since the plants will remove waste products from the water and help you keep the levels of oxygen up. Ask your local fish store for sturdy plant species that will thrive under normal aquarium lighting and require no additional carbon dioxide or fertilizers. This Asia Riverbed setup is inhabited by 15 Zebra Danios, 10 Tiger barbs, 4 Tinfoil barbs and 1 Red Tail Shark. The Red Tail Shark is not a true shark; it is a shark minnow that lives in freshwater only.

The Gourami Aquarium (120-200 liters)
The Gourami Tank is a nice setup if you are a beginner aquarist with a 120-200 liter aquarium. The base of the aquarium will be two different Gourami species: the Pearl Gourami and the Dwarf Gourami. Combining two males and four females from each species (i.e. 12 Gouramis in total) will provide you with a good sex ratio. Two male and two female specimens of the Friendly Betta will add activity to the lower range of the aquarium, while a Bristlenose catfish (one of the Ancistrus spp.) will help you keep algae under control. Last but not least, add a school of six inexpensive Corydoras cat fish. They will add activity to the bottom as well as help you keep the aquarium clean. Never get less than six Corydoras since this is a schooling species.

The Malawi Tank (120-200 liters)
Many beginner aquarists automatically choose tetras and swordtails since this is what the pet shop recommended them, but the world is filled with suitable beginner species and there is no need to go for the species that “everyone else” gets. Even as a beginner, a devoted aquarist can for instance successfully keep a Lake Malawi aquarium with colorful, albeit somewhat aggressive, cichlids. With a 120-200 liter aquarium, you will have room for quite a lot of medium-sized cichlids. Keeping the aquarium well-stocked will actually reduce aggression, so do not attempt this setup unless you are prepared to purchase all the fishes at once. The genus Pseudotropheus contains several suitable species and you can for instance pick six Pseudotropheus estherae and six Pseudotropheus socolofi. Add six more fish from the species Labeotropheus trewavasae and finish by purchasing two Cuckoo catfish. These fishes hail from the rocky shores of Lake Malawi and the aquarium should therefore be aquascaped using lots of rocks. You can try adding plants if you want to, but they will most likely be destroyed.

[FIEND_FO_LYFE]

google is a great place to start
:tt2:

[fogish]

try http://www.wetwebmedia.com. They will have answers to all of your questions and many many many (did I mention many?) more. Freshwater, Marine, Brackish, Planted, Ponds, Science galore... more stuff I don't remember. Read the FAQ's, they have so much info.

[Crazy pet lady]

I ran the fish/pet dept. at a local store for 3 years. (yeah, it was good). If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help, but your question is just too vague to really answer completely. I'm not a "website" but quite knowledgeable in this area. :smartalec:

[SunglowRTB]

Well right now I'm just curious about what kinds of combinations are cool.

On a related note, I really love bonsai and since the last couple years have also admired aquatic bonsai (like Takashi Amano (http://www.myfishtank.net/mft-news/takashi-amano-planted-tanks/)). I recently visited a pet store (a place pets/ Renton) and all those fish tanks got my mind racing with ideas.

http://www.myfishtank.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/amanotank.jpg


Anyways... was just seeking input on where to start with aquariums/fish. There is such a huge scope of information on topics like this that it is usually easier to start off when someone knowledgable knows where to point you... "go google" is not exactly very helpful when you want to save hours of getting caught up in useless information :taz:


Thanks for the link fogish, I'll check it out.

[Nippy]

LOL! I knew that was a Takashi Amano before I even read your post. He is so amazing!

I have yet to do a true community tank(somehow a cichlid always sneaks its way in), but I have plenty of suggestions if you ever want to get into the big meanies. :clap:

[FIEND_FO_LYFE]

LOL! I knew that was a Takashi Amano before I even read your post. He is so amazing!

I have yet to do a true community tank(somehow a cichlid always sneaks its way in), but I have plenty of suggestions if you ever want to get into the big meanies. :clap:

im the same, im better dealling with big aggro cichlids. :yes:

[Crazy pet lady]

Well, just spent 45 minutes writing a really good "article" for you but GRRRR! lost it checking a web site name.:( Anyway, if you really want more info..please email me at fishnchips@charter.net The site I was linking in the post was drsfostersmith.com They have excellent articles on lots of pet related material.

[fogish]

What size of tank do you want and what kind of community do you want? Peaceful, aggressive, rowdy, african cichlids, all "sharks" or all barbs? Bottom, mid and top feeders in the same tank?

Pick one thing and then expand from there. Once you have more info about the entire system you can go back and change anything to suit your tastes better.

[SunglowRTB]

Ahck! Sorry you spent all that time and lost it! Frustrating, happened to me a few times with things I was working on.

I'm not sure... have to do a lot more reading. But freshwater/tropical is what I want to start with. I made a list of fish I am interested in, will try to find a cool combination out of them. Tank size will have to be at least 20g for most of these fish and some of them would require a 30g or bigger. Cost and space available will dictate that.


I want a tank that has activity at all three levels, top-middle-bottom.


But anyways, here are some fish that caught my eye:

neon tetras (a small school, like 7 )
- Quick Stats: Neon Tetra

Family: Characidae
Range: South America
Size: Up to 1½ inches
Diet: Omnivore
Tank Set-up: Freshwater: Plants, rocks, driftwood
Tank Conditions: 68-74°F; pH 5.0-7.0; KH 4-8
Minimum Tank Capacity: 30 gallons
Light: Medium
Temperament: Peaceful
Swimming Level: Middle
Care Level: Easy
Reproduction: Egg Layer


X-Ray Pristella Tetra (can you mix neon and x-ray tetras into one school?)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 64-82° F, pH 5.8-8.5, KH 4-8
Max. Size: 2"
Color Form: Black, Clear, Pink, Yellow
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Farm Raised - USA
Family: Characidae


beta fish (Betta splendens), probably a male crown or a normal
- QUICK STATS
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 75-86° F, pH 6.0-8.0, KH 0-25
Max. Size: 3"
Color Form: Assorted, Blue, Red
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: Farm Raised - Thailand
Family: Belontiidae


fancy guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) (two or three?)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 64-82° F, pH 5.5-8.0, KH 10-30
Max. Size: 2"
Color Form: Black, Red, White, Yellow
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Farm Raised, Singapore
Family: Poeciliidae


bristlenose/bushy nose pleco, (Ancistrus sp.)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 74-79° F, pH 6.5-7.4, KH 6-10
Max. Size: 4½"
Color Form: Orange, Tan, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: South America
Family: Loricariidae


Starry Night Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 72-79° F, pH 6.5-7.4, KH 6-10
Max. Size: 4"
Color Form: Black, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: South America
Family: Loricariidae


Koi Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) , (was thinking maybe a pair?)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 64-82° F, pH 7.0-8.3, KH 12-30
Max. Size: 4"
Color Form: Black, Orange, Red, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Asia, Farm Raised
Family: Poeciliidae


Siamese Algae Eater (shark!) (Crossocheilus siamensis)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Lighting: Moderate
Water Conditions: 75-79° F, pH 6.5-7.0, KH 5-10
Max. Size: 3½"
Color Form: Black, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: India, Indonesia, Thailand
Family: Cyprinidae


red shrimp (cherry???) Neocaridina heteropoda
- pH Range: 6.5-8.0 Life Span: 1-2 Years
Temperature Range: 65-85 F Size Range: 1-2 Inches
Hardness Range: 3-15 dkh Diet Type: Omnivore

Origin: Southern Asia Similar Species: Yellow Shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda var. yellow)
Found in wild: No


ghost/glass shrimp (Paleomonetes sp.)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 68-85° F, pH 6.5-8.0, KH 3-10
Max. Size: 2"
Color Form: Clear, Orange, Yellow
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Farm Raised
Family: Palaeomonidae


Loricaria Cat (Loricaria sp.)
-Quick Stats:
Family: Loricariidae
Range: South America
Size: Up to 3 inches
Diet: Omnivore
Tank Set-up: Freshwater: Plants, rocks, driftwood
Tank Conditions: 70-75°F; pH 6.8-7.4; dH 8-10
Minimum Tank Capacity: 30 gallons
Light: Medium
Temperament: Peaceful
Swimming Level: Bottom
Care Level: Easy
Reproduction: Egg Layer


Sanshoku Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 64-82° F, pH 7.0-8.3, KH 12-30
Max. Size: 4"
Color Form: Black, Red, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: China, Farm Raised
Family: Poeciliidae


dalmation molly (Poecilia latipinna)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 68-82° F, pH 7.0-7.8, KH 10-25
Max. Size: 4¾"
Color Form: Assorted, Black
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: east coast of Florida, Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina
Family: Poeciliidae


Harlequin Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 68-82° F, pH 7.0-8.0, KH 1-2
Max. Size: 6"
Color Form: Black, Gold
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Asia, Farm Raised
Family: Poeciliidae


Hi Fin Lyretail Swordtail, blood red (Xiphophorus helleri)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 64-82° F, pH 7.0-8.3, KH 12-30
Max. Size: 4"
Color Form: Orange, Red, Yellow
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Farm Raised, Singapore
Family: Poeciliidae


Flame Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 72-82° F, pH 6.0-7.5, KH 4-10
Max. Size: 2"
Color Form: Blue, Red
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Tank Bred - Asia
Family: Belontiidae


Panda Barb (Puntius fasciatus)
- QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Water Conditions: 60-77° F, pH 6.8-7.8, KH 4-10
Max. Size: 5"
Color Form: Black, White
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: India
Family: Cyprinidae

[IgSlave]

I started back with books, which are now waterlogged, but they give recommendations of community-friendly fish. My favorite fish are the clown loaches, and catfish; I have an affection for the bottom feeders! I have some hets and one leftover penguin to swim around mid-level, and a big angel ("The Brain") who hangs out under the auto feeder. I have my ig in the same room so she can look outside at the bird feeder or in at the fish, dog & humans.

PS - l love having the lights on timers and an autofeeder. I had to run out & get a new Fluval filter 2 days before vacation last month. I like the Fluvals. Last one lasted me over 12 years!

[SunglowRTB]

Yeah, I do have a ton of reading to do, but I also find it fun to discuss these kinds of things with others, whether it be reptiles, bonsai or nfl/college football :cool2:

[Virulent]

For the most part the fish you've listed will do fine. Here's some general info about some of the animal's you're looking into;
-Betta's can be a bit tempermental, especially with their own kind. When adding fish to a community tank you'll always want to keep a close eye on it for a few days. Even with "peaceful" fish, you'll occasionally run into a "bad egg."
-To really see schooling behaviour in Characins you'll need quite a few of them. Consider 20+
- Ghost Shrimp, and especially Cherry Shrimp, tend to start small and can easily be preyed upon by the fish. Make sure to have lots of hiding spots for them early on. Cherry Shrimp are good for eating algae while Ghost Shrimp will clean up any detritus and left over food. Also consider Amano Shrimp. They look like Ghost Shrimp but help with algae control.
- The Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) is a great utility fish as it will eat algae. Make sure you get a SAE (ask for it by its scientific name) and not a Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus). The two are commonly confused and Flying foxes are commonly sold as SAE's. The Flying Fox will eat algae early on but can eventually become hostile towards other fish.
SAE
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/Crossocheilus_siamensis_5.jpg
Flying Fox
http://www.aquahobby.com/img/fox2.jpg
-Plecostomus get LARGE. As they get bigger they can get aggressive to smaller fish. It's not common but it happens. If you're looking for a good community algae eater try Otocinclus.

[SunglowRTB]

I thought hte pleco was a bottome dweller that only eats algea and debris? The care sheets said the bristle/bushy nose plecos and the starrynight plecos only get up to 4.5 inches?

[Virulent]

I thought hte pleco was a bottome dweller that only eats algea and debris? The care sheets said the bristle/bushy nose plecos and the starrynight plecos only get up to 4.5 inches?

You're right. I was making a broad statement about plecos, most of which can grow up to 2ft. Bristlenose will stay small, usually maxing out around 8in depending on the species. Ancistrus temminckii stays the smallest at 5in. They do well at eating algae but Otocinclus will be more productive.

I'll admit, I'm biased towards the Oto's. They have this little blink they do that gives them great character.

[SunglowRTB]

You're right. I was making a broad statement about plecos, most of which can grow up to 2ft. Bristlenose will stay small, usually maxing out around 8in depending on the species. Ancistrus temminckii stays the smallest at 5in. They do well at eating algae but Otocinclus will be more productive.

I'll admit, I'm biased towards the Oto's. They have this little blink they do that gives them great character.


Cool, I had not seen the dwarf catfish before. I'll definitely look into it as well.