New Community Tank Setup, FW stkg.  9/20/07
Hello,
<Good Morning, Terri, Andrea here.>
Great informative site, thanks for all the wise advice!
<Thanks, I agree.>
I am planning to start my first ventures into keeping an aquarium as a hobby and wanted to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I have done lots of research <Excellent! Keep up the research and good work.>
on fish compatibility and have so far come up with the following for a 30 or 33 gallon tank. 6 Neon Dwarf rainbowfish, 3 yoyo loaches, 4 angelfish and 3 red honey gourami's.<The gouramis, while small, may nip the angels and like a slightly higher pH, KH than Angelfish. Likewise, the Angels, unless you cull down to a mated pair, will quickly outgrow a 30-33 gallon tank.> The questions I have are:
1) I have tried to come up with a suitable number of each species to suit them, but I am concerned that I might be overcrowding the tank (and I even read that angelfish and gouramis should be kept more than 3 to reduce aggression.) Are these numbers ok for my tank?
<I'd say you are pushing it. I'd suggest starting out with the yo yo loaches and Angels. Get 6 juvenile angelfish and wait for a pair to form. Once one does, return the remaining four. Then stock accordingly from there. I feel the dwarf rainbows would be a good addition at that time.>
2) Also I am quite excited to have a heavily planted aquarium. Do you have suggestions for types of plants that would suit these fish species?
<In this tank, the Angels are more or less the centerpiece fish. Choose wisely, and choose healthy, nice specimens. Read http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwangelfishes.htm and the linked articles at the top of the page. These are South American Cichlids. I'd suggest plants from the Amazon/Pantanal region, where these fish are native. They create a lovely biotope. Have you done your research on what a heavily planted tank entails and are prepared with the proper lighting, substrate, pressurized CO2, and fertilizers? You might look into some planted tank sites online. Try http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com and also the articles on WWM.>
3) I would like to have a fish group that are aware of their outside surroundings and have interesting behaviour, do you recommend replacing the gouramis with 2 of either German Blue Rams or Bolivian Rams? Would they be compatible with this group? <My main concerns with the gouramis is that despite their small stature, they are nippers, and will go after the angelfish. Likewise, they tend to prefer solitary life, and will sometimes turn on each other. This is less common with dwarf honeys, but not unheard of. Also, gouramis are an Asian fish, and I tend to suggest people stay within the same continent when choosing stock. The German Blue Rams and Bolivians however are a good choice for pairing with angels, as they are also peaceful South American cichlids from the same region. But I feel the breeding behavior of both groups (Angels v. Rams) would eventually result in conflict. Choose either Angels or Rams.>
4) Is their a particular order that I should stock my fish after I have cycled the tank or just add all the fish right away? I read that yoyo's can
be sensitive so wondering how long (if any) I should wait before adding them. <General rule of thumb is to introduce the most "shy" and "peaceful" fish first. I encourage you to research the behaviors of your stock selection and go from there. I'd start with the yo yos.>
<In closing, with Angelfish (a fantastic choice for a 30 tank if you go with just a pair, also for planted tanks), make the pair your "centerpiece" fish, then stock one or two small groups of schooling fish in a planted aquarium. Stay away from tiny fish, however that will fit easily in an angels mouth. Neons Tetras, for example, are their natural food in the wild. However, the six dwarf rainbows, and perhaps a small school of other, slightly larger, tetras would make a stunning display.>
Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you guys. <Most welcome.>
Cheers <Back at ya.>
Terri <Andrea>

Re: FW Angelfish, Stocking plan, planted tank start up.  7/21/07
Hi Andrea,
<Hi Terri!>
Thanks for responding so quickly! <No problemo.> This website is great and lots of helpful advice. In regards to your reply about stocking my 30 or 33 gallon tank, I have a few more questions:
1) You suggested getting 6 baby angelfish and wait for 2 to pair up after a year or so, and then take the 4 extra out of the tank. I don't have anywhere to put the 4 extra and the pet store does not take specimens back. Can I just try to buy 2 directly from the store and see if they get along? I know its hard to sex juvenile angels, so also assuming I got 2 males, will they display territorial aggression in a 30 gallon space?
<You can always give it a shot, and keep a close eye on them. You want to try to get a mated pair, which is why it is suggested to start with a larger number, and cull down once a pair forms. Also, I'd ask the pet store why they won't take fish back. That is unusual, except with (gah!) the large chains. Do you have an aquarium specialty, local, fish only store anywhere near?>
2) After considering your advice I will not get gourami's and rams since I guess my tank would be too small for them to be compatible, but what about 2 Apistogramma fishes? I really would like to get Apisto bitaeniata in particular. I realize they too like rams are South American cichlids but still wanted to know what you thought if there might be a difference if I changed the rams for the Apistos.
<Good choice on the Gourami/ram combo. However, Apistogrammas and Angelfish aren't going to get along well either. You'd be better going with angels and gouramis if you must have one of the three (Gourami, ram, or Apisto), but I encourage you to investigate another, non-cichlid, non-nipper option. Angelfish are generally slower moving, slightly nervous, and long finned fish. This should be your consideration when choosing the tank mates.>
3) In addition to the Rainbow neon dwarfs, what about adding platies to the mix? I would like red fish in the tank to contrast against the blue of the dwarfs and shape of the angelfish. It doesn't matter to me if the angelfish eat platy spawn as Im not interested in breeding fish.
<I don't see a problem with platys.>
4) If the platies are not a good mix can you recommend another pretty red fish that would go will with my setup?
<Platys should be fine. Another good choice would be something like a Serpae or Von Rio Tetra.>
5) I have been reading a lot that clown loaches and angelfish go well together, but I don't want to get clowns as they grow too big. Would a different loach species be better suited compared to the yo yo loach? I am also concerned that loaches are from India and like gentle currents and angelfish are from S.A and like still waters, will this be a problem if I put them together?
<The loaches would be just fine. I suggest going with something smaller, such as a small school of Botia Sidthimunki or a trio of Botia striata.>
Possible revised setup, 30-33 gallons:
6 neon dwarf rainbows <-- Fine.>
2 angelfish <--Fine.>
3 yo-yos <--See above about the loach question.>
2 Apistogramma <--Swap for a pair of dwarf gouramis (preferably honeys) with close attention, or other non-cichlid fish>
5 platies (or less?) <--Fine, but this would be your maximum limit.>
<You would be FULLY stocked. Go slowly, and keep up your water changes weekly. Plenty of plants and excellent filtration will be of great help.>
Thanks so much again for your help.
<Sure thing!>
Cheers,
<Yep!>
Terri

Seeking FW Angels  - 5/12/2006
Good day from sunny and muggy Florida,
   <And to you... from fabulous... well, likely so... when the sun comes up... Hawai'i>
  I am re-entering fishkeeping after a few months off (due to a move) and am looking to get some angels.  I am not very happy with the local selection (in LFS) so I have been looking at some online fish sales.  With shipping generally in the $30 dollar range, and prices of fish at about $5 per fish, this proposition isn't a cheap one.  I wanted about 8 fish in a 55 gallon tank.  How do you feel about black angels? (I love them)
<Me too>
  Also, how do you feel about 2 day shipping (seems to be the time it takes fed ex express to get me the package on some sites).  What is the chance of a DOA?
<Too high to suit me... I'd pay more for assured 24 hour maximum... meet the shipment, put away promptly...>
No site offers a return on shipping if DOA occurs so in case it does occur, I am completely out to dry.  (Someday I hope to not have money be an issue, but currently I am still in school and $$ is somewhat of an issue).  I would prefer to get the fish from a local breeder where I can pick them up, but I do not know of any here in Tampa, FL.
<There are MANY... this is one of the premiere fish-farming areas in the U.S. for ornamentals... see the FTFFA on the Net... though... most farms don't sell directly to consumers.>   
  Thanks for the time and the always on point advice
<I strongly suggest "making a deal" with one of your local fish stores to special order your angels, piggy-backing with their suppliers for your fish here. Bob Fenner>