262 Gallon tank, need brain power to make it work.

[Forester]

Hi, well first off, I do not have the tank yet. This is one that I plan on building some time next year after I buy a house and have the space to build and install this project. Tank form would be in a corner extending along both walls. Dimensions of 72" along each wall, 24" deep and 20" high. According to the calculations on GARF it should work out to about 262 gallons. Plan on using corse sand substrate with about 1/4 to 1/3 planted, plenty of rocks and caves, and driftwood.

Problem is to fill it with fish. Here is a list of fish that I would "like" to put into this tank: (it's a long list...)

3 Paradise Fish
2 Opaline Gouramis
3 Sparkling Gouramis
2 Gold Gouramis (or Pearl Gouramis)
1 to 3 Gold Veil Angels
1 to 3 Silver Zebra Angles (or smokey leopard veil angels)
6 cory cats (three lined or panda)
1 pictus cat
1 tiger pleco
4 boesemani rainbow
4 praecox rainbow
4 celbes rainbow (or just 6 each of the 2 previous rainbows)
1 red tailed black shark (already own)
1 flying fox
4 to 5 bala sharks
1 black ghost knife fish
1 redfin prochilodus (not necessary, but would like one if I could find it)
5 to 6 oto cats
Maybe some kind of freshwater clams as well.

I have been trying to check compatablity with all these fish and so far have only come up with possible problems with the pearl gouramis with the plecos and rainbows. Would they be a problem together? In all honesty, I would be amazed if all these fish could survive together without problems.

That is why I need all the good brain power on this site to get an idea! I want to research this out over the next few months so that I won't come up with suprises when I start to put the fish all together.

Long post, sorry! I hope somebody will chime in and give me some help though. Thanks, Marcus

[xjake]

A good place to start would be a compatibility chart. I haven't done any research on or kept the majority of the fish you listed so I can't really help you much.

[Forester]

After another afternoon of searching I came p with one reference that says that there could be a problem with the Paradise fish and angels. Any comments on that?

Also would like to put a kuhlii loach or three in there. Too many bottom dwellers?

Suggestions about other species are welcome as well, as this is just a preliminary list.

[aaa]

Originally Posted by Forester

Hi, well first off, I do not have the tank yet. This is one that I plan on building some time next year after I buy a house and have the space to build and install this project. Tank form would be in a corner extending along both walls. Dimensions of 72" along each wall, 24" deep and 20" high. According to the calculations on GARF it should work out to about 262 gallons. Plan on using corse sand substrate with about 1/4 to 1/3 planted, plenty of rocks and caves, and driftwood.

Problem is to fill it with fish. Here is a list of fish that I would "like" to put into this tank: (it's a long list...)

3 Paradise Fish
2 Opaline Gouramis
3 Sparkling Gouramis
2 Gold Gouramis (or Pearl Gouramis)
1 to 3 Gold Veil Angels
1 to 3 Silver Zebra Angles (or smokey leopard veil angels)
6 cory cats (three lined or panda)
1 pictus cat
1 tiger pleco
4 boesemani rainbow
4 praecox rainbow
4 celbes rainbow (or just 6 each of the 2 previous rainbows)
1 red tailed black shark (already own)
1 flying fox
4 to 5 bala sharks
1 black ghost knife fish
1 redfin prochilodus (not necessary, but would like one if I could find it)
5 to 6 oto cats
Maybe some kind of freshwater clams as well.

I have been trying to check compatablity with all these fish and so far have only come up with possible problems with the pearl gouramis with the plecos and rainbows. Would they be a problem together? In all honesty, I would be amazed if all these fish could survive together without problems.

That is why I need all the good brain power on this site to get an idea! I want to research this out over the next few months so that I won't come up with suprises when I start to put the fish all together.

Long post, sorry! I hope somebody will chime in and give me some help though. Thanks, Marcus

rainbow fish need hard water and angelfish need soft water, so that's bad idea number one. the second problem is gourami are aggressive... you put so many gourami in there and it is going to be a problem. sparkling gourami are small fish, i would worry about angelfish eat them. pleco, flying fox and otto cat eat the same food, so there is going to be some competition in there. i would suggest get rid of the flying fox as it doesn't doing that good job at eating algae. the black knife fish is going to grow big, so not suggest in there(if you put in small fish, i don't know if those fish go well with other) the bala sharks i heard they are aggressive. i actually think this is a better combo for the tank

couple of angelfish
some cories
ottos or pleco
some tetra that is big enough not to be eaten by angelfish
a few dwarf cichlid in there like ram or some apistogramma
if you think you need some fish at the top, get some hatchet fish.

hope this help. but look at other's opinion as well, some of the fish i don't really know well.

[dmarcus]

if i were gonna go with a loach of some kind i would try and find yoyo loaches, i have three now and theyre awesome, great coloration always active and moving arond mostly the bottom but sometimes they come up to the top. they also stay small compared to loaches only around 4 inches so you dont have to worry about space too much, although with a 262 gallon tank space shouldnt be a problem.

I have paradise fish also and maybe its jsut the one i have but hes really aggressive to all other fish and needs to be seperated from the other fish. His colors (or hers) are fantastic and breathtaking, however if you mix these fish with the angels i would worry about fin nipping cause the paradise will go after big tails and fins. Just some things to think about. (if i put my finger in the water he latches on and wont let go, he can bite hard for a little guy.)

[Forester]

This is great info, exactly what I was looking for. It seems that I will have to revise the species list quite a bit to make it all work. Any more opinions?

Also, tank size isn't really set in stone either, but the shape would be the same, just if it would need to be slightly wider or taller.

[Gump]

the only problem i see is when you look at this tank your not going to see any fish. the only fish that get decent size are the angles and balas, you getting a pretty good size tank. also id remove the BGK as i see problems with it trying to consume its tankmates. other than the knife your list should be just fine.