What size tank should I get

[cjdirri]

Ok I am an idiot and I think I have to many fish in my 65 hex

2 clown loches
2 bala sharks
2 rainbow sharks
10 neons
4 sunburts(those little fish with the big tails, cannot for the life of me think of the real name right now)
1 ghost knife fish
2 peacock eels

Its been awhile with no issues of anyone killing or hurting another fish but I think I will need more room. Plus I must be lucky with bala sharks since I have never had a issue with them hurting other fish, I two of them a couple years ago in a 55 gl and in the 4 or 5 years I kept them they never killed anyone or chased anyone.

I can buy a 30 gl tank off a buddy for 150 bucks with a stand and everything else I need in it. So that looks like the plan for next month.

Maybe I am jumping the gun and all the fish will be ok for awhile?

[turtlehead]

I'm surprised that you don't have any casulaties, are they all adult size by now?

[cjdirri]

Nobody is over say 5 inchs at this time besides the two eels. The neons where just my "test" fish when I set the tank back up(been travling for work the last few years and had to sell or break down my tanks) kind of figured they would get eaten when I dropped the other fish in but to my shock nobody has bothered them.

Maybe I just bought all the world most laid back fish :P

Plus my one eel seems to think its a shark, well the other one hides in the rocks and the grass this one swims around with the sharks.

[flynngriff]

Actually, your tank doesn't sound very overcrowded to me. Your clown loachs and bala sharks could probably use a bigger tank eventually, but if everyone is getting along, I wouldn't worry about it all that much. My bala sharks and clown loaches are growing very slowly in a 125 gallon tank, and I think it will probably be a while before they outgrow yours. How big is the ghost knife?

I'd get the 30 gallon as soon as you can, since that's a good deal, and I'd move the neons and maybe one or both of the eels into that tank. I'd keep the rest in the hex. Your clowns would do better in a larger group, though... They're much happier with around 6 or so. I don't think your hex could really hold any more clowns, though.

What do the sunburts (sunbursts, I'm guessing?) look like? I'm not sure what kind of fish you're talking about...

[cjdirri]

the sunbursts are Platys I belive was the name I was looking for.

yea 30 gl sound like a good deal so even if I didn't use it now I could have it for down the road.

The ghost is about 2 1/5 inchs or so, tough to tell since the only time I see him is when I get up in the morning he will be swimming around then I turn on the light and back into his cave he goes.

Depending on if I can learn to save some money for once I might try to buy or build myself a 120 gl. Have always wanted a huge tank and now I have a big enough place for it.

[DavidDoyle]

cj, can you tell me how big the clowns, the balas, the rainbows, the black ghost knife and the eels get?

[Lexus]

[cjdirri]

Who the hell are you talking to? I don't have 6 clowns in my tank nor angel fish, servums, ropefish or any of the stuff you listed.
Your reading the list of the guy who as a 125 gl tank. Maybe next time take a little time to read th post over before you bask us in all your amzing knowledge.

[Damon]

For the fish listed above 125 gallons would be the minimal you might be able to get away with, but as the fish get bigger there will be casualties.

[flynngriff]

Yeah, I believe she's talking to me... Those are the fish I have in my 125, not in a 65 hex. I am aware that my tank is full, too.

I have a very high amount of filtration on my tank, and do frequent water changes. My fish also all get along, contrary to what you might think. I feed them a variety of foods, and they all are very healthy. I have not lost a fish from that tank in years. I have not had a disease, ever. If a fish starts becoming a problem, or grows to large, I have a great local fish store I trade them to, which I have done more than a few times. They have a good set of large tank customers that like large fish. I believe that if you keep a close watch on your fish, and know their behavior well, you can have fish together that would not normally be found together in the wild. I don't give this out as advice, since it's generally not good advice, and I should probably remove it from my signature. Thanks for pointing it out to me. I don't want beginners to think that this is a good setup to start with.

A good percentage of the fish in the tank have been rescued from not-so-good fish stores that had no idea what they were selling, and had them in very poor conditions. The dwarf giraffe cats, the bachirs, and the leopard ctenapomas to be specific. The angel fish was one of a mated pair where the female had died. They had him in a ten gallon tank, with the ropefish, so I brought them both home. The bala sharks were the only two in the store, and they were in a tank with African cichlids. Should I go on? I'm proud of my fish, and my tank. I generally buy other people's trade-in's when they don't get a good home in the store. If they don't have a good home in the store, I have no reason to think that they will be sold to someone who can care for them, since the people working in the store don't know anything about the fish. That's why I have the fish I do in my tank, and I think it's a pretty good reason. When they have a problem, I don't sit there and wonder about it or anything, I know enough to solve the problem quickly, and not let the fish be hurt.

Anyways, sorry everybody, I guess I got a little riled up.

[Lexus]

Oops my bad I did do the specs on your tank flynngriff, but 125G is alot different than a 65 hex... I'm sure they are fine. Didnt mean to rile anyone up. My tank is overstocked too.

"Who the hell are you talking to? I don't have 6 clowns in my tank nor angel fish, servums, ropefish or any of the stuff you listed.
Your reading the list of the guy who as a 125 gl tank. Maybe next time take a little time to read th post over before you bask us in all your amzing knowledge." its not my knowledge its google... I did read the post and instead of copying your list i copied Flynngriff... no reason to fly off your handle

[flynngriff]

No worries, I think I probably overreacted a little bit. It's been a rough day at work for me...

-Flynn

[Lexus]

Clown Loaches 12”
Bala Sharks 18”
Ghost Knife Fish 18”
Peacock Eels 15”
Rainbow Sharks 6-8”

Since most of your fish dwell on the bottom I wouldn’t suggest a 65 Hex. It probably looks really cool though. Bala Sharks and Clown Loaches like to be in schools and its prob near impossible to have that in your tank. 120G sounds great if you have the space. Angelfish would be cool in a hex or a community tank.

But for now they are probably fine since they are not full grown. Even though Id watch out for your neons being eaten!

[cjdirri]

Sorry but I was on the phone with a user when I posted and well you got the brunt of what my anger was at that time.

Like I said I kind of got out of hand at the pet store since I was just so happy to have a fish tank running again and I wanted everything. My heart is set on buying something over 100 gls so I am sure sometime in march I am going to buy one off ebay or something like that.

Plus to anyone who ever thinks about buying a Hex tank don't do it, it just limits you way to much on setting up the inside of the tank and nothing is made to fit the damn things. Can't complan to much since my dad left to me but I really wish the old man would have just bought a long tank.

[cjdirri]

I forgot to add I hate angel fish, no idea why but I just do.

But your right about them being good for the tank since years ago when I had two of them in there they got just huge.

[Vivid-Dawn]

Originally Posted by cjdirri @ Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:35 pm

Plus to anyone who ever thinks about buying a Hex tank don't do it, it just limits you way to much on setting up the inside of the tank and nothing is made to fit the damn things. ****Can't complan to much since my dad left to me but I really wish the old man would have just bought a long tank.

If you ever decide to not have it anymore, I'll take it! I want to have a guppy-only tank, and I think a hex would work just fine for that. And by the time you get around to discarding it, I might actually have a job so you can make some profit from it

[cjdirri]

Haha I am pretty sure I plan on keeping the tank, plus unless you live in Wausau,WI it would not be worth it for you spend all the money on shipping.

I called and checked on tank prices last night and I think I will end up with a 200 gl tank. My buddy is really good at welding so to save money he is going to build a stand.

Pretty sure I will move the 2 balas, 2 rainbows, and 2 clowns over to that tank. Not sure what else I will put in the tank. Would buy maybe 4 more clowns since I really like them.

[Fishfirst]

Hey I'm from Point! and I always need a new tank Coarse I would love the 200 a lot more that the 65. I would add some more balas and clowns they do better in groups of 5 or more some gouramis might be nice for that tank

[cjdirri]

Haha small world! Is their any good fish stores in point? Fish daddy's closed down I guess in the summer here and petsmart and petco don't carry all that great of fish. The only other place up here is Rose pet store and their prices our insane. They wanted 40 bucks for a ghost knife fish!

What gets me is when I lived in a small town up north called Park falls I had to buy my fish at a bar/fish store and the old guy had some of the best prices ever on fish. Eels for 6 bucks, he sold me knife fish once for only 8 bucks. Plus nothing beats getting a drink well you look for new fish.

[Fishfirst]

Scales and Tails is alright especially with freshwater although they aren't the cleanest place. One Stop Pet Shop is horrid... never buying fish from there since I quit working there, (the owner is insaine! Never ordered fish I suggested and always ordered the unkeepables, pacus, ID sharks, etc in excessive numbers. Sucks cuz now I go all the way to Eau Claire (when I see my girlfriend) to get my good saltwater fish, although Scales and Tails is getting much better at keeping them.