# cool looking fish for tropical tank?



## thegabzzz (Sep 25, 2011)

Hi everyone, i have a 150 gallon aquarium set up as a tropical aquarium, this is not my first aquarium so i dont need help with any of the cycling or anything like that, just wondering if any of you guys could reccommend a cool fish for the tank, i was already thinking of borneo suckers and kuhli loaches.
I just want something different. any idea much appreciated.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

thegabzzz said:


> Hi everyone, i have a 150 gallon aquarium set up as a tropical aquarium, this is not my first aquarium so i dont need help with any of the cycling or anything like that, just wondering if any of you guys could reccommend a cool fish for the tank, i was already thinking of borneo suckers and kuhli loaches.
> I just want something different. any idea much appreciated.


Plenty of room that's for sure.
I would suggest looking at fish that preferred the type of water I was going to use for water changes first.(tapwater?)
Some fishes prefer soft water ,some prefer hard water. 
I might then consider whether fish I am interested in are compatible with other fishes I might select.
Small fish might get eaten by larger fish, and some fishes are more territorial than other's and may not get along.
Would first determine what the water you have is like with respect to pH, and general hardness GH.


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## thegabzzz (Sep 25, 2011)

Hi, thanks for replying, my hardness is 5 and the ph is 7.1, I am willing to buy any fish that is compatible with the recommended fish
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## Jester10 (Feb 20, 2012)

I would go with angels, a large school of diamond tetra or any other kind of tetra you think looks nice. I am also a fan of gouamis. The possiblities are endless.
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## Tazman (Jan 15, 2012)

What are the dimensions of the tank..length of the tank can also play a role in what fish you get.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

With soft water (5 dGH) the pH will soon lower a bit so you are well set for many options with soft acidic water fish. Obviously rift lake cichlids and livebearers are out.

Someone mentioned angelfish, you could go with wild caught, perhaps the more rare Pterophyllum altum if not wild Pterophyllum scalare (which are not quite the same as the commercial angelfish), since your water is geared to that. Something along similar lines would be discus. But never both together. Various shoaling characins can be matched with either.

Another option with the space would be some of the medium cichlids from Central and South America. Some manage with softer water. Check out the species in our profiles.

A SE Asian aquascape with one of the medium gourami as centrepiece. Or a Central African theme with Congo Tetra as centrepiece fish. Or simply a large group of several shoaling characins.

Byron.


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## thegabzzz (Sep 25, 2011)

Yeah, I was thinking of angels. But I really want a Loach or carfish, maybe one that will go with gouramis because I'm planning on getting gouramis too
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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

thegabzzz said:


> Yeah, I was thinking of angels. But I really want a Loach or carfish, maybe one that will go with gouramis because I'm planning on getting gouramis too
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I might consider Pearl gourami (male and a few females) and perhaps five Keyhole cichlid's and maybe a dozen YoYo loaches, or dwarf chain loaches .
Course with loaches ,rooted plant's are sometimes dug up but smaller Dwarf chain loach or kuhlii loaches would maybe not be as destructive.
Could also substitute loaches with a large shoal of corydoras.


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## Adamson (Feb 5, 2012)

Get a Black Ghost Knife fish as they will go with pretty much anything in acidic water!


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## thegabzzz (Sep 25, 2011)

Thanks for all your feedback guys, I'll definitely look into all the suggestions. Btw, I would really love a ghost knife but my lighting is to bright
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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

thegabzzz said:


> Thanks for all your feedback guys, I'll definitely look into all the suggestions. Btw, I would really love a ghost knife but my lighting is to bright
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That's critical, but more than that, a BGK will need a huge tank, 6 feet by 2 feet, as noted in the profile. This is not a commnity fish. [Just so you know, in case;-)].


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## Adamson (Feb 5, 2012)

I guess I think the BGK is a community fish as long as you have the proper conditions for it. I have read that a 10 foot tank is preferred, though that is normally out of the question, along with lots of dark hiding places a low lighting.
I feel like the fish wouldn't be very predatory, unless you have tiny fish like neons, in which I would say 80% of fish will feast on.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Adamson said:


> I guess I think the BGK is a community fish as long as you have the proper conditions for it. I have read that a 10 foot tank is preferred, though that is normally out of the question, along with lots of dark hiding places a low lighting.
> I feel like the fish wouldn't be very predatory, unless you have tiny fish like neons, in which I would say 80% of fish will feast on.


Yes. I have to keep in mind that we have many beginning aquarists on this forum, and they may take what they read and run with it. This is why when i spot something like here, I comment. I obviously mean no offense to anyone, but just want the facts out there.

On the BGK, yes, many will say 10 feet. Biologists generally agree that 6 by 2 is absolute minimum. Larger is obviously always better.

They have a small group (6-7) of this fish in a tank at the Vancouver Aquarium. I wish I had a video camera, because the last time I visited, a couple weeks ago, it was relatively quiet (visitor-wise) and I spent several minutes standing in front of this tank, which is a floor to ceiling (about 8 feet) by several feet front to back display, with a replica rock backdrop that has niches and aq couple large tree branches. The light is very dim, naturally, so at first glance you cannot see the knifefish, but once you spend some time, their rippling forms become clear. And it is remarkable; they truly are "ghosts." This is the habitat this species deserves. I thought at the time that if only I had a video camera I could have filmed the sight and posted it.

And, they are combined with a shoal of angelfish, Pterophyllum altum in this case. And they too are remarkable. They are about 4-5 inches now, and I think there are about a dozen of them. But again, the space is the point. They have formed their hierarchy, and they challenge one another accordingly. But no one is ever damaged, there is no physical contact, simply because they have the space to be themselves. They ignore the knifefish, and the knifefish ignore the angels. And in this tank there is a largish group of characins, Lemon Tetra I think they are. They are completely ignored by the others, and again it is all due to space. As in nature, where these fish do live together, they never get in each other's way.

You cannot do this in a 3 or 4-foot tank, as many wrongly attempt. It just won't work. The stress these poor and beautiful fish will be under will mean a shortened lifespan, and an unhealthy one.

Again, this is just an observation that seems apropos in this discussion.

Byron.


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