hi everyone love the forum and it has been really interesting and imformative reading the posts here :)

anyway i am a complete newbie and want to start up a tropical fish tank..i have been researching into it on the net for about a month and plus ive been plaguing my friend who has had a tank for ages.

i am really keen on starting a community tank but i think my budget can go up to about a 90litre fluval roma which i am saving for..i have been thinking about maybe starting with some platies and corys but not to sure on what to stock...any ideas?

plus i really like the look of the bettas and i know they cant be kept with many things but would love to have a community tank with a betta in..is this wise and what fish what happily live with a betta?

thanks :)

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Before you start stocking, you should read http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles ... hless-cycling-article.htm and do what it says.

U really should keep betta with other fish, they might appear to be peaceful at first but then, they'll assume that the whole tank is their territory and attack other fish, especially brightly color fish (Platy, fantail,..). Another reason is betta prefer lower pH water than platy.

Just search for caresheet for whatever fish you like then see if they prefer the same water condition and their behavior (aggression, diet,..)

Hi

Bettas are problematic as most don't do well in community tanks. The option that is most likely to work is a Betta with bottom dwelling fish only such as Corydoras catfish. However, there is a secondary problem which is that Bettas don't do well in large tanks so in a 90 litre you'd also need to ensure there was very dense planting to make pockets of security for him.

Some can get on with other fish, but they can't be mixed with any other bubble-nesting fish (Gouramis for instance), nor with anything brightly coloured or with flowing fins that coud be seen as competition, nor with most Tetras or Barbs who will be likely to nip his fins.

There is no way to know how an individual Betta will respond even with fish judged to be less of a risk. Some may be fine, some will attack anything else in the tank and some will feel so under threat that they are very stressed and just fade away. This is why it's recommended to keep them alone unless you have a second, cycled tank as a back up to move the Betta into if necessary.

However, before you can think about what to stock you need to know how hard your water is and what the pH is. Some fish need soft, acidic water (e.g. Betta) some need hard, alkaline water (e.g. Platy) and can't both be kept in the same water. For that you'll need a test kit, which you're going to need anyway to cycle the tank and to test regularly once you have fish to make sure the water stays safe. The API Master Test kit contains all the basic tests you'll need regularly and the API gH/kH test kit will test for water hardness and alkalinity. Both are cheaper on eBay than in the shops and will last for a year or more testing just one tank. Don't be tempted to use paper test strips as they are not so accurate and liquid based tests are the way to go, especially in the early days of initially setting up a tank and choosing fish.

Hopr that helps, and please ask if you have any questions.

hi and thanks for the responses :)

i have researched into the fishless cycling so when i get my tank, which will be in the next week or so i will start the cycle..i know speaking to a friend that we live in a soft water area..i might leave the betta idea alone.

what fish would be advised if i live in a soft water area?
and how would i go about stocking once the cycle is complete? :)

also i was thinking about live plants for the tank..i have already purchased one piece of bogwood which has been soaking for two weeks already, what plants would be suitable for me to tie to the bogwood? and can i do this as soon as i get my tank when it is cycling? :)

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There is a lot of choice if you water is softer and more acidic, virtually all tetra, gourami, cory etc.

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Post cycle, most people add a small shoal of 6 and then wait a few weeks to ensure the water quality is good, then add some more. Given your tank is 90 litres...

90 less 10% = 81 litres
81/4.5 = 18
18 x 2.5cm = 45 cm of adult fish length in total.

You can look to increase this as the tank matures to 90cm of adult stock.

Given most tetra get to say 5cm, that would be 9 fish to start with. In community tanks, the more placid fish are house first generally to avoid any spats.

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Anubias and Java Fern can be tied onto bog wood, or use traditional super glue if easier. Tying thin bits of thread can be tricky.

thankyou for the response... am so glad i found this forum as now i can plan even more carefully and fingers crossed everything will be great..will keep you all posted on when i get my tank and how i get on :)