# Need advise on fish for a community tank



## PKChino (Aug 13, 2007)

Hi all,
I am currently cycling for my 12 gallon tank, I have several live plants in there now. Below are the fish my girlfriend and I want to have in our tank, please let me know what you think:

2 x Mollies
2 x small angelfish 
1 x goldfish that I currently have
2 x catfish

I have searched a bit and didn't find any major problem keeping them all together, please let me know if there is anything I should be aware of, thanks in advance!


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## Clerk (Nov 22, 2006)

What kind of goldfish is it? If its a fancy goldfish thats the only thing that will work in that tank, and not for its entire life. Fancy goldfish require at least 10 gallons per fish, and usually 20 for the first, and 10 for each additional.

If its a comet, it will need to be rehomed.


If you can rehome the goldfish, you can do tropical.

No angelfish can go into anything that small, you need at least 20 gallons for one angel, and 29 would be better.

Catfish? Well, their are tons of catfish, you would need to be more specific, but cory cats and otocinculus would work.

Mollies are brackish, they can adapt, but I would recommend platys instead.


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## Countryguy (Jul 26, 2007)

The first problem is that the Goldfish is a cold water fish while the molly and angels are tropicals....

Without knowing more on what type of catfish you are getting, can't advise you...

The angels will not remain small and need a bigger tank than what you have, and I have yet to hear anyone say that a gold fish can be kept in anything smaller than a 20...

I'm not even sure the Mollies are good for that size....


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## PKChino (Aug 13, 2007)

Wow, thanks for the reply guys. So I think the angelfish are out. To clarify things a bit :

1. The gold fish is NOT a comet, it's just a fancy goldfish
2. I am getting cory catfish

So I guess I will change the fish to:

2 x Cory catfish
3 x platy or swordtail
1 x fancy goldfish (can I?)

Can I still add a few more neon tetras or guppies?
(I am not getting them stock all at once of course)

thanks a lot guys!


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## Clerk (Nov 22, 2006)

Needs to be the Goldfish or the tropical you cannot do both.

Fancy goldfish get 6-8 inches, minimum, and they can get larger.

Usually within their first year they get at least 5 inches including tail.


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## osiris214 (Jul 28, 2007)

u can either keep (as stated above) just goldfish or tropicals. 

if you're doing tropicals i suggest-

3x corydoras panda or 2x dwarf loaches

10x neon tetras

another option is-

2 x ram cichlids

1x dwarf loach

10x neon tetras

the rams will need caves and this can be achieved by overturning small pots. also make sure u add the rams only after the tank is cycled.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2007)

Like the others have stated, Goldfish and Tropical fish (the cories, platies) have different temperature requirements, so they should not be kept together. In a 12g tank, you would only be able to keep one Fancy goldfish.

If you go the tropical route, then you would be able to have a few Platies (maybe 4-5), a shoal of small cories (I'd go with a dwarf species: C. hastatus, C. habrosus, or C. pygmaeus, 8 of those or Panda or Trilineatus cories, 6 of those), and some algae eaters (Otocinclus-~4). Or you could swap the Otos for a Dwarf or Honey gourami, or lessen the number of Platies to 2-3 and get a school of small tetras (6-8).

Loaches aren't a good idea in small tanks. For most loaches, I believe they should have a minimum of 20g. Even the Dwarf Chain loaches....as they can be pretty active. Loaches are also schooling. 

Swordtails and Mollies get a bit too big for a 12g IMO, so I'd stick with the Platies. There are many varieties to choose from so you should be able to find some you like.

If you go the tropical fish route, you will need to rehome the goldfish or setup a tank just for him/her. I'd start with a 20g.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2007)

not 10 neons or 1 loach. loaches are social fish, like cories. 10 neons would fill the tank. if you keep just goldfish, you would need a bigger tank. goldfish don't belong in 12 gallons. 

In my 10 gallon, i have a pair of bolivian rams and a trio of platies. you could do this and add a few smallish tetras like neons, cardinal, or glolights and the tank would be filled. or instead of the tetras, you could have a few otto cats instead to help with algae.


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## PKChino (Aug 13, 2007)

OK...you guys don't know how happy I am with all the advice, I hate to get some fish and found them dead few days later. So here is what I have in mind now...

3 x platies
6 x neon tetras or guppies
1 x non schooling catfish or algae eater

after my tank is fully cycled, which should be by end of this week. (using bio-spira and live plants) I will start to add the fish slowly. 

*Sould I add the catfish first or the other ones?*


thanks guys!


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2007)

There aren't many options for catfish that are small and non-schooling. Plecos get too large...even Bristlenose. If you have live plants, Otocinclus would be a good choice, as they will eat a couple types of algae and thrive in planted tanks. You would be fine adding 3-4 of those. They do like groups and shouldn't be kept single, but won't overstock the tank if you add on 3-4 of them.

As to which should go in first...that depends on what type of catfish you have. I'd probably add the Platies first. You're tank will be cycled, so there isn't a huge risk of ammonia and nitrite spikes, so Platies should be ok to go in first. Neons and Otos aren't as hardy, so even with the tank cycled, I wouldn't add either of those first.

If you get the Platies, I suggest going with the Neons over the Guppies, just because 2 types of livebearing fish could quickly overpopulate the tank.  Other suggestions would be Glowlight Tetras, Ember tetras (could have 8 of these), and Harlequin rasboras.


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## parkey2006 (Aug 13, 2007)

on ur 1st post, i saw tht u have got 2 small angel fish, as ur begginner fish i have to say tht as thy grow bigger n u have smaller fish tht thy will start to cum agressive with the other fish, i know a m8 tht had 2 big angel fish and thy eat bout 10 small fish eventually u will have to let thm go out of ur tank but it aint hard lettin go of thm if u become very attached with thm


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2007)

Angelfish shouldn't be kept in a 12g at all...unless they are tiny fry. I wouldn't even consider an Angel for that size tank.


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## PKChino (Aug 13, 2007)

So...can I do the following:

3 x platies
6 x neon tetras
3 x oto

am I overstocking my 12g tank this way?


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