Elephant Noses- bad companions?????

[crissy7399]

Hello!

I have found several fish that go well with Elephant Noses, but I wonder if anyone knows which fish I should definitely not get.

An LFS said my fish "list" would work fine (ya, the tiger barbs with the angels, we'll find out how that works later!)

46 Bowfront
2 Angels
1 Elephant Nose
3-4 clown loaches (possible)
3 bala sharks (probably not since they get big, but thought about it)
5 tiger barbs (have at the moment while cycling tank)
1 red tailed shark (to replace the 3 bala sharks I can't have)

and maybe some kind of algea eater or catfish.. don't know.

Any suggestions or comments are quite welcome! Since the clown loaches and bala sharks can get rather large, I know my 46 really isn't big enough, which is the reason I'm asking if anyone knows fish that would be bad for the Elephant Nose (that's our "show" fish). I know all chiclids are out, except the Angels.

Thanks!!!!
crissy

 

[FroggyFox]

If the elephant is your show fish I suggest doing as much research on them as possible. Even just the little I've done I know that they prefer to be in groups and get relatively large, so if they're your main centerpiece of the tank I think I'd personally design the tank around that species to make sure you're giving them an environment that is healthy for them.

http://www.myfishtank.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/14/sort/7/cat/11/page/1

 

[VVDO]

I have heard that these guys like to find genius ways to jump out of your tank and that by keeping them in groups you can help prevent the behavior.

 

[lordroad]

Avoid other electical fish like black ghost knives. Here's a good link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mormyrids.htm

I've kept both clowns and balas with an electrogenic fish and everything was fine.

A couple things I'd be worried about is your tiger barbs nipping the elephant nose... Also, red tail sharks can and often do get nasty as they grow older, and they love to hide out too. This could mean territory issues when one wants a cave.

I'd personally go with 2 balas, 3 clowns, the angels, and the elephant nose. In your 46 gallon that stocking will be fine for a long time, years even.

I keep an angelfish, 2 balas, and in the past I had some clowns in my 55 gallon tank with a black ghost knife, and everything was fine until a clown loach decided to nip the angel and knife.

 

[crissy7399]

Thanks guys.

I have tried to get info on them and have gotten a little. I haven't found anything about them wanting to only be in groups though. Just have read either keep 1 or several because of territorial issues.

With the tank already set up, I only have 1 ghost tube and don't have room to put another (that would look nice). Would it be really bad to have just one? The LFS that has the e nose has had it a long time and it's been by himself forever too. So then he might be really shy and never come out?

The tiger barbs I might take back, because the LFS I bought them from said they'd be fine with all the fish I wanted, including angels.

Lordroad... that's funny about the fish you mentioned because it's almost exactly what we wanted in the first place. I have also read that balas like to be in groups of 3 or more and they get really big too, so I chose not to do them. I know the clowns get big, but I've heard they are slow growing.

Thank you!

 

[FroggyFox]

Sorry Lordroad...but it has to be mentioned that Lordroad is king of being able to make tanks work that are smaller than most people would try for the types of fish that he keeps in them, because most people would have disasterous results. Definitely no offense to Lordroad, he knows I have a lot of respect for him...just wanted to point that out.

If you check out the thread thats going right now about things that people have learned in this hobby...one of the big shockers was "dont trust what your local fish store people tell you". I think we've all had to learn that...it seems counter-intuitive to think that someone who sells you a product isn't the one who knows the most about it...but it seems that more often than not in this hobby that is the case. We hear it all the time unfortunately.

Ya know...we could tell you whatever you want to hear, you could get any answer on this one. BUT the thing is that in a case like this (one or more elephants?) its really your decision. If you're looking for one of us to tell you "sure he'll be fine alone" and thats what you're going to base your decision on...then I say you need to do some more research. I know I dont have the 'right' answer for you because there probably IS no 'right' answer.

This is a hobby where you have to take what you've learned and apply it...most people would rather go into making their fishtank a habitat for their fish, finding out which ones go together and which ones dont...matching them for their different needs (dietary and water chemistry, type of aquascaping etc) and planning the tank out...instead of "oh well I want to put four male bettas together with two gouramis because they're 'pretty'. Ya know? Not saying that thats what you're doing...obviously thats just two ends of the spectrum. I think most people coming into the hobby start out being the "ooh I want that kind and that kind because they're pretty" and then branch out into either the type who is a fish enthusiast and gets MTS (multiple tank syndrome) and the type who comes to a place like MFT looking for answers that they want to hear, then putting a 10g tank together with a bala shark, an ID shark and fourteen guppies without cycling first and then their tank ends up...well...on one of our other member's shelves

ok stepping off of soapbox I'm sorry. Bottom line is I dont honestly know if I'd keep one alone, and I dont know what fish I'd put with it...but I would agree with the TB's being nippy and the bala's getting too big and not being a good match for your elephant(s). Clown loaches do grow slowly, but they do get large and I dont know if I would get another bottom dwelling fish that would be 'competing' with the elephant for territory... Shutting up now! Let us know how it goes!

 

[kadoe]

One thing I read about this fish, is that they do better with a sand bottom because of how they forage on the bottom. Regular gravel is too rough for them to find food in.
Kadoe

 

[crissy7399]

Kadoe, I was actually looking into some black sand, like the taihitian moon sand. But didn't know if it would work just putting some down on top of what is there now. not sure if it would seep to the bottom though.

Well, FroggyFox, I enjoyed reading your post. I like it when people have a lot to say! I guess you could say that I'm this type of person... We didn't want a dog cause we have no fence, and we can't have cats because my husband is allergic (supposedly ) when I was yound my fam had fish, so I thought fish would be a great choice to have- my 7 year old really wanted a pet.

We really didn't even know what fish we would put in it until after we set the tank up with water and the equipment. My husband and I didn't know a thing about types of fish or about having a fish tank. We then just went to the fish store to pick out some fish. Luckily I'm the type to say lets just make a list of all the fish we like and see if they'll work together. I did know about the agressive and non aggressive part.

So that is when me and my 7 year old saw the elephant nose. I had never seen a fish like that before and we didn't want to try our luck with saltwater and I know having freshwater fish won't be near as colorful, so we wanted to go with unique.

Of course we had to continue "sharing" our "wants" like our eclectic fish tank, I think you may have seen it on Rate My Tank. My son wanted the balas, but I had to say no, and my husband wants the angel, I want the e nose, and I talked my son into the clown fish since they are fun to watch.

In regards to the bottom feeders, I figured that was something I needed to have. So if we do end up getting the elephant nose, will that be good enough not to have algea eaters or catfish?

Well, after researching as much as I have, I do feel that once we get it all going, I will be more of a fish enthusiast, I just have a problem with wanting everything to look cool- like you said

Thank you again FroggyFox, it's been a pleasure!

 

[FroggyFox]

heh anytime Most people here know I tend to be relatively long winded -=sigh=-

There's a big difference between algae eaters and just fish that are 'bottom dwellers'. A fish like the clown loaches is really in the bottom dweller category, they dont eat algae, they might pick up some stuff from the bottom but you still have to feed them. Kind of like most shark types, catfish, corydoras etc. Then you have the real sucker fish types, plecos, ottos, flying foxes etc...and those types may stay on the bottom of the tank, usually not in plain sight and eat algae. You usually want to supplement their food with cucumbers or other veggies or algae wafers, but for the most part they eat algae. What I was saying with the loaches vs the elephant is that they both occupy the same space in the tank, and since the loaches get bigger and you'll have more than one of them (since they're schooling fish), in time they'll kind of take over the spotlight from the elephant. It could work, but that was just my thought. I think an algae eater like a bristlenose pleco would work well in the tank, most plecos keep to themselves pretty well when it comes to others in the tank...although you can get some that are a pain. A lot of plecos are noctournal...I dont remember are the elephants noctournal too? If they are I might think about getting an apple snail and a couple of ottos for your tank as a cleanup crew instead of a pleco.

Oh...and along the thoughts of what would go well with your elephants, I kind of like the angel idea because of what I mentioned before, that the angels like the mid to upper sections of the tank...whereas I think the elephants like the bottom portion. This helps a tank feel more populated when you can kind of spread it out a little when you're designing which fish you want to put into it. I figure if they like different parts of the tank its easier to make sure that they stay out of each other's way and avoid potential problems

 

[crissy7399]

I don't mind longwinded! if you haven't noticed already, that would be me too.

I guess I never thought about the clown loaches being a problem. I was thinking you just meant the catfish. I had thought about the otto, but I kept reading they die easy- and it seems like there was something else bad about them, can't remember off hand now. About the snails, I never even thought to have a snail. aren't snails bad? don't they start overpopulating the tank? I guess if you just have one, they can't multiply right? Although a snail might be fun for my 2 year old to watch.

Regarding the clown loaches, I guess I didn't realize they were bottom dwellers- and now that I think about it, they are also nocturnal and so is the elephant nose.

Ugh, now I feel like I should totally rethink the tank.

What could I get to replace the clown loaches? We really want to have the elephant nose- but it'd probably be easier not having him, but he's just so different. Are there any mid-tank fish that are fun to watch? Should we think about the balas again? If we don't have the clown loaches, we'd have more room?....for a while anyways.

Thank you again FroggyFox.

I swear, the more inquiring I do, the more confused I get!!!! I was hoping fish would be easier to handle than the normal domesticated animals! That's okay though. I enjoy watching what little fish we have in there now.

 

[FroggyFox]

Well maybe go back to...what fish do you actually have in there now??

Many snails can reproduce without having a partner. Apple snails (sold as mystery snails a lot of times in your local stores) have to have a partner to have babies, and you get a chance to make sure that doesn't happen because they lay egg clutches above the water line. Course if you only have one in a tank you really dont have to worry eh? I never thought snails could be interesting, but as you see I have at least one in each tank! They're kinda cool. They do a good job of keeping the tank cleaned up of food crumbs that aren't eaten and even eat some algae.

Ottos are great if you can get them to stay alive. They can be sensitive at first to water conditions, most are treated pretty badly at stores and half starved by the time you get them home because they dont take well to being fed...they really just like eating algae.

Oh...and no I wouldn't go with the balas unless you're using them as an excuse to get a REALLY big tank Check out their profile! http://www.myfishtank.net/reviews/index.php

 

[Big Vine]

I swear, the more inquiring I do, the more confused I get!!!!

Welcome to the club.
But hey, it means you're learning, so that's great!

Not to mention that you've got FroggyFox pointing you in the right direction...she's good at that.

Best of luck with your new setup.
Big Vine

 

[crissy7399]

Okay, I won't do the balas. they were just the ones my son picked out. this is really his tank, but us parents have kinda taken over, we are mean, I know.

Well, I have been doing a search for other fish, and just can't find anything I like.

The ones we have in there now are the 5 tiger barbs and 3 platys. But I may try to take the tiger barbs back- we only bought them because the LFS told us to. Apparently to start our cycle- but they didn't explain that, just said we needed hardy fish and they'd retest the water a week later.

I just read on another website that one of the good companions for the elephant nose was clown fish. I know, everyone has a different opinion, so I just have to take it all in and make my own decision. But as you said they will be competing for the same space. both are nocturnal and both are bottom dwellers.

I will check into the apple snails. maybe we could add frogs? I love frogs, just don't know anything about them.

oh, I think I remember about the ottos, I've read they like to suck the slime coats off of other fish. correct me if I'm mistaken though.

THANK YOU THANK YOU for always replying to my posts*BOUNCINGS -- you are everywhere on here too!

 

[FroggyFox]

Thats what ya get when you have no life lol

Ottos generally dont have that issue, although some sucker fish do...not entirely sure which ones.

Depending what fish you get in your tank ADF's could be a good choice. Check out the article that Leopardess wrote on them. (I believe its stickied in the "other critters" section)

Hey like I said before, this hobby is very subjective...lots of different theories and practices. What works for one person may not work for someone else. Pretty much ANY fish combo can work 'fine' depending on how you look at things and how big your tank is. You have to take everyone's advice (YES INCLUDING MINE) with a grain of salt. I've never even owned an elephant nose or a clown loach or a tiger barb!! I can only speak from what I've learned reading these forums and friends tanks mixed with what experience I have.

Ya know, since you're looking for fish that are active and fun to watch...how about trying some corydoras with those tiger barbs and maybe throw in some zebra danios and trade the platys back into the store? Or you could go the other way and take the TB's back and try some other livebearers, guppies may be small but they are very colorful and everyone likes watching babies grow up. (tho most tire of it and want to try something new heh) Just some ideas.

 

[crissy7399]

Thanks,

I actually read Leopardesses whole article on the adf's last night. Guess I don't have a life either!

I would love to have frogs, but it scares me about them finding a way out of your tank or getting their limbs broken from the filter. Guess I could "fix" those problems though.

Again, I appreciate your input and hopefully we'll figure out what to do. I am such an indecisive person it's ridiculous. It might take me a month. However, it might take the tank that long just to finish it's cycle! Speaking of, my nitrites finally showed up today! Hooray! Took almost a month since I put the first 3 tiger barbs in there.

Anyways, good luck to everything, and I'm sure I'll be talking to you again!

Crissy