stocking

[Jennifer]

I was recently given a 30G tank and I am currently researching fish species to determine what I want to put in it. I am interested in the the larger fish such as tin foil barbs, ocars and silver dollars...I know my tank if far to small to have these fish as adults....but is it acceptable to keep larger breed fish in it while they are young (and small) and transfer them to a larger tank when they have grown too big?

I would really like to buy a tank upwards of 75 galllons but since I have a nice (free) tank and stand at the moment I would like to make use of it...give me more time to get enough money to buy the setup I really want.

Thanks,

Jenn

 

[fishbrain]

I am interested in the the larger fish such as tin foil barbs, ocars and silver dollars...I know my tank if far to small to have these fish as adults....but is it acceptable to keep larger breed fish in it while they are young (and small) and transfer them to a larger tank when they have grown too big?

Maybe.... If you Don't keep All the 3 mentioned above together, If you save for the bigger tank faster than the fishs' growth rate, & If do all needed water changes I think it could be done for short time.

Although barbs are amoung my personal favorites Tinfoils have been out of the question for me because of there HUGE adult size. I've read pretty good arguements for not keeping them even in a very large tank (their size & their activity level) It seems (to me) keeping them "happy" is out of reach for nearly any hobbist.

As for Ocars & Silverdollars I can't speak about them because I know little more about them than they get Big (too big for my taste).

good luck,
fishbrain

 

[Jennifer]

Thanks.

I definately don't want to have a tank of unhappy fish who are being cruelly treated...can anyone recommend a good, accurate book on fish species (how big they get, how they should be cared for)?. I went to the bookstore the other day and looked at several...they all had different information and contradicted eachother! I left with less knowledge and even more confused...

 

[Orion]

You can check the profiles on this site to help give you a basic understand of some of the more commonly found fish that your likley to run across in the stores.

I don't think that nay of the fish you mentioned would do well even for a short period of time in a 30 gallon tank. The problem I have when people say that they will only keep 'X fish' in a smaller tank untill it gets larger is that often life gets in the way. I know it's happened to me lots of times. Then all of a sudden you've got a 12" oscar in a 30 gallon tank and no larger tank to put it in. My sugestion on this is to wait untill you can afford a big tank, and get it. THEN think about the large fish that you would like to put in it.

 

[Pure]

I agree with Orion on this issue. Besides having a tank as large as a 30 gal opens the door for many many dif species that can be kept long term without ever having to worry about them needing a big tank.