From: oleg@Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: [F] tank and fish suggestions REQUEST
Date: 11 Sep 92 22:55:23 GMT
Reply-To: oleg@veritas.com (Oleg Kiselev)
Organization: Palo Alto Killifish Loft
X-Disclaimer: I speak for myself only unless explicitly indicated otherwise

weekley@helios.phy.ohiou.edu (Don Weekley) writes:
>1) What are the pluses and minuses of a HEX tank? 

+ it takes less linear space and fits better in tight corners
+ it is deeper (back to front) tank than equivalently sized "standard" tank
  and when adequately planted and decorated it presents a better image
+ hex tanks look more elegant, probably because their proportions are not as
  "square".
  
- hex tanks tend to be taller for the same volume than the rectangular tanks,
  which severely limits its fish load capacity
- fish tend to swim back and forth, not in circles or up and down!  Small
  hex tanks are nearly useless for anything other than raising small numbers 
  of fry or keeping one pair of small fish.  Larger hex tanks have the same 
  problem, but at least they can accomodate a small school of fish that are
  not interested in having swim room (Corydoras cats)
- territorial fish require some separation space and visual obstacles
  between territories.  *In my opinion*, mid- and top-water schooling 
  fish require "swim run" space of some 1-2' per 1" of fish, with dense
  planting around the periphery of the "run".  None of this is easy to do in
  a hex tank unless the larger fish are avoided
- hex tanks do nor easily lend themselves to well-circulated filtration
- hex tanks are not as easy to light as rectangular tanks -- the lights 
  get in the way of servicing the tank far more than on rectangular tanks,
  nor is it easy to get enough lighting on the hex unless metal halide lights
  are used

>2) I want this tank to be a community tank and want some thoughts
>   on the mix my wife and I want to set up in this tank.
>  	She wants:	~12 neon tetras
>			2-4 mollies
>			2-4 red velvet swords

I personally do not consider mixing 1.5" neons and and 3-4" swords and mollies
such a great idea.  They require different kinds of water and they have very
different temperaments.  Neons would work better with dwarf cichlids.

>	I want :	2 dwarf gourami

Gouramies get *very* aggressive when they are in a spawning mood.

>			1 puffer fish

Puffers are brakish water fish and require some salt in the water.  They
will also rip the fins off anything they can sneak up on, starting with that
Betta you want to get.

>			1 betta (maybe a friend later)

A "friend" for a Betta?  They are not called "Fighting Fish" because of
their friendliness.  Two males in a tank will rip each other to shreds.  A
female is likely to get killed if she is not too accomodating when the male
wants to spawn, or if she does not get out of the way fast enough after
spawning.

>			1 kuhli loach and/or another algae eater
>			1-2 killifish

Depending on the species of killies you are likely to either never see them
as they will hide in the plants, or they may try to kill everything that 
does not get out of their way (I had a Nothobranchius male nearly kill a
trio of dwarf gouramies).
-- 
"Eight years is too long for anyone to go without skills or purpose." 
							-- George H. W. Bush

Oleg Kiselev                                             oleg@veritas.com