Im starting a small Surinamensis tank tomorrow.

Probally just 3 fish.

What can you tell me about them?

What sort of temp?

What other little fish can I put with them?

What about plants? heard they are good at tearing them out?

How quickly do they grow?

And last, where on the north shore of auckland is the best place to get them? Found some at Animates at Megacenter for $28 each

thanks

Keriboi

google has lots of good info

We keep Suris, along with other types of Geo...

They are reasonably what I would call slow growing... We keep them in around 26-28 degrees, on a sand substrate... actually Daltons Propagating Sand is their substrate in their tank. They like to sift the substrate, as this is what they do. So having a finer substrate is needed. Ours have been fine in a planted tank, they will not go around tugging at plants and deliberately tearing them out, if there is enough space given for substrate sifting and plant the plants well and have even some rock work or something similar around the bases, then things should be fine and dandy, our guys have never touched plants. We have kept Suri along with other types of Geo, medium sized to large Tetras ie Columbian Tetras etc, Catfish, fancy Plecos, they are a fabulous fish and have outstanding beauty once mature 8) They can be a little bossy but generally we have found ours pretty laid back 8)

How big is your tank? And I would stick with either 2... or more than 3 as a number in the tank... You mentioned you wanted 3.. If you were lucky to get two out of that 3 being different sex... the 2 could eventually pair up, then the other one may get a hard time if seen as in the way if the others infact want to spawn.

I'd suggest you start with about 6-8 of them and let them pair up as they grow, that way you're certain to get two that will get along.

google has lots of good info

yeah why use a forum, lets all just google. :-? ... jokes, anyway....

Thanks Afrikan and David for your help. Ive only been in the game for a week so this is my first tank.

Tank is small only 2 foot but im going to upgrade asap to a bigger one. I already have a fluvain 200watt heater ready to go.

Yeah, its buy two get one free so hopefully i land a male and a female.

With the sand, do you know what size it is? I have .8mm and 2mm riversand at work similar to daultons. In my current tank i have same 3mm rocky sand.

Forum is great for personal experiences from fellow fishkeepers, google can have so much conflicting info too, you were right in asking on forum 8)

No problem keriboi, if you need any further help then be sure to yell out.

google can have so much conflicting info too

So does the forum! I think what SBD was getting at is that for the basics like temperature, size etc you can easily answer your own questions with a quick search. I found this in about 6 seconds. This also looks interesting, but I've just skim-read it.

Forums are great for discussing things like tank set up, tankmates, and other things that are based more on opinion than hard fact (like temp or water parameters).

I realise there is conflicting info on the forums, however with a forum, it is a place for discussion, and people can get more than one view on a certain species... I find alot on the web majorly conflicting.. and for newbies to be able to find a place to ask people who keep a particular species etc, you can't beat it. Obviously keriboi didn't realise what SBD was meaning or possibly how to have taken the reply... 8)

sorry i could have been clearer :oops:

yeah was meaning to get general temps and sizes etc, i generally look at as many as i can find and take an average sort of temp etc.

but cant beat forums for peoples experiences etc, can also be helpful reading other forums on the web to see what people say

Yeah I agree SBD, there are some excellent forums out there and fish profiles belonging to great sites 8)

anyway...... got em tonight, well im told thy are suris

heres some pics

BTW Ive been doing lots of googling the last week but its all overseas stuff, i was just wanted the kiwi version, maybe number 8 wire in the corner of the tank or something

That fact sheet is awesome btw

What little beauties and already showing very nice colour at a small age 8)

yeah I was really happy, picked them up from shop and stood in a que with them in plastic bags for 30 mins got me a little annoyed. but then got them home, and within 30 mins of being in the tank they were at full colour.

i second that! they look great for so small, chuck some pics up when they get bigger and they will be stunners!

good stuff Dane!!.....looks like a mean set up mate.....just don't be tempted to get your spear gun out for target practice !

anyone know if Surinamensis (South American) and say Socolofi (African) can be tank mates?....I've got a few juveniles swimming about in my tank you'd be welcome too if the can cohabitant KeriBoi!

Interesting, I have the same red substrate in my tank and my heckelii's (and the loan surinamensis) are all really colourful.

I wouldn't recommend Scolofi and Suris together at all... may not end up a pretty picture.. Africans personally I think should be kept in their required set up... Scolofi would also prefer a nice heavily rocked tank, diff water parameters too. I would stick with fish from Americas to go in with your Suris... ie other Geos and maybe some nice fancy plecs 8)

any idea why they aren't feeding?

Ive tried cichlid sticks, sinking shrimp pellets and bloodworms.

how longs the tank been running?

Do they still look healthy and happy? Find out what they were eating at the petshop probably some sort of flake and try that, or if they're still looking healthy just persist and they will get hungry and eat eventually

if you got them at animates they wer eating nutrafin max tropical flake and a tad of colour bits lol

they are all good now, for some reason they flicked a switch today and nailed half a cube of bloodworms, yeap got them at animates.

Will look into that food.

THank

With our Suris, they love sinking granules, anything that will sink that they can sift off the substrate.. they go nuts on NLS food, getting in wicked feeding frenzy :lol: