Elephant Noses and who goes best with them??

[mystic_beth]

Hello

I'm new to the forum and only just getting back into Tropical fish. I'm based in Tasmania.

I have just set up a Aqua one 980 and when it settles will move my two elephant noses out of my AR510 into it and get them another two or three companions.

The 510 originally just had one nose, but as I was getting the new tank I couldn't pass up this other in the shop a week ago

They are quite good together, after an initial pecking order squabble, now they are like a pair of contented grazing horses.

The new tank is primarily to make a beautiful home for my noses, but I was wondering what other fish go well with them, that will add a little colour?

The man in the aquarium suggested Discus..but which kind (I never had them before).

Any suggestions.

Thanks guys and gals.

[davidb]

i would reccomend keeping them by themselves- from what I have heard you will see alot more of their natural behaviour in a species tank. I have seen them kept with discus before though. Any discus are fine...

[mystic_beth]

I did think of what you suggest David. But I feel I want a carefully selected community tank. The two I have seem to quite enjoy the company. I have decided to move them with some of their existing companions, One dwarf Gourami, their bristlnose (who patiently lets them rearrange him/her when they hunt their bloodworms) their 5 Black neon tetras.

I will add two more noses and see how they go, one additional bristlenose, one siamese fighter (someone said they love snails )

I am thinking of 5 neon rainbow fish (if they are available).

and or

If there is still enough room for everyone to be happy and healthy 2x

Western rainbow - Melanotaenia splendida australis.

But they can go into the soon to be about deserted AR510

[Modern Angl]

I had 5 Elephant noses in a 6ft tank with plecos of varying types, Clown loaches, Dwarf Gourami's, Danio's, Rummynose Tetras, Bronze Corys, Red Tailed Shark, Hoplo catfish.

They can go with lots of different, and were very social, even to the point of ganging up on the red tail shark when it was trying to pick fights with the smallest Elephant nose.

[karlene]

she lives happily with an albino cory, 3-4 swords, 3-4 guppies, 3 kribensis, 3 bolivian butterfly rams, 2 khuli loaches, a school of neons and a school of glass cats. I think they suggest the discus because they are also slow feeders- if you're putting other fish in, just be aware that the elephant noses need more time to eat- I feed tubifex or whatever to the other fish first, then feed the bloodworms, which ele will eat from my hand and/or in a certain part of the tank, just before turning out the light for the night.