Red Hooks or Tin Foils???

Red Hook or Tin Foil


  • Total voters
    5

GeoPesner

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 7, 2017
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I have a 125 gallon tank with a mostly bottom dwelling stock. The LFS just got a large shipment of red fin tin foils and red hooks which I can't decide which to get a small school of. I know they need to be in groups of about 3-5 and get large fast but I have the room. I also have a Mono Sebae which I don't know if the Hooks would nip or torture. I've kept tin foils in there before but they all died during a water change from a heart attack or something. General advice and experiences are all greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
23,255
24,113
1,660
Ohio
I have a 125 gallon tank with a mostly bottom dwelling stock. The LFS just got a large shipment of red fin tin foils and red hooks which I can't decide which to get a small school of. I know they need to be in groups of about 3-5 and get large fast but I have the room. I also have a Mono Sebae which I don't know if the Hooks would nip or torture. I've kept tin foils in there before but they all died during a water change from a heart attack or something. General advice and experiences are all greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I personally like SD's so I would do the Red Hooks.
 

duanes

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
I don't have a personal preference between the two, except that tin foils will outgrow a 125 rather quickly, and as they grow, they become poor choices as schooler/shoalers..
Another factor for me though, would be, what was geographically correct.
If the tank already has S American species, I'd get the Red Hooks.
If my tank had old world/ Asian species, then the tin foils, and I'd expect to upgrade to a 500 gal in a couple years.
If geography doesn't matter, the size would be the most important determining factor.
 

Mitchell The Monster

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Nov 5, 2016
572
717
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Georgia
I currently keep Red hooks in my American cichlid 125. I was debating the same thing when I set it up lol. But i think the SD's are great fish, competitive for food and too fast to be nipped on. Tinfoil barbs just get too big and make a 125 look crowded. I obviously vote for the Red Hooks. My school of 6 are great, wish i bought more.
 

Seedy J

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2018
161
141
51
Colorado, USA
I've never kept tinfoil barbs but I'm reading that they can get up to 14", which seems big for a 125. I vote for the SDs... I got a school of black belt SDs a few weeks ago. They're fun to watch and they're only 2-3" now, I think it'll be kind of surreal to watch them zip around a big tank when they're fully grown.
 

Rocksor

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Nov 28, 2011
6,129
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San Diego
My preference would be the spotted silver dollar (Metynnis Lippincottianus)
for the 125. They're a bit smaller (5") than the red hooks (Myloplus rubripinnis, 10+"), so you could have a larger shoal.

Keeping SDs in shoals of 8+ show different behavior than those in shoals of 4-6
 

Seedy J

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2018
161
141
51
Colorado, USA
Keeping SDs in shoals of 8+ show different behavior than those in shoals of 4-6
Does that apply if you mix different SD species, or do they all have to be the same? I have 5 Myleus Schomburgkii, probably would've bought 8 if I'd known this.
 
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