What fish next...

So. I’ve finished my aquascape please see the photo although some fish have now went and what I’m left with is below.

Neon Tetras x8
Black Phantom Tetras x4
Julii Cory x8

I am asking for ideas, based on nice small shoaling fish, with some nice colours to add to the tank, the tank is 125L Fluval with a larger external filter.
All ideas will help! I’ve had some fab ideas of @essjay very helpful but let’s see what you guys come up with!

TIA

Lovely tank

I would add more black phantoms and neons. I wouldn't add any more fish after that.
Or you could rehome the phantoms and put in some lemon tetras, ember tetras, or something like that. They would add some nice color to the tank.

What's your GH?

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

What's your GH?

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my PH is around 7/7.2

Metta said:

my PH is around 7/7.2

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Not the pH, sorry, the GH. How hard your water is. If you go to your water providers website and look for a water quality report, that should give us the info needed to determine what GH your water is. Look for the hardness and give us the numbers and the unit of measurement they use, since there are a few different units they could use.

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Not the pH, sorry, the GH. How hard your water is. If you go to your water providers website and look for a water quality report, that should give us the info needed to determine what GH your water is. Look for the hardness and give us the numbers and the unit of measurement they use, since there are a few different units they could use.

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Oh sorry my mistake. It’s around 75ppm so quite soft. But I do have rocks in there as above which let out little calcium.

You could definitely add some more fish since you should have some pretty decent filtration on it. Since you're sticking with the South American theme stocking small South American Characins would be appropriate. Out of these, most smaller species of tetra would suit best, the high activity levels in that tank might be too much for most pencil fish and I wouldn't go with marbled hatchet fish. However, an 80cm tank pushes the stocking a bit so for more active species might not have the space to show their best behaviour but would be an option. Flame tetras, glowlight tetras, black neons, head and tail light tetra would all be good options. I would bump up the school of black phantom tetras (~10) and neon tetras and possibly add a similar sized school of another species. This would be the highest stocking density I would go. You would have to keep in mind the overcrowding and take action to prevent this. Also watch out for nitrates as your tank has a lowish plant load.

I would just add some more Neon Tetras. The more of them together the more interesting they are I think.

FishFinatic77 said:

I would add more black phantoms and neons. I wouldn't add any more fish after that.
Or you could rehome the phantoms and put in some lemon tetras, ember tetras, or something like that. They would add some nice color to the tank.

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I do like them ember Tetras if I can get a hold of them that is!

Metta said:

Oh sorry my mistake. It’s around 75ppm so quite soft. But I do have rocks in there as above which let out little calcium.

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For the fish you have you ideally want soft water. It would be best to replace the rocks with some that won't leach out calcium.

seangee said:

For the fish you have you ideally want soft water. It would be best to replace the rocks with some that won't leach out calcium.

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Thanks I thought 60/75 was already soft?

Metta said:

Thanks I thought 60/75 was already soft?

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It is - but you want it to stay soft and the rocks will increase the hardness.

seangee said:

It is - but you want it to stay soft and the rocks will increase the hardness.

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I am to believe they let out limited amounts it’s a very popular rock for any aquascaping so I’ve been told

Seiryu stone (that's what I think it is at least) is similar to metamorphic, marble in how it originates from limestone. Seiryu stone contains calcium carbonate veins which react with excess hydrogen ions. This results in more soluble, calcium bicarbonate to form which will increase the pH of the water and hardness. Yet, for this to occur there has to be an excess of hydrogen ions which is not the case as OP's pH is at 7.2. This will result in a minimal increase in pH and hardness. So if it hasn't affected OP's pH already it is likely it won't in the future. (I can supply the full equation if you want)