Hard water nano stocking ideas?

vanalisa said:

My pseudomugil furcata are with RCS and pretty sure I haven't lost any. I don't have shrimplets, though....I wonder where they are??? ; )

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Ooohh, those are gorgeous! I can see why @AilyNC really has her heart set on those now. Please please share some pics of them and the tank they're in? I'm hoping that with enough dense planting and perhaps more leaf litter, some shrimplets would make it.

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Oh this wouldn't be with the guppies, I'm looking for something to replace the guppies, because I want to move away from livebearers now. Endlers could work in this tank size and with shrimp (and they can live with guppies, but they also interbreed and hybridize with guppies), but it would just be like having small guppies, so looking for something else this time!

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Oh, I see. You have a soft water with Otos and what else too, just for grins, but we aren't talking about that one, I've just been talking about the hard water

And a 15g with the shrimp and guppies? I think I was cofused about the guppies. Anyway this is the one we're discussing. ☆☆☆
I'm excited for you. I guess I better clean up my fork tail and RCS tank and take pictures for you !!!
I think that will help.

*edited
I see someone has the same idea ; )
I have to run some errands, pictures forthcoming ♡

vanalisa said:

Oh, I see. You have a soft water with Otos and what else too, just for grins, but we aren't talking about that one, I've just been talking about the hard water

And a 15g with the shrimp and guppies? I think I was cofused about the guppies. Anyway this is the one we're discussing. ☆☆☆
I'm excited for you. I guess I better clean up my fork tail and RCS tank and take pictures for you !!!
I think that will help.

*edited
I see someone has the same idea ; )
I have to run some errands, pictures forthcoming ♡

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LOL, at the moment, the softer water tank just has the five otos in it, so I'm thinking of adding some ember tetra to that one (also a 15.5 gal), GH around 126) and planted. But I'm not 100% decided on embers, still thinking of what to do with it! The otos have to be happy, but there are so many soft water nano fish options. Hard water nano is much harder!

Yes, the hard water one we're discussing has guppies and red cherry shrimp (plus some platy fry right now, from a different tank), but I'm over keeping and breeding guppies now really. I do still like them, and it'll be a while before I stop keeping them altogether, I just want to get excited about what I could keep in that tank with neocaridina, to replace the guppies, so I'm crowdsourcing ideas

Right now I want the rosy loaches, CPDs or their close cousin with the tiger stripes, AND the rummynose rasbora, lol.

Some nice choices given there, the emerald rasboras I had with my CPDs in the same tank, they don’t interbreed btw so no danger of that. I remember were really hard to find. But lovely choices.

Really wanted rosy loaches and never could get them from my local LFS, they had them in ONCE and I did not get them, I got some shrimps instead as had a limited budget, regretted that tbh.

I got a red tailed catfish though, Rineloricaria sp. Loved that guy, think might get another one of those when I set up my new tank. But they would be fine in your water hardness about 15dH, if remember right, but can’t remember tank size recommended for them.

Also had the false rummy noses, quite nice but I was a bit disappointed with them, could not put my finger in why exactly but not quite what I expected or wanted tbh I think.

Forktail blue eyes are real nice, also Threadfin Rainbowfish might be ok in your water parameters as well, pushing it a little in terms of hardness but a possibility.

Cherry barbs is an option, think a small shoal of those be ok in your tank size and water parameters BUT they will eat shrimps

Will come up with one or two more species that might be ok in your tank. Just need to get the what remaining old grey cells I have in my head left to remember back when I had hard water similar your water parameters years ago.

I have the Neon Tetras, Amber Tetras, CPD's and the Celestichthys erythromicron in a new setup. They get along very well, and hey, my water supply is in the very hard category. The tank is 3' long and a foot deep and tall. They all take so little room and it's well planted which is giving them breeding bahaviour.
I am also considering the Sawbwa Barb as it also comes from the same location and is compatible with the others,


I have another tank set up with softer water for the Chili Rasboras. They are true nano fish.


For those in the UK I got them all from Riverside Aquatics in Paisley. Overnight post and inexpensive fish compared to my local shops.

Ch4rlie said:

I got a red tailed catfish though, Rineloricaria sp. Loved that guy, think might get another one of those when I set up my new tank. But they would be fine in your water hardness about 15dH, if remember right, but can’t remember tank size recommended for them.

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I'm so glad you gave a species name for me to look up, because the only red tailed catfish I know of is this one!

So when you said you couldn't remember tank size, I was thinking "A 15 gallon really ain't gonna cut it chief"

Omg get Forktails & we'll have twin colonies. They look like hyper mohawk loons!!

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

I'm so glad you gave a species name for me to look up, because the only red tailed catfish I know of is this one!
View attachment 116742
So when you said you couldn't remember tank size, I was thinking "A 15 gallon really ain't gonna cut it chief"

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hah, not quite that one.

My mistake, it’s red tail whiptail, not catfish, oops.

But luckily did say Rineloricaria sp.

Ch4rlie said:

hah, not quite that one.

My mistake, it’s red tail whiptail, not catfish, oops.

But luckily did say Rineloricaria sp.

Rineloricaria sp. – Red Lizard Catfish, L010a/L10a — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

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Glad you've mentioned this - I've been weighing up if its a safe bet for my tank. There is debate about the origin of this fish but quite a few people accept its man made and related in someway to https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/rineloricaria-lanceolata which can accept a wider range of water params and even harder water which would put it into contention for my water

Do you think its worth a try in hard water or not?

Wills

Wills said:

Glad you've mentioned this - I've been weighing up if its a safe bet for my tank. There is debate about the origin of this fish but quite a few people accept its man made and related in someway to https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/rineloricaria-lanceolata which can accept a wider range of water params and even harder water which would put it into contention for my water

Do you think its worth a try in hard water or not?

Wills

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Funny you should mention that one, I saw both at LFS and had to seriously consider which I preferred.

Obviously the red tail won simply down to his colours and slightly smaller size more than anything else.

They’re a great addition in the tank, make sure you have caves for them, they love these to escape to for a while and they do come out quite a lot, not that active but a joy to watch, won’t eat shrimps, well don’t think so anyway as they’re not really fast enough to catch shrimps

Only had the one in my tank, lived for about 3 years, not sure why he died but that was a sad day to be entirely honest.
Anyway, SF says you can have a group so I don’t know if their behaviour would change a lot or not being in a group.

But yes, definitely one I would recommend.

Lynnzer said:

For those in the UK I got them all from Riverside Aquatics in Paisley. Overnight post and inexpensive fish compared to my local shops.

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Your tanks sound like my dream tanks to be honest!
Some people want huge cichlid tanks or river monsters, I want heavily planted tanks with nano fish, even if I had a 300 gallon, I imagine how one would look densely planted and filled with hundreds of nano fish, lol.

Your fish supplier, I'm trying to find it, but not sure which one? Found a Riverside Aquaria in Broxburn, or RiverPark aquatics in Paisley? I want to check them out if they have good prices and fast shipping!

Ch4rlie said:

Funny you should mention that one, I saw both at LFS and had to seriously consider which I preferred.

Obviously the red tail won simply down to his colours and slightly smaller size more than anything else.

They’re a great addition in the tank, make sure you have caves for them, they love these to escape to for a while and they do come out quite a lot, not that active but a joy to watch, won’t eat shrimps, well don’t think so anyway as they’re not really fast enough to catch shrimps

Only had the one in my tank, lived for about 3 years, not sure why he died but that was a sad day to be entirely honest.
Anyway, SF says you can have a group so I don’t know if their behaviour would change a lot or not being in a group.

But yes, definitely one I would recommend.

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I've kept whiptails really successfully in the past so think this might go on the list I like that the Red Lizards stay so small so dont think it would over power the tank.

Really taken with the Sawbwa resplendens/rummynose rasbora - are they actually a rasbora or a barb?

Seems like the ratio needs to be really female heavy though, SF says 4:1 or more female to male, and the females don't have that beautiful blue Maybe that's why you weren't as impressed with them as you'd hoped,@Ch4rlie? Can you remember roughly what ratio you had, and how it was to keep them? I feel like there must be a downside, or they'd be as popular as cherry barbs or ember tetra, and the female to male ratio and colour difference might be the thing?

Also, would I be keeping them with something like the CPD/rosy loach, or would that be too overstocked?

Wills said:

I think you are on the right track with the fish you have mentioned but just 2 more that could work

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/celestichthys-erythromicron/ - relative of Celestial Pearl Danio but from Lake Inle so even harder water.

Also from Lake Inle in Burma - Rummy Nose Rasboras https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/sawbwa-resplendens/ the profile here states 54-268ppm but is from the same place as the C.Erythromicron and the river is known to be specifically hard so I feel the C.Erythromicron profile is more acurate. I've chosen these as the residents of my 100 liter tank Just need to find some now!

Wills

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Thank you!
I'd be happy with either the CPD or the emerald to be honest, it would really depend on pricing and what I could hold of!

Sounds like the rosy loach make wonderful dither fish for them too, so the shrimp with CPD/emeralds, and rosy loaches is definitely a potential winner!

But going to explore all the options first and keep an open mind! So glad I made this post, I half expected a lot of responses saying I'd have to have either softer water or a larger tank or both, had no idea there were quite so many options!

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

Your tanks sound like my dream tanks to be honest!
Some people want huge cichlid tanks or river monsters, I want heavily planted tanks with nano fish, even if I had a 300 gallon, I imagine how one would look densely planted and filled with hundreds of nano fish, lol.

Your fish supplier, I'm trying to find it, but not sure which one? Found a Riverside Aquaria in Broxburn, or RiverPark aquatics in Paisley? I want to check them out if they have good prices and fast shipping!

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River Park Aquatics. They sell on Ebay but a direct order from their own website is less expensive for fish and postage.
No good calling them to place an order as they can't take a VISA payment.

I bought this tank to replace a 60cm one in my upstairs study and to change direction with the fish I kept in it.
I find that larger fish aren't as busy and therefore less interesting to watch. These little fellas are always on the go and I can watch them for ages.
I forgot to add that I also have 2 Rummynose in the tank along with a couple of corys and a couple of res clawed crabs who are far better at cleaning up food bits than most any fish. They are harmless to fish, small sized and add an extra dimension to the tank. They are supposedly great at algae control too.