40 gal stocking ideas

[Jor124dan]

Hello, I am not new to the hobby and need some help. I just set up a new tank and need some help with stocking ideas. My water where I live is making me wonder what I can keep because I'm having troubles keep fish healthy that don't live very long in my water. I will attach the water parameters. I have a 40 gal bow front tank that is 30 in by 15 in by 24 in tall. I currently have a aquaclear 70 hob filter. I would like to lean more toward a live bare tank at the moment. My second choose would be a community tank. And finally would say maybe species only tank but would want a fish more on the larger side. I would like a very active tank and for the fish to use all levels on this tall tank. I also do like have a more larger fish then small fish unless its live bares. Up for any suggestions at this point and how many would be a good number in the tank. Any help would be appreciated thanks. Also would like more of a peaceful tank, don't really like dealing with fighting fish.

 

[mcordelia]

Hi,
Welcome! Are those readings from your tap or from your tank? It looks like you might have high nitrates if I am reading that correctly? Otherwise apart from the high ph I am not seeing anything terribly wrong with your water. There are likely people who will have better thoughts than me, but what about adding some live plants? That might help stabilize the nitrogen issue if it is indeed coming out of your tap. My other question would be whether your tank finished cycling and how often you do water changes (this is more relevant if those samples were from the tank instead of from the tap). I will also point you to my thread in the beginner forum, I have a very high pH as well and have gotten some ideas on stocking there, but the conversation is still evolving.

 

[CassCats]

Welcome!

Looks like your GH sits between 75-150ppm, struggling to see the actual colour on the strip. But IME the strips aren't super accurate at all. Alternatively check your water supplier's website too.
If this is your GH you have softer water and can look into quite a bit of fish.
But, it means your water is too soft for livebearers, with the exception of the Least Killifish, which is a livebearer guppy relative, but very tiny so would limit larger up top fish.

If you are interested in larger top water fish, check out pearl gouramis. Your water is suitable for them
A trio of 1 male and 2 females would work great.

Id change the gravel out for sand, if you wanted bottom dwellers. If you do, a shoal of corydoras catfish would do well in your water and do well with the pearl gourami as well.

Add in some harlequin rasboras too up top...

So a nice stock idea:

3 pearl gouramis
6-8 harlequin rasboras
8-10 corydoras species of your choice

 

[Jor124dan]

Hi,
Welcome! Are those readings from your tap or from your tank? It looks like you might have high nitrates if I am reading that correctly? Otherwise apart from the high ph I am not seeing anything terribly wrong with your water. There are likely people who will have better thoughts than me, but what about adding some live plants? That might help stabilize the nitrogen issue if it is indeed coming out of your tap. My other question would be whether your tank finished cycling and how often you do water changes (this is more relevant if those samples were from the tank instead of from the tap). I will also point you to my thread in the beginner forum, I have a very high pH as well and have gotten some ideas on stocking there, but the conversation is still evolving.

The readings are from my tank. Been cycled. Now for 3 weeks empty. Just looking to see what I can add. Regualy I do biweekly water changes we I have fish in the tank.

 

[Jor124dan]

Welcome!

Looks like your GH sits between 75-150ppm, struggling to see the actual colour on the strip. But IME the strips aren't super accurate at all. Alternatively check your water supplier's website too.
If this is your GH you have softer water and can look into quite a bit of fish.
But, it means your water is too soft for livebearers, with the exception of the Least Killifish, which is a livebearer guppy relative, but very tiny so would limit larger up top fish.

If you are interested in larger top water fish, check out pearl gouramis. Your water is suitable for them
A trio of 1 male and 2 females would work great.

Id change the gravel out for sand, if you wanted bottom dwellers. If you do, a shoal of corydoras catfish would do well in your water and do well with the pearl gourami as well.

Add in some harlequin rasboras too up top...

So a nice stock idea:

3 pearl gouramis
6-8 harlequin rasboras
8-10 corydoras species of your choice

I have personally thought to do something along thoese lines. But read that goromi can get agresion towards eachother or is that just males since you are saying one male 2 females. Also I read they tend to be shy. Im assuming I can't just just goromi only tank. Also the pearl gouramis are hard to find where I live could it be any other type of goromi?

 

[CassCats]

Pearls are among the more peaceful.
There are opalines/gold/threespot but they tend to be a bit more aggressive and unpredictable.

You could opt for honey gourami instead, though theyre smaller, but very friendly. 1 male to 2 females is the best ratio for most of the common gourami species.

Id avoid the dwarf gourami though. Theyre prone to dying of various ailments under the umbrella term Dwarf Gourami Disease, and the males can be particularly nasty to each other, and females can be near impossible to find depending on your locality. Most dwarves however don't live longer than 6 months.

There are also other species too, like sparkling gouramis, but they're tiny, like neon tetra size.

 

[Jor124dan]

Pearls are among the more peaceful.
There are opalines/gold/threespot but they tend to be a bit more aggressive and unpredictable.

You could opt for honey gourami instead, though theyre smaller, but very friendly. 1 male to 2 females is the best ratio for most of the common gourami species.

Id avoid the dwarf gourami though. Theyre prone to dying of various ailments under the umbrella term Dwarf Gourami Disease, and the males can be particularly nasty to each other, and females can be near impossible to find depending on your locality. Most dwarves however don't live longer than 6 months.

There are also other species too, like sparkling gouramis, but they're tiny, like neon tetra size.

Thanks for the information helps alot I do have one more question when it comes to sand. I would change if I knew how to clean it. I have read how to clean sand and seams tough. Though as in not sucking it up my geavle vac. Also read sand could create gas pockets if it isn't mix around with you finders once and a while.

 

[CassCats]

Super easy to deal with.

With cleaning sand, the waste sits on top so you just hover the vacuum over top the surface to suction out the poop and any missed food. As for air pockets, if you dont want to get Malaysian trumpet snails (they burrow in the sand and keep everything healthy in the substrate), you can stir the sand gently with a chopstick every couple of weeks. Generally what I do, the chopstick method

 

[hansgruber7]

Go for celestial pearl danios, harlequin rasbora, and neon tetras. I know they are all smaller, but really great fish for a 40 gallon.