40 gallon / 155liters - silent cycle - green or red? Stocking suggestions please!

[Byron]

Gosh I'm having a hard time figuring out what fish to get ... looks like most larger fishes will want to eat my shrimps...
I'm searching for a pair of center fish + some bottom dwellers...
I'm now looking at apistogramma borellii and maybe some corys to complete the tank...

Cories will fare better with sand substrate. Aside from that, you have a number of options as the GH is 8 dH. As for shrimp, I'll leave that for the shrimp-knowledgeable members, but just note that most fish we keep view crustaceans as food.

 

[Oblio]

Cories will fare better with sand substrate. Aside from that, you have a number of options as the GH is 8 dH. As for shrimp, I'll leave that for the shrimp-knowledgeable members, but just note that most fish we keep view crustaceans as food.

I saw some shrimp in a video today, I had no idea they looked that interesting. I can see the desire to get some in a tank, especially if you didn't have to have a separate tank for them.

Apologies to the OP for the thread hijack above

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

I saw some shrimp in a video today, I had no idea they looked that interesting. I can see the desire to get some in a tank, especially if you didn't have to have a separate tank for them.

Apologies to the OP for the thread hijack above

Confirm, shrimps are great to look at! I have "bloody marry" ones which are super red and not see through at all. All good discussions, no worries

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

3 days ago I've seen 2 small shrimps (that I haven't even seen before) running around the tank like crazy, I was fearing the worst. Now I'm seeing one larger shrimp that is carrying eggs. I'm a bit shocked, I didn't think these small shrimps are mature enough to breed but I think it's happened.

This morning I discovered I have baby shrimps in the tank! What a lovely surprise! They're about 3-5mm in size which means they've been around for a while but I'm only seeing them now. How cool!

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

3 weeks later, there are now several generations of shrimps in the tank, quite some numbers. It's great to watch.

I have also some green hair algae around the tank - I may need to get the ottos soon.

The cardinal tetras are doing good, 11 total, and I suspect they have just laid eggs this morning:

 

[Colin_T]

The cardinal tetras are doing good, 11 total, and I suspect they have just laid eggs this morning:

eggs won't last long if there are shrimp in the tank

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

eggs won't last long if there are shrimp in the tank

Uh oh... the only idea that comes to mind is to improvise a container with holes in the aquarium to put the eggs in. This would keep the shrimps away. Thoughts?
PS: the shrimps are neocardinia red cherry

 

[Byron]

I have also some green hair algae around the tank - I may need to get the ottos soon.

If it is true hair algae, this is what I like to term a "problem" algae, and otos willnot eat it. Neither will other "algae" eating fish like Farlowella, bristlenose. All of these fish graze surfaces eating the common green algae (we usually can't even see this unless it is ignored and allowed to thrive) and diatoms, but they do not eat problem algae like BBA, etc.

 

[Colin_T]

if the shrimp work out there is food in the container, and they can reach it with their claws, they will pull the eggs out one at a time and eat them

Cardinal tetras need very soft water for the eggs to hatch and the eggs need to be kept dark. Chances are the eggs will have failed due to the light on the tank.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

If it is true hair algae, this is what I like to term a "problem" algae, and otos willnot eat it. Neither will other "algae" eating fish like Farlowella, bristlenose. All of these fish graze surfaces eating the common green algae (we usually can't even see this unless it is ignored and allowed to thrive) and diatoms, but they do not eat problem algae like BBA, etc.

Thanks, no rush with the ottos then. I think it's hair algae but it's not a big issue. I'll reduce a bit the light.

if the shrimp work out there is food in the container, and they can reach it with their claws, they will pull the eggs out one at a time and eat them

Cardinal tetras need very soft water for the eggs to hatch and the eggs need to be kept dark. Chances are the eggs will have failed due to the light on the tank.

Most of the eggs are already gone... I think the cardinals themselves may have eaten them but I really don't know... I've been busy working in my office and when I went to have a look half of them were gone. Next time this happens I'll turn off the lights... thanks a lot for the info.

 

[Rocky998]

Hello everyone and greetings, I hope you're doing well! Happy to be here and join the community! Thanks a lot for all the info already posted that has been keeping me entertained while waiting for the tank to cycle

Like so many others, I had fish when I was a kid and now I'm in the process of setting up an aquarium for me and my kids. I've done some reading, and some work and I'm looking for feedback.
I'm doing a silent cycle with plants.
I have a 155liter / 40 gallon aquarium, 80x40x50 cm or 31x15x19 inches and I'm running a Tetra ex 800 plus external filter with it.

7-oct-2021, original setup:

View attachment 146069

22-oct-2021, today:
View attachment 146071



Water parameters:
Tap water hardness from water company: 7.8 dH
I'm using JBL AquaTest Pro, which I'm fairly happy with for all tests except pH where given the shade of green I'm not sure if it's 7.5 or 8. I've used 8 in the table below:

Date	t (oC)	KH (odKH)	pH	NH4 (mg/l)	NO2 (mg/l)	NO3 (mg/l)
05.10.2021	15	11	8
07.10.2021	24	10	8	0	0	0.5
09.10.2021	23		8	0	0.05	1
11.10.2021	23			0	0.05	1
14.10.2021	23	8	8	0	0	0
22.10.2021	22	7	8	0	0	0

I've added Tetra SafeStart bacteria on 7-oct and I've done a 15% water change on 14-oct and I'm planning to do another one tomorrow.

Given all this and plant growth do I get green light for stocking? I'm thinking clean up crew at this time... I can see white algae, brown algae, green algae... I'm thinking that should keep them busy if it's safe to add some now.

I would also like feedback on stocking options please. I'd like to keep the tank around 23 Celsius / 73 F and I'm thinking:

Pearl Gourami 3
Cardinal or Ember Tetra 12
Cherry Shrimp 8
Otocinclus 3 (I don't like corys and I can't remember the name of the brown sucker mouth fish I had when I was a kid, similar to bristlenose pleco somehow but without the bristles)

Does this work? I'm open to suggestions. I don't want live bearers as they multiply too much for me, otherwise I would go with some moly/xifo which I like.

If I get green light, I'm thinking to add a few Cheery Shrimps this week.

Thanks a lot for your time reading and your feedback!

I actually have 2 questions! Want plants are those on the side? And where did you get such BIG anubias from?

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

I actually have 2 questions! Want plants are those on the side? And where did you get such BIG anubias from?

There are 2 types of plants on the side:
Rotala indica/rotundifolia
and
Limnophila sessiliflora

I originally got Limnophila sessiliflora for the back, but I made a mistake when setting up the aquarium and put it in the middle instead. It's not doing great in my aquarium, I suspect because of missing sufficient ammonia - my bio load is low at the moment.

I got the plants from Aquarium-planten.com in Netherlands.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

If it is true hair algae, this is what I like to term a "problem" algae, and otos willnot eat it. Neither will other "algae" eating fish like Farlowella, bristlenose. All of these fish graze surfaces eating the common green algae (we usually can't even see this unless it is ignored and allowed to thrive) and diatoms, but they do not eat problem algae like BBA, etc.

I tried to take a better picture of the algae:

 

[ClownLurch]

A toothbrush or a bottle washer is what I use for hair algae. Reducing light by an hour a day has helped as well, though ambient light ing doesn’t. It’s proving to be the biggest battle of this time around s fishkeeping experience.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

A toothbrush or a bottle washer is what I use for hair algae. Reducing light by an hour a day has helped as well, though ambient light ing doesn’t. It’s proving to be the biggest battle of this time around s fishkeeping experience.

I wasn't so worried about it until reading your message. I'm studying on this, it seems low level of nitrates (NO3), and phosphates (PO4) are the main culprits... I was already aware of the low level of NO3... I'll have to get a PO4 test...
I've already reduced the light. I'll clean it with a toothbursh/bootle cleaner during the next maintenance....
Thank you @ClownLurch !