60 Gallon Looking for stocking opinions.

[Lectron]

I am getting back into the hobby and purchased a 60 Gallon 48.5L x 12.75D x 25H . I have a Fluval 406 bottom tray course med and fine sponge then last 3 trays with biohome ultimate and the remainder of the biomax rings that came with the filter.

I know I want Boesemani Rainbows ( thinking 5 or 6) but I am trying to decide what I want to put in with them.

I think I want Corydoras (maybe a group of pandas and a group of peppered)

i was thinking of getting a group of either Giant Danio or a group of Roseline Shark (Denison Barb) but I cant decide between the two or if I should just go with a different type of rainbow.

Other than the Corydoras I have not kept any of these fish so I thought this the best place to go for opinions from more experienced fish keepers than myself.

Also looking for opinion on a fish or pair of fish with plenty of color that may help fill the bottom of the tank.

Thanks in advance on any opinions and help on the matter

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

If you can provide us with the GH (general or total hardness) and pH of your source water we will be better able to make suggestions for suitable fish. This data you should be able to ascertain from your municipal; water authority, on their website perhaps or by calling them. Make sure you get the unit they use (mg/l, ppm, dH, etc) as well as the number..

While waiting for those numbers, I can mention that the Denison (Roseline) Barb, Sahyadria denisonii, is not going to work in this small a tank. This species requires a group of eight minimum, and it attains 6 inches, and is an active swimmer, so a 5 or 6-foot long tank is preferable. It would also get in the way of the Rainbowfish and/or the Giant Danio which each themselves will pretty much fill the center space.

 

[Lectron]

Welcome to TFF.

If you can provide us with the GH (general or total hardness) and pH of your source water we will be better able to make suggestions for suitable fish. This data you should be able to ascertain from your municipal; water authority, on their website perhaps or by calling them. Make sure you get the unit they use (mg/l, ppm, dH, etc) as well as the number..

While waiting for those numbers, I can mention that the Denison (Roseline) Barb, Sahyadria denisonii, is not going to work in this small a tank. This species requires a group of eight minimum, and it attains 6 inches, and is an active swimmer, so a 5 or 6-foot long tank is preferable. It would also get in the way of the Rainbowfish and/or the Giant Danio which each themselves will pretty much fill the center space.

Thank you for the reply. I tried looking it up but can not find the info online. I have tested my PH and it is 7.6-7.8 range. My GH looks to be around 180 ppm but that is based off a test strip. (Only thing I have available to test GH)

 

[Byron]

The params for the bosemani rainbowfish are medium hard to hard (10-20 dGH), basic (pH 7-9), temperature 27-30C/80-86F. Reported to not do well long-term in soft, acidic water. So you're in good shape there.

I would recommend a larger group of this species, as males do tend to be much brighter in colour with more of them and both genders. Maybe 8-9 which will pretty much fill the mid-upper level.

The warmth needed for the rainbows is going to affect what other fish may work. Cories do not like this, so that is not a good match. Some of the loaches might work, have a look at species in the genus Botia; most of these are in the 3 or 4-6 inch size range and need a group of five minimum. Some are more aggressively temperamental than others. Sand substrate is best, though fine gravel that is not rough can work.

 

[Lectron]

The params for the bosemani rainbowfish are medium hard to hard (10-20 dGH), basic (pH 7-9), temperature 27-30C/80-86F. Reported to not do well long-term in soft, acidic water. So you're in good shape there.

I would recommend a larger group of this species, as males do tend to be much brighter in colour with more of them and both genders. Maybe 8-9 which will pretty much fill the mid-upper level.

The warmth needed for the rainbows is going to affect what other fish may work. Cories do not like this, so that is not a good match. Some of the loaches might work, have a look at species in the genus Botia; most of these are in the 3 or 4-6 inch size range and need a group of five minimum. Some are more aggressively temperamental than others. Sand substrate is best, though fine gravel that is not rough can work.

Thanks, most of what I have read for Boesemani said 70-77F range thats why I thought the cories would be ok. Im not against loaches so I will do a bit of research on them next. Yes I know to stay away from certain loaches as they can grow into monsters...lol
Thanks for the reply!

 

[Colin_T]

Rainbowfish don't need warm water and will be fine in anything with a temperature between 18-32C (24-26C is best).

If you keep rainbowfish, keep even numbers of males (eg: 2, 4, 6 males) and keep similar sized fish so the bigger males don't bully the smaller males. You should also keep females to encourage the males to display.

You can keep different species of rainbowfish together and they all hang out and school together, just make sure you get similar sized fish.

Most of the bigger rainbowfish grow to 4 inches and will be fine in water with a GH of 180ppm and a pH above 7.0.

Make sure they get some plant matter in their diet and deworm all new fish to get rid of intestinal worms and gill flukes. And do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every week to reduce the chance of them developing diseases.

The following link has info on the different species of rainbowfish.
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm

A group of 10-20 rainbowfish consisting of 4-5 different species would give you lots of colour. You could look at Melanotaenia boesemani, M. lacustris, M. trifasciata (Goyder River), M. herbetaxelrodi, Glossolepis incisus or pseudoincisus, Chilatherina faciata or bleheri.

 

[Lectron]

Rainbowfish don't need warm water and will be fine in anything with a temperature between 18-32C (24-26C is best).

If you keep rainbowfish, keep even numbers of males (eg: 2, 4, 6 males) and keep similar sized fish so the bigger males don't bully the smaller males. You should also keep females to encourage the males to display.

You can keep different species of rainbowfish together and they all hang out and school together, just make sure you get similar sized fish.

Most of the bigger rainbowfish grow to 4 inches and will be fine in water with a GH of 180ppm and a pH above 7.0.

Make sure they get some plant matter in their diet and deworm all new fish to get rid of intestinal worms and gill flukes. And do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every week to reduce the chance of them developing diseases.

The following link has info on the different species of rainbowfish.
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm

A group of 10-20 rainbowfish consisting of 4-5 different species would give you lots of colour. You could look at Melanotaenia boesemani, M. lacustris, M. trifasciata (Goyder River), M. herbetaxelrodi, Glossolepis incisus or pseudoincisus, Chilatherina faciata or bleheri.

Thank you for the reply and the information! So in your opinion just go all rainbows with maybe a variety in the species. Do you have a recommendation for the best foods for them?

Thanks again for your help

 

[Colin_T]

Rainbows and cories at a temperature of 24C, or rainbows and small loaches.

I use to keep about 20 adult rainbowfish (that grow to about 4 inches long), in my tanks that were 4 foot long x 14 inches wide x 18 inches high. The tanks with cories only had about 10-12 rainbowfish and about 10 cories, (same size tanks). Your tank is a bit higher and contains a little more water but I would suggest similar numbers to what I had.

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I fed mine a variety of foods ranging from goldfish flakes, freeze dried foods, frozen (but defrosted) foods and live foods. They need plant matter in their diet so goldfish flakes and vege flakes are helpful. Marine Green mix is a frozen food available at some pet shops and consists of prawn, fish, squid and spinach (or other green leafy vegetable) and can be used too. Some brands of Marine Green contain nothing but plant matter and can be used as well.

I had Duckweed (floating plant) on the surface of all my tanks and the fish ate that when they were hungry. They will pick at algae and eat soft leaved plants like Ambulia and Hygrophila polysperma, both of which are good for them to eat. You can grow these plants outdoors in ponds or tubs and bring them in when needed.

If the fish don't get enough plant matter in their diet they will eat aquarium plants. However, if you feed Marine Green, vege flakes and goldfish food (in addition to other foods) they usually leave the plants alone.

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Do big (75%) regular water changes and gravel clean the substrate. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Rainbowfish are sensitive to chemicals so never overdose if treating them and always dechlorinate water before adding it to their tank.

New rainbowfish are often nervous and skittish and can damage their nose/ mouth and it swells up and looks white and puffy. People often confuse this for mouth fungus (Columnaris) but it is not this and the swelling usually goes down after a few days. If rainbowfish ever look sick then do a water change, gravel clean and add salt.

Have a cover on the tank to stop them jumping out.

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Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

 

[Built2Prfctn]

I also have the same size tank. And was thinking about doing a Rainbow setup and have the same interest in fish as you do. This is my fish list I was thinking about purchasing online.

Boesemani Rainbow - 4
Red Irian Rainbow - 4
Other Rainbow type - 3
Congo tetra - 1
Cardinal Tetra - 10
Rummy-Nose Tetra - 10
Denison Barb - 3
Tiger Barbs - 10

 

[Essjay]

What is the hardness of your water? Look on your water provider's website - you need a number and the unit.

Boeseman rainbows and red Irian ranbows both need hardness 10 to 20 dH (180 - 360 ppm) and a group of at least 6
Congo tetras need hardness 3 to 18 dH (54 to 322 ppm) and they are shoaling fish so you need more than just 1. And they should not be kept with fin nippers - see tiger barbs
Cardinal tetras are soft water fish. It is likely to be stressed by active fish such as rainbows and Congo tetras.
Rummy nose tetras are also soft water fish that will be stressed by active fish.
Denison barbs - Byron has already said that these will not work in this sized tank and with rainbowfish and that it needs a group of at least 8

Denison (Roseline) Barb, Sahyadria denisonii, is not going to work in this small a tank. This species requires a group of eight minimum, and it attains 6 inches, and is an active swimmer, so a 5 or 6-foot long tank is preferable. It would also get in the way of the Rainbowfish and/or the Giant Danio which each themselves will pretty much fill the center space.

Tiger barbs are one of the nippiest fish in the hobby and need to be in a bigger group. They should not be kept with fish like Congo tetras. They are also too active for cardinal and rummy nose tetras.


Before you can compile a wish list you do need to find out the hardness of your water. if it is very soft, for example, none of the rainbows you list will work, while the tetras won't do well in hard water.

 

[Built2Prfctn]

What is the hardness of your water? Look on your water provider's website - you need a number and the unit.

Boeseman rainbows and red Irian ranbows both need hardness 10 to 20 dH (180 - 360 ppm) and a group of at least 6
Congo tetras need hardness 3 to 18 dH (54 to 322 ppm) and they are shoaling fish so you need more than just 1. And they should not be kept with fin nippers - see tiger barbs
Cardinal tetras are soft water fish. It is likely to be stressed by active fish such as rainbows and Congo tetras.
Rummy nose tetras are also soft water fish that will be stressed by active fish.
Denison barbs - Byron has already said that these will not work in this sized tank and with rainbowfish and that it needs a group of at least 8

Tiger barbs are one of the nippiest fish in the hobby and need to be in a bigger group. They should not be kept with fish like Congo tetras. They are also too active for cardinal and rummy nose tetras.


Before you can compile a wish list you do need to find out the hardness of your water. if it is very soft, for example, none of the rainbows you list will work, while the tetras won't do well in hard water.

My GH is at 75

 

[Essjay]

I presume that's ppm, aka mg/l as it would be incredibly hard if it was dH. 75 ppm converts to 4.2 dH

That is soft water which is not going to work for the hard water fish on your list, I'm afraid. Cardinal and rummy nose tetras would be fine, as would tiger barbs (but not with the tetras as they are too active)
You need to decide if you want placid or active fish, then work from there.

 

[Built2Prfctn]

Found my water stats from the water site. Looks like I have very soft water.
Total Hardness (as CaCO3) 90 - 222 mg/L 5 to 13 grains per gallon.

What is the best substrate to promote harder water? I can fill my empty filter baskets with this.

 

[Essjay]

Total Hardness (as CaCO3) 90 - 222 mg/L 5 to 13 grains per gallon.

I think you need to pin down your hardness more accurately. That range goes from soft to hard. You can pinpoint it by taking a sample of tap water to an LFS and asking them to test for GH - and also KH while you are there. Get a number and unit not some vague words.

If you 'harden' the water for rainbows, you won't be able to keep soft water fish in the same tank.

 

[Byron]

I agree with all that essjay has posted here.

When it comes to water parameters, there is no middle road if you care about fish health. If you have soft water, sele3cting soft water species will automatically mean healthier fish. Raising the hardness to some "middle" level to accommodate fish requiring harder water makes no sense at all; why jeopardize the soft water species when you could provide an ideal environment?

The mineral content of water (the GH) does impact fish as the physiology of each species of freshwater fish has been designed over thousands of years to function within those parameters. And as soon as you deviate significantly you are negatively impacting the fish. Thrive not survive is the goal, or should be.