60 Gallon Tank Stocking Ideas and Questions *First Tank*

[kp4033]

Hey guys! i'm totally new to this hobby and would love to get some advice. So my fish wish list after a lot of reading online is: Electric Blue Acaras, Bristlenose Pleco, Angelfish, maybe some Cory Cats or upside down catfish, and rainbowfish. My questions are:

How many EBA's and Angelfish would work in a community tank?

Are there any other fish you think I should put in the tank that are compatible?

I also really like German Blue Rams, but I believe they do not work with Angelfish, is that correct?

So I ended up going to my LFS today and wanted to start to get some fish, as my tank has been cycling for almost a month. So I showed him my list, and he suggested getting a cheap hardy fish to start off with (we ended up getting 6 zebra danios), and I also wanted to get a Bristlenose Pleco. So I ended up leaving with 6 danios, and 2 plecos, 1 Bristlenose and 1 Albino. I have read a couple times that there should only be 1 Pleco in a tank, and I said that to him and he told me getting both of them would be fine. So my last question is, was he right? Should I be worried about 2 plecos in the same tank?

Thanks guys!!!

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum, few questions from me first if thats ok

When you say the tank was cycling for a month, which cycling process have you followed?

What kind of water do you have in your home? Whats the ph and do you know the kh and gh? Does your water have a reputation for being hard or soft? These questions will really dictate which fish you should keep in your tank.

I am concerned by the Zebra Danios you have added to the tank because you want to keep Angels, I know why the store suggested them as it is one of the go to fish for new tanks but it is usually a better idea to research in advance before buying any fish. The reason Im concerned is that the Danios will go in the upper section with the Angels but they could be too boisterous for the Angels, I've also had very nippy Danios unless they are kept in a really big school (15+).

Two Bristlenoses will be fine in this size tank but just watch out for how much they poop!

Wills

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

First, as Wills mentioned, we need to know the GH and pH especially of your source water. Some fish need harder water, some need softer water, and some sort of work in the middle, depending.

Second issue, Wills also hinted at...now you have Zebra Danios you are working toward an active tank, meaning the fish selected need to be fairly active fish, swimming-wise, or at any rate tolerant of active fish around them. That eliminates all cichlids.

German Blue Rams (species is Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, in any of its colour varieties) needs very warm water, with 80F/27C absolute minimum but preferably warmer. Many other "tropical" fish cannot last in this warmth, and the danios certainly cannot. Temperature ranges are another factor that must bee considered when combining species.

We don't enjoy having to give negative advice so early on, but at least it will save some fish and grief for you. Store staff should never be relied upon unless you check their information with a reliable source.

 

[kp4033]

Hi welcome to the forum, few questions from me first if thats ok

When you say the tank was cycling for a month, which cycling process have you followed?

What kind of water do you have in your home? Whats the ph and do you know the kh and gh? Does your water have a reputation for being hard or soft? These questions will really dictate which fish you should keep in your tank.

I am concerned by the Zebra Danios you have added to the tank because you want to keep Angels, I know why the store suggested them as it is one of the go to fish for new tanks but it is usually a better idea to research in advance before buying any fish. The reason Im concerned is that the Danios will go in the upper section with the Angels but they could be too boisterous for the Angels, I've also had very nippy Danios unless they are kept in a really big school (15+).

Two Bristlenoses will be fine in this size tank but just watch out for how much they poop!

Wills

Hey wills! Thanks for the response! For your first couple questions, I do not know the hardness of the water. We bought a test kit that tests for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and PH, but no water hardness. The process we followed for cycling was that we put the water in the tank with the heater and filter, w some live planets and driftwood and let it cycle for a while. We tested the water every week, and there was an ammonia spike, that went back down to 0 the following week. We did about a 25-30% water change last night and then tested the water this morning to see what the levels were. There was algae growing on the tank, and bacteria growing on the driftwood. I believe the PH this morning was about 7.4. Also, with the Danios the LFS Told me I could return them if I don’t like them. So my plan with the angels were to just keep the danios, and if they became problematic I would give them back as they do nothing for me. I actually thought the angels might eat the danios, but with what you’re saying about danios possibly nipping the angels I guess I would definitely give them back. Thanks!

Kyle

 

[kp4033]

Welcome to TFF.

First, as Wills mentioned, we need to know the GH and pH especially of your source water. Some fish need harder water, some need softer water, and some sort of work in the middle, depending.

Second issue, Wills also hinted at...now you have Zebra Danios you are working toward an active tank, meaning the fish selected need to be fairly active fish, swimming-wise, or at any rate tolerant of active fish around them. That eliminates all cichlids.

German Blue Rams (species is Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, in any of its colour varieties) needs very warm water, with 80F/27C absolute minimum but preferably warmer. Many other "tropical" fish cannot last in this warmth, and the danios certainly cannot. Temperature ranges are another factor that must bee considered when combining species.

We don't enjoy having to give negative advice so early on, but at least it will save some fish and grief for you. Store staff should never be relied upon unless you check their information with a reliable source.

Hey Byron,

Thanks for the reply! I will definitely go buy a GH test and get back to you guys. As far as the Zebra Danios go, I really did not even want them! The employee suggested getting a hardy cheap fish, I guess because I told him it was my first tank and what not. He did say we could bring them back if I did not like them, so I would have no problem giving them back if they "throw off" my ideal stocking idea. I have done a lot of research with temperature levels, and all of that over the last month or two and have somewhat of an idea with that and the PH. I actually made my own Excel spread sheet and microsoft word documents to keep track lol. I guess every website gives different information, but whatever website I got my information from stated that German Blue Rams ideal temp was from 72-79, is that incorrect?

Thank you for the information! I will definitely get back to you guys on the water hardness!

Kyle

 

[Retired Viking]

Hello and welcome to the forum most cities post the water information on line so unless you get your water from a well there is no need to get a GH test kit. I use a TDS-3 test pen for hardness and a PH-009(I)A test pen for PH because I use RO water to reduce the hardness of my water.

 

[kp4033]

Hello and welcome to the forum most cities post the water information on line so unless you get your water from a well there is no need to get a GH test kit. I use a TDS-3 test pen for hardness and a PH-009(I)A test pen for PH because I use RO water to reduce the hardness of my water.

Oh wow! Thank you for that. I am currently living in Buffalo, NY and when I googled it it said 135 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg

Kyle

 

[Retired Viking]

My water is 134ppm which come from Lake Michigan but the City well is 235ppm. I like soft water fish so I cut the hardness with RO water so it is healthier for my tetras and cory. I also have hard water fish in different tanks like guppies and platys

 

[Byron]

I guess every website gives different information, but whatever website I got my information from stated that German Blue Rams ideal temp was from 72-79, is that incorrect?

Definitely incorrect. This species will not live long at such low temperatures. Fish are ectothermic so temperature of the water they live in drives their metabolism, and to function properly they have a fairly limited range (each species). Avoiding stress and future health issues means matching the fish's parameters.

Seriously Fish is a professional site and reliable. Most of us here use it.

Oh wow! Thank you for that. I am currently living in Buffalo, NY and when I googled it it said 135 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg

That is on the soft side of moderate. The hobby uses two GH units, ppm and dGH. The 135 ppm equates with 7 dGH, soft to moderately soft. You have a lot of options, but hard water fish will not work, so we can easily discount all livebearers, rift lake cichlids, and a few others here and there. But many of the fish from South America and SE Asia will work so far as GH is concerned. And it is the more important over pH.

 

[kp4033]

Definitely incorrect. This species will not live long at such low temperatures. Fish are ectothermic so temperature of the water they live in drives their metabolism, and to function properly they have a fairly limited range (each species). Avoiding stress and future health issues means matching the fish's parameters.

Seriously Fish is a professional site and reliable. Most of us here use it.



That is on the soft side of moderate. The hobby uses two GH units, ppm and dGH. The 135 ppm equates with 7 dGH, soft to moderately soft. You have a lot of options, but hard water fish will not work, so we can easily discount all livebearers, rift lake cichlids, and a few others here and there. But many of the fish from South America and SE Asia will work so far as GH is concerned. And it is the more important over pH.

Gotcha, Thank you! So just out of curiosity, how do LFS keep such a variety of fish if the hardness impacts what can be stocked? Do they use RO like what was stated above? Or is the hardness more of a long lasting effect that does not impact fish in a store because they are in there short term? Thanks!

Kyle

 

[Retired Viking]

It is more of a long term effect on fish, sort of like eating a diet high in fats. You live but it will come back and bite you in time. With fish their bodies are designed to function in a certain range of hardness of water and it stresses their system over time being in the wrong hardness of water.

 

[Byron]

Retired Viking is correct. Fish stores intend selling their fish quickly, because the longer they keep them the less profit. Like most animals, fish can tolerate brief periods of less than preferable environments. Like fish managing through summer heat waves. Cooling has more of an impact that warming, generally; fish preferring say 77F/25C may well tolerate a week of 90F/32C but will react very differently indeed to a week of 70F/21C in winter.

When it comes to GH, this is very crucial to the physiology of fish. Each species has evolved over thousands of years to function in a very specific environment. The water they live in is continually entering their bodies via osmosis through every cell, 24/7. Internally and according to how they have evolved, they process this water. Soft water fish kept in hard water develop calcium blockage of the kidneys because osmoregulation is a function of the kidneys and in soft water fish the kidneys absorb minerals dissolved in the water. Hard water fish need this calcium, and in soft water without it the physiology cannot function.

 

[kp4033]

Retired Viking is correct. Fish stores intend selling their fish quickly, because the longer they keep them the less profit. Like most animals, fish can tolerate brief periods of less than preferable environments. Like fish managing through summer heat waves. Cooling has more of an impact that warming, generally; fish preferring say 77F/25C may well tolerate a week of 90F/32C but will react very differently indeed to a week of 70F/21C in winter.

When it comes to GH, this is very crucial to the physiology of fish. Each species has evolved over thousands of years to function in a very specific environment. The water they live in is continually entering their bodies via osmosis through every cell, 24/7. Internally and according to how they have evolved, they process this water. Soft water fish kept in hard water develop calcium blockage of the kidneys because osmoregulation is a function of the kidneys and in soft water fish the kidneys absorb minerals dissolved in the water. Hard water fish need this calcium, and in soft water without it the physiology cannot function.

Retired Viking is correct. Fish stores intend selling their fish quickly, because the longer they keep them the less profit. Like most animals, fish can tolerate brief periods of less than preferable environments. Like fish managing through summer heat waves. Cooling has more of an impact that warming, generally; fish preferring say 77F/25C may well tolerate a week of 90F/32C but will react very differently indeed to a week of 70F/21C in winter.

When it comes to GH, this is very crucial to the physiology of fish. Each species has evolved over thousands of years to function in a very specific environment. The water they live in is continually entering their bodies via osmosis through every cell, 24/7. Internally and according to how they have evolved, they process this water. Soft water fish kept in hard water develop calcium blockage of the kidneys because osmoregulation is a function of the kidneys and in soft water fish the kidneys absorb minerals dissolved in the water. Hard water fish need this calcium, and in soft water without it the physiology cannot function.

Interesting, thanks guys! So with my GH levels now being known, what would you guys suggest stocking wise? I was thinking a pair of EBA's, 2 or 3 Angelfish, a school of Rainbowfish, the 2 plecos I have, and get rid of the Danios. Does that seem to work? Are there any other fish you would suggest?

 

[Byron]

Interesting, thanks guys! So with my GH levels now being known, what would you guys suggest stocking wise? I was thinking a pair of EBA's, 2 or 3 Angelfish, a school of Rainbowfish, the 2 plecos I have, and get rid of the Danios. Does that seem to work? Are there any other fish you would suggest?

Now you raise some other issues. First, with a very few exceptions, different species of cichlid should not be housed in the same tank. Acaras and angelfish are cichlids.

To the angelfish, this is a shoaling species, meaning it lives in groups so a group must be provided. Given the size of this fish (6 inch body length with an 8-inch vertical fin span) and its aggressive nature (males are very territorial) this would mean a much larger tank. A group of five is minimum, preferably a few more. Within this group a male will exert dominance, though if the group is larger (say 10-12) this is less likely as there is an hierarchy and the fish just sort themselves out. A pair will undoubted form, and that means more troubles with moving fish to different tanks often necessary. Mates must select each other and bond. A bonded pair might work in your tank size, but getting a bonded pair is not as easy as it might seem. Some will suggest a lone angelfish in a tank, but I do not recommend something that is so contrary to the fish's expectations as this is just not responsible husbandry.

Aequidens pulcher (Blue Acara) is "peaceful" for a cichlid but still at 10cm up to 15cm, and being predatory by nature, needs careful thinking.

The plecos are fine but make sure you have a few chunks of wood so they can establish their territory (males are quite territorial with their own kind) and they also must have real wood to "eat" to maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Zebra danios is your call, but if you don't want them take them back ASAP as their shoaling tendencies are at work as well.

Rainbowfish is a good option, depending upon species. They too are shoaling so you want a decent number of the individual species, and the species will determine this.

 

[Retired Viking]

I had a a bonded pair of angelfish that I was lucky enough to be given and @Byron is right they are not easy to find. I kept them for many years in my 55 gallon tank and they grew to 6 inch (body)