Another Stocking Question.

[Ohdee]

First time posting... I picked up a tank for my son and have quickly realized just how much fun it is.

I've done a lot of reading BUT, I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN!

I’m looking for advice or tips for stocking my new aquarium. I’m a total newbie so please excuse any terminology errors.

I have a 31 gallon tank that measures 31.5 x 18 x 13.5. The tank has been running for 5 weeks and is fully cycled, confirmed by water tests. I’m using about three inches of playground sand for the substrate. I have five live plants of varying sizes (so far) and two large pieces of driftwood. I’m filtering the tank with a Fluval 205 external canister and a UV sterilizer.

So far the tank is stocked with two Platy’s, two Dalmatian Mollies (these four fish were used to help cycle the tank, please don't get mad at me, the lfs told me to cycle the tank with fish and I'm an admitted nood so I did what I was told but the good news is they seem perfectly healthy and will be moved to a new home, at a friends house in the next few weeks) and six Bloodfin Tetra’s.

My plan for stocking the aquarium is as follows.

6 Bloodfin Tetra
6 Neon Tetra
2 German Blue Ram (I’d like 3 or 4 but don’t know if I have room?)
2 Corydoras

I'm going to do my best to heavily plant the tank while at the same time leaving enough open space for the schools to enjoy themselves. I’ll provide some rock caves for the Ram’s.

How does this plan look to you guys with more experience? My biggest concern is over stocking the tank. I’m already wishing I would have gone bigger but that’s ok. I’ll get this tank going and then I’ll start a new one with different species and a different environment.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tizer]

sounds ok to me, but, i dont know much about German Blue rams but i know a pair are about £40. I have 4 Bolivian Rams in mine and they are ace. The blues are a lot smaller and i believe when breeding they get more agressive than the Bolivians. Although the bolivians dont seem to fin nip or bully the other fish they certain move other fish along. also they will chase the other 2 non breeding rams away a little more agressively.

because of the price of the blue rams, i would be tempted to put them in your tank in 3/4 months time when its nicely established, its a lot of money to spend on a fish (well, its not, but it is for a new tank/new owner) and its still possible for your tank to develop problems.

I would also be tempted to get more than 2 corys, they feel happy in greater numbers and will be your bottom feeding clear up fish. I would get 2 more at least and if you feel thats too many in the tank, go for 5 of each tetra, but deffinately more corys and ideally of the same species. 5 Sterbai's would be nice, with 5 of each tetra, then introduce your showcase Rams later on.

good luck

 

[twodoctors]

I agree with Tizer.

I'm an advocate of matching fish to your water rather than the other way round. So without knowing your pH can't really comment. Only thing I would say is GBR prefers acidic water. Some would argue that they are already acclimatised to tap water in the LFS (check with your LFS fisrt as some use 50% RO water, while others use 100% RO water). Mollies and platys etc prefers alkaline water.

Also neon tetras are very delicate fishes that do better in "matured" tank (6 months or more). I have no experience with it but because of inbreeding etc they are not as robust as other tetras.

Try a q a d v i s o r.

Adrian

 

[Ohdee]

All I’m really worried about is over stocking. The only reason I figured I’d only go with 2 corys is because I thought I’d be pushing the limit. I’d definitely do 5 coreys as long as the three additional fish wouldn’t push the bio load over the edge.

6 Bloodfin Tetra (I already have six??)
5 Neon Tetra
5 Corydoras
2 German Blue Ram

Those Rams are beautiful! I looked at some Electric Blue Rams at my lfs and they’re wow... but cost $55.00 each. That’s too much to spend. They have GBR’s for 15.00 each.

I really want more than two Ram’s as like you said, they’ll be the showcase fish in the aquarium. Shouldn’t they be paired? I’m not sure four would work in a 31g tank?

 

[Ohdee]

I'm an advocate of matching fish to your water rather than the other way round. So without knowing your pH can't really comment. Only thing I would say is GBR prefers acidic water. Some would argue that they are already acclimatised to tap water in the LFS (check with your LFS fisrt as some use 50% RO water, while others use 100% RO water). Mollies and platys etc prefers alkaline water.

Thanks for the input!

This confuses me quite a bit. I bought test kits. Lfs dude says all you need to test for here is (Saskatchewan Canada) ammonia and nitrate. He said he'd sell me a PH test kit but I don't need it here???

Is he full of it?

 

[twodoctors]

I'm an advocate of matching fish to your water rather than the other way round. So without knowing your pH can't really comment. Only thing I would say is GBR prefers acidic water. Some would argue that they are already acclimatised to tap water in the LFS (check with your LFS fisrt as some use 50% RO water, while others use 100% RO water). Mollies and platys etc prefers alkaline water.

Thanks for the input!

This confuses me quite a bit. I bought test kits. Lfs dude says all you need to test for here is (Saskatchewan Canada) ammonia and nitrate. He said he'd sell me a PH test kit but I don't need it here???

Is he full of it?

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are the waste product as per nitrogen cycle. I'm sure you've read enough about it.

Certain fishes prefer acidic water (like discus) and others prefer alkaline water (like Mbuna). Mbuna wouldn't thrive in acidic water and discus won't like alkaline water. There are two school of thoughts with pH. Some say you should keep the pH as close to the fishes natural pH as possible, while others say as long as the pH is stable they will acclimatise and thrive. Depending on who you believe, and how deep your pocket is, you can do either (choose fishes according to pH or use RO water and change pH).

Adrian

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hi OhDee! A few comments for you:

1. It is very important for you to get a pH test kit and know the basic pH range of your tank water. You can also test your tap water, but the level of pH can "settle" in a tank and be much different after a few days compared to the tap water. Fish definitely have preferences for the level of pH and hardness in a tank. Hardness can be tested with a KH/GH test kit. It is true that fish can adjust and live in a pH that is different from their natural state, but the initial transition of getting them into the tank can be rough for some of them.

Once you know the pH and hardness of your water, it can be a lot easier to make recommendations on your fish types. If your pH falls in the middle 7.0 range it might not be that big a deal, but in my case my water is all the way down at 6.0 pH, and KH=0 (very acidic and soft). I tried stocking guppies in my tank, and I think they all died due to the low pH - they could not adjust to it. I then raised my pH using crushed coral and have been able to keep guppies happy in there.

2. The majority of literature and forum posts I have read regarding German Blue Rams indicate that they prefer ESTABLISHED (ie, old), PRISTINE water conditions (low nitrAtes), low pH, and low hardness. GBRs can be very sensitive to water conditions that change or are less than ideal, and they can die as a result. So I rarely see forum members recommend these fish in newer aquariums or with higher pH levels.

If you like GBRs, the Bolivian Ram is like the "mutt dog" of Rams - they might not be quite as colorful, but they are very hardy and tolerate a wider range of water conditions and fluctuations. You can also research the Apistogrammas, which are also very colorful dwarf cichlids.

 

[Ohdee]

Thanks for the info Gvilleguy, exactly the kind of stuff I was wanting to learn.

I'll pick up liquid test kits tomorrow. Once I know what I'm dealing with I'll have a better idea what to do moving ahead with regards to GBR or Bolivian Rams.

What about the numbers I'm talking about?

6 Bloodfin Tetra
5 Neon Tetra
5 Corydoras
2 xxxx Ram

Is that too many fish for a tank my size? It's not just about the bio load... I want happy fish.

Any chance the tank could accommodate more than two rams?

 

[karin]

FYI 3 inches of sand is excessive. With sand usually 1.5 inches. You are losing volume with the amount of sand you have.

 

[Ohdee]

FYI 3 inches of sand is excessive. With sand usually 1.5 inches. You are losing volume with the amount of sand you have.

Nuts!

The only way to take some of that sand out would be to pull out my plants. Can they be moved without hurting the root system?

Again Lfs dude says two/three inches of sand. The more the better he says. Took hours to clean that stuff!

 

[Tizer]

It is slightly excessive, i have 2 inches in mine. Plants are pretty good at recovering, i wouldnt worry about moving them around too much at this stage.

As for your question re: rams, yes you could fit more than two in there, but if you find a couple begin to breed the others will be pushed away and you would have to monitor how agressive they become. But like i said, you should really let your tank establish itself for a few months. You might even decide on something completely different after this period of time. also refrain from adding them all at once, get your tetras then a couple of weeks later get your corys, then enjoy them for a little.

 

[Gvilleguy]

II think your stock list looks just about right, but you might want to get all the tetras and corys first and let the tank settle with that load and see how it does before adding the Rams.

 

[Ohdee]

II think your stock list looks just about right, but you might want to get all the tetras and corys first and let the tank settle with that load and see how it does before adding the Rams.

Awesome!

Assuming everything looks ok after I test my water for ph and hardness that's exactly what I thought I would do. I added three bloodfin's on Sunday and then three more 48 hours later after reading they really like groups of 5 or 6. I'm going to wait a few weeks then I'll take the Platy's and Dalmatians to my friend’s house and I’ll add 5 coreys. Then maybe wait a month before adding the Neon’s. I’m in no hurry. Getting the tank planted and adding the fish over time is most of the fun. Once I’m done I’ll want to start over.

Now I understand why some people have five tanks!

 

[Ohdee]

As for your question re: rams, yes you could fit more than two in there,

Thanks Tizer,

What would you suggest as far as the sex of the fish? Two of each and hope they pair off!

 

[moochy13]

i think your tank could hold plenty more. mine is only 2G larger, and you can see my stocking in my sig with my tank. i am slightly overstocked however, but a happy medium between what you plan and what i have would probably be a good indicator i think.

whoever it was who said GBR's were 40 quid a pair shops at a very expensive shop. mine cost 6 pounds each, and ive never seen standard GBR's anymore than 7 pounds each, in 8 or 9 shops i visit.

i would get your planned stocking in for now, and maybe a bit down the line think about a plec of some description. everybody will suggest a bristlenose plec, but i find these a bit dull, and if you're willing to spend a bit more you could get something a bit flash. in the 'plec section' of the forum is a sticky thread that lists plecs that stay under 8 inches, of which most could be possible in your tank. some plecs can get nearly 2ft long, so dont get one without checking first. i know you said youre in no rush, but waiting weeks between adding fish isnt needed, i generally give a group of fish about a week before thinking abotu adding more.