Any nice footage of Lamb chop rasboras?

[AlexT]

It's probably the texture they like. Thanks

 

[rebe]

Last suggestion and I'll stop. And actually, you know exactly what you are doing and you research everything so well. Don't let me deviate your good plans. Maybe this is more showing off mine! But these fella's are white fin bentosi tetra. You said you want fish more for behaviour. I took this clip earlier. The males of this group are quite something. Always showing off and displaying to each other. I took this while lying on my bed and was too lazy to get up. I was watching them do this for 10 minutes solid and they were doing it non stop. As soon as I started filming they stopped! Once the clip gets to about 0.34 nothing really happens after that.

No, don't stop! I don't have any aquarists/fish keeper friends so I love hearing from you and the others about everything fish related! I'll look at what you suggested and linked tomorrow, but I'm very much looking forward to seeing your tank and fish

 

[rebe]

@AlexT
Your tetras are absolutely stunning! So playful and full of personality, and the cories are wonderful as well! You mentioned the third fish which I can see in the video, but I'm not sure how to spell their name. Reminds me a little of plecos I've seen in fish shops

 

[rebe]

Should I order fish next week?

I have next week off, so if I ordered fish I would be at home when they arrive. Whereas at another time I might not get home until the end of the day if they got delivered in the morning.
I've been doing a mix of planted/fishless cycles, and in terms of the planted cycle I've had lots of growth over the last month (see image attached). In terms of a fishless cycle I think things are going well. My tank's bacteria seems to process ammonia/nitrite quite quickly, once both readings are 0ppm I'm doing a test (Ammonia 0ppm and Nitrite 0.25ppm earlier today).

Should I start with only a few fish (as in a planted cycle) or add a bigger school (like in a fishless cycle)?

You've been so helpful in this thread so far, so @AlexT @Essjay @Byron I hope you don't mind me asking for your thoughts

 

[AlexT]

Should I order fish next week?

I have next week off, so if I ordered fish I would be at home when they arrive. Whereas at another time I might not get home until the end of the day if they got delivered in the morning.

Should I start with only a few fish (as in a planted cycle) or add a bigger school (like in a fishless cycle)?

Yes, I would 100% order the fish if you are at home.

You've definitely got progress on the tank getting to grips with ammonia and nitrite it would seem. You are also diligent with testing, so for me, I vote YES. I also vote yes for getting a largish group at once, especially if it's small tetras. I'd get 10 to 15 depending on size. Even 20 if they are tiny. I think Byron shared this view, but I don't want to quote him.

Of the people that have contributed to the thread I am the least experienced though.

Any ideas on your final stocking list?

 

[rebe]

Yes, I would 100% order the fish if you are at home.

You've definitely got progress on the tank getting to grips with ammonia and nitrite it would seem. You are also diligent with testing, so for me, I vote YES. I also vote yes for getting a largish group at once, especially if it's small tetras. I'd get 10 to 15 depending on size. Even 20 if they are tiny. I think Byron shared this view, but I don't want to quote him.

Of the people that have contributed to the thread I am the least experienced though.

Any ideas on your final stocking list?

This is exciting!! I'll see what the others say before jumping ahead and ordering out of excitement

I'm still thinking of the glowlight rasboras (Trigonostigma hengeli). Since my tank water seems to have a PH of 7.8, do you think that they've become a poor choice? Some websites say only a level of 6 PH, some say 6-7.5 PH and other websites up to 8 PH. Would you think they would be okay with the PH level?

I've been considering a pair of flame gouramis since I set up my tank, they are fine in waters with PH of 6-8 I think. From what I read they are hardy and peaceful fish. I think they are so beautiful!

The gouramis seem to typically be 5-6 cm and the rasboras 3cm. (Adult sizes)

 

[Essjay]

If you are prepared to test every day and do a water change whenever ammonia or nitrite read above zero, then yes get the fish. You'll be at home to do the testing and water changes.

I've been considering a pair of flame gouramis ......... From what I read they are hardy and peaceful fish. I think they are so beautiful!

They are at the aggressive end of the gourami behaviour spectrum - two males will attack each other, and males have been known to kill females if he wants to breed and she doesn't. If you get them, make sure you can het a male and female as some companies will just send two fish regardless of gender. If they'll sell 1 male 2 females, that's even better. But I do need to warn you that dwarf gouramis bred in Asian fish farms are commonly infected with the incurable dwarf gourami disease; something to watch out for.

 

[rebe]

If you are prepared to test every day and do a water change whenever ammonia or nitrite read above zero, then yes get the fish. You'll be at home to do the testing and water changes.


They are at the aggressive end of the gourami behaviour spectrum - two males will attack each other, and males have been known to kill females if he wants to breed and she doesn't. If you get them, make sure you can het a male and female as some companies will just send two fish regardless of gender. If they'll sell 1 male 2 females, that's even better. But I do need to warn you that dwarf gouramis bred in Asian fish farms are commonly infected with the incurable dwarf gourami disease; something to watch out for.

Maybe I'd better not get those flame gouramis then. I don't want to complicate things even further with behavioural/aggression issues. Especially if disease is common.

If I didn't get any fish the next week, what would you recommend as a course of action? I am totally willing to test and change a lot of water, I'd like to know my options though

 

[Essjay]

With the plants and the way they are growing, all you need to do is feed the plants so they grow some more.

If you like flame gourami, there are a couple of options. There is a fish called red honey gourami and red robin gourami (same fish, different names). Some people say they are really the red variety of thick lipped gourami and others that it's a honey-thick lipped hybrid. Or there is the fish sold as thick lipped gourami - the natural colour is striped but there's also a red variety. However, this fish does grow bigger than dwarf gouramis. With both of these, males and females look very similar I wouldn't trust a shop to be able to tell the difference.

 

[rebe]

With the plants and the way they are growing, all you need to do is feed the plants so they grow some more.

If you like flame gourami, there are a couple of options. There is a fish called red honey gourami and red robin gourami (same fish, different names). Some people say they are really the red variety of thick lipped gourami and others that it's a honey-thick lipped hybrid. Or there is the fish sold as thick lipped gourami - the natural colour is striped but there's also a red variety. However, this fish does grow bigger than dwarf gouramis. With both of these, males and females look very similar I wouldn't trust a shop to be able to tell the differen

With the plants and the way they are growing, all you need to do is feed the plants so they grow some more.

If you like flame gourami, there are a couple of options. There is a fish called red honey gourami and red robin gourami (same fish, different names). Some people say they are really the red variety of thick lipped gourami and others that it's a honey-thick lipped hybrid. Or there is the fish sold as thick lipped gourami - the natural colour is striped but there's also a red variety. However, this fish does grow bigger than dwarf gouramis. With both of these, males and females look very similar I wouldn't trust a shop to be able to tell the difference.

I have some regular seachem flourish, I've dosed it a few times. Maybe once, sometimes twice a week?

I think I'll look into the honey gouramis you suggested. I know regular honey gouramis are popular.

Is it better to get the school of hengeli rasboras or gouramis first do you think?

 

[Essjay]

I would get the rasboras first, the whole shoal of them not just half now and half later.

 

[rebe]

I would get the rasboras first, the whole shoal of them not just half now and half later.

I can afford to get 15 at once, instead of 11. Along with the websites recommended food (the only suitable one on their website so I assume it's what they feed them). Then once I have them I can upgrade to a high quality food

 

[Essjay]

I'd go with the better quality food straight away. I've never had a problem feeding new fish with the food I have and which is not what the shop used.

 

[rebe]

I'd go with the better quality food straight away. I've never had a problem feeding new fish with the food I have and which is not what the shop used.

This food seems to be recommended a lot on websites, would you agree or would you recommend something else?

 

[AlexT]

This food seems to be recommended a lot on websites, would you agree or would you recommend something else?

Fish meal ingredient in food

I've been involved in a few interesting threads about fish food ingredients and learned things in the last month I had no idea about from previous 10 years experience with tropical fish. I don't think I even bothered looking at the ingredients list in fish food, except for when I had Mbuna...

www.fishforums.net