Best Suited Fish To Water Parameters

[Seal36]

my water parameters are
Nitrate 10
Nitrite 0
General hardness 8d
Carbonate 6d
Ph 7.4
Chlorine 0

And I was womdering what type of fish are best suited to those conditions and
The temperature stays at 26 but can be changed and I don't have a fast flow but don't have a slow one either from Tom

 

[Maehlice]

Just about every tropical community fish and many cichlids will thrive in those parameters.
 
What size and dimensions are your tank, and will it be planted?

 

[KittyKat]

That's soft-neutral water, so I'd recommend South American or Asian fish. As above, need dimensions of tank for recommendations.
 
By the way, might as well drop the tempterature now to 20-22°C as most fish are very happy at lower temperatures! If you're sceptical, read http/www.seriouslyfish.com/whaddaya-mean-too-hot/

 

[Seal36]

The dimensions of the tank is
31 inch long
13 inches deep
18 inch high

And yes it will be planted and have driftwood and rocks

 

[Maehlice]

That's almost the exact aquarium I started with which is now my refugium.
 
I should've asked more questions initially.  Do you ...
 

• ... have a favourite color you want on your fish?
• ... want a couple large fish or a bunch of little ones?
• ... want a few large schools of fish or several smaller groups?
• ... is there any fish you definitely want?
• ... want "easy" fish, or are you comfortable with moderate-difficult care fish?

 
I like to do my window shopping at LiveAquaria.
 
 
I think a heavily planted semi-full (~80%) tank with the following would be fun to watch:

• 12 Silver Hatchets
• 12 Neon Tetras
• 2 Bolivian Rams (M-F pair)
• 1 Zebra Pleco (any of the small varieties, really ... zebras ain't cheap)
• (n) Ghost Shrimp

 

[Seal36]

Don't have a favourite colour as long as they are colourful or interesting to look at I don't mind.

Would like about 2-3 pairs of centre fish and then some bunches of little ones.

Lots of smaller groups 6-10

No fish I defiantly want but would like to explore rasbora as only had harlequin, gourami as only had dwarf, honey and chocolate, cichlids as only had kribensis and keyholes but hated the keyholes and apistogrammas as only had dwarf cockatoo ones.

I have had fish for 14 years now so am looking for something more exotic and harder to keep.

 

[KittyKat]

All schooling fish do best in groups of 10-15+, as it's natural for them to live in larger groups in the wild. Fish that live in pairs are generally territorial and would not be happy with another pair living in their area. The alternative to apair is a harem of Apistogramma (note that not all live in harems!).
 
I would recommend something along the lines of…
* 12 Carnegiella strigata (marbled hatchetfish)
* 15 Hasemania nana (silvertip tetra)
* 1m 3f Apistogramma cacatuoides
 
You may then wish to add a pleco, but I would leave that until much later down the line.

 

[Seal36]

Do apistogramma cacatuoides like to live in harems as I was always told to keep them as a pair because once the male has paired with a female they will kill the others. If they do prefer to live in harems that could explain why I have never had a pair "pair up".

 

[KittyKat]

Apistogramma cacatuoides are a harem species, although it is possible to keep them in pairs (I consider pairs not ideal). You should have at least 5 good breeding spots if you want to keep 3 females, which are spaced out throughout the tank.