First tank advice

[Darter217]

Would not recommend using ANY fish for cycling the tank.

This is called fish in cycle, a cruel way of treating fish tbh, breathing in ammonia and nitrite which is toxic and probably painful to them every day until tank is cycled which will take weeks if not months to fully cycle.

Best way is to do either fishless cycle or silent cycle with lots and lots of plants.

Read thy article I linked on my first post, that’s the fishless cycle method.

Had a read and that does sound like a much better method for cycling the tank. Still trying to work out a nice combination of soft water fish for a beginner.

 

[Essjay]

While the tank is cycling, take a trip round your local shops. They will no doubt tell you that fishless cycling is a waste of time but ignore that. Have a look at what fish are available in your area - it's frustrating when you find the perfect fish on-line then find no-one stocks it. Make a note of all the fish that catch your eye, then take some time to look up all the list on https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ This is the best website for research as it is written by experts not someone who keeps fish and think they know about them.
Look for the water they need - you have your hardness in both dH and ppm, some profiles use one, some the other. Look at the minimum tank length - a lot of fish won't be suitable for a 68 cm long tank. Look at the temperature they need. The profiles also give a lot more info such as behaviour, do they need special food etc. Once you have a shortlist of fish, post it on here.


If any shop worker gives you advice about what fish to get, ignore it. So many shop workers haven't a clue and will say anything. Always do your own research.

 

[Darter217]

While the tank is cycling, take a trip round your local shops. They will no doubt tell you that fishless cycling is a waste of time but ignore that. Have a look at what fish are available in your area - it's frustrating when you find the perfect fish on-line then find no-one stocks it. Make a note of all the fish that catch your eye, then take some time to look up all the list on https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ This is the best website for research as it is written by experts not someone who keeps fish and think they know about them.
Look for the water they need - you have your hardness in both dH and ppm, some profiles use one, some the other. Look at the minimum tank length - a lot of fish won't be suitable for a 68 cm long tank. Look at the temperature they need. The profiles also give a lot more info such as behaviour, do they need special food etc. Once you have a shortlist of fish, post it on here.


If any shop worker gives you advice about what fish to get, ignore it. So many shop workers haven't a clue and will say anything. Always do your own research.

I gathered that already, I have heard that the majority of shops will be biased when you ask for advice as they are trying to sell you something so I've been doing my own research online. I'm struggling to find a decent number of soft water fish that are good for beginners and fit in my tank but I'll keep looking. Cheers for the link.

 

[Essjay]

All the small tetras from south America are suitable - neons, cardinals, glowlight , ember etc. (just check temperature compatibility). From Asia - harlequin rasboras, fish in the genus Boraras.
Bottom dwellers, if you go for sand - one of the dwarf species of cory (Corydoras pygmaeus, C. habsosus, C. hastatus), a pair of apistogrammas.
Top dwellers - honey gouramis (not dwarfs as they have health issues), dwarf pencilfish

Not all of these at the same time, but types of fish to think about.

 

[Darter217]

All the small tetras from south America are suitable - neons, cardinals, glowlight , ember etc. (just check temperature compatibility). From Asia - harlequin rasboras, fish in the genus Boraras.
Bottom dwellers, if you go for sand - one of the dwarf species of cory (Corydoras pygmaeus, C. habsosus, C. hastatus), a pair of apistogrammas.
Top dwellers - honey gouramis (not dwarfs as they have health issues), dwarf pencilfish

Not all of these at the same time, but types of fish to think about.

That's exactly the information I was looking for, thank you. Seems like my annoyingly soft water might actually be a blessing in disguise if it means it's good for the fish you just mentioned.

 

[Essjay]

There are a lot of tetra species, some need a bigger tank than yours, but there are still plenty which are suitable.

There are far more soft water species in the hobby than hard water species

 

[Darter217]

There are a lot of tetra species, some need a bigger tank than yours, but there are still plenty which are suitable.

There are far more soft water species in the hobby than hard water species

Yes tetras seem to be the most common soft water fish in the hobby, I quite like the look of the Apistogramma, the honey Gouramis and the Cory catfish. Will need to have a look at the difference tetra species.

 

[ClownLurch]

Awwwwwhhhh maaaaan I wish I had your soft water. You don’t yet realise how lucky you are. Around here weve liquid rock. The fish swim around with hammers n chisels in their fins.
I’ve been searching the Internet for months now and I’ve a only list of about 30 fish suitable for 19dh/340ppm water and my tank length. Then there’s temp issues, eating each other, cross breeding, scaring each other, out competing for food, school/shoal sizes etc.
It’s been a slog just to draw up alternatives to your first choice wanted livebearers which are perfect for down here.
You’re very lucky, grasp that luck with both hands. Tightly.

If I had your water it’d be fantasy fish tank time:
Panda Corys
Microdevario Kubotai
Apistogramma Hongsloi

Ill post you 75L of my water every week if you post me 75L of yours. Deal?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

That's exactly the information I was looking for, thank you. Seems like my annoyingly soft water might actually be a blessing in disguise if it means it's good for the fish you just mentioned.

Believe me, so many of us would kill for your water! Mine is hard, and that limits your fish choice a lot to livebearers, cichlids, or rainbowfish... aaaand that's about it. The big rainbowfish need large tanks, cichlids are fiercely territorial and can easily kill each other if you don't know what you're doing, not easy fish for beginners - and livebearers are lovely, but not everyone is into them, and they breed like mad. I've kept livebearers for a year and had fun breeding them, but now I want to branch out and try having some different fish, but most fish really do need softer water! The amount of us who are buying RO water or RO units to make softer water so we can keep other fish... which isn't cheap in the long run.


You have so many more options for fish, believe me. Most corydoras need softer water (adorable fish and so popular!) loaches, otos, tetra, barbs, rasbora, danios, gourami, apistos, rams, the stunning nano fish I want like kubatai, chili rapbora, ember tetra, celestial pearl danios...

If you're stuck with one type of water, soft is what you want Although if you wanted livebearers, I understand the disappointment, and that the grass always seems greener.

 

[Darter217]

Believe me, so many of us would kill for your water! Mine is hard, and that limits your fish choice a lot to livebearers, cichlids, or rainbowfish... aaaand that's about it. The big rainbowfish need large tanks, cichlids are fiercely territorial and can easily kill each other if you don't know what you're doing, not easy fish for beginners - and livebearers are lovely, but not everyone is into them, and they breed like mad. I've kept livebearers for a year and had fun breeding them, but now I want to branch out and try having some different fish, but most fish really do need softer water! The amount of us who are buying RO water or RO units to make softer water so we can keep other fish... which isn't cheap in the long run.


You have so many more options for fish, believe me. Most corydoras need softer water (adorable fish and so popular!) loaches, otos, tetra, barbs, rasbora, danios, gourami, apistos, rams, the stunning nano fish I want like kubatai, chili rapbora, ember tetra, celestial pearl danios...

If you're stuck with one type of water, soft is what you want Although if you wanted livebearers, I understand the disappointment, and that the grass always seems greener.

You have actually made me feel quite optimistic with that. As I said, sods law seems to dictate that you'd want my water and I'd want yours etc. Although I am glad that there are many soft water fish you can get.

 

[ClownLurch]

Another vote for kubotai just there. Take a look.

Off topic I know but I’m buying the bits to make my own ”python” which will discharge the waste and fresh tap reqd to make it work into a garden water butt. Thus speeding up water change times and making RO adding feasible so that soft water fish keeping be ones a possibility. It’ll take a while. But I digress.

 

[Darter217]

A combination of Honey gourames, some small cat fish and some tetras seems like a good combination for my water type and tank size. All peaceful fish who will be able to mix well together. Just need to figure out the numbers for each fish.

 

[Essjay]

You'll read everywhere that the minimum number for shoaling fish is 6, but they always do better with more. If you decide on one of the dwarf cories, they need at least 10 for example.

Although your tank does not have much swimming length it does have a fair volume. You could have a shaol of cories, a pair of honey gouramis and at least 10 of 2 different tetras.

 

[Darter217]

You'll read everywhere that the minimum number for shoaling fish is 6, but they always do better with more. If you decide on one of the dwarf cories, they need at least 10 for example.

Although your tank does not have much swimming length it does have a fair volume. You could have a shaol of cories, a pair of honey gouramis and at least 10 of 2 different tetras.

That sounds about right, I already thought that 2 honey Gouramis would be a good idea as I don't think the tank would be good for any more. I was thinking of either neon tetra or phantom tetra as I've heard that those 2 species in particular mix well with the small Cory catfish.

That is what the tank I have looks like btw, it's not my setup bit it's the same tank

 

[Darter217]

After a bit more research I've decided to go with. Although I'm still debating which fish I should add to the tank first after its been cycled.

2 Honey Gouramis
5 Cory catfish
10 or 11 Neon Tetras
The tank will be well planted.

Was considering adding a male Betta fish instead of the Gouramis although I've read that they do not go very well in community tanks despite being advertised as a starter fish in some places.