Give me some 19dh water fish suggestions PLEASE!

[ClownLurch]

As per title.
19dh 340ppm 8.0ph.
120L-31G
765Lx315Wx550H. 30”x12”x22”.
i think silent cycles almost complete and despite months of fish pondering I’m still not 100% certain of which fish I’m opting for!
I don’t really want anyone over 2” but exceptions could be made. RO water is available but I’d prefer to wait a year or so before reducing down water when we may have a bigger tank if all goes well.
Ive a list of 26 or so fish as possibilities some aren’t very probable and won’t be suitable with others on the list. Final choice will of course be ran by your good selves as I don’t want to repeat my last ill advised by LFS venture of 23 years ago.
List:
Rainbowfish:
Celebes Rainbowfish
Forktail Blue Eye
Neon Blue Eye
Delicate Blue Eye

Ricefish:
Celebes
Indian
Javanese
Wolasi
Medaka

WCMM (difference?)
Vietnamese WCMM (difference?)

Endlers
Guppy
Platy

Paradise Fish
Spiketail Paradisefish
Florida Flagfish
Bloodfin Tetra
Glass Bloodfin Tetra
X ray Tetra
Wrestling Halfbeak
Black Bellied Lima
Least killifish
Tiger Teddy
Odessa Barb
Cherry Barb

Celestichthys Erythromicron (striped cousin of the CPD)

Im torn between:
a rainbowfish+one ricefish tank,
a red n black fish tank (it’s a football thing)
a non themed pick n mix tank.

Sorry for length of post and large number of questions.....you don’t have to answer em all but please please help me out in some way! I’d love extra suggestions that I’ve never heard of or forgotten.
plus what snails and shrimps are best in my water?

Thanks in advance even if only for getting right the way through to the end of the post.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Swordtails? Mollies?

 

[ClownLurch]

Swordtails? Mollies?

Bigger than I want unfortunately.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

You can look for African cichlids. Look for species that stay small.

Info on keeping Malawi cichlids 1

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

a red n black fish tank (it’s a football thing)

I'm no help I'm afraid, but this bit made me laugh. Sounds like a fun theme! Hope you share photos of the tank as it develops and you stock it.

 

[ClownLurch]

You can look for African cichlids. Look for species that stay small.

Info on keeping Malawi cichlids 1

Too big I’m afraid. Three months of looking and I’ve not seen any 2” or less.

 

[Retired Viking]

You could try to cut your hardness with RO water like I do, it is a little more work at water changes. I only have to deal with 134ppm water (lake) but the local well water is at 224. I buy mine in 5 gallon jugs but you can buy a RO device for your home.

 

[Circus]

As far as cichlids go, there are the shell dwellers, like multifasciatus.

I saw you mentioned flagfish. You should only keep narrow bodied and fast swimming fish with them, since they are semi-aggressive and will nip fins if they can catch the fish. They are curious and very pretty, but I would only keep 1 male in a tank that size, with a harem of females.

 

[utahfish]

You could always add salt and look at brackish fish.
I dont do brackish but its a thought. Maybe ask in the brackish forum?

 

[ClownLurch]

As far as cichlids go, there are the shell dwellers, like multifasciatus.

I saw you mentioned flagfish. You should only keep narrow bodied and fast swimming fish with them, since they are semi-aggressive and will nip fins if they can catch the fish. They are curious and very pretty, but I would only keep 1 male in a tank that size, with a harem of females.

I’ve already ruled out flagfish and paradisefish for possible aggression reasons. Thanks anyway.

 

[ClownLurch]

You could always add salt and look at brackish fish.
I dont do brackish but its a thought. Maybe ask in the brackish forum?

Doesn’t appeal to me I’m afraid.

 

[ClownLurch]

You could try to cut your hardness with RO water like I do, it is a little more work at water changes. I only have to deal with 134ppm water (lake) but the local well water is at 224. I buy mine in 5 gallon jugs but you can buy a RO device for your home.

I’ve an RO converter but that’s for a year or so down the line if we get a bigger tank. I’ll be quizzing everyone then!

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Too big I’m afraid. Three months of looking and I’ve not seen any 2” or less.

Here are some...(some info are repeated) but different websites..

Meet the shell dwellers

In the dangerous expanses of open water, it can pay to be a small fish. So small, in fact, that you can hide in a snail shell. Meet evolution’s curiosities from Tanganyika.

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

The Shell Dwellers of Lake Tanganyika

There are many small cichlids that can be kept in the community tank, some of the most interesting among them being the small shell dwellers from Lake

www.tfhdigital.com

Brevis Shelldweller | Animal World

Small sized and gentle natured, a pair of Brevis Shelldwellers can be kept in a tank that is as small as five gallons! The Brevis Shelldweller Neolamprologus brevis is a dwarf cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, Africa. Its a very small fish with males growing just short of 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) in...

animal-world.com

Tropical Fish Finder.co.uk - The ultimate UK fish keeping resource for all types of tropical and marine fish, including fish books, articles, fish shops, fish clubs and more.

Tropical Fish Finder.co.uk - The ultimate UK fish keeping resource for all types of tropical and marine fish, including fish books, articles, fish shops, fish clubs and more.

www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk

 

[ClownLurch]

Here are some...(some info are repeated) but different websites..

Meet the shell dwellers

In the dangerous expanses of open water, it can pay to be a small fish. So small, in fact, that you can hide in a snail shell. Meet evolution’s curiosities from Tanganyika.

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

The Shell Dwellers of Lake Tanganyika

There are many small cichlids that can be kept in the community tank, some of the most interesting among them being the small shell dwellers from Lake

www.tfhdigital.com

Brevis Shelldweller | Animal World

Small sized and gentle natured, a pair of Brevis Shelldwellers can be kept in a tank that is as small as five gallons! The Brevis Shelldweller Neolamprologus brevis is a dwarf cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, Africa. Its a very small fish with males growing just short of 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) in...

animal-world.com

Tropical Fish Finder.co.uk - The ultimate UK fish keeping resource for all types of tropical and marine fish, including fish books, articles, fish shops, fish clubs and more.

Tropical Fish Finder.co.uk - The ultimate UK fish keeping resource for all types of tropical and marine fish, including fish books, articles, fish shops, fish clubs and more.

www.tropicalfishfinder.co.uk

Thanks. That’s a good read. Shelldwellers look great and interesting to keep but dont seem possible for us as we’re hoping to later keep Corys in a larger tank in ROd water alongside what we choose for this tank.
Maybe after multiple tank syndrome kicks in? Which I think it will as after nearly three months prep Im still torn between tank populations!

 

[Lajos_Detari]

LOL... Fish keeping is addictive...

You will never have enough....

I have changed so many species of fish from South America, Africa, Asian, Central America, Australia, etc...

But finally, I think Discus is one of the best...

My advice :

1) Have a mix of varieties of fish - perhaps two different tanks for different continent of fish / different water requirements but require a lot of work.
Look for fish which require the same water parameter as your tap water will be better and reduce your work load.

2)Get a group of schooling fish and mix with some intelligent fish - Schooling are the most interesting when you see them interacting with each other.
You can even get some small fish in big numbers - example Mosquito Rasboras.

3)Get some intelligent fish like Cichlids - they make the tanks interesting. They can respond to you better.

4)Most importantly, get some beautiful and unique fish such as .
- Apistogrammas
- Tanganyika Cichlids
- Killifish
- Discus

5)Create some beautiful aquascapings....
It's like having a river/stream in your house...
You can either use rocks formation or driftwoods formation or both.

One moment, please...

www.theaquariumguide.com

6)You might want to consider some inverterbrates...

7) Lastly, learn about quarantining fish, sterilizing plants and how to treat fish diseases...