High Ph - Which Fish Are Suitable?

[Ch4rlie]

Excellent stuff guys, that's exactly the sort of answers i needed.
a few more Rainbows and endlers plus some shrimps for bottom of tank. Probably red cherrys will do fine in that water parameters.

will ask lfs about their water,good ideas.

thanks and more suggestions or recommendations would be good!

Cheers

 

[Ch4rlie]

Realised I posted the below information in a wrong thread of my own (Cycling Disaster) meant to post in this one. So if you are reading this twice, apologies!!!!
 
 


Right, Have done 75 - 80% water change, de-chlorinated to exact dosage as per instruction on bottle, tank temperature at 24 - 25 C/ 75 - 77 F, set up checked and all looks good and ready for fish in early afternoon tomorrow!!
 
Whooeey! cant wait!! 

 
So thought would ask few last questions / opinions about my stocking selections and numbers, I have decided that since water parameters are a little high than usual so have gone for Northern Australia or New Guinea species rather than pick and mix as thought more interesting imo this way for my first tank.
 
6 x Dwarf Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia maccullochi)
8 x Featherfin Rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri)
6 x Red Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda)
2 x Assassin Snails (Clea helena)
 
I have removed Edlers from previous my list as felt this was not quite right to go with Rainbowfish.
Added shrimps as found that Cories not really suitable with pea gravel in tank and needed something for the bottom of tank.
Assissin snails to keep the common pond snails, that hitch hiked into my tank via the live plants, under control so I don't get an explosion in numbers of common snails!! in theory! 

 
I believe these numbers are suitable for my 90 litre tank (24 US Gal) with live plants and external filter.
 
Please let me know any comments/opinion on these choices and numbers if any are unsuitable in any way - aggressive/fin nippers/territorial etc.
 
I will be going to my LFS in afternoon tomorrow to buy 4 to 6 rainbow fish, dependant on what they have in stock.
Believe is best only to do up to 6 fish max at a time in stocking new tanks and then weekly thereafter for new fish. Is that right? 

 
Thanks 

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Because you fishless cycled with ammonia you can stock your tank all at once, just keep a close eye with your test kit for a few days in case you get a little spike.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd stick to only the Dwarf Rainbowfish and up their numbers or just the threadfin rainbowfish. 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Really? I can do that?

  
 
Well that would save a heck of a lot of time and going back and forth to LFS every week 

 
Thanks for that AA
 
By the way, are my fish numbers and choices suitable for my set up/tank?
 
Sorry if thats a dumb question but am new to this 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

See above.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Eagles - can I ask why you think that would be more suitable just to have one species of Rainbowfish? Which type would be best and how many in you opinion?
 
Purely out of interest and to learn a bit more 

 
Or perhaps you can suggest another Rainbow fish that would suit. As think maybe only one species may not be enough for me but if get a largish number of single species then may get more schooling natural behaviour perhaps?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Shoaling fish always show their best behaviors in larger shoals.  6 is the minimum number for shoalers, but more is always better.
 
The tank is a bit on the small side, so rather than having the barest of minimums, it would look better to have a larger number of one species.  (Just my opinion, but I know I'm not alone with that.)
 
 
You'll not see 'schooling' behavior a ton, except when the fish feel threatened.  They will start out shoaling, but will spread out and explore more independently.  They will shoal again though at various times...

 

[Ch4rlie]

Thanks Eagles, that does make sense.
 
Hmm by m reckoning, I think would prefer Threadfins as think slightly more attractive if just going to have one species of Rainbowfish as well as being slightly smaller I can have a few more than Dwarf neons if that makes sense.
 
So, think will have maybe 20 Threadfins if thats not too heavily stocked, think absolute max would be 24 but don't want to stress them out of too cramped for space, as well as the shrimps and assassin snails since they don't add much to the obi load anyway.
 
Do you think thats ok to do?
 
Thanks

 

[eaglesaquarium]

20 is a bit high... Might keep it at about 15 or so, and just keep a few more shrimp.

 

[Ch4rlie]

yup, was just about to say scratch that number of 20 and reduced to 15 as well, you got there first!! 

 
I redid my calculations and realised did not account for full adult size properly, my mistake!!
 
And yeah, think might increase red cherry shrimps to 8 to start off with and 15 Threadfins plus 2 assassin snails and take it from there!!
 
Whooo, exciting times and a bit more of a learning curve coming up when have stocked my tank!! looking forward to learning more about rainbowfish and reckon have made a decent choice.... (first choice was cories but will do them on next larger tank if successful with this tank first! 

)
 
Thanks for everyone's help and advice, much appreciated. 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You could take the cherry shrimp even higher easily if you'd like.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hmm, maybe, do cherry shrimps breed easily? Don't want to have population explosion of shrimps!! 

 
If they don't breed easily then may get 12 max as feel that enough for this particular newbie!!! 

 
Oh yes, speaking of shrimps, think will also get some moss balls as hear this is good for them.
 
Thanks 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you have sufficient numbers, shrimplets will happen.  You can resell them or give them away.  I'd take them off your hands, but shipping would be too expensive.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Righto! 12 it is then, reckon now if they do breed, then I will just leave the shrimplets for the fish to eat!! lol,

 
If numbers of adult shrimps get too high then will give excess numbers of shrimps away to lfs or anyone on this forum who wants them 
 
Good stuff!! Learning all the time no about fish keeping