Is this stocking good? Not sure what forum to put this in.

[dhjaksu]

Anyway, after I sell most of my current fish I want to get get new fish.
Tank is 55 gallons (4ft) and very heavily planted.

Now these are the fish I have and am keeping/want to have.

- 6 dwarf chain loaches
- 10 sterbai cory
- 6 otocinclus
- 3 bristlenose
- 10 ember tetras
- 8 kuhli loaches
- 6 female fighting fish
- 17 guppies

Already have guppies, corys, kuhli loaches, and bristlenose.

Will add new fish as I sell other fish so that there isn’t too much beneficial bacteria die off as I reduce the population. Eg. I sell my angelfish and then I replace the 6 large angels with 10 ember tetras the next day. Or I sell the 2 bristlenose and then get the 6 dwarf chain loach.

Also this would be going down from 109 fish to 66 fish. Might try to find 4 more to make it 70 though. Anyway, bio load isn’t an issue. In this tank I only do 10-20% monthly water changes. The water is always perfect (0 ammonia and nitrite, always less than 10ppm nitrate).

So is this good stocking for that sized tank?

 

[connorlindeman]

Anyway, after I sell most of my current fish I want to get get new fish.
Tank is 55 gallons (4ft) and very heavily planted.

Now these are the fish I have and am keeping/want to have.

- 6 dwarf chain loaches
- 10 sterbai cory
- 6 otocinclus
- 3 bristlenose
- 10 ember tetras
- 8 kuhli loaches
- 6 female fighting fish
- 17 guppies

Already have guppies, corys, kuhli loaches, and bristlenose.

Will add new fish as I sell other fish so that there isn’t too much beneficial bacteria die off as I reduce the population. Eg. I sell my angelfish and then I replace the 6 large angels with 10 ember tetras the next day. Or I sell the 2 bristlenose and then get the 6 dwarf chain loach.

Also this would be going down from 109 fish to 66 fish. Might try to find 4 more to make it 70 though. Anyway, bio load isn’t an issue. In this tank I only do 10-20% monthly water changes. The water is always perfect (0 ammonia and nitrite, always less than 10ppm nitrate).

So is this good stocking for that sized tank?

That seems like a lot of fish for that size tank...

 

[Slaphppy7]

Your stocking list is a mixture of hard and soft water fish.

What is the hardness of your source water?

 

[Lynnzer]

Way too many fish. As indicated lookup the preferred water parameters, keep a database to record what each fish would be best with, then sort things out from there.
I was also a stock-em to the top person and I had problems. I didn't, for instance consider how large some of the fish would get so my 3 bristlenose could have fitted into the tank with little room for anythiing else after a couple of years. The Pearl Gouramis hated the Firemouths and vice versa, the smaller neon sized fish got no peace and were constantly trying to hide. The Molly contribute at least another 40 fry into the mix and the Kribs did double that. All of that aside from the fact that at least half of them were in poor water conditions for the species.
Honestly, it was just so much hassle. I have cut back now and am more or less in a different world. The 120ltr tank that I have, fully planted and aquascaped with lots of hiding places are inhabited by 5 Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish which hold mid tank, 4 Panda Corys for scouting for food scraps, a pair of Double red Apistogrammas that poke their noses into everything that's going on, 6 each of White tip Tetra and Black Skirt Tetra. I even thin the Dwarf Neons are one step too far. They are much bigger than anything else, though not massive by any means but even though their colouration is absolutely fantastic, I think I'd have more activity from the other fish without them, perhaps even seeing some fry from time to time.
Oh, and around 20 Yellow Shrimp that do a marvellous job of snacking on algae strung leaves.
So, get working on what each species needs in terms of water parameters, then how large each one would grow to amnd even where in the tank they would position themselves. Too many in one spot is problematic too. For instance if you put too many cory's loaches, catfish in the tank they'll be competing for the same food.
Let's know what things you come up with BUT don't rush into things and make a real balls-up of things. Slow and steady is best.

 

[reptilenotfish]

don't add so many fish so quickly. slowly add more fish to make sure your maintenance schedule can handle it.
Even so, why so many fish?? Wouldn't it be best to have a cohesive and beautiful display full of healthy fish, rather than a tank that looks like a refugee camp? If you go ahead with it (wouldn't recommend it), please make sure all the fish are within their proper parameters and in ammonia-free water.
honestly though, I think you are setting yourself up for failure. aquariums should be enjoyable, and your plan sounds like a headache to maintain.

One last note: if you do this, just know that aquarium success is in years, not months.

 

[Wills]

Anyway, after I sell most of my current fish I want to get get new fish.
Tank is 55 gallons (4ft) and very heavily planted.

Now these are the fish I have and am keeping/want to have.

- 6 dwarf chain loaches
- 10 sterbai cory
- 6 otocinclus
- 3 bristlenose
- 10 ember tetras
- 8 kuhli loaches
- 6 female fighting fish
- 17 guppies

Already have guppies, corys, kuhli loaches, and bristlenose.

Will add new fish as I sell other fish so that there isn’t too much beneficial bacteria die off as I reduce the population. Eg. I sell my angelfish and then I replace the 6 large angels with 10 ember tetras the next day. Or I sell the 2 bristlenose and then get the 6 dwarf chain loach.

Also this would be going down from 109 fish to 66 fish. Might try to find 4 more to make it 70 though. Anyway, bio load isn’t an issue. In this tank I only do 10-20% monthly water changes. The water is always perfect (0 ammonia and nitrite, always less than 10ppm nitrate).

So is this good stocking for that sized tank?

What kind of test kit are you using for your nitrate test? Is it liquid or strips? If its liquid are you shaking the bottle enough?

Wills

 

[dhjaksu]

That seems like a lot of fish for that size tank...

Less than what’s currently in there and the tank is fine, I do 10-20% monthly water changes and test the water weekly both with my test kit and at 3 different pet shops to make sure everything is good.
Plus the corys spawn daily, bristlenose around once a fortnight (currently trapping and I also have 113 week old babies in a seperate tank), angels spawn weekly. All the breeding suggests the fish are happy.

Currently there are:
6 adult angels
5 adult bristlenose
6 Kribensis adults and 6 babies
Hundreds of mystery snails of various ages
22 large corys
12 Pygmy corys
8 kuhli loaches
30ish guppies counting babies (giving away all the babies and just keeping the 17 adults)
18 large neon tetras
1 otocinclus (I am getting it friends)

It’s a happy well running peaceful tank (aggression stays between the angels when they spawn). It orks well because of how many plants their are, it balances out the fish. Plus there’s 120 gallons worth of filtration through sponge filters and then also a 1200L/h internal filter in there to pick up the larger floating particles that the sponge filters miss.

What kind of test kit are you using for your nitrate test? Is it liquid or strips? If its liquid are you shaking the bottle enough?

Wills

API master test kit and I shake it super well. Every week or 2 I also go to 3 different pet shops to have them test all my water with their tests as well and it always matches up. And it does work because it tests 20-40ppm nitrate at times in my Kribensis breeding tank which is a lot less heavily planted and hard to do much in due to the constant presence of babies. I do weekly water changes on that tank to keep the nitrates below 20.

don't add so many fish so quickly. slowly add more fish to make sure your maintenance schedule can handle it.
Even so, why so many fish?? Wouldn't it be best to have a cohesive and beautiful display full of healthy fish, rather than a tank that looks like a refugee camp? If you go ahead with it (wouldn't recommend it), please make sure all the fish are within their proper parameters and in ammonia-free water.
honestly though, I think you are setting yourself up for failure. aquariums should be enjoyable, and your plan sounds like a headache to maintain.

One last note: if you do this, just know that aquarium success is in years, not months.

I’m wanting to add less fish than what I currently have in there, and already it doesn’t look overcrowded or anything, I love sitting and just watching the tank. And maintenance isn’t bad at all because I only do 10-20% water changes once a month. And I haven’t seen any ammonia or nitrite at all in the last 4 months or so and I’ve only done 4 water changes in that time.

And the idea is to add fish as I sell other fish. Like on Sunday I’m selling the 6 angels and 11 of the corys and I plan on picking up 5 more sterbai corys and 5 more otocinclus on the way home.

Way too many fish. As indicated lookup the preferred water parameters, keep a database to record what each fish would be best with, then sort things out from there.
I was also a stock-em to the top person and I had problems. I didn't, for instance consider how large some of the fish would get so my 3 bristlenose could have fitted into the tank with little room for anythiing else after a couple of years. The Pearl Gouramis hated the Firemouths and vice versa, the smaller neon sized fish got no peace and were constantly trying to hide. The Molly contribute at least another 40 fry into the mix and the Kribs did double that. All of that aside from the fact that at least half of them were in poor water conditions for the species.
Honestly, it was just so much hassle. I have cut back now and am more or less in a different world. The 120ltr tank that I have, fully planted and aquascaped with lots of hiding places are inhabited by 5 Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish which hold mid tank, 4 Panda Corys for scouting for food scraps, a pair of Double red Apistogrammas that poke their noses into everything that's going on, 6 each of White tip Tetra and Black Skirt Tetra. I even thin the Dwarf Neons are one step too far. They are much bigger than anything else, though not massive by any means but even though their colouration is absolutely fantastic, I think I'd have more activity from the other fish without them, perhaps even seeing some fry from time to time.
Oh, and around 20 Yellow Shrimp that do a marvellous job of snacking on algae strung leaves.
So, get working on what each species needs in terms of water parameters, then how large each one would grow to amnd even where in the tank they would position themselves. Too many in one spot is problematic too. For instance if you put too many cory's loaches, catfish in the tank they'll be competing for the same food.
Let's know what things you come up with BUT don't rush into things and make a real balls-up of things. Slow and steady is best.

Ok so currently I have more fish than what I’m wanting to have the final stocking as. And right now water quality is perfect and fish are super happy. I feed heavily so all the bottom feeders get enough food but it’s not an issue because it doesn’t affect the water quality, as shown by the fact that after a month of not touching the tank ammonia and nitrite are at 0 and nitrate is only at 10ppm. Before I added root tabs it was always at 0 as well.

And I’ve spoken to the aquarium shop and all these fish I want have been bred and raised and are currently kept in the same water that I have so water isn’t an issue.
And there will be less bottom feeders than I currently have and then also less middle to top swimming fish than I currently have. And all the fish I want are smaller than my angels which are my current largest fish. And I already have the adult breeding bristlenose so I know how big they are. I also have adult corys already so I know their size. And I currently have 2 bettas. And all the kuhli loaches. Only fish I haven’t seen as adults are the dwarf chain loaches and the ember tetras.

Your stocking list is a mixture of hard and soft water fish.

What is the hardness of your source water?

Not sure of the hardness as it doesn’t come in the api freshwater master test kit and none of the local aquarium shops or pet shops test it. I assume my kh is fairly high though because my shrimp are breeding and moulting very successfully without issue and it’s practically impossible to get my ph below 7.8 using any amount of botanicals.
All of these fish are bred in the same water I have and kept in this water at the aquarium shop I plan on getting them from though. And my hardness doesn’t seem to be too much of an issue for soft water fish because angels are always spawning and the corys spawn literally every day.

That seems like a lot of fish for that size tank...

Less fish than what’s currently in there and currently everything is perfect


Mostly what I’m wanting to know is if people thing aggression wise and stuff if these fish will work together. Only issues I can think of are aggression between the the female bettas but I have 5, 10, and 15 gallon tanks set up that they could be separated into if need be. I haven’t owned ember tetras or dwarf chain loaches before so I don’t know from experience what their temperament is like. I’m still not 100% sure if I even want the ember tetras but I want something that swims more around the middle, the guppies all stay in the top 1/3 of the tank.

 

[Wills]

I just dont understand how it is ok. I wrote quite a ranty post before but deleted it because its not constructive and I don't mean it to but I've never heard of a tank this heavily stocked with no issues.

The way I think it should work, your fish produce the ammonia. Then either the plants use it all or your filter processes it out into nitrate and then something is uses the nitrate - either plants or bacteria, but the bacteria is hard to grow especially by accident.

I dont think the plants are using the nitrate, because with a tank this heavily stocked they will be using the ammonia as their food source. But you have slow growing plants like Swords and Anubias and the stems I can see are not that dense. I'd expect your planting to be loads and loads of fast stems, big floating plants and even emerged plants growing round the sides.

I'm even reminded of the equations for the Walsted method where you can actually calculate plant growth to offset fish capacity etc. Or looking at some of the YouTubers like MD Fishtanks or Secrets Living In Your Fish Tank that do no filter tanks and none of their tanks have any non green space and so much less fish than in here.

I just dont get how its possible haha! You need to work it out and write a book or do a youtube you'll be rich!

In terms of your questions though, you do need to factor in the hardness locally bred fish can survive but a few generations of breeding are not going to replace centuries (or longer) of evolution. Softwater fish kept in hardwater develop essentially kidney stones and hardwater fish kept in softwater can have growth problems. Its not a short term issue by any means but both routes can cut lifespan down significantly from what is expected as natural for those species.

Assuming you do have softwater from the stocking list you have suggested I would leave out the Guppies on the above basis and I'd skip the female fighters as sorrority tanks rarely work out so you would end up separating them.

Other than that I cant really recommend the numbers you want to do in that tank but have a feeling we will need to agree to disagree on that.

Wills

 

[dhjaksu]

I just dont understand how it is ok. I wrote quite a ranty post before but deleted it because its not constructive and I don't mean it to but I've never heard of a tank this heavily stocked with no issues.

The way I think it should work, your fish produce the ammonia. Then either the plants use it all or your filter processes it out into nitrate and then something is uses the nitrate - either plants or bacteria, but the bacteria is hard to grow especially by accident.

I dont think the plants are using the nitrate, because with a tank this heavily stocked they will be using the ammonia as their food source. But you have slow growing plants like Swords and Anubias and the stems I can see are not that dense. I'd expect your planting to be loads and loads of fast stems, big floating plants and even emerged plants growing round the sides.

I'm even reminded of the equations for the Walsted method where you can actually calculate plant growth to offset fish capacity etc. Or looking at some of the YouTubers like MD Fishtanks or Secrets Living In Your Fish Tank that do no filter tanks and none of their tanks have any non green space and so much less fish than in here.

I just dont get how its possible haha! You need to work it out and write a book or do a youtube you'll be rich!

In terms of your questions though, you do need to factor in the hardness locally bred fish can survive but a few generations of breeding are not going to replace centuries (or longer) of evolution. Softwater fish kept in hardwater develop essentially kidney stones and hardwater fish kept in softwater can have growth problems. Its not a short term issue by any means but both routes can cut lifespan down significantly from what is expected as natural for those species.

Assuming you do have softwater from the stocking list you have suggested I would leave out the Guppies on the above basis and I'd skip the female fighters as sorrority tanks rarely work out so you would end up separating them.

Other than that I cant really recommend the numbers you want to do in that tank but have a feeling we will need to agree to disagree on that.

Wills

lol ok. yeah the level of stocking probably shouldn't work but it does. there are honestly quite a few stem plants on the right side and then also shoved in the back left corner. there is also a lot of giant duckweed and frogbit in the tank. In the last month I have also bordered the sides and back of the tank with pothos and spider plants growing above the water and 50+ 30-40cm stems of elodea. I was still doing only monthly water changes with no issues for 3 months before adding any of that though. oh and since adding the plants above the water my blue stricta has been going brown and getting holes in the leaves as if there is a lack of nutrients. I also added root tabs at the same time though. And the blue stricta is the only plant now having trouble, the blue stricta in my shrimp, pygmy cory, and female fighter tank is looking really healthy and that has no added nutrients other than fish waste and only cheap led lights from bunnings.

With the female fighters I am just wanting to try out a sorority and see how it goes. I have a 10 gallon, 15 gallon, and 4 5gallon tanks set up that the girls can go in if there is too much aggression or stress (my current female is great with other fish so if i split up all the girls she would stay in the big tank).
And the guppies are all really healthy and babies are growing up without issue.

oh and I am also looking into an RO system that way I can lower the possibly hard water a bit and keep the ph around 7.5.

With how I am with the current fish (had this tank with the current fish in it for 5 months) I feel that it's likely that in 5 or 6 months I will want to change to change it up a bit again so its not like I'm wanting a sorority that works long term, its rare for them to work any longer than a year.

 

[Byron]

First, may I welcome you to TFF, as I believe this may be your first thread in which I am posting.

I am going to confine my comments to some misconceptions that are prevalent in this thread, rather than to specific species/numbers. Several times in this thread (which I've read through) I see something like "water quality is perfect and fish are super happy." You cannot possibly know the fish are happy; we cannot talk to fish to ask them, and there is no other way. The fact that fish swim around, feed and reproduce is not by any stretch of the imagination evidence they are OK (much less "happy," which I doubt fish can feel). The prime goal of every animal including fish is to reproduce, nothing more; everything they do is aimed at reproduction to maintain the species; this is programmed into the DNA. As Ian Fuller has frequently written, fish will do what they can to achieve this goal, regardless of the circumstances, at least up to the point when things really do begin to cause them problems. By then it is too late, as their physiology has been compromised.

Nitrate should always be as low as possible. If you can get it down to zero, that should be the constant aim. Nitrate like its cousins ammonia and nitrite is poisonous to fish; it is slower acting, and it depends upon the species (cichlids are especially prone to disease now believed to be due to nitrate levels), the level, and the exposure time. But nitrate slowly weakens fish, and that makes them far more susceptible to other issues they would normally be able to deal with. And nitrate is not the only reason for water changes; fish release pheromones and allomones, and these build up and can only be removed by water changes; just to name one aspect. A weekly (minimum) W/C of as much water as you can, half the tank or more, will without question result in healthier fish. I have an article here on this topic that goes into this:

Regular Partial Water Changes

Byron Hosking November, 2010 (rev April 2021) Nothing is more important when it comes to aquarium maintenance than regular partial water changes. The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. One frequently reads of products that will reduce the need for...

www.fishforums.net

And I’ve spoken to the aquarium shop and all these fish I want have been bred and raised and are currently kept in the same water that I have so water isn’t an issue.

This is another myth of this hobby. While it is true that some species do have this rather unique ability to adapt, many do not. For example, mollies were mentioned--I can absolutely guarantee that mollies kept in soft acidic water will develop shimmies, clamped fins, lethargy, and die. They must have water with a GH of 12 dH or higher. There are soft water species that cannot manage in hard water because they develop calcium blockages of the internal organs and slowly die. These are ichthyological facts, not myths.

Some of the fish included here are territorial (cichlids, loaches, bristlenose). I will acknowledge that you might not have seen any evidence of this, but the reason is not that they are somehow enjoying life, it is because they are stressed by the offending fish and in the confines of an aquarium (even a 4-foot 55g) things do not play out as they would in the habitat. Not because the fish are healthy, but quite the opposite.

I hope what I have offered will be of some benefit as you proceed with this tank. Please take my information seriously, it is based upon literally years of learning.

 

[dhjaksu]

First, may I welcome you to TFF, as I believe this may be your first thread in which I am posting.

I am going to confine my comments to some misconceptions that are prevalent in this thread, rather than to specific species/numbers. Several times in this thread (which I've read through) I see something like "water quality is perfect and fish are super happy." You cannot possibly know the fish are happy; we cannot talk to fish to ask them, and there is no other way. The fact that fish swim around, feed and reproduce is not by any stretch of the imagination evidence they are OK (much less "happy," which I doubt fish can feel). The prime goal of every animal including fish is to reproduce, nothing more; everything they do is aimed at reproduction to maintain the species; this is programmed into the DNA. As Ian Fuller has frequently written, fish will do what they can to achieve this goal, regardless of the circumstances, at least up to the point when things really do begin to cause them problems. By then it is too late, as their physiology has been compromised.

Nitrate should always be as low as possible. If you can get it down to zero, that should be the constant aim. Nitrate like its cousins ammonia and nitrite is poisonous to fish; it is slower acting, and it depends upon the species (cichlids are especially prone to disease now believed to be due to nitrate levels), the level, and the exposure time. But nitrate slowly weakens fish, and that makes them far more susceptible to other issues they would normally be able to deal with. And nitrate is not the only reason for water changes; fish release pheromones and allomones, and these build up and can only be removed by water changes; just to name one aspect. A weekly (minimum) W/C of as much water as you can, half the tank or more, will without question result in healthier fish. I have an article here on this topic that goes into this:

Regular Partial Water Changes

Byron Hosking November, 2010 (rev April 2021) Nothing is more important when it comes to aquarium maintenance than regular partial water changes. The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. One frequently reads of products that will reduce the need for...

www.fishforums.net

This is another myth of this hobby. While it is true that some species do have this rather unique ability to adapt, many do not. For example, mollies were mentioned--I can absolutely guarantee that mollies kept in soft acidic water will develop shimmies, clamped fins, lethargy, and die. They must have water with a GH of 12 dH or higher. There are soft water species that cannot manage in hard water because they develop calcium blockages of the internal organs and slowly die. These are ichthyological facts, not myths.

Some of the fish included here are territorial (cichlids, loaches, bristlenose). I will acknowledge that you might not have seen any evidence of this, but the reason is not that they are somehow enjoying life, it is because they are stressed by the offending fish and in the confines of an aquarium (even a 4-foot 55g) things do not play out as they would in the habitat. Not because the fish are healthy, but quite the opposite.

I hope what I have offered will be of some benefit as you proceed with this tank. Please take my information seriously, it is based upon literally years of learning.

I still don't see issues with my tank as it is and I'm reducing the stocking almost by half.
actually I've decided not to get dwarf chain loaches or ember tetras so I'm reducing the stocking by more than half. and all the new fish I'm wanting are fairly small. 3 bristlenose in 55 gallons is definitely more than enough space for them.

so after considering the stocking more I am thinking:
8 kuhli loaches
3 bristlenose (also got another spawn from them this morning which is exciting)
6 sterbai cory
6 otocinclus
17 guppies
6 female fighting fish or another sort of centre piece fish but I can't think of any

and I definely do not think that is too many fish for a 55 gallon tank. its bigger than what a lot of people keep those fish in

 

[Lynnzer]

Well that's somewhat better (Betta?).
I do still think there's way too many bottom feeders though. Not only are they competing for food, they also have a need to shelter. Even in a heavily planted tank they'll find it hard to keep their distance from the others.
I had Sterbai in a tank (the contents of which is better described further on), and I hardly ever saw them. I don't know if they are mostly night time fish or just lazy. Same for the Bristlenose I also had. I rarely saw it.
I suggest that a team of Panda or Dwarf Cory would be better than the Sterbai as at least they have amusing traits and are a real pleasure to watch.
The oto's will be fine. They are a lovey diminuative fish that fits in well and keeps very much to itself.
I don't know what it is about fighting fish, but I can't stand the things. It's like having ballet dancers in a rugby team. Yeah, fine in a single species tank but my own personal opinion is that they'll look like odd men out in that sort of mix.
I have my centrepiece fish. I thought they were Congo Tetra but have found out that they are instead the lovely Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish. Typical maximum tank size would be around 2.5 - 3" and 6 of these is a good number to show off their absolutely gorgeous sheen. They are peaceful, don't hassle the other fish at all and even tolerate the shrimp in the tank.
Another species I'm not overly keen on is the guppy. Just another personal preference I'm afraid. Not quite the ballet dancer perception but a bit like wearing a rainhat in an auditorium.
The fish I have with my Dwarf Neon are 6 each of White Tip Tetra, and Black Skirt Tetra, plus a pair of Double Red Apisto's.
The white tip are really great. They are very active and are constantly vying for attention from the females while the Black Skirt swim leisurely around almost like ghosts against the background plants. With the lighting I have, they stand out remarkably well.
I must admit though that whatever you're doing is way better than I have achieved so far. The Dwarf Neons are always jousting to mate with the single female but as far as I know haven't managed so far. Of course they may have laid eggs that were eaten but in a heavily planted tank it's a matter of luck to actually see them at all I guess.
The same goes for the other tetras too. The White Tips are also constantly "at it" and I believe I actually took a bunch of eggs off a leaf yesterday so I might have some success.
Anyway, whatever you end up doing I wish you well in your efforts.

 

[dhjaksu]

T

Well that's somewhat better (Betta?).
I do still think there's way too many bottom feeders though. Not only are they competing for food, they also have a need to shelter. Even in a heavily planted tank they'll find it hard to keep their distance from the others.
I had Sterbai in a tank (the contents of which is better described further on), and I hardly ever saw them. I don't know if they are mostly night time fish or just lazy. Same for the Bristlenose I also had. I rarely saw it.
I suggest that a team of Panda or Dwarf Cory would be better than the Sterbai as at least they have amusing traits and are a real pleasure to watch.
The oto's will be fine. They are a lovey diminuative fish that fits in well and keeps very much to itself.
I don't know what it is about fighting fish, but I can't stand the things. It's like having ballet dancers in a rugby team. Yeah, fine in a single species tank but my own personal opinion is that they'll look like odd men out in that sort of mix.
I have my centrepiece fish. I thought they were Congo Tetra but have found out that they are instead the lovely Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish. Typical maximum tank size would be around 2.5 - 3" and 6 of these is a good number to show off their absolutely gorgeous sheen. They are peaceful, don't hassle the other fish at all and even tolerate the shrimp in the tank.
Another species I'm not overly keen on is the guppy. Just another personal preference I'm afraid. Not quite the ballet dancer perception but a bit like wearing a rainhat in an auditorium.
The fish I have with my Dwarf Neon are 6 each of White Tip Tetra, and Black Skirt Tetra, plus a pair of Double Red Apisto's.
The white tip are really great. They are very active and are constantly vying for attention from the females while the Black Skirt swim leisurely around almost like ghosts against the background plants. With the lighting I have, they stand out remarkably well.
I must admit though that whatever you're doing is way better than I have achieved so far. The Dwarf Neons are always jousting to mate with the single female but as far as I know haven't managed so far. Of course they may have laid eggs that were eaten but in a heavily planted tank it's a matter of luck to actually see them at all I guess.
The same goes for the other tetras too. The White Tips are also constantly "at it" and I believe I actually took a bunch of eggs off a leaf yesterday so I might have some success.
Anyway, whatever you end up doing I wish you well in your efforts.

Thank you. My sterbai honestly doesn’t seem shy at all. Previously she was in a very bare tank with large discus.

In my tank she tries to school with the bronze corys and gets super excited and active with them when they are spawning. And she doesn’t react at all when I go up to the tank, she just sits wherever the bronze sit and they go everywhere so she goes everywhere and is always easy to spot.

I do have some Pygmy corys in another tank with my yellow cherry shrimp. I honestly don’t fish them as fun as my sterbai cory.


Also I got 2 Apistogramma today. Panduro ones. Super small so impossible to sex but if I’m lucky it will be a male and a female. If I’m super unlucky it will be 2 males (would need to be housed separately). If I’m not lucky or unlucky it will be 2 females.

 

[Slaphppy7]

First, may I welcome you to TFF, as I believe this may be your first thread in which I am posting.

I am going to confine my comments to some misconceptions that are prevalent in this thread, rather than to specific species/numbers. Several times in this thread (which I've read through) I see something like "water quality is perfect and fish are super happy." You cannot possibly know the fish are happy; we cannot talk to fish to ask them, and there is no other way. The fact that fish swim around, feed and reproduce is not by any stretch of the imagination evidence they are OK (much less "happy," which I doubt fish can feel). The prime goal of every animal including fish is to reproduce, nothing more; everything they do is aimed at reproduction to maintain the species; this is programmed into the DNA. As Ian Fuller has frequently written, fish will do what they can to achieve this goal, regardless of the circumstances, at least up to the point when things really do begin to cause them problems. By then it is too late, as their physiology has been compromised.

Nitrate should always be as low as possible. If you can get it down to zero, that should be the constant aim. Nitrate like its cousins ammonia and nitrite is poisonous to fish; it is slower acting, and it depends upon the species (cichlids are especially prone to disease now believed to be due to nitrate levels), the level, and the exposure time. But nitrate slowly weakens fish, and that makes them far more susceptible to other issues they would normally be able to deal with. And nitrate is not the only reason for water changes; fish release pheromones and allomones, and these build up and can only be removed by water changes; just to name one aspect. A weekly (minimum) W/C of as much water as you can, half the tank or more, will without question result in healthier fish. I have an article here on this topic that goes into this:

Regular Partial Water Changes

Byron Hosking November, 2010 (rev April 2021) Nothing is more important when it comes to aquarium maintenance than regular partial water changes. The adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. One frequently reads of products that will reduce the need for...

www.fishforums.net

This is another myth of this hobby. While it is true that some species do have this rather unique ability to adapt, many do not. For example, mollies were mentioned--I can absolutely guarantee that mollies kept in soft acidic water will develop shimmies, clamped fins, lethargy, and die. They must have water with a GH of 12 dH or higher. There are soft water species that cannot manage in hard water because they develop calcium blockages of the internal organs and slowly die. These are ichthyological facts, not myths.

Some of the fish included here are territorial (cichlids, loaches, bristlenose). I will acknowledge that you might not have seen any evidence of this, but the reason is not that they are somehow enjoying life, it is because they are stressed by the offending fish and in the confines of an aquarium (even a 4-foot 55g) things do not play out as they would in the habitat. Not because the fish are healthy, but quite the opposite.

I hope what I have offered will be of some benefit as you proceed with this tank. Please take my information seriously, it is based upon literally years of learning.

"For example, mollies were mentioned--I can absolutely guarantee that mollies kept in soft acidic water will develop shimmies, clamped fins, lethargy, and die. They must have water with a GH of 12 dH or higher. There are soft water species that cannot manage in hard water because they develop calcium blockages of the internal organs and slowly die."

The above words in red need to be reversed....a simple typo, I'm sure

 

[Essjay]

I read that as Byron meaning that mollies in soft acidic water will suffer, and also that there are soft water fish which will suffer in hard water.