New Tank Advice

[Az3rix]

My 1 try at CPDs was lesser. They were very shy, maybe if I had a lot more than 8 or so? I love harlequin rasboras! Very hardy in most any tank parameters. All your other tankmates sound good except maybe amano shrimp. I've never tried keeping them, so I don't know.

I would get more than 10 pygmy corys. They're tiny & oh so cute. You will be charmed by their antics. (OK, I love most all bottom-ish fish. Get more!) I will say almost all schooling or shoaling fish are best in bigger groups. It's hard not to want more species when you have a fairly large tank, but I'd go with more of each species rather than a few of each. They are much more fun that way than the "minimum of 6". Go for more!

Another genus of plants I love are cryptocorynes.. Easy to grow with a root tab fert near their roots. Many species & colors are available. Try some, you won't be sorry!!

Well I am very excited to try out the 20 Harlequin Rasboras then! I was probably going to stick with 10 pygmy and Albino Corydoras but you suggest possibly more? That wouldn't overstock the tank? And I will definitely look into the cryptocorynes! Sounds like it'll be a nice addition for sure!

 

[fishorama]

I would think with pygmies, you could up their #s. Maybe stick with 10 albino corys for now (all the same species if possible, there are a few different types now) that's a nice number. But pygmies are almost low/mid water little swimmers. To me, they're almost not "bottom fish" in a way.

I love that you might have nice big school of rasboras! that's more than I've ever had. I bet it will be fab! We're going to need pics!

Crypts are my fav plant genus! Lots to choose from, all are wonderful & most are easy to grow. Try some, you'll like them! They like a bit of root fertilizer near their roots. They will grow toward the root tab. When you first try them, the leaves often may "melt". Any extreme change in parameters can cause that but if roots are healthy they recover in a week or 2 with new happy growth. Don't be put off by that "crypt quirkiness", not all do it but many do. Be patient! I think pygmy cories will love to perch on the leaves!

 

[Az3rix]

I would think with pygmies, you could up their #s. Maybe stick with 10 albino corys for now (all the same species if possible, there are a few different types now) that's a nice number. But pygmies are almost low/mid water little swimmers. To me, they're almost not "bottom fish" in a way.

I love that you might have nice big school of rasboras! that's more than I've ever had. I bet it will be fab! We're going to need pics!

Crypts are my fav plant genus! Lots to choose from, all are wonderful & most are easy to grow. Try some, you'll like them! They like a bit of root fertilizer near their roots. They will grow toward the root tab. When you first try them, the leaves often may "melt". Any extreme change in parameters can cause that but if roots are healthy they recover in a week or 2 with new happy growth. Don't be put off by that "crypt quirkiness", not all do it but many do. Be patient! I think pygmy cories will love to perch on the leaves!

Thanks! I might get a few more pygmies since I think my tank size will allow it. And yea, I will definitely be adding some Crypts to the tank for sure! Once I get my journal going, there will be pics loaded in it.

 

[Essjay]

There are many varieties of crypt, I have a few different ones varying from small species at the front to larger species at the back. I'm going to have to do something with the balansae as they have grown up the back, across the surface and are beginning to trail down the front of the glass.

 

[Guest5431]

I'm on the set up a 10 gallon as well and only introduce your fish one type at a time after a decent qt period of a couple weeks or more. That keeps them safe from the plants crashing while you get your learn on, gives the plants more time to get established before you're forced to start fiddling with the tank and most importantly, if there's a problem, you can identify and treat in the 10 gallon before going into the larger tank and being forced to nuke that with meds. I just went thru 6 batches of corys and all 6 from the wholesaler had loses of varying amounts. The harlequin rasboras which are one of my favorites came in looking extremely tiny and having all kinds of issues from health to genetic deformities. I'll be lucky to have any survive long enough to remember why I fell in love with them years ago. Plants only help a tank if they're growing and surviving, if not, you can have a disaster on your hands while you figure it out. Get your learn on in the smaller tank and get the larger tank ready to be a home for anyone that survives qt for several weeks or even longer.

 

[Az3rix]

I'm on the set up a 10 gallon as well and only introduce your fish one type at a time after a decent qt period of a couple weeks or more. That keeps them safe from the plants crashing while you get your learn on, gives the plants more time to get established before you're forced to start fiddling with the tank and most importantly, if there's a problem, you can identify and treat in the 10 gallon before going into the larger tank and being forced to nuke that with meds. I just went thru 6 batches of corys and all 6 from the wholesaler had loses of varying amounts. The harlequin rasboras which are one of my favorites came in looking extremely tiny and having all kinds of issues from health to genetic deformities. I'll be lucky to have any survive long enough to remember why I fell in love with them years ago. Plants only help a tank if they're growing and surviving, if not, you can have a disaster on your hands while you figure it out. Get your learn on in the smaller tank and get the larger tank ready to be a home for anyone that survives qt for several weeks or even longer.

Totally get you with the 10 gallon for a quarantine tank a bit before adding them in the 55 tank. I actually have an old 10 gallon tank that I was planning on using for the exact reason you mentioned, so thanks for that!