Recommended pH?

[biofish]

So I was thinking of setting up a community fish tank with rummy nose tetra and a dwarf gourami centerpiece. What ph tank would be good? My natural tap ph is 7.5 and a lot of websites recommended more acidic for rummy nose.

What other types of smaller tetra would be good for a natural ph of 7.5?

I see reports of people keeping them in much higher pH so I’m a bit lost

 

[connorlindeman]

Dont get dwarf gouramis. They have high rates of TB and other bad stuff

 

[biofish]

Oh They do??? What would you recommend for a centerpiece fish in a smaller aquarium?

 

[Valkyrie_Lips]

Harlequin rasboras, serpae tetra, or emperer tetras could work. Most tetra have been mass bred and don't know what their ideal pH is so as long as you acclimate them and keep it consistent you should be good. Looking online a lot of sources give a broad pH range because there isn't a single right answer. The most important thing is to keep your pH stable and not mess with it.

 

[connorlindeman]

HOw big is the tank? Honey Gourami are cool

 

[biofish]

HOw big is the tank? Honey Gourami are cool

Dunno yet! I wanted to decided on the fish first before setting it up! Ideally 20 gallons or less

 

[Byron]

Dunno yet! I wanted to decided on the fish first before setting it up! Ideally 20 gallons or less

The size of tank is paramount, so let us have the exact size before we start recommending. For example, serpae tetra need a group of 12+ and a 30 gallon space, just for this one fish.

 

[connorlindeman]

Dunno yet! I wanted to decided on the fish first before setting it up! Ideally 20 gallons or less

Honey Gourami would definitely work in a 20g. Anything less and you are stock with microfish imo

 

[Back in the fold]

Dont get dwarf gouramis. They have high rates of TB and other bad stuff

This business with sick and puny Dwarf Gourami's is getting to me. I remember a time when they were common and lots of people had them and everybody liked them. They are pretty fish. Nothing beats a healthy colorful male Dwarf Gourami. The downfall seems to have come with the powder puff blue variety. That tired old story about breeders hoarding the females so competition for sales wouldn't come from home aquarists ? The more I think about it I just don't buy it. Dwarf Gourami's are no harder or easier to breed than other Gourami's so why do you still see female Pearl Gourami's and female Bettas ? There has to be a reason that Dwarf Gourami's have gotten sickly and it has to be our fault. I have gotten myself just worked up enough about this to go out and get some breeders and launch my own recovery program .

 

[biofish]

The size of tank is paramount, so let us have the exact size before we start recommending. For example, serpae tetra need a group of 12+ and a 30 gallon space, just for this one fish.

Let’s stick with 20 gallons! Worst come to worst I have plenty of guppies if it turns out to only be a 10 gallon. I’ve never had a center piece fish setup before and it sounded exciting.

 

[Naughts]

Rummy nose tetra need a 90cm+
A pH of 7.5 and for GH 2-20 would be suitable for xray tetra -Priscilla maxilarris.

 

[Byron]

Let’s stick with 20 gallons! I’m making it as a gift. Worst coke to worst I have plenty of guppies if it turns out to only be a 10 gallon. I’ve never had a center piece fish setup before and it sounded exciting.

We also need to know the GH, which is more important than pH. GH directly impacts fish. A pH around 7.5 is fine for many soft water species, but the GH is what really matters. A "small" tanklike a 20g will give more options with smallish fish, often termed nano fish. Honey Gourami are good choices here, say three of them (a male and two females).

 

[biofish]

Alright! Gonna reboots this thread now that there have been overhauls. No longer a gift it’s mine now lol.

California just switched their water to an Aquifer so the water just got hella hard hella fast (got another thread going on how to deal with it) and I’m working on getting it under control.

But just for discussions sake since I’m not getting any fish any time soon until my water issue is dealt with.

I’ve got a 55 gallon freshwater tank cycling right now. What I can stock it with? I really like pearl gourami’s but my sister wants angelfish and isn’t budging. Typically I’m the one to give in these discussions but I don’t wanna fold over this. Is it possible to house them together? Maybe a pair of each? 2 gourami and 4 angels? 3 and 3? I want to keep other smaller fish in the tank too and I know big fish don’t do exactly well each other. But based on what I’m researching, the gourami’s a bit more peaceful in general. And my dad wants to get any fish that vaguely interests him and against the two fronts I’m exhausted. He wants bala sharks and is still insistent when I keep saying no.

And now my sister is throwing out ideas for an axolotl tank? Ignoring the fact they are illegal here. Do those require a brackish tank or a freshwater tank? I thought it was brackish.

 

[Colin_T]

Angelfish and gouramis come from soft water and don't do well in hard water. A couple of female pearl or silver gouramis should be ok with angelfish but get them all small and grow them up together. Watch them when they mature.

Bala (silver) sharks grow to a foot long and need to be kept in groups of at least 6 (preferably 10 or more) and do not belong in aquariums.

Axolotls are from fresh water and don't normally have salt in their environment. Axos should be kept in a single species tank without fish.

 

[Byron]

I’ve got a 55 gallon freshwater tank cycling right now. What I can stock it with? I really like pearl gourami’s but my sister wants angelfish and isn’t budging. Typically I’m the one to give in these discussions but I don’t wanna fold over this. Is it possible to house them together? Maybe a pair of each? I want to keep other smaller fish in the tank too and I know big fish don’t do exactly well each other. But based on what I’m researching, the gourami’s a bit more peaceful in general. And my dad wants to get any fish that vaguely interests him and against the two fronts I’m exhausted.

Dealing with the issues raised in this paragraph.

Gourami and angelfish should not be housed together. Both families are territorial (males primarily), thus much alike in issues.

Pearl gourami in a group of three (one male, two females) or perhaps multiples keeping the ratio would (should) work, with lots of floating plants. Smaller fish are OK if not too small. Rasboras like those in the genus Trigonostigma are good choices, the species (whichever) in a group of 12+.

Angelfish are problems waiting to occur. First this is a shoaling fish so it should be kept in a group of five (minimum) or preferably more, but the tank size here is very limiting. Fewer fish are very unlikely to last long, depending upon gender and individual fish. The only time fewer fish can even be thought about is a bonded pair; the fish must select each other, any male and any female usually don't bond. Males as they mature will exercise their inherent sense of territory, and in this small a tank (4-foot length) this is likely to mean dead rivals. In nature this never happens because the expanse of area allows the fish to be normal. Bullied fish simply move out of harm's way; it takes a huge aquarium to offer this to the poor fish. It is simply not humane to not provide what a fish expects through genetic makeup.

Axolotls are freshwater. We have a couple members with these amphibians, they can provide more info.

Colin posted as I'm typing, and has raised the water parameter aspect. I know you intend sorting this out, so I needn't add anything.