Return My New Tank?

[FishCat_16]

 
I remembered the thermometer, and forgot the black background.  It really isn't in a good place to paint the back of it... something I would have needed to do before I got it set up and filled. 
 
Picked up a bunch of plants at the LFS.  More than I was planning on getting.  There were two bunches I asked for and the gal just kept stuffing more and more in to the bag.  So, now I have some floating thing I wasn't expecting and those feathery looking things simply because they were tangled up with what I wanted.  Not sure if that's good or bad yet.  I noticed a couple of teeny snails in there but I didn't want to go with the salt water rinse tonight because when the plants were going into the bag, I was afraid that there were some teeny tiny little fish stuck in there.
 
I can already tell that I'm going to be rescaping this thing but I think I want to give the plants a chance to get themselves acclimated to my tank before I do that... ok, part of it is because it's a huge PITA with this tank being so deep!

 

[FishCat_16]

It's been a bit since I've commented here, but I do believe I am closing in on being cycled!  Heading out of town for the weekend on Friday though.

 

[FishCat_16]

So, I've got two hours to wait until it's time to check the status of my cycle after being out of town for the weekend.
 
I've got a small (at the moment- I've located what I believe are snail eggs) infestation of snails.  They hitch hiked on some plants that I didn't swish in salt water out of fear there were fry in them after the way the gal at the LFS was grabbing and stuffing.  I'd like to be able to get my Ellioti in there so they can start feasting on them.  I've no idea what kind of snails they are-- I believe there are at least two, possible three kinds judging by the shape of their shells, and they are GROWING like my duckweed.
 
Believe it or not, platys have won me over. I've found three different colors that I like.  Will the school together or do I need to stock a school's worth of each color?
 
Also, with all of this time I've had cycling this tank, I've had ample opportunity to do a lot of reading.  Much of what I've read has said not to put the Ellioti into a new tank.  Does this mean don't put them into an uncycled tank?  Because that part I got.  Or does it mean I need to stock the tank with other hardier fish first and let it stay at that stocking level for a while?  I'm afraid that letting it go below the level I'm currently cycling for will put me at risk of a mini cycle, or worse, as I wait for my bacteria to awaken, or multiply, whichever the case may be.
 
I'm also thinking that it will be best to stock the more peaceful species before adding in the cichlids?  My thought process is that will keep them from perceiving any newcomers as intruders on their territories.
 
When I got home this weekend, I found that a fair number of my java fern leaves are sprouting plantlets.  Some of what I've read is this is just fine, it's how they reproduce.  Other pages have said, yes this is how they reproduce but it means they are under stress.  I did not fertilize the tank through the cycling process.  I wasn't sure if the nitrogen in fertilizers would have any adverse effect on the progress of the cycle.  I will certainly start once it's done.  So, stress or no problem?

 

[FishCat_16]

Cycled! 

 
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate xxppm-- you're guess is as good as mine because I'm shaking that bottle as hard as I can and the colors are hard to distinguish on the stinking card.
 
Time for a water change and perhaps a trip to the fish shop?  Not the LFS, they had fish with ich today.

 

[Munroco]

Good news, now for the best bit.......

 

[FishCat_16]

I'm going to double check my parameters after I do a big water change and let it settle and come up to temp.
 
I'm thinking platys, rainbowfish, and the Elliotis right now.  But if the parameters come back to where they were the last time I checked them all (pH 7.8-ish, KH 9, GH 10) I think I just might have more options than I initially thought I would.  The one thing that I definitely want to get are snail eaters.  I have loads and loads of them with more eggs left to hatch.
 
Any thoughts on those water parameters for opening up options beyond the livebearers, rainbowfish, and cichlids?

 

[Jax0311]

Another really pretty fish that could live in those conditions (mine were before we got them) are golden Severums or silver dollars. Both are rather docile and pretty to look at! It's quite a site to see when I walk up to my tank or just walk past it I have three sev's that come right to the front of the tank and follow me lol. They have quite the personality.
Another really pretty fish that could live in those conditions (mine were before we got them) are golden Severums or silver dollars. Bfoth are rather docile and pretty to look at! It's quite a site to see when I walk up to my tank or just walk past it I have three sev's that come right to the front of the tank and follow me lol. They have quite the personality.

 

[Akasha72]

severums need soft water and a pH below 7 
 
http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/heros-efasciatus/

 

[Jax0311]

I know that, mine are in soft water now but when i got them they were in 7.6ish, a friend has three that are in 7.6 and have actually acclimated well ( i found it odd as well).

 

[Akasha72]

it's not just about the pH Jax, it's the kH and gH - in FishCat's case both of these are on the high side which means the water is at the harder end and so not suitable for severums. 

 

[FishCat_16]

Yup, I looked at severums but my water too hard to even seem to what I might call "borderline" for them. It's not as hard as some, but definitely appropriate for soft water species... though I think it could be "borderline" for some others that don't require it too soft or too acidic.  From most of what I've read, it's the hardness that is even more important than the pH but it really needs to be taken as a whole package.
 
I think I'm just going to stick with the plan.  Monday I'll pick up some blue wag and gold twin bar platys and maybe take a look at their rainbowfish.  They shop had a pair of boesmani left on Tuesday.  I'll see how those fish settle in and I'll order some Thorichthys ellioti from the wetspot... and probably an assassin snail.  I'd love to add some celestial pearl danios, since they seem to require water a bit harder and slightly more alkaline than others, but they might be too small to trust the cichlids with them.
 
I've got some kind of crud on the sand I don't know what the heck it is.  If I had any fish I'd be inclined to think it was fish feces... snail poo?

 

[Akasha72]

the Bolivian ram is a nice cichlid, I had a pair a while back and they are a lovely fish. A nice easy going temprement
 
http/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/mikrogeophagus-altispinosus/
 
From that aswell it looks like they might be okay for you, not perfect but 'okay'

 

[FishCat_16]

the Bolivian ram is a nice cichlid, I had a pair a while back and they are a lovely fish. A nice easy going temprement
 
 
 
From that aswell it looks like they might be okay for you, not perfect but 'okay'

I like those little guys.  I like that they stay smaller than the elliotis. It sounds too, like they could be trusted with a smaller fish like the CPD.  Again with them it sounds like having the tank up and running for at least six months is advised before they are introduced.  That could give me some time to get some other fish in there and test out my fish keeping skills (sorry fishes- I hope learn quickly).  Plus, if I get some CPDs, if they are tiny when they come in, I should have time to grow them out to their still tiny fully size.
 
I'll also get a chance to see how the addition of fish is going to affect the pH.  All of the "stuff" in there has brought it down from where it is out of the tap.

 

[Akasha72]

Bolivian rams are lovely fish. Easy going, not too aggressive or nasty and yes, they will be fine with smaller fish. I kept mine with harlequins and they were no trouble. Rams tend to live in the lower levels - although they will swim into the mid and top. Mine were a breeding pair so they would dig themselves a hole in the sand and sit in it with their babies. 
When in breeding mode they colour up lovely in reds and yellows. Gimme a mo and I'll see if I can find some photo's of mine
 

 
Here's one with one of the holes he dug!

 
 
I can highly recommend them. Such characterful fish

 

[FishCat_16]

I ordered a larger school of CPDs and a small school of the blue eye forktail rainbow.  And an assassin snail.  I can't get over the poo these stinking snails are producing in there now!  There is one snail that I hope it doesn't eat because he's kind of cool, but all the rest can go.
 
I love the fins on these rams.  As much as I do like the elliotis I can't help but think my tank isn't quite big enough for them, even though it's 56gal... it's not the best shape. 
 
What's your take on panda corys?  Seriously fish is showing ideal for them a pH range of 6.0-7.4 and hardness 1-12.  I'm about pH 7.8 and GH 10... is the pH too far off for them?