Rummynose Tetra, tank size, water parameters

[Fish4dawin]

Hello there people of the TFF. I have a 33 gallon (81cm x 36cm x50cm) tank and my plan is once all my other fish pass, I have a tank with a big shoal of RT and maybe some cory cats along the bottom.

I just wanted to ask, is this tank big enough for RT? And what water parameters do the rummynose need?

 

[itiwhetu]

You need acid water, they don't like ammonia. It needs to be heavily planted like 60-70% of the tank volume. Rummy noses hate stress. I would look at pigmy cats rather than corys. The tank is big enough.

 

[itiwhetu]

There are two fish which I think of as kissing cousins with Discus. Rummy noses and Cardinals.

 

[magical trevor]

I have kept runmies for numerous years and had them in mixed tanks. All my tanks have had a pH of about 7.0 they do also like warmer water so that's something to remember when picking tank mates. They are prone to white spot if there stressed by poor water quality.

They LOVE to school so a large group they will feel safer personally I found a group of at least 10. there colour is a good indication of water quality the brighter the red on their head the happier that are. They do like planted aquarium but I have had them in a hardscaped tank successfully.

 

[Fish4dawin]

I have kept runmies for numerous years and had them in mixed tanks. All my tanks have had a pH of about 7.0 they do also like warmer water so that's something to remember when picking tank mates. They are prone to white spot if there stressed by poor water quality.

They LOVE to school so a large group they will feel safer personally I found a group of at least 10. there colour is a good indication of water quality the brighter the red on their head the happier that are. They do like planted aquarium but I have had them in a hardscaped tank successfully.

What is your GH?

 

[Fish4dawin]

You need acid water, they don't like ammonia. It needs to be heavily planted like 60-70% of the tank volume. Rummy noses hate stress. I would look at pigmy cats rather than corys. The tank is big enough.

So I'd need to use RO water? I forgot to mention my GH is 290. What should I lower it to?

 

[itiwhetu]

You need soft acid water. How you achieve that I'm not sure. What I would do is add drift wood and peat. Those two things will make your tank acid and soft. Try not to get carried away with testing. If you set up a tank to behave a certain way it will.

 

[Fish4dawin]

You need soft acid water. How you achieve that I'm not sure. What I would do is add drift wood and peat. Those two things will make your tank acid and soft. Try not to get carried away with testing. If you set up a tank to behave a certain way it will.

Ok... I added driftwood with an anubias a few weeks ago, but I don't think that that is going to help much. All I really want is for my tank to be under 200ppm. I love soft water fish and a lot of the ones on my bucket list are soft water fish.

 

[itiwhetu]

Ok... I added driftwood with an anubias a few weeks ago, but I don't think that that is going to help much. All I really want is for my tank to be under 200ppm. I love soft water fish and a lot of the ones on my bucket list are soft water fish.

Peat is your next answer. I put peat into the base of tanks about 5mm deep then put a neutral natural gravel over that. The peat base will make your tank soft, don't do large water changes just 25% per week.

 

[magical trevor]

What is your GH?

Living in Scotland we have naturally soft water thankfully so I can't say I have ever had the need to to test it.

 

[itiwhetu]

Living in Scotland we have naturally soft water thankfully so I can't say I have ever had the need to to test it.

I hate testing water

 

[Fish4dawin]

Peat is your next answer. I put peat into the base of tanks about 5mm deep then put a neutral natural gravel over that. The peat base will make your tank soft, don't do large water changes just 25% per week.

I have sand already. How much would the peat bring the GH down along with the driftwood?

 

[Essjay]

I would look at pigmy cats rather than corys

Can I just clarify this please.

To me pygmy cats are Corydoras pygmaeus. Do you mean these or a different species entirely?

Catfish tend to fall into three categories, as in the subforums of the catfish forum on here:
Corydoras
Plecs
Others, which is things like Synodontis, Farlowellas, anything that isn't a cory or a plec.

 

[itiwhetu]

Can I just clarify this please.

To me pygmy cats are Corydoras pygmaeus. Do you mean these or a different species entirely?

Catfish tend to fall into three categories, as in the subforums of the catfish forum on here:
Corydoras
Plecs
Others, which is things like Synodontis, Farlowellas, anything that isn't a cory or a plec.

My comment here was due to the size of the pygmy's. Yes they are cory's but when most people think about cory's they think about bronze or peppered not there smaller cousins.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have sand already. How much would the peat bring the GH down along with the driftwood?

I really have no idea. Every case is different