Stocking 300 litre tank

[Byron]

re these fish ok with Discus?

Depends. First, the discus need a group of at least five or six, so considering their mature size you are pretty well filling a 300 liter (70-ish gallon) tank.

Discus must have warmth, so that limits a lot of other possibles. Cardinal tetras do work, in a group of 12-15 here. Rummy nose tetras also do well in warmer tanks, and will not nip the discus either. A group of at least 15, up to 21 here if you decide on rummys, they need more.

I never recommend more than one neotropic species of cichlid in the same tank, with a very few exceptions. With discus, I wouldn't.

African Butterfly Fish are basically stand-alone species. They will eat, or attempt to eat, any fish approaching the surface, and as most fish approach the surface to feed, this is significant. And they have enormous mouths when you see them open. I had a male/female pair for many years, but in their own tank.

Coli already explained why dwarf gourami are a real problem, but gourami and discus do not work together. Cichlids and gourami generally are too much alike and should not be combined, with a very few exceptions in larger tanks.

The nitrate is still a real issue at 40ppm. Do you have nitrate in the tap water on its own?

 

[Lindat]

Depends. First, the discus need a group of at least five or six, so considering their mature size you are pretty well filling a 300 liter (70-ish gallon) tank.

Discus must have warmth, so that limits a lot of other possibles. Cardinal tetras do work, in a group of 12-15 here. Rummy nose tetras also do well in warmer tanks, and will not nip the discus either. A group of at least 15, up to 21 here if you decide on rummys, they need more.

I never recommend more than one neotropic species of cichlid in the same tank, with a very few exceptions. With discus, I wouldn't.

African Butterfly Fish are basically stand-alone species. They will eat, or attempt to eat, any fish approaching the surface, and as most fish approach the surface to feed, this is significant. And they have enormous mouths when you see them open. I had a male/female pair for many years, but in their own tank.

Coli already explained why dwarf gourami are a real problem, but gourami and discus do not work together. Cichlids and gourami generally are too much alike and should not bee combined, with a very few exceptions in larger tanks.

The nitrate is still a real issue at 40ppm. Do you have nitrate in the tap water on its own?

Thanks Byron that's very helpful. Would there be room for any dwarf gourami in there?

 

[Byron]

Thanks Byron that's very helpful. Would there be room for any dwarf gourami in there?

No. As I said, gourami and cichlids should not be combined. And Colin's warning about the DG really should be taken seriously.

 

[Lindat]

Sorry Byron. Just re read the end of your message. Apologies. As to water parameters the API test strip says nitrate reading 40 is within the limits for freshwater fish. Thats the reading of my community tank. Don't have numbers for tap water at the moment because they're at home and I'm not.

 

[Byron]

Sorry Byron. Just re read the end of your message. Apologies.

No problem.

As to water parameters the API test strip says nitrate reading 40 is within the limits for freshwater fish. Thats the reading of my community tank. Don't have numbers for tap water at the moment because they're at home and I'm not.

Nitrate at 40ppm is not safe for any fish long-term, and for cichlids very much more-so. Nitrate is, like ammonia and nitrite, poison to fish. Nitrate is not so rapid, and it depends more on the level and the duration of the exposure, but it is still very much detrimental to fish health. So far as we know, nitrate generally harms fish by weakening them, and this causes stress which further weakens them, including the immune system, so they have more difficulty just functioning day to day. Over time this takes its toll, depending upon the species and the level of nitrate. But no one should consider nitrate "safe" and it should be kept as low as possible.

If nitrate occurs in your tap water, that is one issue with its own remedy (other members have this issue and can explain if this turns out to be relevant once you test your tap water).

Nitrate occurring within the aquarium is, or should be, easy to deal with. Keeping the tank in balance biologically is the key. Number of fish, size of fish, behaviours, amount fed, water changes, filter and substrate cleanings, live plants--each and all of these are factors.

 

[Lindat]

No problem.

Hi Byron. Just to let you know that my nitrate levels are down to 0 - 10ppm via frequent water change and reduction of food. Thanks for the advice.

Nitrate at 40ppm is not safe for any fish long-term, and for cichlids very much more-so. Nitrate is, like ammonia and nitrite, poison to fish. Nitrate is not so rapid, and it depends more on the level and the duration of the exposure, but it is still very much detrimental to fish health. So far as we know, nitrate generally harms fish by weakening them, and this causes stress which further weakens them, including the immune system, so they have more difficulty just functioning day to day. Over time this takes its toll, depending upon the species and the level of nitrate. But no one should consider nitrate "safe" and it should be kept as low as possible.

If nitrate occurs in your tap water, that is one issue with its own remedy (other members have this issue and can explain if this turns out to be relevant once you test your tap water).

Nitrate occurring within the aquarium is, or should be, easy to deal with. Keeping the tank in balance biologically is the key. Number of fish, size of fish, behaviours, amount fed, water changes, filter and substrate cleanings, live plants--each and all of these are factors.