Stocking Ideas

[Wills]

Hi still in the process of cycling my new 30g (Fluval Roma 125) Its doing 5ppm of ammonia through to 0 in about 24 hours thats 0 ammo and 0 nitrite. Got a nice chunk of wood soaking in the bath and (hopefully) a good plant delivery any day now.

I was interested in Apisto Cacatuoides but my water is really unsuited to them. Which is something I am very wary of for the fish that we keep.
My water is rated as very hard and has a Ph of 7.2 - rather worryingly I have found out my tap water has a Nitrate of 0.40!! Which I know is going to really mess things up and limit my choices.

So basically I am looking for directions or ideas for fish suitable for this kind of tank. At the moment the fish I am looking at and reading up on are :

Platinum Tetras - hemigrammus armstrongi - A school of these have to be in as these are the girl friends choice : )
Emperor Tetras
Dwarf Neon Rainobows
Forktail Rainbow
Green Neon Tetras
Small Plecs - Anything that stays around 4 inch - Any suggestions?
Farlowella Twig Catfish
Botia sidthimunki - Pygmi Chain loach
Pearl Gourami (kind of - I wouldn't be disappointed but not really my favorite fish to put in)

I would also like some kind of cichlid possibly a pair or a trio? These would be the main center piece fish (and instead of the pearl gourami)
But as to which Cichlid to go with I am at a complete loss. Please help I am open to any kind of suggestion but I would prefer if they stayed at around 4 inches.

Many thanks as always
Wills

 

[glolite]

You could try German Rams. They are generally quite peaceful, colourful and prefer a ph around 7.2 to 7.4 Using plenty of bogwood would help lower the ph naturally. However, they are quite sensitive little fish so I wouldn't add them to a new set up. Start with hardier fish and wait for a few months before going on to the more difficult fish. Dannios are fairly hardy and fun to watch as they are speedy little devils!

 

[Xenon Junkie]

I cnt really see any problem with the types of fish you want to keep

Small Plecs - Anything that stays around 4 inch - Any suggestions?

Chaetostoma - Bulldog plecs are a nice plec roughly maxing out at around 4 inches.
Lovely animals, usually cost around £8-10

I would also like some kind of cichlid possibly a pair or a trio?

Keyholes? Dwarf cichlids such as appistos and rams (although you probably have to wait till your tanks more mature.
Multispinosa? not sure on the last one, thoughts?
Best things i can recomend

-XJ

 

[Wills]

Admittedly like I say we would love a trio of cockatoos as these were our favorites from pretty much the drop of the penny when I said I want a new tank (had to get rid of a larger ones about 6 months ago). But I thought my water was inappropriate for them? Do you think they could work in my tap water? I had taken some advice that I would have to use RO water to get the Ph right but this proved to be very expensive and difficult due to the distance to get it.

I think that our perfect stocking would be something like

3 Cockatoo apisto (1M 3F)
7 Platinum tetras
5 Emperor tetras
2 Farlowella Twig Catfish
1 Small Plec - possibly a bulldog had thought of these or I have seen some Xingu Peckolita (sp) that my local maidenhead have reported growth to 4 inch?

What do you think?

 

[Wills]

just been reading about lowering your Ph I have heard of using peat in the past anyone got any experience with it?

 

[Wills]

bump sorry just would like some thoughts on my stocking plan above of

3 Cockatoo apisto (1M 3F)
7 Platinum tetras
5 Emperor tetras
2 Farlowella Twig Catfish
1 Small Plec - possibly a bulldog had thought of these or I have seen some Xingu Peckolita (sp) that my local maidenhead have reported growth to 4 inch?

thanks again
wills

 

[Bebobb]

A pair of apistogramma will be fine in a ph of 7.2. A harem would be better, 1 male, 2 females...