Stocking ideas!

[On_a_dishy]

I have a 145l (32 gallon) tank, newly planted and cycled, and now ready for fish.
To help the cycling, I already have in there:
4 neon tetras
5 tiger barbs (this was before I read the thread about what psychopaths they are, but at the moment mine are fine, fingers crossed. If they start nipping, I'll give them away.)
4 male guppies
I did a 50% water change today because I didn't like how the nitrate was creeping up, and my parameters are:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite. 0
Nitrate. 20mg/L
GH. 14d (this is disappointing and is also my tap water reading)
KH. 3-6d
pH. 7 ( I can lower this with the massive almond leaves I have)
I'd like 2 angel fish (again, the barbs might have to go). I have a dream of a dwarf freshwater puffer fish (instead of the slow-moving angels), but this might be ridiculous.
I am open to ideas!

 

[Geordie Paul]

If your barbs aren't nipping at the guppies tail that's a good sign hopefully they wouldn't do it when you add new fish. I'd recommend adding a BN pleco. I'm not sure angels would be the best idea with tiger barbs. I'd rather something like harlequin rasboras. They don't have as much fin to be nipped at.

 

[Fish4dawin]

Your water isn't ideal for angels as I believe it is in the 200s in ppm wise. Not to sure though.

Either way the tank is not suitable for angels however you could set up that tank as a breeder and have just 2 angels.

Tiger barbs will destroy the guppy and angelfishs fins unless there is a big school of 12 or more which you don't have enough room for. I would remove the barbs in my opinion.

 

[On_a_dishy]

The Tiger barbs are being returned to the LFS first thing tomorrow. A shame as they are so entertaining, but they have that ferocious attention that I can see will make the other fish miserable. Your post was the decider! Thank you
I'm still interested in freshwater puffer fish (instead of angels)...

 

[Fish4dawin]

The Tiger barbs are being returned to the LFS first thing tomorrow. A shame as they are so entertaining, but they have that ferocious attention that I can see will make the other fish miserable. Your post was the decider! Thank you
I'm still interested in freshwater puffer fish (instead of angels)...

I would go with a 20 gallon for a puffer. This is if you are going with the pea puffer or something bigger and more aggressive like Tetraodon miurus. Pea puffer tank size would be 10 gallons Tetraodon miurus 30 gallons upwards.

 

[On_a_dishy]

It would be the Indian Dwarf Puffer – Carinotetradon travancoricus. I have found a site that sells them (I won't post it in case I get told off for advertising!). The barbs will be gone tomorrow, so it would then be a 32 gallon tank (145 litres) with 4 tetras, 7 guppies - and I'm thinking 3 puffer fish. Lots of mopani wood, some almond leaves, and lots of plants and hides.

 

[Wills]

Bit of a tough one as your water is a bit hard for tetras but neons are so widespread in the hobby and common that I personally dont have a problem if you wanted to increase your school to 10 or so. The odds are the 6 you get wont end up in the tank of a dedicated hobbyist in a good tank so there is a bit of balance here.

As mentioned the angels would get too big for the tank, I dont think any puffers will work in this tank Dwarf Puffers are too nippy to be around other fish and the bigger species that can be kept in certain community tanks (South American Puffers and Schoudenti Puffers) would see neons and guppies as food.

What about some kind of dwarf cichlid? Laetacaras are a nice family of fish and are suited to a broad range of parameters. Dorsigera or Curiceps are the most common. I'm struggling to come up with other options to be fair because of the hardness.

Wills

 

[On_a_dishy]

Just looked up the Dorsigera and like them a LOT! Thank you!

 

[On_a_dishy]

OK, so my LFS don't have any Dorsigeras, but they did take back the deranged, fin-eating tiger barbs - not before one of my guppies lost half a tail overnight (I've put King British silver-based Disease treatment into the tank to try and head-off fin rot). I'm also finally learning to listen to the advice on here, so will not be stocking angel fish.
I brought back home more guppies, 2 dwarf gouramis, and cancelled an order for dwarf puffer fish that I made last night after a glass of wine.
In my 145l tank (photo attached)

I now have:
2 dwarf gouramis (I am falling in love with them - they are so peaceful)
10 guppies
4 neon tetra
Would getting more dwarf gouramis be too much?

 

[Fish4dawin]

OK, so my LFS don't have any Dorsigeras, but they did take back the deranged, fin-eating tiger barbs - not before one of my guppies lost half a tail overnight (I've put King British silver-based Disease treatment into the tank to try and head-off fin rot). I'm also finally learning to listen to the advice on here, so will not be stocking angel fish.
I brought back home more guppies, 2 dwarf gouramis, and cancelled an order for dwarf puffer fish that I made last night after a glass of wine.
In my 145l tank (photo attached)View attachment 125915 I now have:
2 dwarf gouramis (I am falling in love with them - they are so peaceful)
10 guppies
4 neon tetra
Would getting more dwarf gouramis be too much?

Just one pair of dwarf gouramis is fine. Watch them for a few hours because they rarely last more than six months. I'm not trying to scare you but the DG can pick up a disease called Iridovirus. @Colin_T could help explain what it is. Sadly there is no cure for it. My only advice would be too keep them as healthy and happy as possible. In future get honey or pearl gouramis. They are not nearly as susceptible to iridovirus as DG are.

Also can I see some better pictures of the DG's? I could try and help you see if you have a pair or not.

By the way, you might want to bump the neon count to 8.

 

[On_a_dishy]

Here are my beautiful new gouramis ? I was told that the orange one is male and the silver one is female but that eggs rarely survive, if they ever get laid at all (the eggs, not the fish, although I suppose one leads to the other!)
They are so peaceful, but not spending much time together. They are eating. The male is much shier than the female.
Do you ever purchase fish online? My LFS is great, but these are the only gouramis they have. I've looked at pearl and honey and like the pearl in particular - would they grow too large for my 145 litre tank, though?

 

[Fish4dawin]

Here are my beautiful new gouramis ? I was told that the orange one is male and the silver one is female but that eggs rarely survive, if they ever get laid at all (the eggs, not the fish, although I suppose one leads to the other!)
They are so peaceful, but not spending much time together. They are eating. The male is much shier than the female.
Do you ever purchase fish online? My LFS is great, but these are the only gouramis they have. I've looked at pearl and honey and like the pearl in particular - would they grow too large for my 145 litre tank, though?

They might get slightly too big but I think they would be fine. I think they thrive in a 40 gallon tank and yours is just under. I think they'd be ok.

 

[On_a_dishy]

Pearl gouramis it is then!
Do you ever order fish online? If so, has your experience been any good?

 

[Fish4dawin]

Pearl gouramis it is then!
Do you ever order fish online? If so, has your experience been any good?

I would but my mum is scared that they will come to the door step in a bad shape. You have to remember how much the shipping would cost as well.

Whilst there are a few good online dealers, it would be better to buy them in person so you know that the fish you are getting are in good shape.

 

[Fish4dawin]

Here are my beautiful new gouramis ? I was told that the orange one is male and the silver one is female but that eggs rarely survive, if they ever get laid at all (the eggs, not the fish, although I suppose one leads to the other!)
They are so peaceful, but not spending much time together. They are eating. The male is much shier than the female.
Do you ever purchase fish online? My LFS is great, but these are the only gouramis they have. I've looked at pearl and honey and like the pearl in particular - would they grow too large for my 145 litre tank, though?

The dorsal fins on both gouramis look the same but I think that they are male and female. The duller silver one is female and the bright flame one with the blue dorsal is the male. Hopefully you get some babies!!! Also you can actually make a little bit of money by selling the babies ( if you intend to). Someone's angels and kribensis bread and both times there was at least 100 babies that survived and were given away. I don't remember if they made any money out of it and I'm not going to ask as that is a bit private but I feel like they made a good amount if they sold them for money.