Stocking thinking

[Monocle75]

Hiya!

I am right now in the planning stage for a 55 gallon fresh water tank with easy plants and a not really difficult fish. I have plenty questions about comparability and what order to introduce the fish, and right now am thinking about the following.

Glass Catfish
Platties or Mollies
Black Neon Tetra or any similar Tetra like Green Neons, Glowfin or Rummynose
Britstlenose Pleco
Zebra Loach or a Corydora
Marble Hatchetfish
and the last slot either one of the peaceful small Chiclid or a Gourami

I have lots of space so I can get groups for the fish that like to be social. I really want to make sure everyone gets along, I have read Glass Catfish can be timid so I am concerned if anything could be too boisterous for them.

 

[quinnARIUM]

Looks like an interesting tank you are planning! I would not keep platies or mollies in that tank. They prefer harder, high pH water and the rest of the fish you are wanting are native to South America in soft, low pH water. Plus platies breed really quickly so I suggest you make sure you are prepared to have a never-ending supply of platies! The rest of your fish look really good though and will go well together! Glass catfish are very sensitive though. If you have your heart set on them I would make sure you get a really peaceful center-piece fish instead of dwarf gouramis or dwarf cichlids. I would suggest pearl gouramis! Other than that looks like a great scape! Try putting some almond leaves or driftwood in the aquarium to make a really natural habitat for your fish! You have a lot of Amazonian fish!

 

[Lajos_Detari]

What is your water GH and pH?

You can plan your fish based on your tap water GH and pH for their longevity.

 

[Guyb93]

Yeah I’d start with a water test and find out what your Gh is from source

 

[Monocle75]

Thanks for the replies so far!

I do have a PH and GH kit arriving soon, so once I get that, I can post the statistics. We do have rather hard water here, so I am expecting I am going to have to be adjusting the PH level. I grow some plants that are really hurt by hard water, I use distilled and rain water just for them to be on the safe side, so it would not surprise me.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Yes, wait for the GH and pH tests first.
Actually it's more convenience to keep fish that are suitable for your tap water rather than adjusting the GH.

You can start to look into fish that require hard water such as the African Lake Tanganyika fish that are beautiful and intelligence.

Lake Malawi fish are also beautiful but they are more aggressive.

Others are live bearers such as Guppies, Endlers, Platies, Mollies which are more peaceful.

But if you really want to keep softwater fish, you can consider buying a Reverse osmosis filter for long term usage.
This will save you money than buying the distilled water.

Let me know if you want to see them in the youtube.

 

[Byron]

I second most of what has been mentioned by others. The GH especially will tell you/us what fish to consider. Adjusting the GH (it is the GH more than the pH that matters) is probably more complex than it might seem, and being able to use the source (tap) water without having to prepare it in a separate container before it goes in the tank is much easier and safer in the long run.

Glass Catfish require very careful thinking when it comes to a community aquarium, and there are fish in the list unsuited as tankmates. The aquascape is crucial for this species; it needs very minimal water flow from the filter, as it rests in completely still water among plants and waits for prey to float by in a gentle current.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Good advice above...I'd forgo the glass cat, for reasons mentioned...and the livebearers

And if you get marbled hatchets, be sure you have a very tight fitting lid, with no openings, they're notorious for jumping out of tanks, and will do so through the smallest of openings, or when the lid is up for feeding/maintenance

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

I’d want natives or oddballs. Puffers, HuJetta Gar, Exodons, Butis Butis, Elephant Nose, Zig Zag Eel, Pinktailed Chalceus, Leaf Fish, Headstanders, Banded Leoporinus, Humphead Glassfish, Betta Macrostoma, Pelican Knifefish, Osssa Knifefish, Anostomus Anostomus, Leoporinus Granti, and Pipa Pipa frog.

natives:

hogchokers, pirate perch, sticklebacks, madtom catfish, and sculpins all should work and are a little odd.

What do you think?

 

[Monocle75]

I was able to do the test today.

PH is 7.4
GH is 180

So yeah I should remove the glass cat Fish, zebra loach and hatchet fish from the list, but at least I can still have some tetras and maybe the bushy nose. Probably have to switch out the Black Neon for another tetra, so I am wondering what are some good tetras that can be okay in this kind of water? Also from what i have read the livebearers would be happy

I am going to be including driftwood as part of the aquascape, so that may help with a little with the PH too, at least from what I have read.

Any good suggestions? I want a peaceful community tank with some nice plant coverage.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

You can lower your ph, as well as raise it. There are tons of tetras; Penguin, Ghost, Rummynose, Neon, Black Neon, Ember, Black Skirt, Serpae, Bleeding Heart, Phantom, Glowlight, Diamond, Blind Cave Mexican, Bloodfin, Cochus Blue, Blue, Dawn, Black Dawn, Emperor, Flame, Green Neon, Kitty, Red Eye, Red Lined Lizard, Silvertip, X-Ray, Toucan, and Red Hemiodus should all be compatible, peaceful community fish. Take your pick

I suggest looking at a few that sound cool in my list. The rarer the better and more personable they are. Most would work with Rams and your phydrion level.

 

[Byron]

I was able to do the test today.

PH is 7.4
GH is 180

So yeah I should remove the glass cat Fish, zebra loach and hatchet fish from the list, but at least I can still have some tetras and maybe the bushy nose. Probably have to switch out the Black Neon for another tetra, so I am wondering what are some good tetras that can be okay in this kind of water? Also from what i have read the livebearers would be happy

I am going to be including driftwood as part of the aquascape, so that may help with a little with the PH too, at least from what I have read.

Any good suggestions? I want a peaceful community tank with some nice plant coverage.

GH of 180 ppm equates to 10 dGH, just so those more familiar with the latter unit are in the picture. This is moderate water, not that hard or soft. Most livebearers could probably manage with this, but I would not get mollies, they need it higher. But before deciding on those, there are some other options that might (depending how you view the fish) be more interesting.

Have a look at the various rainbowfish in the genus Melanotaenia [ @Colin_T knows a lot about rainbowfish and might suggest some lovely fish]. Many of the cyprinids (barbs, danios, some loaches). Some of the tetras.

While organics (wood, dried leaves, peat, detritus) can lower pH by acidifying the water as they decompose, the extent may be reduced by the buffering capacity which is you KH, and GH is involved too.

 

[Monocle75]

GH of 180 ppm equates to 10 dGH, just so those more familiar with the latter unit are in the picture. This is moderate water, not that hard or soft. Most livebearers could probably manage with this, but I would not get mollies, they need it higher. But before deciding on those, there are some other options that might (depending how you view the fish) be more interesting.

Have a look at the various rainbowfish in the genus Melanotaenia [ @Colin_T knows a lot about rainbowfish and might suggest some lovely fish]. Many of the cyprinids (barbs, danios, some loaches). Some of the tetras.

While organics (wood, dried leaves, peat, detritus) can lower pH by acidifying the water as they decompose, the extent may be reduced by the buffering capacity which is you KH, and GH is involved too.

Managed to get the KH too, which is 80.

So I could have the platies in there okay, which is fine by me, I know they are are pretty much everywhere, but I do like the little splash of color they add and their attitude, but yeah I also know they are baby factories.

Both the Barbs and Rainbowfish sound like great ideas, and just knowing I can keep some types tetras is great news, I was really hopping to have a school of one of them. Rams being possible too is also great.

 

[Byron]

Managed to get the KH too, which is 80.

So I could have the platies in there okay, which is fine by me, I know they are are pretty much everywhere, but I do like the little splash of color they add and their attitude, but yeah I also know they are baby factories.

Both the Barbs and Rainbowfish sound like great ideas, and just knowing I can keep some types tetras is great news, I was really hopping to have a school of one of them. Rams being possible too is also great.

If platies, males only will eliminate the endless fry that can't all get eaten and will be trouble.

Rams--which one? The common or blue ram in any of its varieties is Mikrogeophagus ramirezi and this fish must have warmth higher than most other tropical fish, 82-84F/28-29C. That limits what can be in the tank.

 

[Monocle75]

If platies, males only will eliminate the endless fry that can't all get eaten and will be trouble.

Rams--which one? The common or blue ram in any of its varieties is Mikrogeophagus ramirezi and this fish must have warmth higher than most other tropical fish, 82-84F/28-29C. That limits what can be in the tank.

I was looking at the Bolivian Ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus, admittedly because they looked like they liked lower temperatures and are hardy. Would that one be alright?