Tankmate suggestions. New to TFF and (kind of) new to the hobby.

[Hyr]

Now, not ignoring water parameters, these are the ideal parameters for your tank:

Temp: 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, 22-23 Celsius.

pH: Should be 6.0! No lower or higher! Melini Corydoras need 4.0-6.5pH, while the rest of your fishies need higher.

Hardness: Again, Corydoras Melini is not compatible well in your tank. They need lower hardness (18ppm to 90ppm) where as Pethia Conchinius (Rosy Barb) needs much harder water with 90ppm to 350ppm. The rest of your fish are fine up to 180ppm, with a minimum of 40 (in general).

Conclusion: Please transfer your Corydoras Melini into an alternate tank. You can use a 20 gallon, as they're very active fish. Please also add 5 more in there with your single one.

 

[Tool13x]

Ignoring water parameters, there is ALOT WRONG with your tank:

• Tetras are schooling fish, each individual species need groups of 8-10.
• Bristlenose Plecostomous needs driftwood, not a bare-bottom tank.
• There should be at least 6 Rosy Barbs in a group.
• There should be at least 4 Julii Corydoras in a group.
• There should BE ATLEAST 4-6 Zebra Loaches in a group, but preferably more than 10, they're very social.
• Bolivian Ram is pretty aggressive for the Purple Glo Tetra, they should not be kept together.
• Zebra Loaches can be intimidating to smaller fish, such as tetras, and they should not be kept together.
• False Bandit Corydoras should be kept in groups of 4-6.

You should be aiming to fix these first before getting any new fishes.
I may have missed a few, I'm sure some other people will add on.
Regards, Hyr.

Thanks for the input, and dont worry I am actually aiming to fix these problems before adding more fish. I want to populate a 55 gallon tank and I am planning on removing some of these species that dont fit very well. As far as the Plecostomus and tank setup goes I have a sand substrate with a slate rock formation that offers many places to hide and 2 good chunks of driftwood so hopefully that meets the criteria for what he needs?

 

[Hyr]

Thanks for the input, and dont worry I am actually aiming to fix these problems before adding more fish. I want to populate a 55 gallon tank and I am planning on removing some of these species that dont fit very well. As far as the Plecostomus and tank setup goes I have a sand substrate with a slate rock formation that offers many places to hide and 2 good chunks of driftwood so hopefully that meets the criteria for what he needs?

It just needs a larger piece of driftwood; nothing excessive.

 

[Tool13x]

Sand is best for loaches, and frankly imperative for cories, if we want healthy fish. I use Quikrete Play Sand which is available from Home Depot and Lowe's. Out here it is dark grey, but I have heard that some stores carry the buff colour. The gray is better for being darker, but either can work. It is inexpensive; you will want two 50-pound (25 kg) bags and will have some left over but that is always nice to use for fill-in or whatever. And lots of chunks of wood, cories like this too, as they like hiding places. And the wood is good for all these fish.

Actually I had the play sand in there before and I am not too fond of it, not sure if it is Quickrete brand or what but it came from Home depot. The grain size is very inconsistent and I was having trouble with the smaller grains getting kicked up and sucked into the filter. I started burning out impellers like nobodys business. I have just recently gone and gotten some pool filter sand which is a #20 grit quartz sand, the grain size is very consistant and just a little bigger than the average grain from the play sand bag. I just finished washing it and it was much cleaner than the play sand I had previously gotten.

 

[Hyr]

Actually I had the play sand in there before and I am not too fond of it, not sure if it is Quickrete brand or what but it came from Home depot. The grain size is very inconsistent and I was having trouble with the smaller grains getting kicked up and sucked into the filter. I started burning out impellers like nobodys business. I have just recently gone and gotten some pool filter sand which is a #20 grit quartz sand, the grain size is very consistant and just a little bigger than the average grain from the play sand bag. I just finished washing it and it was much cleaner than the play sand I had previously gotten.

You can always consider buying higher quality sand, like CaribSea Aragonite. Although it is meant for salt water, it will greatly buffer your hardness and pH, and it has great surface area for beneficial bacteria. I would not recommend this however if your water parameters are higher than what is needed, as it is known to make the pH and gH a bit higher due to crushed coral and such.

 

[Tool13x]

Yikes, I've got more issues here than I originally thought. I dont even know what to do with the Melinis, I was thinking about decomissioning the 30 gallon tank after the move but maybe ill keep it running and put at least 6 Melinis in there with an adjusted pH?.
So as far as the 55 gallon population I am thinking that removing the Botia, Zebra Loach, and Tetras is a step in the right direction. This will leave the Bristlenose Pleco, Bolivian Ram, Rosy Barb, and the Julii Cory. I will have to bump the numbers up to a minimum of 6-8 for the Rosy Barb and I like the idea of a shoal of 12-15 corys of mixed varieties, I will add to the Julii and can anyone suggest another species since the Melini appears to be out? Pandas maybe?

 

[Hyr]

Yikes, I've got more issues here than I originally thought.

Indeed. Don't get to ahead of yourself, you might trip and fall. I'd recommend just setting up a 10 gallon for now, move the fish that need to be moved into there. Then, spend time planning out the 55. Fix your problems, then work on something new. Don't work on something new (that could possibly cause more problems) and then fix them. That's my two cents.

I was thinking about decomissioning the 30 gallon tank after the move but maybe ill keep it running and put at least 6 Melinis in there with an adjusted pH?.

That's smart, but you shouldn't use direct chemicals to alter the pH in my opinion. Use natural factors artificially, like crushed coral or something of that nature. Not really my place to talk on this stuff, @Byron knows much more.

So as far as the 55 gallon population I am thinking that removing the Botia, Zebra Loach, and Tetras is a step in the right direction.

Can't really comment on whether this would work, I'd need to know your actual water parameters.

and I like the idea of a shoal of 12-15 corys of mixed varieties, I will add to the Julii and can anyone suggest another species since the Melini appears to be out? Pandas maybe?

To be clear, mixing and matching corydoras does not count as a 'shoal'. You need 5-6 for EVERY individual species you add. They're different species, not genetic morphs, like race in humans.

 

[Tool13x]

Indeed. Don't get to ahead of yourself, you might trip and fall. I'd recommend just setting up a 10 gallon for now, move the fish that need to be moved into there. Then, spend time planning out the 55. Fix your problems, then work on something new. Don't work on something new (that could possibly cause more problems) and then fix them. That's my two cents.

I get where your coming from and thats good advice, but I really want to figure out a way to make this work with what I have on hand. Ive got a new 55 gallon tank and I am putting the last finishing touches on a stand for it as we speak, so im trying to plan the population and setup for that before I start moving fish. I dont even know if its worth it at this point to keep my current 30 gallon going to just for the 2 Melinis I have( and adding more on top of it), If the LFS will take them back on trade-in I think that will be the better move for now.

 

[Tool13x]

To be clear, mixing and matching corydoras does not count as a 'shoal'. You need 5-6 for EVERY individual species you add. They're different species, not genetic morphs, like race in humans.

I get it, and I should have said that a little differently. I like the idea of having a couple species of cories, and ill make sure to keep it a minimum of 5-6 of each kind.

 

[Byron]

Actually I had the play sand in there before and I am not too fond of it, not sure if it is Quickrete brand or what but it came from Home depot. The grain size is very inconsistent and I was having trouble with the smaller grains getting kicked up and sucked into the filter. I started burning out impellers like nobodys business. I have just recently gone and gotten some pool filter sand which is a #20 grit quartz sand, the grain size is very consistant and just a little bigger than the average grain from the play sand bag. I just finished washing it and it was much cleaner than the play sand I had previously gotten.

You should have no issues like you describe with play sand. Either the filter is much too strong, or the intake is too close to the substrate, or both. I have had play sand in tanks now for six or seven years, as I changed all of them over (I have 8 tanks in my fish room) and I cannot fathom a better substrate.

Play sand is dirty, but that is not a problem as it is just "dirt." I don't rinse it completely clean.

Pool filter sand...if this is white, forget it. This is stressful on many if not all fish because a white substrate is not natural. If it is black, it can work.

 

[Byron]

You can always consider buying higher quality sand, like CaribSea Aragonite. Although it is meant for salt water, it will greatly buffer your hardness and pH, and it has great surface area for beneficial bacteria. I would not recommend this however if your water parameters are higher than what is needed, as it is known to make the pH and gH a bit higher due to crushed coral and such.

This is asking for real trouble with soft water species. Aragonite will send the pH skyrocketing when used as a substrate; I had just 3 tablespoons of aragonite sand in a mesh bag in the filter of a 90g tank, and overnight the pH went from 6 to 7.6 which is not good at all. Aragonite and similar substrates should only be considered in hard water fish species tanks [marine is another story].

The pH in the OP's sourc e water is mid-7, this is high as it is for the mentioned species. You do not want that going higher.

There is no need for "buffering" in most tanks. Substantial regular partial water changes, a balanced stocking, and not overfeeding is all you need.

 

[Byron]

Yikes, I've got more issues here than I originally thought. I dont even know what to do with the Melinis, I was thinking about decomissioning the 30 gallon tank after the move but maybe ill keep it running and put at least 6 Melinis in there with an adjusted pH?.
So as far as the 55 gallon population I am thinking that removing the Botia, Zebra Loach, and Tetras is a step in the right direction. This will leave the Bristlenose Pleco, Bolivian Ram, Rosy Barb, and the Julii Cory. I will have to bump the numbers up to a minimum of 6-8 for the Rosy Barb and I like the idea of a shoal of 12-15 corys of mixed varieties, I will add to the Julii and can anyone suggest another species since the Melini appears to be out? Pandas maybe?

You need to slow down and take a few steps back. This thread is suddenly charging ahead out of all proportion.

Your GH is fine for the fish you mention, including Corydoras melini. As I previously said, the pH may tend to lower in time, that is fine if it is done naturally on its own.

Corydoras panda need cooler temperatures and some water flow, as they occur in mountain streams in Peru. I'm not saying they won't work here, but these needs have to be kept in mind.

Adjusting pH...this is very complicated. First, you need to deal with the GH and KH, as the pH will be related. Trying to adjust the pH with your GH and KH will not be successful unless you first reduce the GH/KH proportionally. I tried to explain that the KH "buffers" the pH, preventing fluctuations. So any attempt to use any chemical to lower (or raise) the pH will frail when the KH kicks in and moves the pH back to where it was. Fluctuating pH is far more serious on fish than a stable pH that is not extreme.

 

[Byron]

To be clear, mixing and matching corydoras does not count as a 'shoal'. You need 5-6 for EVERY individual species you add. They're different species, not genetic morphs, like race in humans.

It is best to aim for five of each species, but this is not always possible. And the total number of cories regardless of species (generally speaking) is the more crucial aspect.

I have 50+ cories in my 70g, representing 12 species. Some of these species are present as lone individual fish, some have two, some three or four individuals. Some have six, seven, and my C. dupicareus number 11 (two are grown fry).

I was not always able to get more of some species, if that was all they had, and being wild caught, one can wait months and even years before seeing the species again locally. Having a relatively large group whatever the species seems to suit them, so far as I can tell. Mine tend to live their normal life expectancy, and they spawn (some clearly have spawned with another species, since there is no way to have fry from a species with only the female present as I know to be the case with two species). I have noticed that of the twelve species, the Corydoras panda do tend to remain in groups of their own species much more than any of the others that have that option.

 

[Tool13x]

You should have no issues like you describe with play sand. Either the filter is much too strong, or the intake is too close to the substrate, or both. I have had play sand in tanks now for six or seven years, as I changed all of them over (I have 8 tanks in my fish room) and I cannot fathom a better substrate.

Play sand is dirty, but that is not a problem as it is just "dirt." I don't rinse it completely clean.

Pool filter sand...if this is white, forget it. This is stressful on many if not all fish because a white substrate is not natural. If it is black, it can work.

I think it must just be the brand I have because there are many different sizes of grains in the sand bed, the really fine grit is the problem. I can see it in suspension for a bit after it gets kicked up. My filter intake is only a few inches from the top of the tank as i moved it as high as it would go to keep it from sucking in the sand when I realized I had problems. It didnt help. The pool filter sand Is not white, its a tan, perhaps a little darker than the play sand I used to have, and the grit is very uniform. I think its going to work out great.

 

[Tool13x]

You need to slow down and take a few steps back. This thread is suddenly charging ahead out of all proportion.

Your GH is fine for the fish you mention, including Corydoras melini. As I previously said, the pH may tend to lower in time, that is fine if it is done naturally on its own.

This is good news, I also felt like this was spiraling out of control for a minute. I really didnt want to get into that. I am just trying to do whats best for my fish. If the Melini will be ok with these parameters then id gladly keep them in there, I know they have them at the LFS and ill be able to get more to raise the pop, Id really like to bring the numbers up to 6 each of the Julii and the Melini.