Tetras And Barbs

[dalios]

Hi
 
I am Currently in my cycle of my new tank and a new starter on keeping a tropical tank, i want a community tank i have a few mollies at the moment, i want a pleco some loaches a couple of sharks some corys and a few others.
 
Are all the tetras phantom etc and barbs tiger barbs etc peaceful fish to have i read online they are but when i went to a fish store they were both marked yellow which ment not always compatible with other fish, green was community red was cant be mixed.
 
Also the blue rams i really want one of are these ok fish to mix?
 
 
Thanks

 

[techen]

Size of tank?

 

[dalios]

180 litre juwel vision

 

[fluttermoth]

Is your water hard or soft?
 
Most tetras and barbs are peaceful, but some can be aggressive or nippy towards other fish, so you need to choose your species carefully.
 
Be very careful what 'plec' you buy, as some will get far to big for your tank, so check what species it is you're getting. Bristlenoses would be a good size.
 
When you say 'sharks', what sort of fish are you thinking of? Again, some grow very big or can be aggressive.
 
Blue rams can be very difficult to keep. They need soft, low nitrate water and much higher temperatures than most fish.

 

[dalios]

My ph is 7.5 not sure how to tell the hardness of the water, I new some plecs do get really big im guessing the bristlenoses are a smaller type?
 
I like the silver sharks and the redtail shark which i had both of these when i had a tank a few years ago and these were fine with all my fish.
 
Ahh do blue rams need higher temperatures shame they are lovely fish, ones that caught my eye!

 

[Freedom]

Hi there!
 
I am setting up a 50 gallon, and someone on here referred me to this site:  http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/cardinal+tetra%C2 You put in the type of fish you are thinking about and it will give you the water parameters, and compatability.  I spent about 3 HOURS and ended up making an Excel spreadsheet, but this way I was able to come up with a group of fish I like.  So perhaps this will help you as well!

 

[fluttermoth]

Your water supplier's website will tell you how hard your water is; do you get a lot of limescale?
 
Silver sharks need a much bigger tank, and you can only have one red tail; that one might cause problems for your loaches and cories, as well, as they are quite territorial. Yes, bristlenoses are one of the smaller plecs; about 4 or 5 inches
 
Blue rams are indeed lovely fish, but need almost as much of a specialist set up as discus.

 

[dalios]

Thanks will have a look into it, i may not bother with the sharks then or just get a redtail one and get a bristlenose plec. Also i checked my ph the other day it was 7.5 now its around 8 - 8.2 whys that and how do i get it back down?

 

[fluttermoth]

There can be all sorts of reasons why your ph might be rising.
 
First of all, have you tested the tap water after you've let it stand for 24 hours. Many water companies artificially raise the pH, temporarily (usually with CO2) and you need to let that gas off to get a true pH level.

 

[dalios]

Yeah i did a water test a little over 24hours after setting up my tank i added safestart then a few mollies, the next day i did every test and ph was still 7.5 now today its around 8

 

[fluttermoth]

I meant water from the tap that hasn't been in the tank. It could be something in the tank (usually substrate or rocks) that's raising the pH, but without comparing it to plain tap water that hasn't been in the tank, you won't be able to tell.

 

[dalios]

oh i see no i have not tested the tap water only the water in my tank, i will go test that in a moment see what it is, i dont have any rocks in there just gravel, fake plants and a couple ornaments.

 

[fluttermoth]

Okay....
 
test the tap water now and write the result down (or not, if you have a good memory, lol!). 
 
then leave a cup or jar of water out and test it at this time tomorrow.
 
Then you can compare the raw tap water, the tap water after it's been left to stand, and what's in the tank.

 

[dalios]

Right have tested the tap water that is coming up at 7.5. So i will leave some water in a jug and test again tomorrow at the same time. What should i do if the reading is still at 7.5 or if it changes to 8 or above?

Right have tested the tap water that is coming up at 7.5. So i will leave some water in a jug and test again tomorrow at the same time. What should i do if the reading is still at 7.5 or if it changes to 8 or above?

Sorry will water changes bring my ph back to 7.5 obviously if as you say i test the water again tomorrow and its at 7.5?

 

[fluttermoth]

See what it says tomorrow.
 
i'd stop worrying about it, tbh. The hardness of your water is far more important to fish than pH.