Which species of fish should I add first? Advice please!

[dmpfishlover]

My 55 gallon aquarium finished cycling about a week ago, and I just added live plants yesterday. I plan on adding fish this coming week, and would love some advice on which species I should add first... In other words, if there is a species that would be best to add first (i.e. a hardier fish), which species would be recommended?

GH: 143 ppm
pH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0 - 5 ppm (It was 20 - 40 ppm yesterday before I did about a 95% water change prior to adding the plants)

Below is a list of the species I plan on stocking the tank with:

10 - 15 Harlequin Rasboras (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
15 - 20 Rummynose Tetras (Hemigrammus bleheri)
10 - 15 Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
10 - 15 Corydoras (Corydoras Julii or sterbai)
8 - 10 Silver or Platinum Hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus levis or Thoracocharax stellatus)
1 BN Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

Here is a picture of my tank

 

[Finsfinal]

Harlequin rasboras.

 

[Byron]

Can you get some floating plants? This will shade the light so all the fish mentioned will be less stressed. Add each species in its intended entirety when you add the species. So all rasboras at the same time, then all cories at the same time, etc. Rasboras first, fine.

 

[Byron]

The OP has cycled the tank, and it has live plants. The issue here is that some fish will settle in to such a time with less difficulty than some other species, and it has to do with the tank being established which is very different from cycled. Just so everyone is clear on terms.

Subjecting any fish to an uncycled tank is cruel because it inevitably causes internal problems that remain with the fish. No fish is that "hardy."

 

[Naughts]

From my experience, which I admit isn’t as much as others on here, tetra are very hardy fish. A lot of people cycle their tank with tetra and then return them to the pet shop and get the fish they actually want to stock their now cycled tank.
I personally can’t return a fish once I have bought it haha. I feel too mean

Which let shops allow this? Those fish would be weakened by the experience and shouldn't be sold on.

 

[Naughts]

I have never done this, I was just told by an aquatic shop where I got some fish from that it is a common thing for people to do. I do not think they are sold with the intention of being used to cycle a tank but it gets obvious when multiple tetra are returned and swapped out for other fish

I would be interested to know which shop so I can avoid buying fish there.

 

[Guppy10]

Your getting off topic and carried away with the fish shop saga.
The member asked a straightforward question and has now developed into something else.

 

[Retired Viking]

I would hold off on adding the rummy nose and cardinal tetras until you tank has stabilized or at lest been running for several months. They are more sensitive to water chemistry changes than other tetras like red eyed and glow light tetras

 

[dmpfishlover]

Can you get some floating plants? This will shade the light so all the fish mentioned will be less stressed. Add each species in its intended entirety when you add the species. So all rasboras at the same time, then all cories at the same time, etc. Rasboras first, fine.

I do have some floating plants... I have Salvinia minima, but it is small, so you just can't see it in the picture well. I am having a hard time finding floating plants. Salvinia was all I could find and I had to mail order it. I would like some larger floating plants, so I will just have to keep looking. Any species recommendations?

As for adding fish, that is my plan... I will be adding an entire school of one species of fish at a time. I had read one of your replies in the past that this is the best strategy, so that is what I will be doing.

 

[dmpfishlover]

I would hold off on adding the rummy nose and cardinal tetras until you tank has stabilized or at lest been running for several months. They are more sensitive to water chemistry changes than other tetras like red eyed and glow light tetras

That is what I thought... Thank you for confirming this for me... I will wait several months to add these guys. Thanks!

 

[Naughts]

Your getting off topic and carried away with the fish shop saga.
The member asked a straightforward question and has now developed into something else.

The question has been competently answered in post #3.
Another important issue has been raised and needs addressing. That is the way in discussions and this has been posted in a discussion forum. You are in the UK. If this practice were occurring in a national chain like pets@home or maidenhead would you not want to avoid buying those fish? Some may want to seek to stop this practice by writing to the owners or boycotting the stores. I don't think systematic welfare issues should be sidelined, do you?

 

[dmpfishlover]

The question has been competently answered in post #3.
Another important issue has been raised and needs addressing. That is the way in discussions and this has been posted in a discussion forum.

What other important issue needs addressing? I am confused...

 

[Essjay]

Naughts and Beth_obrien2424 were discussing the merits (or otherwise) of fish-in cycling but Beth_obrien2424 has deleted her posts.

 

[Naughts]

What other important issue needs addressing? I am confused...

Some posts have been edited out which is why it's confusing.
"Beth_obrien2424 said:
From my experience, which I admit isn’t as much as others on here, tetra are very hardy fish. A lot of people cycle their tank with tetra and then return them to the pet shop and get the fish they actually want to stock their now cycled tank."

The discussion was about whether shops actually allow fish to be returned after being used to cycle tanks.

 

[Byron]

I do have some floating plants... I have Salvinia minima, but it is small, so you just can't see it in the picture well. I am having a hard time finding floating plants. Salvinia was all I could find and I had to mail order it. I would like some larger floating plants, so I will just have to keep looking. Any species recommendations?

As for adding fish, that is my plan... I will be adding an entire school of one species of fish at a time. I had read one of your replies in the past that this is the best strategy, so that is what I will be doing.

Water Sprite is an excellent floating plant, or Tropical Frogbit. Water Lettuce is my third favourite, though it can develop wonder rosettes that are best viewed from above which is why it is so common in outdoor ponds. Some stem plants can grow nicely left floating, Pennywort is one of these.