Yoyos and Barbs Eating Veggies

[Avel1896]

I would appreciate an expansion on "not set up for bottom dwellers"

I said : "from what I can see, your tank really lacks plants, substrate isn't suitable for bottom feeders/dwellers". You would like an expansion ? Please post pictures of your entire tank.

At the moment there are too many flaoting plants for the substrate plants I have to really flourish.

Why not push floating plants back on tank length to let light pass ?

Each species here fits into my hardness and ph parameters fine, so far as I know, and each type of fish is in an appropriate numbered school.

Appropriate according to who ? LFS ?

buying and setting up tanks takes time and money, both of which are not easily acquired.

Oh I know ! It took me 16 months to add yhe first fishes in my first tank years ago. I currently have a ready one that waits patiently for

I see you making at lot of vague references and not anything concrete for me to change.

Maybe because I only have partial infomation ? I said "from what I can see"....

And again, when you mentioned the pea puffers you gave very vague answers about how they might not be doing well.

Hmm wrong : I gave you a accurate pea puffer caresheet link.

Then go off on a tangent about how my other tanks are detrimental to the fish.

Could you q̶u̶o̶r̶e quote me please ?

 

[Circus]

Why not push floating plants back on tank length to let light pass ?

This is actually very helpful, the kind of advice I would like.

Appropriate according to who ? LFS ?

According to the forum and to the research I have done. The smallest shoal in the tank is the Gourami at 5, followed by 6 loaches, 8 cardinal tetra (who are being moved eventually), 12 Harlequin Rasbora, 13 Black Ruby barbs. One Bristlenose Plecos, one Bolivian Ram.

That doesn't mean they are doing well.

In post #40, this (to me) heavily implies that you believe they are in fact NOT doing well.

 

[Circus]

I had to dig my phone out of my purse to get some pics from my last water change, as they were not loaded onto my tablet.

 

[Avel1896]

This is actually very helpful, the kind of advice I would like.

You could also use this video - great in my opinion - as inspiration to do the separation :

5 Gouramis, which ones ?
6 loaches, which ones ?

One Bristlenose Pleco
one Bolivian Ram

Be carefull : monitor Gouramis and Bolivian ramirezi that are all territorial, all wanting to enlarge their territory, all turning aggressive when spawning....

this (to me) heavily implies that you believe they are in fact NOT doing well.

Nah, do not complicate things !
It means be aware that what you/me/everybody see do not necessarily correspond to reality. Fish can't talk....

Watching your tank pics I keep on saying it lacks plants
Also, keep in mind airstone increase pH if it is below 8.4 and you fishes live preferably in soft acidic/neutral water...

 

[Circus]

Yoyo loaches and Pearl gourami. There has been zero aggression between my ram and the pearls. I specifically chose them because they are among the most peaceful of gourami. The yoyo loaches are snail hunting all day, and hardly bother the other fish. It is actually a very harmonious tank, even if it can be a bit busy. As far as the cardinals go, they are being moved out eventually, and I did say I was working on more plants. As my other tanks stem plants grow, they get transplanted to tanks with less plants, or cut and replanted in the same tank. My swords need to babied until they really grow in.

I do keep an eye on my water parameters, and do large weekly water changes, which keeps them stable. My ph is only 7.4, hardness at 110 ppm. There hasn't been any changes to that in the last 6 months or so. From what I have seen and read, my tank is at a good stocking point.

 

[anewbie]

Ah but do you know what they plot during the darkness of night ?

 

[Avel1896]

• Botia "yoyo loach" almorhae prefers pH 6 → 7.5 you are at upper tolerated limit.
• Trichopodus "pearl gourami" leerii pH is OK.
• Paracheiron "cardinal tetra" axelrodi prefers pH 3.5 → 7.5 you are at upper tolerated limit.
• Pethia "black ruby barb" nigrofasciata prefers pH 5.5 → 7.5 you are at upper tolerated limit.
• Ancistrus "bristlenose pleco" sp. prefers pH 5.5 → 7.5 you are at upper tolerated limit.
• Mikrogeophagus "bolivian ram" altispinosus prefers pH 6 → 7.5 you are at upper tolerated limit.
Except for the leerii, all others live in no ideal water conditions.
Tolerated/beared water conditions are not what fishes need, or want, or prefer.

Hard to question yourself. I know what it means, I had to do this several times before understanding that keeping fishes in captivity requires providing them
with living conditions identical to their natural habitat.

 

[Myraan]

I don't disagree as such.... and I KNOW this isn't what you mean.... but I personally do not have the space for a scale replica of Lake Tanganyika and even less space for the amazon basin

 

[Avel1896]

I don't disagree as such.... and I KNOW this isn't what you mean.... but I personally do not have the space for a scale replica of Lake Tanganyika and even less space for the amazon basin

? ? ? ?

 

[Byron]

I see nothing amiss with the stocking numbers for the 55g as given in post #47. In fact, thy are ideal for those species. Don't add more, you're fine.

As for pH, said to be 7.4, I see nothing wrong with that for these fish. The GH is more important anyway, but at 110 ppm (= 6 dH) there is no problem with this.

 

[Myraan]

It was mostly a joke.... but keeping a fish any glass box will never be "identical living conditions" , all we can do is provide the closest that is feasible

 

[Avel1896]

As for pH, said to be 7.4, I see nothing wrong with that for these fish. The GH is more important anyway, but at 110 ppm (= 6 dH) there is no problem with this.

So, at which level a GH can cause problem paired to such a pH ?

 

[Avel1896]

It was mostly a joke.... but keeping a fish any glass box will never be "identical living conditions" , all we can do is provide the closest that is feasible

You're right. So, all the more reason to provide them with the closest life conditions to their biotp.

 

[Byron]

So, at which level a GH can cause problem paired to such a pH ?

The only "problem" occurring from the GH is if it is too soft (for hardwater fish) or too hard (for softwater fish). This is stand alone, pH is not relevant when considering the level of calcium/magnesium which can seriously impact fish if it is not reasonably close to their preference.

The pH will do what it likes in relationship to the GH and KH, and in very general terms the softer the GH the lower the pH and the harder the GH the higher the pH. In general terms, as other factors can affect this. Provided the pH is steady and not subject to extreme fluctuations, the fish can usually adjust. Within reason of course.

 

[Avel1896]

The only "problem" occurring from the GH is if it is too soft (for hardwater fish) or too hard (for softwater fish). This is stand alone, pH is not relevant when considering the level of calcium/magnesium which can seriously impact fish if it is not reasonably close to their preference.

So, to make it sure, in case of pH upper limit of tolerance, I have to check GH upper limit of tolerance and if it is reasonably below the extrem, it will be ok even if pH is too high ?
I have no doubt on your knowledge but to me, a novice will drown in this kind of explanations !
I prefer by far say that we should not aim at or impose the tolerated limits.