40 gallon / 155liters - silent cycle - green or red? Stocking suggestions please!

[Cmdr_DASh]

If you do nothing else, look at the photo I posted. That is the environment you need to create.

I did see the picture, I obviously find it beautiful and I hope this is how my aquarium will also look like with time.
The plants I have now seem to be able to create that. Here's what I have (floaters on the way, so not listed here):
- Vesicularia dubyana
- Microsorum pteropus
- Hydrocotyle tripartita (sp. Japan)
- Egeria najas
- Hygrophila difformis
- Limnophilla sessiliflora
- Anubias barteri

Thank you!

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

I will make one more comment. I don't won't to distract from this thread. If you won't to learn more set up another thread.
Anyhow I have learnt that community spawning fish is the most rewarding part of this hobby. I have learnt a lot about how to setup tanks to allow each fish to spawn and watch some of their young grow up. It is not perfect, but it allows fish to fulfill their destiny. Look at my profile I am happy to advise.

This is indeed a more philosophical topic, better suited for another thread. I'm not one of them, but I know plenty of 2 legged animals that are living a fulling life without reproducing. For my aquarium, I'm actually not looking for spawning, obviously not going to prevent it either. Laying eggs is absolutely fine. I don't want live bearers because they reproduce too much for me. What do I do with the fry? I don't want overcrowding and all the other issues associated with it. I thought I'd clarify that. I'm not looking for perfection, I think upper mid level is good

 

[itiwhetu]

This is indeed a more philosophical topic, better suited for another thread. I'm not one of them, but I know plenty of 2 legged animals that are living a fulling life without reproducing. For my aquarium, I'm actually not looking for spawning, obviously not going to prevent it either. Laying eggs is absolutely fine. I don't want live bearers because they reproduce too much for me. What do I do with the fry? I don't want overcrowding and all the other issues associated with it. I thought I'd clarify that. I'm not looking for perfection, I think upper mid level is good

I agree with all of what you are saying. It is about giving the fish the best possible conditions, so they have an opportunity to reproduce. I don't expect hundreds of baby fish, I don't expect one. But I would love your fish to be happy enough that they go through the motions.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Back to stocking plans... Since Otos are not actually bottom dwellers (as wrongly reported on the interwebs), I probably need a replacement. I'm thinking bristlenose could work, and it's probably one of the 60 varieties that I had many years ago. I'd like one that doesn't get to big and fits well in my tank which is now going to run at 25C/77F temp. Is 2 a good number?

Pearl Gourami 3 (1 male, 2 female) - any other varieties that would fit? originally I was thinking dwarf but I got put off by iridovirus
Cardinal Tetra 16 (acquired and in the tank)
Cherry Shrimp 8
Otocinclus 3-6
Bristlenose Pleco (perhaps Ancistrus Rio Tocantins or Hypancistrus sp. L260 ) 1-2

I will only add the shrimps much later and I will only add the gouramis last, once there is suitable vegetation for them.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

originally I was thinking dwarf but I got put off by iridovirus

Note that Dwarf Gourami, allegedly virus-free, are still available from specialist breeders, especially from eastern Europe.
I recently acquired three ladies that are from the Czech Republic and was assured that these would be virus-free.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

Note that Dwarf Gourami, allegedly virus-free, are still available from specialist breeders, especially from eastern Europe.
I recently acquired three ladies that are from the Czech Republic and was assured that these would be virus-free.

Wonderful news, I will look into it! I'm not used to shipping live fish... is this how it happened?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Animallover😍]

brown sucker mouth fish I had when I was a kid, similar to bristlenose pleco somehow but without the bristles)

This might be a bit late but I think Common Pleco?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

This might be a bit late but I think Common Pleco?

No no no...absolutely not!
Grows way too big and will destroy any and all of the tank interior.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Wonderful news, I will look into it! I'm not used to shipping live fish... is this how it happened?

Thanks a lot!

It is.
I used a UK importer...best check your own country's importers. Should be a simpler process, being on continental Europe...or you could go on a long, long drive.

 

[Byron]

Please stop posting this about Corydoras. You need to realize that what you are saying is not factually true. These fish are not filter feeders.

You are the one who needs to wake up. Every individual who has ever kept Corydoras will confirm they filter feed. Every ichthyologist and biologist who has ever studied this family will confirm they filter feed. Even YouTube is full of videos proving it. I am not going to ignore anyone who posts inaccurate information when the evidence is so overwhelming.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

This might be a bit late but I think Common Pleco?

Definitely not late, not adding any fish for a while. I'm in agreement that it grows too big for my tank and I'd like something small. Thanks tho!

It is.
I used a UK importer...best check your own country's importers. Should be a simpler process, being on continental Europe...or you could go on a long, long drive.

Sounds good, thank you. I figure this was a rather fast process, shipping from supplier to you and all went well.

 

[Cmdr_DASh]

You are the one who needs to wake up. Every individual who has ever kept Corydoras will confirm they filter feed. Every ichthyologist and biologist who has ever studied this family will confirm they filter feed. Even YouTube is full of videos proving it. I am not going to ignore anyone who posts inaccurate information when the evidence is so overwhelming.

I imagine this link is known here: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/cory-catfish-care-guide
together with the video:

and in my case, it's nothing like that, it's either very small gravel or coarse sand, nothing that would do any damage to corys should I chose to add them. I don't favor them in any case.

 

[Byron]

I imagine this link is known here: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/cory-catfish-care-guide
together with the video:

and in my case, it's nothing like that, it's either very small gravel or coarse sand, nothing that would do any damage to corys should I chose to add them. I don't favor them in any case.

That video has come up before, and it is misleading. What you do not see in the video is that there is sand mixed in with this larger material, and that is not uncommon in some habitats but not most.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

You are the one who needs to wake up. Every individual who has ever kept Corydoras will confirm they filter feed. Every ichthyologist and biologist who has ever studied this family will confirm they filter feed. Even YouTube is full of videos proving it. I am not going to ignore anyone who posts inaccurate information when the evidence is so overwhelming.

You're using the term 'filter feed' totally incorrectly.
Wood shrimp filter feed.
Basking sharks filter feed.
Baleen whales filter feed.
Flamingos filter feed.
Sponges filter feed.

All involve taking in water and passing it over a filter, which collects the food for swallowing.
Corydoras do not possess such a filter.
Corydoras do not 'filter feed'.

They may take in food-laden sand, but their mechanism for extracting that food is not a filter.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Definitely not late, not adding any fish for a while. I'm in agreement that it grows too big for my tank and I'd like something small. Thanks tho!




Sounds good, thank you. I figure this was a rather fast process, shipping from supplier to you and all went well.

I used Trop Co.
They had the Czech fish in stock.
I ordered on the 13th October and was given the option of delivery dates.
The fish were in my Quarantine Tank the following day.
Two of the three might've been a little smaller than I would've bought from a shop, but all three are healthy enough and eating well.