42 Gallon Tank

meguro · Nov 19, 2009

If you go for slightly larger tetras (serpae, black widow etc. size) you could get a blue acara or 2 for the centrepiece. but be careful if you try to mix them with rams, sometimes they work with rams but sometimes they don't. Though blue acara are a pretty nice centrepiece, rams wouldnt really be necessary to ahve.

2x blue acara
8+ tetra shoal
6x yoyo loaches (or similar species)
1x bn plec

or

1x blue acara
2x keyhole cichlid
and some other stuff

Tetras like cardinals and rummynose etc. are usually fine with blue acara, but don't be surprised if some go missing if you forget to feed. I'd also mention firemouth cichlid but a fish like that could limit future stocking options.

furry catfish · Nov 19, 2009

Thanks,I did consider rams but I have heard from a number of people that they are really sensitive to water quality.And I also like this community
7 phantom tetras
6 rummy nose tetras
5 platies (probably going to 10 through breeding)
2 keyhole chichlids
5 sterpa corys
3 hatchet fish

but will it work? if so is there anything else I could put In or am I set?

furry catfish · Nov 19, 2009

also what could I use out of the fish I named to keep the number of platy fry down,I was planning on spliting them between my LFS,my awesome little axolotl and the angel fish but now there aren't any and the axolotl will get full.

mr130gallon · Nov 19, 2009

german blue rams are sensative, bolivian rams arent... they would eat babys, i think

Curiosity101 · Nov 19, 2009

Your stocking sounds like a good start, with some room for manouver in the future once it's been up and running for a few months.

Also the fish that will eat new born fry...
Phantom tetras
Rummy nose tetras
Platys
Keyhole chichlids
Hatchet fish

So I really wouldn't worry about many fry making it to adulthood.

And mr130gallon is correct.
German Blues require temps of around 28-30C and nitrates that are always below 20. Also ammonia and nitrites will wipe them out in a heartbeat.

Bolivians are a bit more forgiving, average temp 24-27C, and similar water conditions to the majority of fish. Obviously ammonia and nitrites are a no no, but they'd last alot longer that GBR's, also nitrates up to 40/50 shouldn't really cause too many problems.

furry catfish · Nov 19, 2009

thanks a lot everyone

so I will save 5 platie fry and after that let nature take it's course

thanks again

chris :hyper:

furry catfish · Nov 19, 2009

oh yea I almost forgot,last question I swear,Would I be able to have a pair of bolivian rams once my aquarium is established?

Curiosity101 · Nov 19, 2009

I've never had keyhols and rams together. But they're both relatively peaceful, and the bottom of your tank is rather lightly stocked so I think it would work.

However...I wouldn't suggest adding anything other than the current stocklist for the first 6 months. It just gives the tank a bit of time to mature, you to see how the water stats change on a weekly basis and just generally let you get a feel for the tank.

mr130gallon · Nov 19, 2009

its really hard to get a pair of bolivian rams, they look basically the same, so if you can get like 4 or 5 and let them pair up and then return the others then you might get a pair, but i think i got 4 males when i bought 4, but its hard to tell, like i said.