Adding Bn's To Gymno's

[Sammy1911]

Hi
I am trying to create a tank based around my gymnogeophagus australis the recommendation im working from says red backed bleeding heart tetras and an ancistrus sp. Its a 65 US G bow front planted tank currently housing 5x gymnos, 8x pearl danios, 4x glowlight tetras and 1x neon. The danios should be fine long term but the tetras arent suitable - i could move these to a blue ram breeding tank but worry they will eat the fry!

Last week i was hoping to pick up the gymnos and ancistrus l144 together however, the breeder has lost his batch of ancistrus (or so he told me) so anyways ive sourced another breeder and am going to collect 3 albino bns in the week. The gymnos are settled in the tank now and today i have found three dead neon tetras (they were old but have been killed coz eyes were missing etc). My concern is the bns are about 1-1& 1/2 inches what do you think?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I would not be adding any new fish to this tank for several weeks after losing 3 Neon Tetras today/overnight, I would only consider buying to place in a completely independent quarantine tank with independently sourced mature media and filter.

 

[Sammy1911]

I do have a quarantine tank no probs there however, do you suspect there is an infection in the tank? sorry if ive misread between the lines... all 3 tetras had been feeding /swimming fine but today aside from "floating" they are missing one or two eyes each and chunks missing from their bodies so definately not caused by an infection im assuming as they are the smallest fish in my tanks they have been seen as food unlike the others being bigger - the glowlights are half the size of the juvie gymnos but they may be next on the hit list.... they will be rehomed soon enough.

Back on topic, do you think i shud grow out the albino bns in the quarantine tank and then put them in the main tank bearing in mind the gymnos would also have grown... or do i insist on the larger 1 & 1/2 inch ancistrus with the intention of putting them in the main tank following quarantine? The breeder has got 30 tanks of varying plecos so i may even opt for another type - any suggestions... temp range 18-24' celcius ph 7 main diet hopefully diatoms supplemented with courgette/zucchini...?