Amazon Biotope?

[JaydenGorth77]

I think after a lot of help and research that I am going to make a Amazon River Biotope tank. My stock idea is
Angelfish x1
Black Phantom Tetra x8
Guppies x4
Diamond Tetra x8
Does this sound ok? I do plan on having fake plants (real ones aren’t necessary are they), some driftwood. What would you recommend I keep the pH at? Im getting the Aqueon 36 gallon bowfront ensemble. They all require the same water parameters right? Thanks. Sorry for making 3 threads in the past 2 days. Also thanks Byron for all your help and patience.

 

[Colin_T]

guppies don't come from the Amazon.

standard rectangular tanks (without a bow front) are easier to treat and work out the correct volume of water in them.

 

[NickAu]

Angelfish x1

Angel fish prefer to be in groups of 5 or more, then you have problems when they pair off for mating.

IMO it is cruel to keep an Angel on its own.

Other than the Guppies the fish you selected prefer softer water

Before thinking about fish please tell us what type of water you have, is it soft or hard?

 

[JaydenGorth77]

Ok thanks. I already have ordered the bowfront, so sorry. I read the guppies are from The Amazon but if they arent what should i get to replace the guppies and Angel? I also have soft water.

 

[Colin_T]

Amazon tanks are usually tetras, Corydoras, hatchetfish, pencilfish, Apistogramma dwarf cichlids. These are all small soft water fishes.

 

[seangee]

I have corydoras and tetra in mine. Personally I have moved from small groups and lots of variety to bigger schools of fish as the behaviour is more natural and interesting. What I mean is I used to have 6 each of 5 different species of tetra because I thought the mix of colours would be better. Now I only have 2 groups of 15 and imo the tank is much better for it

 

[JaydenGorth77]

Ok so how about,
Black phantom x8
Diamond Tetra x8
Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid x1
Corydoras x4?
Probably dwarf cories.
Or should I ditch the cories and increase the tetra numbers?

 

[Colin_T]

that's not a bad collection. Male black phantom tetras have black pelvic fins and females have red. get some of each

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Up the Cory numbers, they will appreciate it! 6 minimum but dwarfs may need more than that. I just have peppered cookies, regular size. Definitely the more the merrier!

 

[JaydenGorth77]

Ok thanks for all of your help! Is there a filter you would recommend for this setup?

 

[Byron]

Ok so how about,
Black phantom x8
Diamond Tetra x8
Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid x1
Corydoras x4?
Probably dwarf cories.
Or should I ditch the cories and increase the tetra numbers?

I would not have Diamond Tetra. This is an extremely active tetra, and needs more space to swim (they really are unbelievably active) and aside from the space the charging around will bother sedate fish (cichlids, and even the Black Phantom).

Cories need more as others mentioned; here I would go with 12-15 of the medium sized species; you can have all one species or mix them, the cories don't seem to mind though it is always best to get a few of each species to make up the total group. If you want one of the dwarf species, more. And they must have sand substrate. I've forgotten from the other thread what you plan for the substrate.

You mention pH in post #1, suggesting you keep it at some number. This is not easy. First, pH is tied to the GH and KH, and until we know those numbers (terms like "soft" don't tie this down, we need the number for GH and KH and pH of the source water) it is impossible to guess how the pH might settle out naturally. Generally it is best to let it do this; any attempt to alter pH without dealing with the GH/KH (which may or may not need adjusting) will usually not be successful, and fluctuating pH is hard on fish.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Not to rain on the parade, but I can't get past Amazon "River Biotope"... with plastic plants?!?!
Uhm, by definition, a biotope would be a recreation of a natural environment (or as close as we could get in a glass box aquarium). Although it has been done, it's difficult to simulate a river in an aquarium (I have seen setups where water is pumped via plumbing under the substrate so water is drawn from one end and pumped out the other simulating the current of a river). But plastic plants? No, we'd need real plants in a biotope.

 

[Colin_T]

it could be a pond that has been cut off from the main river by sand as the river dries up

 

[JaydenGorth77]

I plan to get plastic amazon swords. Which I already have ordered.

 

[Colin_T]

have you got a light on the tank?
if yes, what about trying a few live plants like Ambulia, pygmy chain swords, vallis.