I Never Seem To Get It Right

[MermaidMel]

I can't ever recall being 100% with my stocking and I annoy myself.

I thought I wanted lots of very small species in my 55 gallon but didn't. I gradually restocked and am very happy with my gourami pairs [honey, dwarf neon and red robin] size wise and action wise.

I have got some baby angels which I assume will pair off eventually and I might end up selling whatever doesn't pair off.

I am happy with my snowball and clown plecs. But I am neither here nor there with my horsefaced loaches, they are boring but too quick to catch and remove.

I am going to re-home my harlequins either in another tank in my house or with my sister because they are too small, even when shoaling for my 55 gallon imo.

I really like my cories but I have 3 of one kind and 3 of another, so I may up the numbers of 1 type and re-house the others.

I love my female bettas but have too many and a lot of the are the same as each other so thinking of thinning them right out and possibly re-housing with my cories to a smaller tank.

I wanted chocolate gourami or blue rams but read how weak they are.

I have now seen umbrella dwarf cichlids and they look to be a good choice, can adapt to pH 8.0 but would thrive on 5-6 better.

I wanted a gold severum centrepiece but read they would not get on with my gourami. I also loved the idea of one discus as a centrepiece fish instead of the severum but my pH is not suitable for discus.

So in short, I want less small fish and more peaceful, 2-5" fish but don't know what to get that will do well in my tank with the other fish especially as my pH is around 8.0.

I just can't seem to strike the balance I want, after researching all the fish nothing ever seems suitable whether it's the conditions or the compatibility [or the price lol].

I hope that armed with all the above info you guys might be able to help me nail this once and for all x

 

[PRW1988]

Have you tried australlian rainbow fish or even Buenos aries tetras?

 

[emmsy]

Mel, your post is full of buts. I have an extremely big butt, but thats another story.

I think the choices you have made is based on your knowledge at the time. Now you know more, you can see that you could have improved your tank no end. To turn this as a positive, the way you are feeling is a very good thing. To constantly improve yourself and your tank setup as your knowledge develops is a thing to truely embrace.

See if the LFS may take some fish back to leave room to restock with something else..

Emma

 

[MermaidMel]

Have you tried australlian rainbow fish or even Buenos aries tetras?

Hiya I think I am just the anti-tetra now lol
I have a couple of dwarf neon rainbowfish, a pair, which I do like but I really prefer fish that are not quite so pearlised. I know I am fussy

 

[PRW1988]

lol well like Emma said, try taking some of the fish back to the LFS and leave some room for stocking. You could always try Kribenses, German Blue rams, and one of my favorite species of fish... Tiger barbs.

Yes now I know that Tiger barbs are apparently distructiive little buggers, but I've kept a school of 15 of them in my 55gallon with 2 angelfish and 8 red minor (serpae) tetras and there has never been any agression issues at all

 

[MermaidMel]

Mel, your post is full of buts. I have an extremely big butt, but thats another story.

I think the choices you have made is based on your knowledge at the time. Now you know more, you can see that you could have improved your tank no end. To turn this as a positive, the way you are feeling is a very good thing. To constantly improve yourself and your tank setup as your knowledge develops is a thing to truely embrace.

See if the LFS may take some fish back to leave room to restock with something else..

Emma

This is the thing Emma I hate to have the but's in the post 'but' if they aren't there, I can't fully illustrate my issues to the forum. Alsoooo the buts are the fishes buts most of the time, their needs are my buts lol. I don't have any problem re-homing any fish, just have trouble thinking of fish I can keep to replace them AND satisfy my fishy needs at the same time!

 

[emmsy]

I think I know what you mean. The way I do it is go through the wish list and find the fish you deserately want and work backwards on the compatibility from there. For example, start with a sevrum, and the fish you have will have to be compatible with that. If that still doesnt satisfy your fishy needs, the only other answer is to get more tanks.......um..like me.

Emma

 

[MermaidMel]

I think I know what you mean. The way I do it is go through the wish list and find the fish you deserately want and work backwards on the compatibility from there. For example, start with a sevrum, and the fish you have will have to be compatible with that. If that still doesnt satisfy your fishy needs, the only other answer is to get more tanks.......um..like me.

Emma

I would love that many tanks! I have kids instead too late now lol

I like the idea of working back, I would probably though have to change out all my fish to get a severum still I will have a good read later to see if that's the case or not - getting in a young fish often helps if they grow up with their tank mates they aren't as territorial later on. It's all such trial and error with fish isn't it.

 

[emmsy]

yes, young is best (and cheaper too) I have made a decision for my old marine tank. I started with a jewel cichlid and worked the compatibility back from there. It is the ONLY way to be totalyy happy

Emma

 

[emmsy]

i started my 6x2x2 with my biccourti cichlisoma

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and worked back from there

 

[PRW1988]

at emmas fish!!!

anyways, mel, why not just get a couple extra tanks, so what if you have kids? Buy them second hand or set-up a finance plan with the LFS.

 

[emmsy]

If thats what it takes to take all your fish back and start again, then.... so be it.

Emma

 

[MermaidMel]

If thats what it takes to take all your fish back and start again, then.... so be it.

Emma

I guess you're right, going by Ebay lots of people start over and over, cos not everyone can just keep buying big enough tanks to get more instead of other fish, you are one lucky moo Emma!

 

[Faythee]

I don't like Tetras either.

My Severums are fine with my Gourami. When I added the little Severum the Gourami chased for a few days but now the tables are turned. The little Sev is also much faster swimming than the Gouramis.

 

[emmsy]

Yeah Mel, but I haven't got adorable kids like yours. I would trade all of what I have to be a mum,but that will never happen for me. So in my eyes, YOU are the lucky moo Mel

Emma