Id Like Some Advice Please

[channing]

Hello! I am researching fish for a amazon river set up. I'm not looking for stocking ratios just advice on these fish. I have made a list and was wondering if you guys wouldn't mind looking it over. I'm hoping someone will catch that those fish can't go together and other things. That way I can narrow my list down. I do have my heart set on the rams and rummy nose tetras. At the moment we are leaning towards a 75gallon tank. We may go bigger have not decided yet. Also it will be planted. Thanks a lot for the help. Once I get my core list of fish down I can really hit the books. Heres my list.

german blue & gold rams
apistogramma veigta super red
rummynose tetra
Blackwing hatchetfish
carindal tetra
One Lined pencilfish
Panaque maccus
Hypancistrus sp. (L340)
Axelrodia riesei, Ruby tetra
Carnegiella marthae, Blackwing hatchetfish
Hemigrammus unilineatus, Featherfin tetra
Nannostomus unifasciatus, Oneline pencilfish
Keyhole Cichlids
Rummy-nose Tetras
Black winged Hatchetfish
Otocinclus
Clown Pleco
Aeneus Corydoras
false rummy nose tetras, Petitella georgiae.
angel fish
dicus
Panaque maccus
Hypancistrus sp. (L340)
Corydoras metae
Corydoras habrosus
Corydoras axelrodi


I know its a long list hence why i would love your help chopping it down to size.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well starting with your rams preference you can cross off any fish that doesn't do well at high temps. GBRs need temps in the range of 81-86F. It also requires low pH, around 6.0, and soft water. Hopefully your water meets that criteria first off all. If not, you are going to have to go the RO route which can be complicated.


The bad news for you is that I don't know that rummys go with GBRs that well. Rummys preferred temp is 73-81F. That puts both of the fish at their limit for temp preference, one at the top and one at the bottom. Consequently, neither is truly happy and disease is going to be a greater risk.

You might be better to start to consider which one you prefer. (This is not to say that it can't be done, just that you are starting off with some potential problems.) In place of GBRs you could go with Bolivian Rams, which are a little hardier, and don't need quite as high a temp. Conversely, there are other dither fish that can work at the higher temps. Cardinal tetra can easily go up to 84F and are a common fish put with discus (another large, sensitive S. American cichlid).



Just something to get you started.

 

[channing]

Well starting with your rams preference you can cross off any fish that doesn't do well at high temps. GBRs need temps in the range of 81-86F. It also requires low pH, around 6.0, and soft water. Hopefully your water meets that criteria first off all. If not, you are going to have to go the RO route which can be complicated.


The bad news for you is that I don't know that rummys go with GBRs that well. Rummys preferred temp is 73-81F. That puts both of the fish at their limit for temp preference, one at the top and one at the bottom. Consequently, neither is truly happy and disease is going to be a greater risk.

You might be better to start to consider which one you prefer. (This is not to say that it can't be done, just that you are starting off with some potential problems.) In place of GBRs you could go with Bolivian Rams, which are a little hardier, and don't need quite as high a temp. Conversely, there are other dither fish that can work at the higher temps. Cardinal tetra can easily go up to 84F and are a common fish put with discus (another large, sensitive S. American cichlid).



Just something to get you started.

Thanks any way to get the list to shrink is wonderful. Ill do that and see where it goes. More then likly I'll try the rummy nose and see how it works. The LFS here all keep them both in the same tank so maybe that will help some. Ill look into the Bolivian Rams. Ill take my water to be tested somewhere. Also we have a water softener now how does that affect fish? We've never had it before.

 

[channing]

Okay heres the new list.


german blue & gold rams
apistogramma veigta super red
carindal tetra
Carnegiella marthae, Blackwing hatchetfish
Hemigrammus unilineatus, Featherfin tetra
Nannostomus unifasciatus, Oneline pencilfish
false rummy nose tetras, Petitella georgiae.
angels
discus


I think these guys will work.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Unless you are purchasing established pairs or Discus and Angelfish, both of these midwater cichlids should be added as a group of six or more, to spread any conspecific aggression better. Given the size that these fish reach and the minimum water depth (excluding tank substrate) of 18" that Angelfish need, you would need something far bigger than a 75g (especially if that is USg rather than imperial) to house two groups, something on the lines of at least 6x2x2. Personally, I'd say you need to choose one cichlid or the other and even then be looking at a minimum 5x2x2 tank.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Thanks any way to get the list to shrink is wonderful. Ill do that and see where it goes. More then likly I'll try the rummy nose and see how it works. The LFS here all keep them both in the same tank so maybe that will help some. Ill look into the Bolivian Rams. Ill take my water to be tested somewhere. Also we have a water softener now how does that affect fish? We've never had it before.

I understand what you are saying regarding the LFS and how they keep the fish. But, remember that the LFS isn't keeping the fish long term. So, this would be a brief stop over in the life of the fish. The goal of the LFS is to get the fish in and out. Keeping a fish at the wrong temp long term is really where the issue comes in.


I believe that GBRs with Discus would work together better than Angels, given the temp requirement, but as pointed out, that means the tank has to be fairly large.