Man Im Rubbish At Making Stocking Decisions

[FishyWishie]

Seeing as my nitrites are taking forever and a day to drop to 12 hours ive passed the time making up some stocklists

I know with No 3 ill have to make sure both the rams and Gourami are not mating pairs to avoid fighting.

Any suggestions on why there good or bad and suggestions on nice colourful fish i may have overlooked entirely ?

 

[angelfishguy]

1 for me

 

[kizno1]

Number 2 looks the best but i would go for 1 big group over loads of smaller groups. But the loaches might get munched by the pictus.
i would go for something like
2 angelfish
pair of rams
pair of apisto
15 corys or 5 pictus
25 shoaling fish
Up to you which types but them sort of numbers look best IMO

 

[zophie]

Ooh. Number 3 looks great- all great fish!

 

[Harlequins]

I'd go 1

 

[FishyWishie]

Bumping as i need lots of votes to get a clear winner ;p

Considered after reading an article in PFK that Rummynose tetra could be raised to 24 and black neon tetra/Harlequin Rasborra dropped as Heiko Bleher seems to reckon Rummynose are at there best when 20+ (In bottom stocklist)

 

[LondonguyJ]

Hey Fishywishy

I chose stock list 1 because it's the lowest capacity. I have read that you should stock above 80% (80 being max.) I would half the Rasbosa to five which should put your stock at 80% But thats just me...

I had plans to stock to 61-65% But have just got back from a not so local fs and am now at 75%

 

[PDSimon]

You can stock fully if you complete the cycle properly it's just up to you.... I wanted longer to decide by seeing what the initial fish I got were like.

The problem here is that you're adding some sensitive fish! fish like rummynose often die when introduced into new tanks (not always as mine didn't and others have too) but bare it in mind. Also the panduro will be fairly sensitive. You sometimes need to be careful when picking different fish as they require different conditions, not quite sure exactly on the rainbowfish best conditions but they're going to be different to the ram and the panduro. Whats your tap pH?

Will the apisto not eat the galaxy rasboras? (not sure but they're pretty small fish?)

kuhli loach would be better 6+, the more of them the happier they are to come out.

 

[FishyWishie]

Tap PH is 7.4

Im not planning to add everything in one swell swoop just trying to get a plan together

Aquadvisor didnt throw up any conflicts except possible breeding ones in the bottom stock list but I'd obv have to consults some books aswell to be safe. Aquadvisor also seemed to think there were no PH issues. Temp of 25 degrees would emcompass all the species.

 

[PDSimon]

aq-advisor is only a rough guide though... i'd make a stocking post in tropical discussion ph is ok..as long as it doesn't go up

 

[FishyWishie]

Ill possibly ask in there later Im not wild on that section most posts get ignored. I think the plants will have to go tho having no luck with them at all Artificial here i come.

PH should be ok The Bogwood seems to pull it down once its in the tank. Those lists are not final by any stretch theres so many ideas swimming around in my head including making a Large scale micro tank with 2 or 3 large schoaling groups and maybe 2 larger fish.

 

[PDSimon]

I know fishy, I'm just saying if you want your fish to thrive, take in mind that optimum conditions for some are much less than others... I'm sure everything will be perfect when you do stock

Whats up with your plants? PM me if you want.

 

[FishyWishie]

Sorry just reread my post didn't mean to come across so dismissive of that section of course ill post a final list if/when i come up with one lol

I just need to narrow down my must haves theres 3/4 species I just can't get past atm.

Galaxy Rasborra
Cockatoo Aspito
Bolivian Rams
And Khuli Loaches

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I've voted for "1" but I would personally consider...

• Leaving out the Angelfish (so that your other peaceful, non-cichlids, can always find tranquility by heading towards the water surface)
• Upping the Kuhlis to ~10 (you might then actually see them as they will feel secure in numbers, plus you then get to see their lovely colouring)
• Sticking to a single species of bottom-dwelling cichlid, possibly ones that do well in trios (so that the Kuhlis will not feel too threatened)
• Removing one of the schooling species and replacing them with a true top-dweller (Hatchets, Pseudomugil furcata etc., to not make any part of the tank look claustophobic)
• If going with the Pearls, having seen my surviving 4 adults with the 7 fry, they are much happier in the larger group
  

 

[kizno1]

Have you looked at any of the other types of apisto? My personal favourite are Agassizii (my profile pic is my male)
I think you could fit in the 4 types you like.
4 apisto 1male 3female
pair of rams
10 Kuhlis
30 galaxy rasbora
That looks fine IMO and you could get away with another small shoaling fish.