My Superfish 70

[BanjoFish]

I have never owned a fishtank before. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs and hamsters yes, fish never.

The fishtank and stand were £180 on ebay from an Aquatic shop. ( Aquacadabra}.

Thankfully water conditioner, bio conditioner and a dew other bits came with it.

I used the Fluval Shrimp substrate as I felt the substrate would be suitable for corydoras whether I had shrimp or not.

Despite a bad case of flu over the winter the cycle seems to be ok so far.

Even bought a few more bits ie christmas tree a large log and a new plant.

There are a few Nerite snails helping with the algae.

Current levels are:

Ammonia 0
Nitrites: 0
PH: 6.5


I turned the filter up slightly.

Hoping for Pygmy Corydoras 6 or 12
Ember Tetras x 6
Honey Gourami x 1

Optional: Cherry Shrimp x ?

Opinions are always welcome.

 

[raylove]

Don't put all the fish in at once. I would add the Embers first followed by perhaps 6-8 Cory's at least 6 weeks later. Honey gouramis can be shy but I understand why you chose it a a centrepiece. It would be best to leave that until you have more plant cover. I think the shrimps would be OK but I've not kept them myself.
All that is provided the tank is truly cycled - you say the cycle seems OK but not sure how you cycled it and how long it took? Once ammonia and nitrite have leaked and fallen you need to keep feeding the bacteria until you introduce fish. If you stop, the bacteria die off and the tank 'un-cycles' itself and you are back to square one.

 

[BanjoFish]

Thanks Ray.

 

[seangee]

I'd go 12 embers personally. They are peaceful, so no harm in adding 6 and then another 6 after a month or 2. Agree that they should go in first - they are much hardier than pygmy cories. These are quite sensitive to water quality btw, so regular water changes are a must.
Personally I wouldn't bother with the gourami as IMO centrepieces aren't needed in well balanced communities. (Also likely to see shrimplets as food).

What is the pH of your tap water? Put some in a glass and test after 24 hours. pH of 6.5 seems low for Beds, so it is possible there is something in the substrate that's bringing it down.

 

[BanjoFish]

I'd go 12 embers personally. They are peaceful, so no harm in adding 6 and then another 6 after a month or 2. Agree that they should go in first - they are much hardier than pygmy cories. These are quite sensitive to water quality btw, so regular water changes are a must.
Personally I wouldn't bother with the gourami as IMO centrepieces aren't needed in well balanced communities. (Also likely to see shrimplets as food).

What is the pH of your tap water? Put some in a glass and test after 24 hours. pH of 6.5 seems low for Beds, so it is possible there is something in the substrate that's bringing it down.

The substrate I used is the fluval shrimp one as I knew from the start I wanted Corydoras.

 

[BanjoFish]

What is the pH of your tap water? Put some in a glass and test after 24 hours. pH of 6.5 seems low for Beds, so it is possible there is something in the substrate that's bringing it down.

Would you believe it.

I tested the tap water as suggested.

6.0ph was the result.

 

[BanjoFish]

The substrate I used.

 

[raylove]

I would be suspicious of that test. UK tap water is supposed to be no lower than 6.5. I thought 6.5 seemed a bit low following your first post but then I saw the substrate so it made sense. 6.0 straight from the tap looks wrong and certainly I wouldn't expect the tank water to be higher.
What brand are you using? How was the tank cycled?

 

[MattW]

My tap water has an avg of 7.4 pH, and I'm in Manchester with mod soft water. Do you have a water filter of some kind attached to your water line? And what are you using for tests? Your local water board company will most likely have test results for the area's water. You can compare the two
That Fluval Substrate will bring down the PH in the tank. But over time it will lose its ability to soften the water, especially if you intend on keeping the tank running for 1+ years.

AI Overview

 

[seangee]

That Fluval Substrate will bring down the PH in the tank. But over time it will lose its ability to soften the water, especially if you intend on keeping the tank running for 1+ years.

The nutrients also get depleted over time, when this happens you may see a change in plant condition (or algae) and have to compensate with fertilisation.
Its a personal preference but I choose inert substrates (river sand in my case) that don't add anything to the water. That way I have control and know that my tank conditions are constant.

 

[BanjoFish]

A few more Wisteria were added yesterday.

10 Ember Tetra and currently only 5 Pygmy Corydoras.

Photo from yesterday

 

[BanjoFish]

10 ember tetras and 9 pygmy corydoras.

Todays photo but should I let the plants grow before adding shrimp?

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
PH 7

 

[MattW]

Personally I would leave the shrimp for a bit. Out of the species in that tank, they would be the most sensitive to changes that can still happen in newer setups. More plant growth like you mentioned would be a good idea as well

 

[BanjoFish]

Personally I would leave the shrimp for a bit. Out of the species in that tank, they would be the most sensitive to changes that can still happen in newer setups. More plant growth like you mentioned would be a good idea as well

I was thinking along those lines.

Currently only 9 pygmy corys so want to add three more.

 

[gwand]

Your tank was just cycled. But it is not mature. I would add fish gradually so you don’t overwhelm the nitrifying bacteria. The population is still growing.