My three stocking options.....so far.

[ClownLurch]

Been out of the hobby for 20yrs and would like advice on these stocking options being feasible? Compatibility, fighting, temp, fish size, numbers etc. Or does anyone have substitution suggestions that’d work in each tank?

Tank mm:765hx315wx625h / Inches: 30x12x25. Arrives today I hope.
Sand-live plants.
20dh tested an hour ago. Supplier says 18dh
ph 7.3 Twas “in between” on API card/low-high range. From tap btw.

Option 1:
Forktail Blue eyes.
Neon Blue eyes.
Black bellied limaes.

Option 2:
Paradise Fish
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Zebra Danio
Japanese Rice Fish

Option 3:
X Ray Tetra
Indian Glass Fish
Glass Bloodfin Tetra
Small Scale Glass Tetra

Im edging towards Opt2 at the moment but every time I review em I jump from one to the other. All three aren’t an option........yet. But once Mrs Lurch falls in love with them, who knows?

I await your criticisms as I fully expect I’ve missed something blindingly obvious!
edit: I have! Paradise fish in m1f2 combi to hopefully limit snacking urges.

 

[seangee]

Obviously personal preferance, but if I was looking to set up a hard water tank I would give serious thought to shell dwellers.

 

[ClownLurch]

Hmmmmm I thought about it but I’ve never kept them before.

It’s not the biggest tank and any fish would need to be at the smaller end of the range and as I like to see a decent amount of fish in my tank it’d open the territory battles side of things.
My fantasy tank would actually be frontosa based but that’d require a house extension being built or moving house which I’m not going through again for a long time!
Though it’d be the start of cichlid keeping and possibly wouldn’t require giving any surviving shell dwellers away If a fantasy frontosa tank happened......now I’m looking at four options!
Aaaaaargh.

 

[BoningKnife]

I'd second shellies personally. A lot of fun to watch.

 

[ClownLurch]

I think the footprints too small for shell dwellers. I’m specifically getting a high tank to make up for lack of footprint available in the only space in the house currently usable by a tank.
ive no shelldweller or cichlid experience and the only fish leaping experience I do have was back in the 70s and 90s!

Maybe in the future?

 

[ClownLurch]

Rethink overnight.
Memories of my 90s Paradise Fish snacking on Neons before I found him a girlfriend flooding back after reading a few Paradise Fish threads here and elsewhere. So no Paradise Fish even though he was well behaved afterwards in a 36” rectangular alongside Neons, Zebras and 4 Clown Loaches. I didn’t know aboutwater hardness back then and LFS as usual probably only cared for the sales.
MrsLurch is having second thoughts on the above mentioned Option 3 ( Glassfish etc) which leaves:

Opt1: Rainbow Fish tank.
Forktailed Blue Eyes
Neon Blue Eyes
plus 1 or 2 small tank mates.

Opt2: “Colder“ Tropical tank.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow.
Zebra Danio
Japanese Ricefish/Medaka
plus a centrepiece fish/pair/trio?

Any suggestions?
Spike Tailed Paradise Fish? Would Opt2 be too busy?
All suggestions welcome for a 20dh & 7.3ph (from tap) tank.

 

[ClownLurch]

Anyone?




Tanks finally arrived. Down to two choices:
1/ Rainbow Tank- Forktail Blue Eyes & Neon Blue Eyes & ? & ?
2/ Less Warm Tank- White Cloud MM & Zebra Danio & Medaka & ?

Any suggestions for the ?s Please!
MrsLurch loves the long finned WCMMs and Long Finned ZDs so a Paradise Fish is looking doubtful. I like the idea of Black Bellied Limaes especially as I’m told they’ll help out on the Algae front!

20dh 7.4ph straight from the tap. Help me out here please im going round in circles here!

 

[Essjay]

I would go for option 1.

White clouds and zebra danios have your hardness at the very top edge of their preferred range, but it is better to keep fish in water with a hardness around the middle of their range.

Forktail blue eyes (Pseudomugil furcatus) have your hardness in the middle of their range, though I don't know what species the neon blue eyes are.

 

[ClownLurch]

I would go for option 1.

White clouds and zebra danios have your hardness at the very top edge of their preferred range, but it is better to keep fish in water with a hardness around the middle of their range.

Forktail blue eyes (Pseudomugil furcatus) have your hardness in the middle of their range, though I don't know what species the neon blue eyes are.

Rainbowfish. Ppm 179-447 according to SF.
You’re probably right with the middle thing. I’d never thought of that before I’ve just been thinking around n about their range is ok. Plus they’re a bit more exotic than yer basic danios anyway.

Just need something else to put in with them now.