New 5Ft Tank ..... Help Needed Please!

[Dazzler666]

Hello all. Well the time has come to upgrade from my 120ltre (currently housing 4 tiger & 4 green barbs, 8 lemon tetras, 5 beacon tetras, 6 harlequin rasboras & 2 bristle nose plecs) to a 5ftx2ftx18" tank!! .
I have few questions & all advice is greatly appreciated!! .

Setting up ..... I have a APS1400 on my 120l tank been setup for around 6 months. From reading I'm planning to exchange a Third of the media from this filter into two Fluval 304 filters that come with the tank. Now here I need help ... Do I follow a fishless cycle or add all or some of my fish to the new tank to encourage bacterial growth or any other suggestions?!

Stocking (fish not female type!! ☺) ..... I wish to keep all my fish but it's negotiable bower not with my barbs as I do love them.
Now I'm looking at the cichlids route hence will the list below which are ones I really like go with, particularly barbs but each other?
Now here goes, my fish selection I'm thinking of ...
1xEBJD
12x tiger, green & albino barbs (4 of each)
4-6 either German Blue Rams (my fave & I'm aware they are sensitive to water parameters & prefer lower PH ... My PH at present is 6.5) or Bolivian Rams (which I understand are easier to maintain but it would seem not as pretty as GBR's ... I'm gonna get ripped for that arn't I?! Lol.
Apistogrammas though not sure about mix or numbers ... Not particularly bothered about breeding, pairs, mating, etc.
Increase rasboras to 15-20
15-20 cardinal tetras

Now outside options are
Angel fish ... I'm assuming they won't go with EBJD's or others but thought I'd ask to appease the Mrs as she lives them!!!
Firemouths ... Maybe 1 I'm thinking
Blue Acara but again thinking they won't go with others.
ive reviewed the fish via the web & made comparisons & in my very novice opinion them all seem to require similar temp, PH, tank requirements, etc.
Also, depending on stocking any ideas the best way to add/introduce the fish as I get them?

Plants ...... I've got some bog wood & decoration to go in but would appreciate advice on pretty but ideally low maintenance plants as I have absolutely no idea & not had chance to research as yet.

Now I think that's about it!!! Lol.
Really want this tank to be grand so would really appreciate any help/advice from you experienced fish keepers .
Darryl

 

[thereverendturtle]

Forget the ebjd, if it has the opportunity it will snack on your cardinals and rasboras. If you raise your temp up to 81 deg F you could keep Gbr's with them. It's at the top end of the tiger barbs preference and the lower of the Gbr's. Angel fish would be out in my opinion due to the tigers, the firemouths and blue acaras will eat smaller fish as well, so I'd leave those out.
You could do a mix of Gbr, bolivian and apistos, just be sure there are lots of things to call home. Other dwarfs would be lateacara (sp) and Nanacara.
As for plants, java moss and fern, anubias, cryptocryne and Hygrophillia are some of the easiest to keep.

 

[Dazzler666]

Thanks RT. regards the EBHD, if I was to add it last & fairly small then I'm assuming by the time he grows so to would my rasboras & cardinals?! Or, if I leave the cardinals out is an EBJD compatible with the other fish mentioned?
Greatly appreciate the advice!!! ☺

 

[Wills]

When you transfer to the new tank take all the media from your current filter and put it in the new one that can cope with the LPH needed by the new tank. I have done this 3 or 4 times with no problems but dont add new fish for a few weeks.

With your stocking you have two options to follow I think....

Option 1

1xEBJD
1x FM or relative, Ellioti or Aureus for example
12x Tiger Barbs - which ever colour morphs you like

Option 2

2 Blue Acaras
4 Bolivian Rams
5 Apistogrammas (choose one species) 1 Male 4 Female
20 Harlequins
20 Cardinals

With Option 1 I would go down the route of single male cichlids, perhaps things like a Severum, a Nicaraguan, Sajica, Port Acaras or any of the Aequidens type Acaras would do well. I would add a school of dithers (the tigers) and a group of larger catfish like Hoplos or Pictus, some small plecs would do well here as well. Option 2 I would look at a small group of small bottom dwellers a nice group of Cories would be great. I put Bolivians in there as you will have more success with them than Blues or Golds, an interesting option could be 5 or 6 Cupid Cichlids which are very nice. A school of Hatchets for the top would be good as well, though since its not a biotope with the Harlequins you could look at some small Panchax speceis if you can find them but avoid the Golden Wonder as the big males might chow down on some of the smaller fish. A trio of the larger Hoplo cats would look nice in here as well actually.

Still a fair bit of room in either option but be careful not to mix them. As said above the EBJD could eat the small fish and you never know when it will happen... and the odds are it will happen at some point its just how much you want to take that risk.

Wills

 

[Dazzler666]

Well I have collected
My. Ea tank & managed to shoe born it in place!!! Yippee ☺. Will post up some pics when I get it up & running.

Regards stocking .... Thanks for the ideas Wills. Basically, I'm thinking as Per post above in that I would like a larger fish or two with nice coloration (hence the JD, fire mouth, Acara, etc) as the central fish, then would like a few rams & tigers (minus the cardinals!!) alOng with some apistos fOr the bottom or something similar & maybe a few catfish to finish!!!
What are the problems with this stocking please & any alternate suggestions are very welcome!!!
Just sooooo excited as can't wait to get it up & running!!!! ☺

Thanks for all/any help ladies & Gentlemen.

Darryl

 

[Dazzler666]

Wills, regards option two, would my barbs not go with the fish mentioned? Also regards the blue acaras, would I look at a male/female or two males, etc?
My other vague thought is the Malawi cichlid route but I know very little about them .... Any thoughts people's?!
Cheers,
Darryl

 

[The Duke]

A 5ft Cichlid tank would be stunning!!

 

[Dazzler666]

Well, finally got my tank set up which was a bit of a pain as I don't have a hosepipe but hey, got there in the end!! . Have added some pic vies for you all ....

Done water tests today & all seems fine, now just wait a few weeks to let things settle down before start adding plants, fish, etc.
At moment am thinking of adding few more tiger/albino barbs, maybe a hareem of apistos, possibly panda cories & thinking possibly some kribs although I don't want to overload the bottom of the tank. Then maybe look at either GBR's or Bolivian rams & if possible either an EBJD or blue Acara but see how things pan out as in anycase that would be a long way off yet.
Anyway, thanks to all for the tips & advice as greatly appreciated.

 

[markandjanice]

please would post a picture of your tank with the cabinet, it looks a nice piece of furniture.

 

[Dazzler666]

MarkandJanice ...... Is this pic OK for you?

Regards stocking ..... Think I've had a change of heart!!! I really fancy a school of clown loaches as just been looking at them on the web & you tube. They look awesome & they go with tiger barbs!!! yippee.
I appreciate they can become quite large (upto 10" I read) so am thinking maybe 6 of these to go with my soon to be 12 barbs (tigers, green & albinos)?
Also, will these be OK with Apistos?
Any other stocking suggestions greatly appreciated.
Cheers

 

[markandjanice]

very nice mate, sorry to change topic of conversation there but this is lovely and what in time i aim to purchase. im going to save for a few years and have a custom built one to suit my furniture otherwise the missus will have a coffin built for me in matching wood

 

[Naringlo]

If you're going to go with rams and so, I say sterbai corydoras are the best. They can go higher with temp and I think they look the best anyway.

 

[Dazzler666]

Mark&janice, I was lucky to find it on e-bay even though I wasn't actually looking!! Lol. If you looking for a bigger tank suggest you monitor e-bay as I seen a few & some, including this one was I thought, very reasonably priced.
Also, I was lucky in that as you can see from the pic, all my furniture is mahogany so worked out well!! .

Am swaying towards clown loaches, then bolster my harlequin rasboras, maybe a shoal of cardinals, still fancy maybe a pair or two of rams & a hareme of apistos but not sure if they all go?!
Got to get it planted first in anycase before start adding fish.
Thanks very much for the advice all, much appreciated.