New tankmate advice

[Nikoletta]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone had any advice. I've had fish over the years and been very confident with the fish I added together, they'd probably not be ones you'd class as suitable tank mates, and they all worked together fine. For some reason, with my new tank after a 10 year break, I feel nervous about which fish to add. I was desperate to have rams but they all died, which I cannot work out why, maybe pH? Is only thing I can think of.
Anyway, I've got some apistogrammas, and then just platies and neons and Cory's, and I'd just like to add a bit more character to the tank. Even though apistogrammas are unagressive, all the advice doesn't give many options to put them with.
Has anyone else got any advice?

Thanks,

Nicola

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.
Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Apistogrammas, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

 

[Nikoletta]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.
Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Apistogrammas, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

Sorry but I'm not taking the water anywhere, but I did look on the United utilities website, it says the water can vary from soft to moderately hard, but as of the 5th March its sitting at moderately soft.

The tank is a jewel tank and it's 180 litres , and it's 92cmx55cmx41cm

 

[ClownLurch]

Sorry but I'm not taking the water anywhere, but I did look on the United utilities website, it says the water can vary from soft to moderately hard, but as of the 5th March its sitting at moderately soft.

The tank is a jewel tank and it's 180 litres , and it's 92cmx55cmx41cm

Welcome to this place. Id suggest not buying any more fish until you’ve an idea of your water hardness in numbers. Water hardness is now considered more important to a fishes well being than ph.
@Essjay seems to know her way around the various uk water suppliers and can probably pin down your water hardness into figures instead of vague words.

 

[Essjay]

You need a number rather than words - water companies always make it sound harder than we as fish keepers consider it.

My mother used to live in United Utilities area so I have used her old postcode to see what they say. Her postcode lists hardness as degrees Clarke on the 'summary' page. Can you tell us your number for that, please, and we can convert it into the two units in fish keeping.
The 'full' page also gives your alkalinity - that's what water companies call KH. It is useful to know that as well.