Re start on 94 litre help

[Madison25]

Hello, I am re doing my current small 94 litre tank. It has a few odd ones in that I'm going to rehome. I'm just not sure what to do with it now and want to bring the passion back for this one. We've got a bigger Mbuna/peacock tank also.
I'm thinking dwarf cichlids, kribs, chequers, rams, cockatoos are all potentials. What would work best for a good stock? Would like it bright, ideally peaceful (well aware of most cichlids aggression levels) and well stocked (again, well aware it is a small tank). My other option is to go back to basics and just a few tetras, guppies, gourami or something but have had a few set ups like this and really want something different. Or scrap it all. Current set up, I'd like to keep it similar but definitely needs a good clean and tidy up.

 

[AlexT]

Nice, what's your water parameters? Obviously, you have access to hard water I take it, with the Malawi set up?

 

[Madison25]

Waters all good, have had American set up before too so that will all be checked again and made sure. In no rush yo change over, will give a good break between taking out the current fish and putting anything else in.
Just want to be sure on what's going in will mix and right numbers. Have had kribs before and they killed everything pretty much, so would probably keep them as single species if we go down that route.
Do love the cockatoos though.

 

[Byron]

Can you give us the numbers for the GH and pH? For the tap water is what we need.

 

[Madison25]

I'm not sure to be honest as husband deals with that side of the tank, from what ili can rmemeber ph is usually sitting about 7 ish. The tank has weekly water changes and checks, prime added at every change temp sits at 28 degrees, but can be turned down.
Like I said in no rush so will make sure water is what it needs to be, but would like to know how many kribs go well together, or cockatoos/rams, if this tank is too small? Or re do totally, re scape. I think its too small for a couple of polar blue parrots?

 

[Essjay]

GH (hardness) is more important than pH. Enter your postcode here

Water quality postcode search

Our region is divided into a number of supply zones. A Water Supply zone is defined in order to enable the mandatory sampling programme to be undertaken at the correct frequency per populous. Each zone is a geographical area containing no more than 100,000 permanent residents. The results will...

www.southwestwater.co.uk

and tell us the numbers for 'parts per million' and 'German degrees'. Those are the two units used in fishkeeping.

 

[Madison25]

It says soft water, German degrees 3 and parts per million 45

 

[Essjay]

That is soft, verging on very soft. That's suitable for all the fish listed in post #1.

 

[Madison25]

Thanks. So which ones would work well together and how many of each in 94 litres?

 

[Essjay]

In 94 litres, one pair of one of the cichlids you mentioned, with upper level fish. Many of the dwarf cichlids need to choose their own mates, just any male and any female is likely not to work. The way to buy these fish is to stand in front of the shop tank, motionless for anything up to half an hour. The fish will then forget you are there and behave normally. Any male which allows a female to remain close to him is likely to bonded with that female, though it's not 100% guaranteed. If you take someone with you, once you've spotted a likely pair, you can send the other person to get a shop worker while you keep your eyes on your chosen fish.

Rams in all varieties (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) need water warmer than most fish so tank mates need to be chosen from those fish which also need warmer temperatures. Just about all other south American dwarf cichlids and the African river kribs need water at typical tropical tank temperatures (including Bolivian rams).

 

[AlexT]

Are the Mbuna doing okay in that soft water then?

 

[Madison25]

Are the Mbuna doing okay in that soft water then?

Yep, all doing really well.

 

[Madison25]

Yep, all doing really well.

In 94 litres, one pair of one of the cichlids you mentioned, with upper level fish. Many of the dwarf cichlids need to choose their own mates, just any male and any female is likely not to work. The way to buy these fish is to stand in front of the shop tank, motionless for anything up to half an hour. The fish will then forget you are there and behave normally. Any male which allows a female to remain close to him is likely to bonded with that female, though it's not 100% guaranteed. If you take someone with you, once you've spotted a likely pair, you can send the other person to get a shop worker while you keep your eyes on your chosen fish.

Rams in all varieties (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) need water warmer than most fish so tank mates need to be chosen from those fish which also need warmer temperatures. Just about all other south American dwarf cichlids and the African river kribs need water at typical tropical tank temperatures (including Bolivian rams).

Our tank sits at 28 degrees now so think that's fairly high? So rams should be good?

 

[Essjay]

Yes rams would be good at that temperature - blue, gold, German rams etc. But if you want any other fish, they should all need a temperature that high. Keeping fish at a temperature too warm drives their metabolism faster and they 'burn out' faster than they should.

But just the one bonded pair of rams, no other cichlids. These fish are not the same as Mbuna.

 

[Madison25]

Yes rams would be good at that temperature - blue, gold, German rams etc. But if you want any other fish, they should all need a temperature that high. Keeping fish at a temperature too warm drives their metabolism faster and they 'burn out' faster than they should.

But just the one bonded pair of rams, no other cichlids. These fish are not the same as Mbuna.

Thanks, any suggestions as to what would work well in the warmer temperature with them? If I went with kribs... is it best to keep just a bonded pair? Have read that they can be better with a females to one male? I have had American cichlids before but the big guys, never had dwarfs in the small tank so want to make sure I get it right. Are there any cichlids that I can have a small group of? Or are they all best as one bonded pair?