Re stocking 125l

[AlexT]

So as things stand it would be this?

15 to 20 Cardinals
9 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Pleco
4 Mollies

Have I got that right?

 

[Mathew1991]

So as things stand it would be this?

15 to 20 Cardinals
9 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Pleco
4 Mollies

Have I got that right?

Yep that’s right and 1 frog

 

[AlexT]

I'll have a think and will reply back this evening

 

[Mathew1991]

I'll have a think and will reply back this evening

Thanks

 

[AlexT]

If any of the cichlids you should try and touch base with @Wills because most cichlids are potentially a risk in a community tank, especially a 125 L and you could probably only keep 1 as you wouldn't want them breeding and getting aggressive, and you'd have to check they do okay on their own

- Bolivian Ram
- Keyhole Cichlid

Others
- Neon Green Rasbora
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Cherry Barb
- Hatchetfish

You'd need a second opinion Matthew as I am not as experienced in mixing fish as the others.

 

[AlexT]

Sadly the mollies will need to go at some point mate

Water is very soft for others reading

 

[Byron]

I think what @Byron Was saying is either stick just with the cardinals at 3 and add 15 P. simulans or stick with just the cardinals as the only tetras and take it from there. Me personally, I'd get another 17 cardinals to make a group of 20.

@Byron what is a good middle ground water temperature if someone keeps corydoras and cardinals together? About 77 or 78 F ??

I think Matthew has Panda cory

Yes, that was my thinking on the "neons."

To the temperature question, one has to consider each species and their preferred range. Starting with the Corydoras, this is not a warm water fish (none of the species should be maintained above 25C/77F long-term; short term as summer heat waves and treatments are different). C. panda occurs in high mountain streams in Peru, where the water is cooler than for the majority of Corydoras, and they naturally seem to prefer a bit more current. I had mine at 24C/76F for years, and I didn't lose any and fry appeared sporadically.

I had both species of Paracheirodon at the same temperature, and I was not aware of any issues. Both species can and in some of the habitat waters do live at much higher temperatures, which is why they are such good tankmates for discus and rams that must have it around 82-86F/28-30C. Temperature in the natural habitats of P. simulans has been recorded to range between 24.6-35.2°C/76.3-95.3°F and it may have evolved a natural tolerance to high temperatures (Marshall et al., 2011). This species is sometimes found in the same waters as the cardinal tetra (termed sympatric) and both fish have identical water parameter requirements. In temperature however the cardinal tetra P. axelrodi inhabits waters that do not exceed 30°C, whereas P. simulans can be found in watercourses with a temperature that can surpass 35°C (Campos, et al, 2017).

Temperature is extremely important. It drives the fish's metabolism , and if the normal temperature changes by more than a couple degrees, it causes an alteration in the metabolic rate, a disturbance of respiration, a blood pH imbalance, and a breakdown in osmoregulation function. Sudden temperature changes can cause swim bladder problems.

 

[Wills]

Given the total number of fish in the 125 litres I'd say a single Bolivan Ram would be the best option - Byron will be best placed to fully recommend as he's more experienced with them. The reason I say this is that there is evidence the males spend long periods alone in the wild so makes a good single specimen cichlid for a tank and given the big schools of tetras and cories.

In terms of how you scale this up if you get a bigger tank becomes a bit tricky - given the smaller fish a group of smaller gregarious cichlids might be a good option like Cupid Cichlids but how the Ram might get on with them I'm not sure. I'd assume fine but I've not kept them.

On balance I'd get this tank stable, get nice big shoals of the two fish you have now and then when you get the bigger tank start to look at doing more species like cichlids or surface fish like Pencil Fish or Hatchet Fish, maybe some mid-sized mid water characins like Spotted Headstanders.

Wills

 

[AlexT]

Given the total number of fish in the 125 litres I'd say a single Bolivan Ram would be the best option - Byron will be best placed to fully recommend as he's more experienced with them. The reason I say this is that there is evidence the males spend long periods alone in the wild so makes a good single specimen cichlid for a tank and given the big schools of tetras and cories.

In terms of how you scale this up if you get a bigger tank becomes a bit tricky - given the smaller fish a group of smaller gregarious cichlids might be a good option like Cupid Cichlids but how the Ram might get on with them I'm not sure. I'd assume fine but I've not kept them.

On balance I'd get this tank stable, get nice big shoals of the two fish you have now and then when you get the bigger tank start to look at doing more species like cichlids or surface fish like Pencil Fish or Hatchet Fish, maybe some mid-sized mid water characins like Spotted Headstanders.

Wills

Thanks for the input @Wills and @Byron

 

[Mathew1991]

Thanks guys

So what I was thinking was getting the Cardinal group back up then maybe another shoal of small fish is what I was liking for

 

[Byron]

Now that the species have been mentioned in the last couple posts, my first comment would be that you have substrate-level fish but nothing above them. All the dwarf cichlids including the Bolivian Ram (and yes, it is ideal on its own with a tank of cories and characins, but it will own the space so no other cichlids, this tank is too small), cardinals, and cories are lower level fish. Upper fish obviously includes the hatchetfishes, some of the pencilfishes would work.

 

[Mathew1991]

Ok that’s great I like the pencil fish so would I get a shoal of them then and the cardinals and then leave it at that

 

[Byron]

Ok that’s great I like the pencil fish so would I get a shoal of them then and the cardinals and then leave it at that

Pencilfish...the species is all-important. There are currently twenty described species in the genus Nannostomus (this genus holds all "pencilfish" species at present). Many are peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful, but a few are real terrors. Those I would look at for this tank are:
Nannostomus marinatus
N. mortenthaleri
N. rubrocaudatus
N. "Rio Amaya" [as yet not described, but see this forum link where I posted photos: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/extraordinary-pencilfish-species-nannostomus-sp-rio-amaya.484034/ ]
N. espei
N. bifasciatus
N. eques [remains at the surface, and swims at an oblique angle]
N. unifasciatus [also swims at an oblique angle at the surface]

The most commonly seen unfortunately is N. beckfordi, but this one has a real sense of territory, and can be pretty rough. I've had them kill hatchetfish, and thrash my otos when they got too close to the surface. N trifasciatus is the same.

 

[Mathew1991]

Nannostomus marinatus
They sell these at my local fish store so what will I up the cardinals to and how many of the pencils Shal I get not to be overstocked with the rest of the fish

Thanks for the help

 

[Byron]

Nannostomus marinatus
They sell these at my local fish store so what will I up the cardinals to and how many of the pencils Shal I get not to be overstocked with the rest of the fish

Thanks for the help

Nannostomus marginatus, to get the spelling right (my slip in the last post). I would never get less than 12-15 of this species. And 15 would be my choice. Cardinals up to 12. Cories I believe are 9, fine. And a pleco if memory serves me, fine.