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Are these fish top swimmers?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 1 50.0%

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    2

LittleMadFish

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Hello! New to the forum so forgive me if I do anything wrong posting wise. I have a 30 gallon tank and am so close to finishing a couple of stock ideas but I can't quite yet because I'm looking for top swimmers, I already have a few in mind but I've read conflicting info about the Rainbows. I just want to know what the people with experience with these fish have noticed with their preferred swimming level in the tank.
 
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Both of the rainbows you named are indeed top swimmers. You can tell because on surface dwelling fish, their pectoral fin is pointing toward the surface. Because of the shape of their fin, this makes them excellent jumpers and will occasionally jump out of the tank with an open top.
 
Hello! New to the forum so forgive me if I do anything wrong posting wise. I have a 30 gallon tank and am so close to finishing a couple of stock ideas but I can't quite yet because I'm looking for top swimmers, I already have a few in mind but I've read conflicting info about the Rainbows. I just want to know what the people with experience with these fish have noticed with their preferred swimming level in the tank.

Welcome to TFF. :hi:

We like to know your source water parameters before "OK-ing" fish, so if you could let us know the GH and pH please? For instance, the two rainbows mentioned are more basic moderately hard water, and if you have soft water these would not work out.

We also like to know the other intended (or already present) fish species and numbers. Not all fish can live in the same tank for any one or more reasons, and we don't want to mislead you.

Byron.
 
Welcome to TFF. :hi:

We like to know your source water parameters before "OK-ing" fish, so if you could let us know the GH and pH please? For instance, the two rainbows mentioned are more basic moderately hard water, and if you have soft water these would not work out.

We also like to know the other intended (or already present) fish species and numbers. Not all fish can live in the same tank for any one or more reasons, and we don't want to mislead you.

Byron.
My pH is at 6.8 and my GH is at 30 (I used an API test strip for the GH so it may not be on the dot accurate) and my nitrates are below 5.0 ppm Im currently putting in 2 blue rams, a double red apisto, and 2 golden barbs. I know they need a group of six but I didn't have space considering I ordered the rams and Apisto ahead of time before I knew barbs needed to school.
 
I would either give the barbs away to someone with a bigger school or get some more. Barbs are highly aggressive without a school and may kill each other in a pair.
 
My pH is at 6.8 and my GH is at 30 (I used an API test strip for the GH so it may not be on the dot accurate) and my nitrates are below 5.0 ppm Im currently putting in 2 blue rams, a double red apisto, and 2 golden barbs. I know they need a group of six but I didn't have space considering I ordered the rams and Apisto ahead of time before I knew barbs needed to school.

This is not going to work I'm afraid. There are a couple significant issues I'll explain.

First, the barbs. These are shoaling fish, and they absolutely need a group; it is not something you can ignore because it affects the fish in several ways. Shoaling fish that are not kept in adequately-sized groups will react, normally by becoming much more aggressive; less often they react by becoming seriously withdrawn and they simply waste away. There must be at least six of these, but this is a very active species and eighty is recommended. They are active so a 4-foot length tank is preferred. As you don't have the space for a group of six or more you must leave them out.

Second, the cichlids. Combining more than one species of dwarf cichlid in small tanks (a 30g is small to these fish) rarely if ever works. The individual fish can make a bit of a difference, but not usually. Male cichlids of every species are territorial and a ram will see this tank as "his" space, and so will a male apistogramma. If you have only females they might co-exist.

Then there is the issue with a male/female pair. Cichlids must select their own mates; rams especially, and if not the male (usually) will kill the female before too many months have passed. Another issue is temperature; rams are warm water, with 80F the minimum; many other tropical fish cannot manage at this warm a temperature...the gold barbs for example need it no warmer than the mid 70's. And speaking of the barbs, being an active fish, sedate fish like all cichlids are not good tankmates as the sedate fish will be annoyed by the constant activity of the active fish. All of this causes stress, and this weakens fish; stress is the direct cause of 95% of fish disease.

Byron.
 
This is not going to work I'm afraid. There are a couple significant issues I'll explain.

First, the barbs. These are shoaling fish, and they absolutely need a group; it is not something you can ignore because it affects the fish in several ways. Shoaling fish that are not kept in adequately-sized groups will react, normally by becoming much more aggressive; less often they react by becoming seriously withdrawn and they simply waste away. There must be at least six of these, but this is a very active species and eighty is recommended. They are active so a 4-foot length tank is preferred. As you don't have the space for a group of six or more you must leave them out.

Second, the cichlids. Combining more than one species of dwarf cichlid in small tanks (a 30g is small to these fish) rarely if ever works. The individual fish can make a bit of a difference, but not usually. Male cichlids of every species are territorial and a ram will see this tank as "his" space, and so will a male apistogramma. If you have only females they might co-exist.

Then there is the issue with a male/female pair. Cichlids must select their own mates; rams especially, and if not the male (usually) will kill the female before too many months have passed. Another issue is temperature; rams are warm water, with 80F the minimum; many other tropical fish cannot manage at this warm a temperature...the gold barbs for example need it no warmer than the mid 70's. And speaking of the barbs, being an active fish, sedate fish like all cichlids are not good tankmates as the sedate fish will be annoyed by the constant activity of the active fish. All of this causes stress, and this weakens fish; stress is the direct cause of 95% of fish disease.

Byron.
I've read(Blue Electric) rams are completely docile and the reason they're hard to care for is because they get picked on but okay, mine are both female and I haven't seen aggression at all, they're quite friendly. My apistogramma hasn't been too aggressive, it's been more timid than anything. All it does when a fish comes around is flair its top fin. I will get rid of the barbs. I have no problem turning the heater down, thats an easy fix.
 
I would either give the barbs away to someone with a bigger school or get some more. Barbs are highly aggressive without a school and may kill each other in a pair.
Will do! What do I do if I don't know anyone with a fish tank? How do I approach my LFS with these fish?
 
You could say they were being very aggressive and trying to kill each other. Even if they are not doing it now, they will most likely do it sooner or later. If you approach your LFS like this, they will probably take them back.
 
I've read(Blue Electric) rams are completely docile and the reason they're hard to care for is because they get picked on

This is not the whole story, and the advice is misleading anyway. First, any fish can get picked on if it is in with non-compatible species. "Compatible" has many aspects to it, from fish that have the same requirements for water parameters, décor, etc, adequate numbers (shoaling fish like those barbs kept in too small a group can get very feisty and sometimes kill each other). So blue rams are no different. Second, they are not any more "docile" than any of their relatives; all these varieties (German blue, royal blue, gold, etc) are the same species and their behaviours and inherent traits are not going to vary. Third, rams are notorious for being finicky, which means conditions must be to their liking. They frequently donot last long because they are not well taken care of; they need warmth, specific water parameters, proper aquascape and other fish, etc.
 

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