Stocking ideas for 45 gallon planted tank

[AquaBarb]

The GH is the most critical to fish of the three (GH, pH, KH) so I tend to work with that. The pH matters, but provided it is not fluctuating and provided it is not excessive either way, it should be fine. Example, with a GH of 13-14 dGH and a KH of 6 dKH, the pH will remain pretty much where it is in the source water, so wood is not going to have much if indeed any effect here.

If these numbers are reliable, you could have moderately hard water species (livebearers, some of the rainbowfish) and/or some of the fish that tend to overlap soft/hard terms. I'm thinking of fish like the Pristella Tetra, non-wild caught cories, barbs, danios...just generalities. You also need to consider tank space obviously, and the activity level of the species is very important--quiet or sedate fish like gourami do not go together with active swimmers like danios and barbs for example.

For reliable fish data, nothing is better than Seriously Fish.

Thank you Byron, you very helpful.

I will have a look on seriously fish, ive not heard of that site.

Do you have any experience with emperor/bloodfin tetra at all? Would these be similar to the pristella tetra in overlaping soft/hard water.

 

[Byron]

Thank you Byron, you very helpful.

I will have a look on seriously fish, ive not heard of that site.

Do you have any experience with emperor/bloodfin tetra at all? Would these be similar to the pristella tetra in overlaping soft/hard water.

The bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi) is a species with quite a range in parameters. Soft to moderately hard (hardness to 30 dGH) and acidic to basic (pH 6.0 to 8.0) water, temperature 18-28C/64-82F. Provided the parameters remain stable somewhere in this range, they will be fine. It is interesting that fish with such ranges usually cannot manage to move within that range, but are fine with stable parameters somewhere within the range. This species can fin nip, so keeping a larger group may control this, but in no case should they be combined with sedate fish or those with long fins, so they can restrict tankmate options.

The Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) is another species with a larger range, but with some caveats. Soft to moderately hard (hardness to 20 dGH) acidic to slightly basic (pH to 7.5) water, temperature 23-27C/73-81F. In basic water its colours will not be as intense; it prefers less than 10 dGH and pH 5-6.6. Beyond that, it too is a bit feisty, but tends to behave when the group is at least nine in number. A very prolific spawner.

 

[AquaBarb]

The bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi) is a species with quite a range in parameters. Soft to moderately hard (hardness to 30 dGH) and acidic to basic (pH 6.0 to 8.0) water, temperature 18-28C/64-82F. Provided the parameters remain stable somewhere in this range, they will be fine. It is interesting that fish with such ranges usually cannot manage to move within that range, but are fine with stable parameters somewhere within the range. This species can fin nip, so keeping a larger group may control this, but in no case should they be combined with sedate fish or those with long fins, so they can restrict tankmate options.

The Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) is another species with a larger range, but with some caveats. Soft to moderately hard (hardness to 20 dGH) acidic to slightly basic (pH to 7.5) water, temperature 23-27C/73-81F. In basic water its colours will not be as intense; it prefers less than 10 dGH and pH 5-6.6. Beyond that, it too is a bit feisty, but tends to behave when the group is at least nine in number. A very prolific spawner.

I want a big school for this tank so thats certainly given me food for thought.

Might look into suitable tank mates on both and go from there.

Thank you for you time Bryon its very much appreciated

 

[AquaBarb]

Hi Byron,

Ive chose to go with some dwarf neon rainbow fish for the middle swimmers in my 200 litre.

I have purchased 6 to start with and will be uping the school to 12-15.

I plan on getting 6-8 bronze cory and maybe 6 ottos later on for bottom layer of tank.

If i quieten my water surface down, do you think i could add some pearl or honey gouramis with the rainbows?

 

[Byron]

Hi Byron,

Ive chose to go with some dwarf neon rainbow fish for the middle swimmers in my 200 litre.

I have purchased 6 to start with and will be uping the school to 12-15.

I plan on getting 6-8 bronze cory and maybe 6 ottos later on for bottom layer of tank.

If i quieten my water surface down, do you think i could add some pearl or honey gouramis with the rainbows?

It is advisable to always add the entire intended number of a shoaling species at the same time. With this species, Melanotaenia praecox, it is not as critical as it would be for more hierarchial species, but it is still recommended. The fish will settle in much faster as well. You also want more females than males; like the livebearers, males are often too overzealous in their attempts to impress the females so having more of the latter is better.

If you want the otos solely because you like the species, five or six is fine, but make sure there is natural algae present or they might initially starve. Eventually they can become accustomed to sinking algae-based foods (Omega One's Veggie rounds is ideal for otos and similar veggie fish but also good for cories and all substrate feeders. If the otos are intended as "cleaners" more than as a desired fish species, I'd have second thoughts.

Re the pearl gourami, my concern would be over the swimming of the rainbowfish. Colin will have personal observations on this; with gourami you do not want active tankmates, which is why rasbora tend to be so good.

 

[AquaBarb]

With the tank being newly cycled i didnt think i could add more than 6. I intend to have a ratio of m2:f4 with the rainbows.

I do like the otos and if i do go for them i will add at the end when the tanks more mature.

I saw a video on youtube (from aquarium co op) Cory the store owner had rainbows and pearls in the same tank. With both being peaceful i thought these might be ok. Ill have to look it to this more..

Is there any surface fish suitable with rainbows you could recommend at all?

 

[Byron]

With the tank being newly cycled i didnt think i could add more than 6. I intend to have a ratio of m2:f4 with the rainbows.

You have plants, so you will never see ammonia/cycling issues. The plants simply take up ammonia, though slow growing species (Java Fern, moss, Anubias) would do this much less than fast growers like stem plants, swords, all surface plants. But even so, the benefits of adding the intended group together outweighs any other possible or imaginary issue.

Be careful what you see online. I remember discussing this with a marine biologist friend a while back, after she commented about the terrible "suggestions" promoted by some so-called "expert" on Fish Guys or some such thing. She cautioned that viewers have no way of knowing whether it works or not, unless they are there for several months to see it. Assuming the scientific data on such things is actually accurate is a wiser path to tread. Fish are natural creatures that have evolved over thousands of years with very specific requirements and needs, and to think that somehow we can change all that just to suit ourselves is at best risky, but more often sadly unfair and cruel to the fish.

Before I suggest surface fish with rainbows, I would have to know more about the activity level of the rainbow species. It has been years since I kept the Dwarf Neon, which is why I was hoping Colin would enter this discussion as he has more recent experience to draw upon.

 

[Colin_T]

All rainbowfish are active swimmers but Melanotaenia praecox are not that big and generally hang around with their own kind, so should be fine with gouramis. My main concern is food. The rainbows are quick when it comes to food so you have to make sure any small gouramis get enough to eat.

The following link has info about rainbowfish. Make sure they get plenty of plant matter in their diet. You can use goldfish or vege flakes as part of their diet.
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm

 

[AquaBarb]

You have plants, so you will never see ammonia/cycling issues. The plants simply take up ammonia, though slow growing species (Java Fern, moss, Anubias) would do this much less than fast growers like stem plants, swords, all surface plants. But even so, the benefits of adding the intended group together outweighs any other possible or imaginary issue.

Be careful what you see online. I remember discussing this with a marine biologist friend a while back, after she commented about the terrible "suggestions" promoted by some so-called "expert" on Fish Guys or some such thing. She cautioned that viewers have no way of knowing whether it works or not, unless they are there for several months to see it. Assuming the scientific data on such things is actually accurate is a wiser path to tread. Fish are natural creatures that have evolved over thousands of years with very specific requirements and needs, and to think that somehow we can change all that just to suit ourselves is at best risky, but more often sadly unfair and cruel to the fish.

Before I suggest surface fish with rainbows, I would have to know more about the activity level of the rainbow species. It has been years since I kept the Dwarf Neon, which is why I was hoping Colin would enter this discussion as he has more recent experience to draw upon.

Oh right thats good to know for future reference. Plants certainly are good for a fishes environment. I would of loved getting the whole group together.

Learn something new every day

Thanks byron

 

[AquaBarb]

All rainbowfish are active swimmers but Melanotaenia praecox are not that big and generally hang around with their own kind, so should be fine with gouramis. My main concern is food. The rainbows are quick when it comes to food so you have to make sure any small gouramis get enough to eat.

The following link has info about rainbowfish. Make sure they get plenty of plant matter in their diet. You can use goldfish or vege flakes as part of their diet.
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Melano.htm

Thats really good to hear Colin. Your certainly right about how quick when eating they are.

Thanks you for info and link