Stocking Ideas

[Bluebubbles]

Most of you know that I have a 100l tank that I've had some ups and downs with (mostly due to my impatience and lack of availability to maintain it) which is now being stored for now until further notice. In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of research for potential fish.

(Skip to next paragraph if you don't want to hear about my life. No offence will be taken )
In the last few months, I have finished school, secured a full-time traineeship for 2021, I have moved in with my mum (which is also why it was hard to carry out regular water changes as my mum and dad had 50:50 custody and the fish tank was at my mum's), and I have gone from 19 pets (not including aquatic creatures) to 7 (not including aquatic creatures). Don't worry I didn't kill them, most were rehomed as it was the best thing for them and myself. I have struggled a lot with my mental health and I turned a lot to my pets. Unfortunately, this turned into an unhealthy obsession and then began to add to my anxiety because so many lives depended on me and there were not enough hours in my day for all of them. Now my life is a lot more balanced, my former pets are getting all the love they deserve and I have time to take care of my 100l fish tank. At the moment my family and I are looking for a new house and it would be great to set up the tank again.

Still looking for stocking ideas for my 100l and would like to know if anyone has any recommendations or ideas.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
* Dimensions are 77L x 36W x 42H
* Must be tropical as summers get really hot here
* Water hardness is really soft 25ppm
* I would like native fish (Australian)
* I would prefer 1 or 2 big fish rather than many small fish

I have been looking into rainbow fish the most, in particular, the pacific blue eyes (maybe 6)

Any other suggestions?

Thank you!

-Blue Bubbles

 

[Colin_T]

Pacific blue-eyes (Pseudomugil signifier) do best in hard water with a pH above 7.0. Some strains come from brackish or even sea water.

Iriatherina werneri, Rhadinocentrus ornatus and Pseudomugil gertrudae do well in soft water. Most other rainbowfish do better in hard water with a GH above 200ppm.

Rhadinocentrus are borderline for size as they grow to about 3-4 inches, whereas the Iriatherina and P. gertrudae only grow to 1-2 inches. Most other Australian rainbowfish grow too big for the tank, however Melanotaenia maccullochi or M. eachamensis (or Dirran Creek) would fit. Small New Guinea rainbows include M. sexlineata, M. papuae, M. praecox, Glossolepis ramuensis or maculosis, and the Pseudomugils. Again though these do better in harder water.

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The following link has information on all the known rainbowfishes from Australia and New Guinea. You can download the 198MB pdf version at the bottom of the page and look at it on your computer, or click the "Contents" link at the top right of the page and view individual species online.

Rainbowfish Book

A website dedicated to Rainbowfishes of Australia and New Guinea

rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au

 

[Bluebubbles]

Thanks @Colin_T
That's really helpful

 

[Bluebubbles]

I like the idea of Pseudomugil gertrudae... How many would you recommend for my tank @Colin_T

Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

You could easily have 10 x P. gertrudae and something else in the tank. Some people do Pseudomugils and Iriatherinas and you could do that if you want natives. Alternatively just have the P. gertrudae.

If you want to breed the P. gertrudae, just have a group of 10-12 in the tank and have lots of plants. Feed the adults well and scoop the babies out as they appear. The babies are small, transparent and hang out just under the surface.