Stocking question

[BlaiseinLondon]

My new Aquamanta 60 (90 litre) is coming along nicely, with 6 orange lemon tetra, so I'll soon be ready to add some more fish.

I've checked capacity on Aqadvisor and I'm thinking of adding in the following (gradually, of course)...
6 corys (probably sterbai)
6 silver hatchets
1 BN plec

I've previously kept all bar the hatchets.

Your thoughts appreciated.

 

[Naughts]

What is the GH (general hardness, usually measured in ppm or dGH) of your source water? I am assuming you are using London tap water which will be too hard for those species. You can check your water quality report on your providers website, post the link here if you can’t find what we need.

 

[BlaiseinLondon]

What is the GH (general hardness, usually measured in ppm or dGH) of your source water? I am assuming you are using London tap water which will be too hard for those species. You can check your water quality report on your providers website, post the link here if you can’t find what we need.

Thanks. The water is hard (15.6) but I'm softening it following advice on here.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Softening water is all well and good if you can keep the levels stable, it's the fluctuations that stress the fish.

I don't believe anyone should have BN plecos or plecos of any variety in their tanks they belong in the deep dark abyss where all the other monsters live

 

[GaryE]

Hatchets are interesting to design for from the human needs side, as you need to consider where the tank is placed. Either you need a chair beside the tank, or a tall piece of furniture. I have 2 species, strigata and myersi, and they never leave the surface unless disturbed. What if a bug lights on the surface? They don't ever want to miss that.

It means that unless you can look at them from a lower vantage point, you won't see a lot. They are wonderful fish, but like all surface hugging fish, you have to adjust to see them. It's worth it.

As well, the Hoplisoma sterbai (no longer Corydoras) will shoot to the surface for air, and the hatchets may panic at first. They leap fantastically when frightened by fish charging from below. Mine adjusted to my H. atropersonatus pretty quickly, within a week or two, but the lid has to be very tight in the early days of the set up. It actually has to stay tight - they really do jump.

Numbers wise, it should be good. As noted, you like softwater fish. Hatchets seem relatively short lived so harder water may or may not have a longterm effect.

As for @CaptainBarnicles , she hates plecos and Loracarids. This is misplaced, because like all reasonable people she should hate pond or bladder snails. As long as what you get is an Ancistrus, and a small species, you're good. Common plecos are a disaster in tanks, but bristlenoses are cool.

 

[anewbie]

To be blunt i would not consider any soft water fish unless you use an ro unit to provide consistent soft water. Your water is rock hard and there are wonderful fishes from central america that like hard water.

hatchet fishes can be delicate and can jump - now there is one hatchet fish that will spend quit a bit of time mid level Gasteropelecus maculatus but it still requires very soft water.

I worry about 'following advice here' to soften your water because at your level of hardness the only solution is distill or ro water and distill water would be very expensive and very heavy lugging home esp for the type of care these fishes require.

Kind of sad they only live a year or two - definitely not like the 30 or 40+ years clown loaches will live. Of course if you can get the hardness down to 0 those cardinals and emerald rasbora you see with the hatch fishes will live for 3 to 6 years. I can never get rid of emerald rasbora they just keep on ticking. Nice glowing eyes.

 

[BlaiseinLondon]

Hmmm…. Helpful food for thought: thanks. I’m not sure that my nerves could cope with jumping fish - I knew hatchets did this, of course, but it sounds rather extreme! My tetra are swimming middle-top and the corys (obviously) will be on the bottom. What other options should I be considering?

 

[anewbie]

Hmmm…. Helpful food for thought: thanks. I’m not sure that my nerves could cope with jumping fish - I knew hatchets did this, of course, but it sounds rather extreme! My tetra are swimming middle-top and the corys (obviously) will be on the bottom. What other options should I be considering?

WIth your rock hard water - platies and endlers.

 

[gimme30]

Or mollies or swordtails or guppies.
Sigh.
Pickings are slim for us hard water people if you're after something 'different.'

I would suggest Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. They're like a barrel of monkeys, without the barrel. Or monkeys.

 

[anewbie]

Or mollies or swordtails or guppies.
Sigh.
Pickings are slim for us hard water people if you're after something 'different.'

I would suggest Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. They're like a barrel of monkeys, without the barrel. Or monkeys.

Well with larger aquariums there really are some wonderful central american fishes if you live in a cooler environment. They have magnificant geo like fishes as well as some interesting but very peaceful dwarf cichild. So there are a lot of options out side of live bearers and arfican lake fishes but i digress. Interesting dojo though her water is even borderline too hard for it.

 

[GaryE]

Sawbwa -Asian rummy noses.

 

[anewbie]

Sawbwa -Asian rummy noses.

What an amusing creature - a 'rasbora' found in hard water instead of black water. Poor little guy got lost. Never kept them so no first hand comment but it might work. Very pretty fish.

 

[anewbie]

It occurred to me that there are other nice fishes found with that rasbora - there are also inle loaches which are small (around 4 inches torpedo) and a barrel of fun if you can get 8 or 9. There is also the rosy loach which is smaller (around 1.5 to 2 inches) and a bit shier - they will behave more like cory staying near the bottom but are better suited for the harder water.

 

[GaryE]

The rasbora isn't a rasbora - it's Sawbwa resplendens. It isn't a rummy nose either. But it is a pretty hardwater fish @MattW is our resident go to on. Celebes rainbows (not rainbowfish - there's a pattern here) are great. Some Danios work. Australian desert gobies. Some Australian blue eyes, like Pseudomugil signifer.

Hardwater fish tend to be coastal, usually evolved over limestone like in Central America and parts of southern North America.