Tank mate suggestions?

[Aoife_AJ]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question, i'm not new to fish keeping, but I'm very new to keeping my own fish tank and species other than goldfish. My family has had goldfish for 15 years or thereabouts, so since I was 4, and currently we have a 13 year old and 3 year old goldfish still going strong and very happy! (named Chips and Curry Sauce!) However I finally got around to getting my own tank in my bedroom, but I'm a little stumped on tank mates!

I have a big old 4ft tank kept at 24-25c but sometimes goes down to 22c at night as we live in an old house with debatably terrible heat retention, although I'm confident I can keep it a bit warmer if it'd be more fitting for specific tank mates!
Its got a bunch of plants so I'm not keen on any plant-chompers, also no snail-murderers, as my little ramshorns are the loves of my life. :')
As for fish, I currently have 18 silvertip tetras, about 2-4cm long i'd say?? maybe 3-4cm now? so not full grown but not tiny. They're a little nervous and group right up if you go up to the glass, but they'll come back out if you give it a moment, and they're always ready to eat and getting more confident as the days go by! And 6 gorgeous little peppered corydoras, which honestly don't seem to give a single damn about anything if it doesn't include sticking their noses in the gravel or being swooshed around by the air stone bubbles! I'm not sure if they're brave or just constantly high :'D They're about 4cm now.

I was hoping for a tank mate on the larger side of things, I suppose a sort of "centerpiece"? However If that wouldn't be a possibility with my setup I'd be more than happy with some smaller tank mates. Also i'm happy to consider a single fish or a group!

Basically, rambling aside, do you have any suggestions for new species I can add to the tank that will work with my fishies, won't destroy the plants, and won't murder the snails? I was considering an opaline gourami, but there's lots of conflicting information, and I don't want to upset my current creatures!

Thanks! <3

 

[Stefan3289]

1) Could you give the exact dimensions of your tank? 4 foot can be a variety of things, as 4 foot in my head I am guessing a 75 gallon (since mine if 4ft)..

2) Can you post your water parameters. PH, KH, GH (of tap water).

3) In terms of temperature, you have a good range for the fish you have, however, if you notice your tank dip a few degrees, it could be useful to add two heaters to the tank (I have 2 submersibles for my 75 as the room I have it in is the coldest in the house and it keeps the temp stable).

It is hard to otherwise make a good suggestion without the first 2.

 

[Stefan3289]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question, i'm not new to fish keeping, but I'm very new to keeping my own fish tank and species other than goldfish. My family has had goldfish for 15 years or thereabouts, so since I was 4, and currently we have a 13 year old and 3 year old goldfish still going strong and very happy! (named Chips and Curry Sauce!) However I finally got around to getting my own tank in my bedroom, but I'm a little stumped on tank mates!

I have a big old 4ft tank kept at 24-25c but sometimes goes down to 22c at night as we live in an old house with debatably terrible heat retention, although I'm confident I can keep it a bit warmer if it'd be more fitting for specific tank mates!
Its got a bunch of plants so I'm not keen on any plant-chompers, also no snail-murderers, as my little ramshorns are the loves of my life. :')
As for fish, I currently have 18 silvertip tetras, about 2-4cm long i'd say?? maybe 3-4cm now? so not full grown but not tiny. They're a little nervous and group right up if you go up to the glass, but they'll come back out if you give it a moment, and they're always ready to eat and getting more confident as the days go by! And 6 gorgeous little peppered corydoras, which honestly don't seem to give a single damn about anything if it doesn't include sticking their noses in the gravel or being swooshed around by the air stone bubbles! I'm not sure if they're brave or just constantly high :'D They're about 4cm now.

I was hoping for a tank mate on the larger side of things, I suppose a sort of "centerpiece"? However If that wouldn't be a possibility with my setup I'd be more than happy with some smaller tank mates. Also i'm happy to consider a single fish or a group!

Basically, rambling aside, do you have any suggestions for new species I can add to the tank that will work with my fishies, won't destroy the plants, and won't murder the snails? I was considering an opaline gourami, but there's lots of conflicting information, and I don't want to upset my current creatures!

Thanks! <3

Also, what substrate do you have? Sounds like gravel..

 

[Aoife_AJ]

Also, what substrate do you have? Sounds like gravel..

Yep! Specifically hugo kamishi medium black gravel its nice and smooth!

 

[Stefan3289]

Yep! Specifically hugo kamishi medium black gravel its nice and smooth!

A big mistake I used to make was keeping cories in gravel, as it eventually starts to damage there bristels (not sure what the technical name is for this) and i ended up changing my entire tank that was cycled from black gravel to creame looking sand and recycled it.

Dont worry even if it is white sand the lights are never at full blast as I know it would reflect of the bottom and annoy the fish.

 

[HoldenOn]

A big mistake I used to make was keeping cories in gravel, as it eventually starts to damage there bristels (not sure what the technical name is for this) and i ended up changing my entire tank that was cycled from black gravel to creame looking sand and recycled it.

Dont worry even if it is white sand the lights are never at full blast as I know it would reflect of the bottom and annoy the fish.

Barbels.