What Fish To Add To New Amazonian First.i

[EdbetaRed]

TANK : EHEIM VIVALINE 330
 
SPECS: CM DIMENSION  - 151 X 45 X 51 
 
VOLUME 330 L.
 
FOOTPRINT - 1 CM Under 5 feet.........
 
Hey folks I am setting up a Amazonian community feel tank, I would like to know what the best first fish to add. I am not new to fish keeping but this is a new tank.
 
I have never done a fish-less cycle before but seems the way to go.
 
When I was first in the hobby as a kid. Neon Tetras used to be one of the first fish in I don't know if its me or not but on the return to the hobby they don;t seem anywhere near as hardy as they used to be,
 
I want some Bolivian Rams but will wait 3 -4 months before adding them. Tank height 45 CM seems to short for Angel fish too but its the biggest tank I can get in the space I have. Have learned that a bigger tank is always more stable,
 
I am used to Malawi Mbuna Cichilds and Beta fish.
 
I want to do something different this time around. I don;t want a 'tight' specific Amazonian region tank like a Rio Negro ect. Just to suggest the Amazon River as I like at least some planted areas but don't feel this wil be correct enough to make it a true Amazonian specific tank. 
 
I am doing the research ladies and gents as it costs nothing to read

 
I like this specific tank as it is not quite as high as many tanks but comes with its draw backs too.
 
I don't want to throw in Danios as they are a nightmare to get out hahaha.and wrong region would bug my OCD terribly same with WCMM (White Cloud Mountain Minnows) wrong region and would bug the life out of me.
 
I have some Bolivian Ram questions but will post in specific area.

 

[Akasha72]

Hi, I think I've just been reading a post from you on another forum specific to angelfish? Either that or someone else has the same tank and is asking very similar questions!
 
Anyway ... I'm a big amazonian fan. I stain my water with roobois tea to get 'the look'. I'm also a big fan of Bolivian rams .. I had a breeding pair a while back and they were a joy to have - such character
 
You arn't the first person to point out that neons are not the hardy fish they used to be. I read that a lot on here. I had some black neons myself and they lasted about 3 years ... I expected longer. They seemed to be susceptible to anything and everything too. I currently have some Nematobrycon Palmeri tetra's ... similar to the purple emperor tetra but the males have a trident tail and bright electric blue eyes ... they are lovely fish to look at but they can be territorial and won't shoal like their 'cousins' (Inpaichthys Kerri).
 
I suppose the best question would be what kind of water do you have? Is it soft enough for blackwater? 
 
Are you sold on the angels? Angels can make it difficult when it comes to stocking as they rule out many of the smaller tetra's due to the risk of them becoming food.

 

[EdbetaRed]

My tap water is very soft according to the water company its the joint softest water in the UK. I asked for info and they sent me a very detailed breakdown of all the water make up with exactly what trace elements and amounts ect, they really did go the extra mile in sending info. PH from the tap is often under 7.
 
It was a pain to harden up the water when I kept Mbuna!
 
lol, I decided not to sell this tank in the end as I like it too much.
 
To cut a long story short, I sold all my other tanks when our baby son was born as money was tight and the contents.  looked at Juwel tanks but those are quite high and would over dominate the space I have left.
 
So yep I am gonna stick with this one.
 
Maybe I am a big softie but I dont want to even put a tetra in stress with a tank thats not turned its cycle.
 
I am used to using that tea in my Betas and South East Asian tanks,
 
I decided to pass on the Angels for the very reason you stated as much as I like them they cause stocking issues. I have gone to the Bolivian Rams as a main fish, possibly some hatchet fish as top dwellers.
 
 
Hahaha I lost my fish room to become a nursery as it was a spare bedroom anyways. I just gotta wait 18 years to get it back now hahahahahahah

 
 
Thanks for the info on the tetra. I used to have some Rummy Nose Tetra in an otherwise Asian Specific tank.
 
I do suffer from clinical Obsessive Compulsive  behaviort I am getting treatment for but at this stage an Asian orientated fish in a South American set up would be too much for me to handle.
 
I also love Serpae Tetra too but know they can be lil boogers lol I had 20 in  a 55 Gallon at ne time they kept the aggression to themselves but had plenty of swim room.
 
I would be worried about the long fins eventually of the Bolivian Rams being nipped and torn but then if I created tons of caves at the bottom then that will help too.
 
I never really had any issues with such a large number of Serpae Tetra.

 

[Akasha72]

if you like it then go with it

 

[EdbetaRed]

I added a little more to the previous post too

 

[Akasha72]

it sounds like you have the perfect water for what you are planning. Mine is super soft too. I'm currently having issues with my pH falling below 5 in my tank. Thankfully all the fish I have can cope with that, in fact it's their preferred enviroment.
 
If I could turn back time I would leave my angels in the shop. I used to have a pair of Laetacara Curvicep dwarf cichlids. I lost the female a year ago and then the beloved male just a few weeks ago. I want to replace them but the one's I had struggled with the aggression from the angels and so I'm hanging fire for now until I make a decision on what I want to do. My angels are a bit special - they are smokey blushing angels and very beautiful but they own the tank and it does make life a little difficult. 
 
The rummy nose tetra is a lovely little tetra, one I have to avoid due to the angels. I'm also a fan of cardinals, I prefer them to neons. My lfs had some albino neons in recently, they were lovely and if it wasn't for my angels ... again, I have to hold back.
 
Have you looked at corydoras? 

 

[EdbetaRed]

Yes I love corys my LFS as some HUGE Panda wild caught Cory Cat. Panda Corys are my fave but thought they may fight with any Rams.

 

[Munroco]

Never heard of cories fighting with any fish. They are amongst the most peaceful tropicals. Any aggression would come from the rams but not vice versa.

 

[EdbetaRed]

Maybe I worded that the wrong way round

 
I am still in research mode and like to be methodical. I think we owe it to our fish to do all the research. I was just wondering if the two would be a good mix.
 
Never owned Rams before and would be a few months down the line as my tank matures.
 
I am just wondering what would be the best 'Amazon Region' fish to add just after cycling without causing thr fish any problems.

 

[Akasha72]

Just so you know ... panda cories are lovely ... but ... if you are planning to add any other cory types of a similar size to panda's be aware that panda's will interbreed.
I've just found this out much to my detriment 

 I had a group of 6 panda's (3 males, 3 female) but I also have melini cories and smudge-spot cories. I was reliably informed that my panda's would interbreed with the melini (they are very similar) and to make sure I had plenty of males to the females and to cross everything and hope they kept the breeding in their own group. After learning this I checked I had a good male/female mix and all has been okay. Then I added the smudge-spots. I could only get three at the time (more on order at my lfs)
 
Then I got cory eggs. I hatched them away from the main tank and raised 3 ... but they were a funny colour. It turns out my smudge-spot cories are all female and they'd interbred with a male panda 

 
I'm now hoping that when my lfs get more smudge-spots in stock they will be big enough to sex so I can add a group of all male 

 

[Robbo85]

Hi, I am also currently setting up a amazon or SA tank and have the following
 
17 cardinal tetras
6 panda corries
1 pleco
3 golden barbs
1 apistogramma nijsseni
6 marble hatchet
 
the barbs are from a rescue from a family members tank and I would ideally re home them but only have room for one tank.
 
I am also planning to add a Bolivian ram soon, I think corries are a must for a amazon community tank, so much character and a good size group will add interest to all areas of the tank.

 

[EdbetaRed]

The other half was set on Angels so I got another tank too hahaha 

 
This is a Ciano Emotions 120, its 211 Liters and just under 4 feet lon, The tank itself is 61 CM high................ I won't say NO to another tank lol 

 

 isn't this more or less a US 55 Gallon ???
 
I got a real food deal on this on as its an ex display model but perfect condition none the less.
 
I think it might have less bother with new tank issues and asked them not to replace the filter pads either. as it will help seed my other tank too. I don't think a journey of 20 minutes will kill too much bacteria
 
With the 5 foot and 4 foot I REALLY got to get a QT tank sert up asap too.
 
The other half wants some nice plants too so I guess this will be more of a community feel.
 
Lol at one time I had 7 tanks set up in the house. can see me being on the way to 3 as it is

 
I intend to get jouvie Angels and hope that I can get 5 adults in the end.