What fish?

[Nuttygal! :0)]

I have seen a tank that I like, and will hopefully be getting soon. I've worked out the measurements to be 13UKgals, and can hold 18inches of fish.
What fish should I get? I will be having sand, real plants, and an airstone! I want 3-4 cories definatley. Do you think sand would be best or would they prefer gravel? I have gravel in all my other tanks, and the cories seem perfectly happy, but I've read that some do like sand better. I also saw some black neon tetras at my LFS the other day, would they be ok? Maybe 10 of them, or would that be too many?
Sorry for all the questions but I'm really excited about the new tank!

 

[Gimli]

Well, first of all i think cories would prefer sand but i may be mistaken. Secondly, i think ten black neons would be fine. I would try and add a pair of dwarf cichlids aswell, because it adds a bit more excitement to your tank and most dwarf cichlids are usually quite small

 

[Gimli]

Sorry for all the questions but I'm really excited about the new tank!

I was the same when i was going to get my new tank. It's really exciting, isn't it?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Corys definatly prefer sand over gravel as it doesn't harm there barbels/whiskers as much although there are still some sands out there that can alter ph or are too sharp so be careful on what you have.

If we're looking at a new tank here that will limit what you can have in comparison to a fully matured tank; panda corys, neons, some pedigree guppys and various other fish will not be hardy enough for example.

What kinds of fish are you looking for? are livebearers out of the question because they would be good for a new tank that size?

 

[sylvia]

If you want cories and black neons, 6-8 neons and 4 cories would be about right. You need to fishless cycle first though as those fish won't live through a cycle.

 

[littlefishie]

I will be having sand, real plants, and an airstone!

Bad idea.
Airstones + live plants = bad combination.

Plants take up the Co2 in the water. Having an airstone just puts more oxygen into the water, making the Co2 into such a small amount that the plants will die from lack of food.

 

[sylvia]

Not necessarily. Some plants do fine even with an airstone - take elodea or duckweed for example. Similar hardy plants would still work and having the airstone is good for your fish - during the night plants don't photosynthesise any more so they give of C02 as well. Still. if you are looking for a plant tank more than a fish tank, you'll probably want to avoid airstones and maybe even start adding extra CO2...

 

[littlefishie]

I've always had bad experiences with airstones and live plants, so I run Co2 during the day and then turn it off at night.
And my tank has more plants than fish so that might be a bit of a reason for it as well.

 

[SirMinion]

Plants take up the Co2 in the water. Having an airstone just puts more oxygen into the water, making the Co2 into such a small amount that the plants will die from lack of food.

Not at all!
The two are not mutually exclusive and increasing one does not decrease the other.
If that were the case then your fish would suffocate when you add co2 for your plants!

 

[littlefishie]

Pardon my brain for not working, I've just written 4 exams for university and have been frying my brain studying for the last one.. I can't seem to make sense of what I'm typing anymore! ) ..Blagh, I know what I meant, I just couldn't get it out right.

 

[terrorist_124]

i think ten neons would be great

 

[sylvia]

Doesn't switching the CO2 on and off cause pH fluctuations?

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

Hi!
I have airstones in all of my other tanks, and they all have real plants, and everything has been fine, but if I spot a problem in the new tank, then I'll take the airstone out!
Sylvia, I wouldn't try to cycle with corys or neons - I'll use filter media from my other established tanks and gravel etc, and maybe add hardy fish a bit later.
I will also definatley be using sand then - does it have to be aquarium sand or just normal kiddie play sand that you can pick up at a garden centre?
And also, I am looking for a 'fish tank' more than a 'plant tank!'
Anyway, I don't reall mind what fish I have - livebearers aren't out of the question - I love 'em! I wouldn't mind getting a pair of rams though! What else could go with them, if I cycled with 3 platys (or some other hardy fish), then eventually added 10 black neons, and 4 panda/pigmy cories?! The fish that I cycle with could be moved to a different tank if that will mean altering my stock list otherwise, but I'd prefer not to move them! What other fish could I cycle with? I've always cycled with platys!

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

If I cycled with platys I'd go with mickey mouse platys... very cute.
Also, does anyone have any experience with kribs? I saw some down my LFS, and figured they can't be too agressive or anything as they were in a tank with boesmans rainbows and leopard danios. I asked the LFS worker about them, because I wanted a pair for my 45gal, and I was running through the list of all the fish in that tank, and he said they'd be fine, and then just as I was about to say guppies, he said
"yeah they'll be fine, as long as you don't have any guppies or anything!" Doh! They're really cool-looking fish!
Would I be able to do this?
4 panda corys
4 ghost shrimp
10 black neon tetras
3 mickey mouse platys
a pair of kribs
How many inches of fish is that altogether? Could I keep more? The tank can hold 18" of fish!

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

Or I could go for a completely different approach?
Does anyone know what yellow labs are like? What size tank do you have to have to be able to keep them?