What Other "centerpieces" Would Work?

[Channti]

Seems that angels hate my water. 2 disappeared and 2 died, in less than a week. The 2 remaining aren't seeming to be doing too well in the tank. I don't know what to do!. I had my heart set on angelfish, and I'm a little heartbroken now that I've got them and can't keep them alive.

The tank stocking is:
12 serpae tetras
3 african butterflyfish
4 (soon 6) yoyo loaches.

The tank is a 46 gallon bow-front, low-light, low-tech planted tank. Tank dimensions are: 36"L by 20"H by 16.25"W.

I want a colourful and fair-sized centerpiece in the tank.
Any suggestions on something that would work in this stocking?

**EDIT**
There is now ONE remaining angel of the original six purchased on Thursday. I think I might just see if the store will take the three bodies I have as "credit" towards another fish. Because Angels don't seem to be working in my tank.

 

[mtv8dmarine]

Sorry to hear about your angels. I haven't had any problems with mine (yet) but I know they can be a difficult species.

 

[Biulu]

What is your pH? I have bought myself some bolivian rams and they are gorgeous. They need a pH of at the most 7, and not too hard water. I am achieving that through the wood in my tank.

Sorry to hear about your angels. I bought 4 (will take that down to 2 eventually) and they are doing well. We have the same tank, although I think yours looks small in the pictures. Might be just some visual distortion though. I also got myself loaches as corydoras didn't work out; they didn't get enough food with all the rest of the inhabitants.

 

[Channti]

My pH is a little on the high side. 8? 8.2? if I recall correctly. It's too late for me to crack out the test kit and test it tonight. I've never had any problems with keeping any fish in my water until I bought the Angels.... *sigh*. I'm a little heartbroken over this; I fell in love with them.

 

[Biulu]

I am surprised that they didn't make it. Angels are pretty hardy fish... And in their natural habitat they live at a pH of 6-8. Maybe you were just unlucky... Why don't you test the water at your lfs? That is what I am doing if I am buying a more delicate fish. To see whether it matches more or less my parameters.

 

[Channti]

I've tested the LFS water. Their pH is 7.8. I acclimated them VERY slowly, over the course of an hour and a half, until the bag they were in was 90% my water, and only about 10% LFS water. Then I netted them and added the to my tank.

I don't understand. My tank parameters are fine. The pH is a little high, but stable. All my other fish have been perfectly fine. They were acclimated slowly to water temperature and stats. They were placed in the tank with as little stress on them as possible. And the Angels just didn't cope.

I'll get over not having angels. What else could work in the tank.?

 

[Biulu]

What about gouramis? Or one of my favourits apistogramma cacatoide?

 

[Channti]

so... if I were to go with a Trio of Pearl Gourami (1M, 2F), I wouldn't have a problem with them being nipped at or nipping?. Would they be okay with my African Butterflyfish?

I love Apistogrammas... but my local store can't get them in for me, and if they can get them in, they charge such outrageous prices that no one in their right mind would order them.

 

[Biulu]

That's a pity. What about Aquabid? They have fair prices normally and most ship to US and Canada... Pearl gouramis are lovely, I had them for several years. They are very peaceful fish compared to other gouramis. I am not very familiar with african butterfly fish though, so I find it difficult to comment on that.

 

[Channti]

That's a pity. What about Aquabid? They have fair prices normally and most ship to US and Canada... Pearl gouramis are lovely, I had them for several years. They are very peaceful fish compared to other gouramis. I am not very familiar with african butterfly fish though, so I find it difficult to comment on that.

Very few sellers on aquabid ship to Canada, and even fewer will ship live-fish to Canada. The Canada-US border is impossible to get livestock across for the average fishkeeper. I've tried.

*sigh*.

 

[Biulu]

I checked with a stocking site and they don't give any warnings about african butterfly fish and pearl gouramis. The guy who developed it is also on this forum and it seems to be very reliable. So, it looks like you can go ahead...

 

[ajs2294]

Only other possibility is that your serpea tetras stressed them out. But its not that likely even though serpeas can nip quite a bit at times

 

[Channti]

Since i expanded the serpae school to 12, they tend to stick to themselves. No one was nipping the angels. I was watching and inspecting fins. watching behaviour. I don't know what did it.... the African Butterflyfish were added today, so they didn't do it.

 

[karin]

You are sure giving up without a fight!
I found the angels to be easy to keep after the initial start up of the tank. I did lose two in the first month after cycling due to I think low oxygen levels as my other stats were fine. Then things settled down. I added more air for awhile and then seemed to get my filtering in order and some plants. Now my angels seem to be pretty hearty, spawning like crazy.
I just got 8 off of aquabid too from a seller in Florida (and I'm in california) all are doing very well and my only problem now is that I need to thin the group. I bought some Phillipine blues and they are gorgeous.
Anyway, if you want angels I would not give up so easily. Oh and my Ph is 8.0 and steady.

 

[Channti]

My tank is an established tank. If angels can't settle into an established tank, what am I supposed to do?. I leave for school in 35 days. I need to have the tank fully stocked by then. I don't have much time left to fight.