I have a 20 gal with crushed coral, rock formations and driftwood that's just about done cycling. My planned stocking is a pair of rams, an albino bristlenose pleco and a shoal of some kind of tetra or rasbora. My question is what order should I add the fish in? I'm assuming not the shoal due to their tinyness but I'm unsure as to wether or not I should go rams first or pleco. Do I want the rams to get comfy and establish a firm territory before adding the other fish or would that promote aggression? As it stands, I was planning on: pleco -> shoal -> rams.
When Stocking A Tank...
- Thread starter RobboGir
- Start date
L4byr1nth
Fish Fanatic
Pleco. are, as a rule of thumb, quite a docile species - I wouldn't think it would matter too much when you added one.
If it was me, I'd be more worried about how territorial the Rams would be - though not sure they'd see the Tetra as much of a threat, I'd be tempted to add them last.
I'd go Pleco & Tetra, then the Rams a bit later on. But I'm sure there is someone out there that can provide a differing opinion on this.
Ben.
If it was me, I'd be more worried about how territorial the Rams would be - though not sure they'd see the Tetra as much of a threat, I'd be tempted to add them last.
I'd go Pleco & Tetra, then the Rams a bit later on. But I'm sure there is someone out there that can provide a differing opinion on this.
Ben.
Curiosity101
Is now at University! :D
I would say Plec --> Rams --> Shoal
But it depends on the rams you mean and the shoal you decide on. Neons are notoriously bad in new tanks (even fully cycled). As are geman blue rams.
Question though... why crushed coral...? Most fish (specifically the ones you mentioned) prefer a pH below 7, and crushed coral will raise the pH over time.
Also, if you're fishless cycling to 4ppm and were referring to bolivian ram as opposed to german, then you could happily add the rams and plec at the same time.
But it depends on the rams you mean and the shoal you decide on. Neons are notoriously bad in new tanks (even fully cycled). As are geman blue rams.
Question though... why crushed coral...? Most fish (specifically the ones you mentioned) prefer a pH below 7, and crushed coral will raise the pH over time.
Also, if you're fishless cycling to 4ppm and were referring to bolivian ram as opposed to german, then you could happily add the rams and plec at the same time.
Oddly enough crushed coral was the substrate I had most readily available, and I do like the look of it. I'm not too worried about it raising the pH as I have a good mass of driftwood in the tank and I'm assuming the combined buffering capacity of the wood and the coral should provide a stability in pH that should counteract it being a bit high - but what do i know that might be completely wrong. Also, I'm likely going to go with harlequin rasboras as I love the little guys.
Curiosity101
Is now at University! :D
Well harlequins are fine in a newly cycled tank. And the rams wont bother the pleco or harlequins regardless of how much they see the tank as 'their territory'.
As for the crushed coral, I really really really would advise you change it.
Bogwood lowers the pH, but not indefinitely. I'd put money on that it's only when tannins are being released. Ie. tannis lower the pH not the actual wood.
If you want something widely available you could always get some argos playsand (or if you're not in the uk any childrens play sand should be fine). It's cheap and it looks good. Requires more washing due to dust, but it's super cheap.
As for the crushed coral, I really really really would advise you change it.
Bogwood lowers the pH, but not indefinitely. I'd put money on that it's only when tannins are being released. Ie. tannis lower the pH not the actual wood.
If you want something widely available you could always get some argos playsand (or if you're not in the uk any childrens play sand should be fine). It's cheap and it looks good. Requires more washing due to dust, but it's super cheap.
I'm not sure I buy into the extent to which crushed coral will raise the pH, seems a bit iffy to me. I'm definitely somewhat concerned with how sharp it is though, it makes the bottom pretty deadly looking and I certainly wouldn't want to go near if I were a fish. I'm assuming that advice will unanimously point towards switching to sand so I'll probably end up doing that. If I do switch, is that going to completely screw up or set back the cycling?
Curiosity101
Is now at University! :D
Crushed coral dissolves over time. Fact.
The compunds it gives off as is dissolves increase the pH. Fact.
It's really not something you want to have in an average tropical tank. And certainly wont be kept in check by the bogwood. If you're always doing regular decent sized water changes then it should never be too much of an issue. But it's just one of those things you really don't want to have to ever deal with once fish are in the tank. Substrate changes are a nightmare when fish are involved.
A substrate change shouldn't affect your cycling. Keep the filter wet and you should be fine.
The compunds it gives off as is dissolves increase the pH. Fact.
It's really not something you want to have in an average tropical tank. And certainly wont be kept in check by the bogwood. If you're always doing regular decent sized water changes then it should never be too much of an issue. But it's just one of those things you really don't want to have to ever deal with once fish are in the tank. Substrate changes are a nightmare when fish are involved.
A substrate change shouldn't affect your cycling. Keep the filter wet and you should be fine.
Aqua Tom
Fish Gatherer
Switch to sand while you dont have fish in there. 2 bags of playsand will be enough for that tank & you can get it from Argos for £2.50ish a 15 kilo bag.
I would add the Plec & Shoal together then the Rams. Or you can add them all at once if the Cycle is complete.
I would add the Plec & Shoal together then the Rams. Or you can add them all at once if the Cycle is complete.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Just want to back up C101's comments. Unless the coral substrate is fake coral substrate the it is CaCO3, calcium carbonate. This is the stuff of corals, eggshells, snail shells, limestone and probably all the bottles of "pH-UP" in some form or another. It's the stuff that is all over the world because ancient oceans deposited the stuff everywhere and it got crushed and moved and was crystalized into different forms, right? It's the stuff that leaves frustrating white lines on our aquarium glass and all over our equipment when water evaporates. It's a polymorph I think they say, same substance but with different crystal patterns when it's in marble or limestone or calcite or whatever (which, come to think of it means it would be interesting to hear a geologist tell us what form it's in when it forms a white crust on our spraybars 
)
If you had super soft acid water then putting a tiny partial handful of crushed coral in your filter might be your friend, raising your hardness a little, but then forcing you to always take hardness measurements and pay attention to it.
The problem with having something like this in your aquarium when it's not planned out is that water changes might then be a shock to your fish, as you've made your tank water much harder than your tap water, possibly. Crushed coral is a major tool for making altered water, not something you want to do unless really forced to.
~~waterdrop~~
)If you had super soft acid water then putting a tiny partial handful of crushed coral in your filter might be your friend, raising your hardness a little, but then forcing you to always take hardness measurements and pay attention to it.
The problem with having something like this in your aquarium when it's not planned out is that water changes might then be a shock to your fish, as you've made your tank water much harder than your tap water, possibly. Crushed coral is a major tool for making altered water, not something you want to do unless really forced to.
~~waterdrop~~
Like everyone is saying, and especially since you are going to keep softwater fish, do yourself and your fish a favor and get a different substrate. Now is the easiest time since you have no fish. Just remove most of the water from the tank and start getting it out of there. That, or keep African cichlids instead of SA cichlids because your pH will rise with that substrate.
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