Yet another stocking thread

[Roden]

Well, you could add them all at once, but you’d likely need to do fairly large daily waterchanges for a bit while the filter catches up on the increased bioload. You’d need to keep a close eye on the parameters and do the waterchanges when necessary.

It can certainly be done, just need to keep an eye on things the first week or so.

 

[Byron]

As for stocking, I don't think we reached a consensus on the gourami numbers. I may have to order the sparklers online depending on what I can find locally (the pygmy corys too for that matter). From a financial point of view it would be better to do it all at once as the postage is quite steep, but I want to do whats best and so will wait for advice on how much I can add at once first.

Acquire the five or six sparkling gourami together. Shoaling fish should always be acquired as a group, and while this species is not quite in the same "shoaling" meaning as would be corydoras or characins, cyprinids, etc, we do have the hierarchical component with gourami. [I don't dare mention cichlids again...] Males of this species have been known to attack and kill rivals, and adding the group together always works to avoid this...though individual fish may not always adhere to the norm for their species. But it is advisable.

Well, you could add them all at once, but you’d likely need to do fairly large daily waterchanges for a bit while the filter catches up on the increased bioload. You’d need to keep a close eye on the parameters and do the waterchanges when necessary.

I agree with the underlying reasoning, but this becomes a non-event with live plants. And I believe plants are intended in this tank. Floating plants are mandatory for this species, both to shade the light and to provide feeding and spawning sites; Ceratopteris cornuta (Water Sprite), or Hygrophila difformis (Wisteria) allowed to grow along the surface, are ideal. But the fish expects plant cover and this needs to be provided.

Floating plants are often termed "ammonia sinks" because of the amount of ammonia they can assimilate rapidly. Plants take up ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen, and studies have demonstrated that they are faster at assimilating ammonia/ammonium than the nitrifying bacteria. The latter will catch up, but the plants, if they are growing and fast-growing species like floaters are, will avoid any issue. Provided you do not overload the tank beyond its normal ability, you cannot have ammonia/cycling issues adding fish if floaters are growing.

 

[Roden]

Acquire the five or six sparkling gourami together. Shoaling fish should always be acquired as a group, and while this species is not quite in the same "shoaling" meaning as would be corydoras or characins, cyprinids, etc, we do have the hierarchical component with gourami. [I don't dare mention cichlids again...] Males of this species have been known to attack and kill rivals, and adding the group together always works to avoid this...though individual fish may not always adhere to the norm for their species. But it is advisable.



I agree with the underlying reasoning, but this becomes a non-event with live plants. And I believe plants are intended in this tank. Floating plants are mandatory for the gourami. Water Sprite is your best, the dangling root masses will provide food and sites for bubble-nests. But the fish expects plant cover and this needs to be provided.

Floating plants are often termed "ammonia sinks" because of the amount of ammonia they can assimilate rapidly. Plants take up ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen, and studies have demonstrated that they are faster at assimilating ammonia/ammonium than the nitrifying bacteria. The latter will catch up, but the plants, if they are growing and fast-growing species like floaters are, will avoid any issue. Provided you do not overload the tank beyond its normal ability, you cannot have ammonia/cycling issues adding fish if floaters are growing.

It’s true about the plants, but it also really depends on how many you have. If it’s heavily or even moderately planted it should not be much of an issue, but if it isn’t problems could certainly arise. I wouldn’t call it a non-event as it can still happen dependent on how many plants you have. If you only have a few, even of the plants that are known to do well with ammonia, it’s still likely they will not get all of it even if the filter is cycled.

I’ve also found that all my floaters or anarchis typically die on me fairly quickly, so for me at least, these ammonia sponges really don’t work well unfortunately.

I was just trying to say to be careful and keep an eye out on the parameters as adding 13-16 fish at once is a lot for most tanks, particularly new ones.

 

[ellejay]

Thanks all. I will get them all together, but closely monitor the water parameters. I’ll also make sure the plants are in before they are.

Any advice on plants? I’m planning on getting some moss to attach to the wood (probably Java), and I’ll get some floating plants - I’ve had amazon frogbit before, would that be ok? I’d like a variety of short and tall plants too but not sure what to go for. I don’t really want to muck around with CO2 and fertilisers just yet but I might do one day.

 

[Byron]

Thanks all. I will get them all together, but closely monitor the water parameters. I’ll also make sure the plants are in before they are.

Any advice on plants? I’m planning on getting some moss to attach to the wood (probably Java), and I’ll get some floating plants - I’ve had amazon frogbit before, would that be ok? I’d like a variety of short and tall plants too but not sure what to go for. I don’t really want to muck around with CO2 and fertilisers just yet but I might do one day.

Yes, Amazon Frogbit is good. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta is the best floating species) is better if you can find it.

The pygmy chain sword (Helanthium tenellum) is ideal as it will settle and send out runners and provide nice plants. Crypts are suitable but can get quite fussy (they usually melt at any change). You won't really need much if you get the floaters as this is a shallow tank. Sand, branches and chunks of wood, could be the main aquascape with just floating plants or also a few of the chain swords. Moss on wood is good.

Unless you are setting up an aquatic garden where the focus is on elaborate plants and not fish, CO2 is not needed; there is sufficient once the tank is established. And floating plants have the aerial advantage, as they can assimilate CO2 from the air.Fertilizers may help though, a basic complete one like Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. The other additives under the Flourish line are not needed, this one has everything and you use very little, but it does help floating plants that are fast growing.

 

[ellejay]

Yes, Amazon Frogbit is good. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta is the best floating species) is better if you can find it.

The pygmy chain sword (Helanthium tenellum) is ideal as it will settle and send out runners and provide nice plants. Crypts are suitable but can get quite fussy (they usually melt at any change). You won't really need much if you get the floaters as this is a shallow tank. Sand, branches and chunks of wood, could be the main aquascape with just floating plants or also a few of the chain swords. Moss on wood is good.

Unless you are setting up an aquatic garden where the focus is on elaborate plants and not fish, CO2 is not needed; there is sufficient once the tank is established. And floating plants have the aerial advantage, as they can assimilate CO2 from the air.Fertilizers may help though, a basic complete one like Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. The other additives under the Flourish line are not needed, this one has everything and you use very little, but it does help floating plants that are fast growing.

Whoops just realised you’d already mentioned a couple earlier. Ok great I will look into those, thanks

 

[Cichlid4life]

I have never ordered fish online yet, so i don't know what to say about that, except some people say it is generally the better way to get fish because of a lesser chance of diseases. the others have covered everything else already, so i don't need to repeat it.