Some Beginner Fish tank Questions

TechnoFreek

Hey guys,

So been doing some research and taking on board feedback on this thread and others I’m starting to close in on what my community tank will contain eventually.

Would love further feedback and alternative options where I still have gaps. I am using the stocking calculator on AqAdvisor and this config has me at 92%.

Obviously I’ll be subject to availability in SeaHorse as that’s where I intend to go. Also, I mightn’t like my selected fish when I see them so I’m keeping an open mind for now

Bottom Dwellers – 5 Panda Cory or a Pygmy/Dwarf variety

Mid-Top Schooling – 10 small e.g. Rasbora/White Cloud Mountain Minnow/Ember Tetra. I’ve allowed for 10 Harlequin Rasbora on stocking calculator

Centre Piece – 1 Male & 1 Female Honey Gourami or A.N. Other


In time I’d like to add some cherry shrimp but they don’t seem to affect stocking too much.

So just two questions for now:

· How does the above sound, have I got a good mixture and diversity there?
· If I didn’t go with the two honey gourami, any suggestions for an alternative wow centre piece instead?


Thanks again.

OnDraught

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Hey guys,

So been doing some research and taking on board feedback on this thread and others I’m starting to close in on what my community tank will contain eventually.

Would love further feedback and alternative options where I still have gaps. I am using the stocking calculator on AqAdvisor and this config has me at 92%.

Obviously I’ll be subject to availability in SeaHorse as that’s where I intend to go. Also, I mightn’t like my selected fish when I see them so I’m keeping an open mind for now

Bottom Dwellers – 5 Panda Cory or a Pygmy/Dwarf variety

Mid-Top Schooling – 10 small e.g. Rasbora/White Cloud Mountain Minnow/Ember Tetra. I’ve allowed for 10 Harlequin Rasbora on stocking calculator

Centre Piece – 1 Male & 1 Female Honey Gourami or A.N. Other


In time I’d like to add some cherry shrimp but they don’t seem to affect stocking too much.

So just two questions for now:

· How does the above sound, have I got a good mixture and diversity there?
· If I didn’t go with the two honey gourami, any suggestions for an alternative wow centre piece instead?


Thanks again.

Yeah, start with 5 and then up it to 10 once your tank is stable.

What you have in your previous post looks perfect. Just bare in mind that when you see the fish in the shop they won’t be coloured up properly due to the stress of being in the shop tank and they will most likely be young fish.

If you wanted an alternative to the gouramis you could go for Rams. They will be a bit more rowdy but lovely fish when they colour up.

TechnoFreek

Thanks onslaught. Do folks here pay much consideration to water hardness. The more I read on fish types, the more I see it coming up as a consideration factor.

I thought most water supplies in Ireland was Hard yet a lot of the fish I'm looking at prefer soft.

Thanks

OnDraught

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Thanks onslaught. Do folks here pay much consideration to water hardness. The more I read on fish types, the more I see it coming up as a consideration factor.

I thought most water supplies in Ireland was Hard yet a lot of the fish I'm looking at prefer soft.

Thanks

It varies depending where you live. A ph of 7 is neutral and will suit all the fish you mentioned. Get your shop to test it. Anything above 7.8 and you need to rethink what you’re putting in there.

You will read that certain fish like a ph of 6.5 for example. This may be true of the fish in the wild but 99% of the fish in the trade are bred in Singapore in the same water so they are acclimated to softer or harder.

Where I live in Dublin the water is slightly soft. Others areas are really hard so you will have to get it checked.

TechnoFreek

OnDraught wrote: »

It varies depending where you live. A ph of 7 is neutral and will suit all the fish you mentioned. Get your shop to test it. Anything above 7.8 and you need to rethink what you’re putting in there.

You will read that certain fish like a ph of 6.5 for example. This may be true of the fish in the wild but 99% of the fish in the trade are bred in Singapore in the same water so they are acclimated to softer or harder.

Where I live in Dublin the water is slightly soft. Others areas are really hard so you will have to get it checked.

Great advice. My ph looks To be around 7.4, maybe 7.6. My next door neighbour is an environmental technician for the local county council and he thinks the water should be on the soft side. He's checking the data today though to be sure.

The highish ph makes me question if the water is hard though.

OnDraught

TechnoFreek wrote: »

Great advice. My ph looks To be around 7.4, maybe 7.6. My next door neighbour is an environmental technician for the local county council and he thinks the water should be on the soft side. He's checking the data today though to be sure.

The highish ph makes me question if the water is hard though.

7.4 to 7.6 will be fine anyway. In my experience people worry too much about it. Once it’s within a reasonable range and most importantly that it’s stable it will be ok.

Mech1

If you start chasing ph and hardness, you wont ever get to sit back and just enjoy your tank.

TechnoFreek

Mech1 wrote: »

If you start chasing ph and hardness, you wont ever get to sit back and just enjoy your tank.

Agreed. I've no interest in adjusting water parameters. Just like to know what I have and work to that.