In the future I'll be building a 200 gal planted tank. I've been looking at fish and wanted to know if you guys have ever kept these together and what issues may arise. I've been researching temperature, pH, and hardness and so far some of the fish do not all fit together nicely. However many websites give very different parameters for each fish so I wanted some advice. The cardinal tetras seem to pose the biggest problem.
everything will be fine together except maybe the rainbow fish. they get considerably bigger than the rest of your choices and kinda "don't fit" with the predominantly south American fish theme.
In my experience the best luck is had when keeping fish from the same part of the world together.
Also bear in mind that app errors on the extreme side of safety and much of those recommendations should be taken as suggestions more than anything else. Those parameters are the wild habitat, sizes, etc.
I think you should be fine keeping most of what you have listed there in the same tank. I'm just not sure what the last few species are? All of the "cc"s? A cory of some sort?
yup, cory cats
Cardinal tetras are native to Amazon backwaters, mostly flooded bog-wood areas. Very soft, very acidic (low PH) water. I can tell you from sad experience that they don't thrive in water with a PH over 7.
that really depends on if they are wild caught or tank raised. wild specimens will need softer water and more care, tank raised ones will be fine around a neutral ph. Most offered at a lfs should be fine.
it stinks really, wild ones are so delicate and particular concerning water params, but are more robust and "stronger" overall than tank raised, but tank raised can tolerate a much wider range of conditions.
If you keep the ph within 6.5-7.5and they should be fine.
Mine hovers around 7-7.5 and my fishies are doing great.
now if you want to attempt to breed them you need to reproduce a rain forest stream...LOL
one final note about tetras, especially neons and cardinals.
because they are so popular, they are bred like mad and often stores get "weak" batches that don't fair so well.
I always wait until my lfs has had them for at least a week before I consider getting any. Many times I have gone in one day to a tank full of new tetras and two days later all gone because a bad batch.
