Next up.... what to Stock???

[carlosk]

Hi all....

So, I seem to have completed my fishless cycle. I'm going to keep an eye on the parameters and changes over the next couple of days after I spike with ammonia, but I'm sure I'm completed. Just double checking and being careful about it all...

Ok, so my next headache... is a good one I guess... is what to stock? I have a 180L Juwel Rio, sand substrate, 2 pieces of boxwood and plenty of plans to plant into the tank when I'm confident to do so.

I suppose what I'm looking for are some recommendations on what to stock and also what would work well / compliment each other in a community tank? I'm not sure I'm a fan of Cichlids, but being a complete novice... I could be proven wrong. I always liked the idea of a Betta being in there, but I don't want any aggro taking place or arriving home to a stock who look like they've been in the wars while I've been away.

Any ideas or recommendations would be appreciated...

Thanks all... it starts here !!!

 

[Stewy]

Too open ended. We need something to go off of. I can say that I am not really a cichlid fan either, but there are some that are great as far as character and color. Are there any fish that you want? Somewhere to start? We can only do so much without knowing if you are leaning a certain way.

 

[Fishperson]

In almost 50 gallon tank it is hard to suggest a stock without specifics, but we can at least try to make an effort. I would say that you have a few standard choices, a community tank or an african cichlid tank. I don't know much about africans, but for a community tank you might want something like this:

3 schools of 6-10 fish each
1 or two centerpiece fish.

For centerpiece, you want something noticable, so I wouldn't use anything under 3". An angelfish might be nice, or a pearl gourami. Apistogramma cacatuoides "var. triple red" would be cool, and would grow to 3 inches, so not quite as long as the others, but still incredibly brilliant. As far as schooling fish, I would choose one for each level of the tank, as certain fish swim at certain levels of the tank. The choice is really yours for that. This is what I would personally do:

8 rummynose tetras
6 lemon tetras
8 neon tetras
5 corydoras pygmaeus
4 otocinclus vittatus
1 Appistogramma cacatuoides "var. triple red"

That would give you a nice, balanced tank.

The reason that I have so many fish is because they are all fairly small and have VERY low bioloads, which means they don't poop very much.

I highly recommend the stock that I listed, as the fish are all quite hardy, except the Appistogramma cacatuoides "var. triple red" might be a bit harder to care for, but with diligent water changes it won't be a problem.

I would add the fish in this order:
1. Lemon tetras
2. Corydoras pygmaeus
3. Neon tetras
4. Otocinclus Vittatus
5. Rummynose tetras
6. Appistogramma cacatuoides "var. triple red"

Just make sure you add only at most 3 or 4 fish at a time (except the first group, which can be as big as you want), and than once it has more of a stock you can add 6 at a time. Also, keep 2 days between adding fish for every one added. So if you add 4 fish, don't add any more until at least 8 days later.

Hope this helps!

 

[josh7]

In that size tank you can do cichlids what are the dimensions?
Look into these cichlids
Angelfish
Firemouth
Blue Acara
Bolivian Ram

Or you can do community tank type fish you can have angelfish and Bolivian rams in a community. Look into
Yoyo loaches
Cardinal Tetra
Harlequin Rasbora
Brilliant Rasbora
Bleeding Heart Tetra
Bristlenose Pleco
Cory Catfish
Lemon Tetra
Red Tailed Shark or Rainbow Shark.
Opaline Gourami
Pearl Gourami
Dwarf Gourami
Honey Gourami

 

[mistersprinkles]

How many PPM of ammonia per day did you cycle with? If you were adding 4ppm of ammonia per day you can fully stock the tank in one go.

 

[carlosk]

Hi all... sorry for pretty much abandoning my own post... things have been hectic here for me

Anyway, sorry about the lack of info on the fish that I would like.... well all i really know so far is that I don't want cichlids... I'm really looking for a community tank that will look well to the "untrained" eye. I guess that includes fish swimming at different areas/levels of the tank, some eye-catching colours, characteristics or personalities, basically just a mix of it all. I'm looking for a community tank. I'd love some schooling fish anyway, at least one group. I was thinking tetras of some sort. I'd have loved a betta male in there too. But I'm led to believe that these guys should be carefully selected and should really one be housed alone. I'd like a centrepiece fish, but I'm not sure what could live in harmony with everything else.

Well, as always, the info is appreciated. Things are getting exciting here. It's time to add fish.

 

[carlosk]

How many PPM of ammonia per day did you cycle with? If you were adding 4ppm of ammonia per day you can fully stock the tank in one go.

I carried out my fishless cycle using 4 - 5 ppm ammonia. Since the cycle completed, I have been dosing just 1ppm like the article on here suggested.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Rainbows!!!! There are so many dif kinds they're peaceful and they have some if the best colorations if fw besides the cichlids.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=830+886

 

[Fishperson]

So what did you decide carlos?