Restocking My Tank-Suggestions Please

[markj]

While I wait for my more reliable heater and new water testing kits to arrive I am trying to decide what type(s) of fish I would like to put in my tank. It is a 10 gallon hex that is about 20 inches tall, and right now as my signature says there are 2 zebra danios and 1 lep. danio, the zebras are long finned lep. is short and 6 algae eating shrimp, they aren't ghosts I dont think they are orange now, but thats good I think lol. When I last got my water tested it was at a pH of 7.3 and everything was allright except for the ammonia was high, I am going to retest it as soon as I get my kit because the store charges a lot. I have already added some nice tall brazilian swords to the back and some amazon sword grass to the front and am going to add a medium sized plant for the middle. I really like the looks of Angels but from what I have read that may be a little bit cramped for one of them. I would like a colorful active fish (kinda generic I know) I don't mind if its a solitary fish if its larger or a small school of other fish. I also would like a fish to help with the algae, the shrimp are kinda slow... Oh, yeah and I have an aquaclear mini on it and the lights are cf but I'm going to replace one of the bulbs because its more blue light than powerful. SOrry this is kind of long, just want it to be right!
Thanks everyone!

 

[Christmasfish]

I hate to say it but your tank is bit stuffed in bioload. and hexes are kinda weird in way of surface area.. (read less oxygenation). Are you talking total replacement?

Maybe the a pari of puffers?

a pair of dwarf cichlids like Rams?

add to it 3 otos and three cories(which is stuffed but controllable if you change frequent)
Guppies are colorful and active, ornamental and small....
just have something at the botom big enough to eat fry but not the parents. Smaller botia or such.

Or you could get like 4-5 sparkling gourami

or wsome intersting and gregarious small loaches: like 3 Zebra and 3 striped khulies?
Okay guys , someone needs to bat , I already had 4 balls and a walk here.....

 

[Menagerie]

markj, how often are you changing the water while vacuuming the gravel? If the ammonia was a little high--don't wait for your test kits, do a 25% water change every day for 3 days to alleviate the stress on the fish.
It soulds like you want to add more fish to the tank. Are all of your fish full grown? A larger, colorful, active fish will want lots of room to swim around. In my 10 gal hex there are 4 Badis badis (each 1-2"; 2" full grown) 5 pygmy cats (they are less than an inch right now and will only reach an inch) and a Rubber Lipped pleco (2" now, 4-5" when full grown). RL may have to move to the 29 gal or 50 gal when he gets bigger. My tank is stuffed, but Badis are not big on swimming a whole bunch.

If you are really on top of water changes you could add two male guppies for color (no females--too many fry, too little color). As your plants mature, they will take up all the nutrients and the algae will be "starved."

 

[markj]

Yes, the lfs told me to do the water changes like you said and I did that, and have dropped back down to doing about a 15% twice a week. The danios I have had since I set the tank up in x mas of 01 so they are about an inch and a quarter around there, 1 is a bit smaller than that but yeah. I am not going to add more fish until I add the other plants and have the water correct again. I will look at some pictures and info for Badis and I really like puffers but have no idea, I'll go google that right now. Never really seen any rams or anything so I'll make sure to check out google and some fish sites. Thanks, any other recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

www.liveaquaria.com has great basic fish info.
Apistos are also dward cichlids (like rams) that may do well in your tank.
BTW--do you know how long danios live?

 

[markj]

On the sites I have read it sounds about 5 years, but some have said 8 so not too sure what to think. I like puffers but don't know if I want to add the difficulty of brackish water, I like some of the dwarf cichlids. In the tank I also have a large natural rock in the center that has an archway about 15 inches tall with lots of algae and java moss growing on it. For the cichlids would I have to add a flowerpot or caves? Thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

My dwarf cichlids are in a heavily fake planted tank with 3 foot long pieces of driftwood with some roots attached. I didn't give my guys caves, rather they have little territories. If the only decor is the rock, then you will need to put in more decor.
Aside from rams and apistos--look into Badis. They only get 2" or so and are just as cute. Mine are not that colorful--brown with black and orange stripes (when they feel like showing the stripes). They have just as much personality as the dwarf cichlids.

 

[markj]

I think I will be going with either some Badis or some other small cichlid, while I am ordering more supplies online is there a special food that they would prefer because I am positive it would be less expensive online, right now my fish food collection includes Nutrafin Max Complete Flake, Nutrafin Max Livebearer, Tetra Spirulina supplement, and Hikari Freeze Dried Tubifex Worms
Thanks for all the help! The fish you have suggested would be alright with my 3 danios and then the algae or scavengers?
Thanks a bunch you guys are so much help!

 

[markj]

Just went to the LFS and picked up some new plants. Saw the badis badis, they were pretty small about 3/4 of an inch, not too bright colours, looked different from the pics but they were pretty cool. Might get some of those next weekend if my tank is good by then!