Restocking 30 gallon. Would this work?

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Carlos_421

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
41
Location
SW Ohio
Hi!
I posted a similar thread in the general discussion forum but thought I'd post here as well in case some cichlid experts might see it here who might miss it elsewhere.

I have a 30 gallon planted aquarium that I've recently reaquired. I've cleaned it well and redecorated with a more natual look (live plants are well established). My current stock is down to two upside-down catfish and two black kuhli loaches.

I'd like to move more toward a South American setup than I've had previously. Does the following sound like a good stocking plan?

1 Angelfish
1German Blue Ram
1 Bolivian Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Blue Dwarf Gourami
A small school of dither

I realize the gouramis would detract from the SA authenticity but I really like the look/color that they bring.

Would this mix of fish jive well in a 30 gallon planted tank? And if so, what would you suggest regarding adding one fish before the other in order to prevent any territorial aggression?

Thanks a lot!!
 
Thanks! So other than those changes everyone should get along fine?

I'm assuming you say only one gourami so they won't fight amongst themselves? I had hoped them being different colors might prevent that (maybe not, I wouldn't know).

Just curious, but why would the angelfish not work?

Also, my petsmart has all of these fish in stock right now. Should I add the rams last to prevent aggression? Or the other way around?

What about adding a pair of each ram? Too much potential for overcrowding or aggression?
 
The angelfish I'd be iffy on. A 30g is their absolute minimum, so size is a concern, but also because he wouldn't have much room for his own territory and along with the rest of the stock being fairly territorial that may cause some issues. Not saying it will, if you got a female you'd probably be okay, but males can turn aggressive fairly often even without other angels in the tank.
The rest of the stock, besides the Gourami's sounds good though. I'd only do 1 gourami as well just because in that size, even though they are different species, it could cause some issues. I'd go with whichever you think is more colorful, them the 2 rams, and maybe 2 different schools of dither, a middle and top dweller.
 
So perhaps I should add the rams first and then the dither schools and add one gourami or the other last if it seems there's still room and I want the extra color?

I'm also still not sure if I should add just one bolivian and one gbr or if I should get a pair of each.
 
I would suggest sticking with only one dwarf gourami, but other than that I see no problem with your list for a 30 gallon. Unless you have a real terror of a specimen, I just don't see one angelfish causing problems with the rest of your stock. Paired angelfish are much more aggressive IME.
 
Thanks Severum Mama!

Also, I just now did a 5 in 1 water test and my gh/kh/ph was about 120/120/7.5. Nitrites and nitrates were both 0.

Keeping in mind that I probably did an over 90-95% water change on Saturday while I was cleaning the long neglected tank (water was already low from moving it and then had to add/remove water to use the gravel vac) is this something I should be concerned about? I know that seems a little hard and alkaline for the fish I'm wanting to add.

Would it be better to treat this or should I leave it alone so that the ph remains more stable long term? I've heard that ph changes can be worse for fish than a ph that's a little high.
Will my plants also possibly lower this over time since it's basically all new water in the tank?
 
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