40B stocking help

[tedek]

I am back to square one with my tank after a failed group of silvertip tetras so I need some stocking advice.
I am not partial to any particular fish, but I do have a few "wants".
I want the fish to all be from the same region. I don't need a pure biotope, but I don't want to mix continents either.
I want at least 1 larger (5" approx.) predator type fish.
I want a group of schooling or shoaling fish that will look appealing while at the same time not be gobbled up by the predator fish.

Ok so you have your guidelines...go!

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[elephantnose]

African cichlids or south American cichlids. Do not mix the two.

 

[tedek]

I can't do Africans because my pH is naturally in the mid 6's. SA I like and have thought about doing a single blue acara, but can't decide on a good schooling fish to pair with it.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[elephantnose]

You could try angel fish or hatchet fish or both. My 44 gallon has ram cichlids on the bottom. Angels in the middle. And hatchetfish at the top.

 

[tedek]

Do your hatchets jump?
I'm not a huge fan of angels and I have heard rams are sensitive to water conditions. Being fairly new to the hobby I don't want to do rams just yet.
I keep coming back to one medium sized SA cichlid (convict, firemouth, blue acara, etc) and/or pictus catfish with a group of larger tetras.
I am just trying to get other ideas.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Fryer]

Rams aren't that bad the bolivian ones are meant to be really easy to keep

 

[tedek]

Good to know. Thanks

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Fryer]

My blue ram were nice used to head butt each other too but that's the rams for you. Angels are a piece of work misses wanted them coz they look pretty and she's like they keep fin nipping the red guarami's that we got

 

[Fryer]

Plus with blue rams they take a while to get their colour back from when u see them in a aquarium in a shop well mine did the blue gravel I got didn't help

 

[Kushgodrex]

Bosemani rainbow fish!

 

[tedek]

I think rainbows look so weird.
I picked up some brilliant rasboras and spotted corydoras this morning. The rasboras school beautifully but are still too small for me to feel comfortable adding a larger fish.
(And yes I know I went against my own guidelines. Call it an impulse buy ?)

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[elephantnose]

Do your hatchets jump?
I'm not a huge fan of angels and I have heard rams are sensitive to water conditions. Being fairly new to the hobby I don't want to do rams just yet.
I keep coming back to one medium sized SA cichlid (convict, firemouth, blue acara, etc) and/or pictus catfish with a group of larger tetras.
I am just trying to get other ideas.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Sorry for the late reply. My hatchetfish haven't jumped. I have a lid tho so it wouldn't matter. They're nice because they provide movement at the top of the tank. They almost never leave the top.

 

[tedek]

No worries. I am actually pretty happy with the ones I got today even if they go against my original plan.
I am thinking now that I will just get a few more of each of them plus a dozen or so cardinal tetras and forego the larger predator fish.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[elephantnose]

No worries. I am actually pretty happy with the ones I got today even if they go against my original plan.
I am thinking now that I will just get a few more of each of them plus a dozen or so cardinal tetras and forego the larger predator fish.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

What did you end up with?

 

[tedek]

Sorry...
4 brilliant rasboras and 2 spotted corydoras.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[tedek]

Since I moved away from my original plan and now have peaceful fish from mixed regions, what would you recommend to go with the brilliant rasboras?
I am going to add 3 more brilliant rasboras and 2 more cories to bring those totals up to 7 and 4, but I'll still have room in the tank.
I was thinking another schooling fish like rummy nose tetras.
Would they look good together?

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Aquarium Advice mobile app