Restocking Suggestions

[Kerrinne]

Hello! I used to post here quite a bit some time ago, but life got busy. And as it got busy not only did the forum get forgotten, but care of my fish tank dwindled. Of all the wonderful fish I had (and generations of them), I only have two platties left. And they probably aren't going to make it through the medication. I'm going to clean out the tank and all of the decorations inside and start over from scratch. I'd like advice on how to do that without getting rid of all the nitrates from my tank.

I'd also like to have suggestions for what fish to put in the tank once I get it refilled and stabilized (ph seemed to be an issue with me and I never realized it until it was too late). My boyfriend thinks I should go with cichlids (spelling?), because they're very hardy and more fun than "passive" fish. I like the colors of the livebearers and I happen to think most of the cichlids that I've seen are pretty danged ugly.

So does anyone know of some fish that aren't ugly that might be interesting to my boyfriend? And how many would you recommend for a tank my size? I know to only add a few at a time, but I'm wanting to know long term too.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

 

[eah]

So, you've got a 75 gallon, right? I absolutely love my pearl gourami -- really eye-catching. You could also consider a very large school of some type of tetras, that could be really stunning.

Perhaps from the bottom a large group of cories (10 or so?) -- if cories in your tank are comfortable and happy they are playful and a joy to watch. Some dwarf cichlids are really eye catching and more docile than most other cichlids although I've never kept any.

I hope I don't offend anyone, but I agree with you that most of the cichlids I've seen are "pretty danged ugly" as well.

If you're interested in a semi-aggressive tank, you can't go wrong with a large group of tiger barbs.

Good luck!!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Have you looked into African Cichlids? They are very colorful and not ugly in the slightest. 75 gal would be perfect for them.

 

[ezy33]

In the cichlids I like the Green Severum for their mild manor(for a cichlids). Also the Festivum or Geophagus Cichlids. These will get along with other types of fish in a community tank unless they are breeding. I also like gouramis for color and barbs for silver flash. Then there is $alt Water if you really want color.

As for cleaning just pull all decorations and rinse with treated water and do a 50% water change. Do not change or clean your filter as this will seed your tank with bacteria. Change it later after the system has stabilized.