Stocking scheme, how does this sound?

[RabidChild]

Looking at stocking my 90 gallon with a community containing some medium sized fish. The latest water test of water in the tank that has been up and running for a few days with all the decorations (minus a handful of plastic plants just ordered) shows my pH at 7.8 and KH at 2. I was thinking of maybe adding crushed coral either to the filter or the gravel to try to up the KH. I have a Magnum 350 cannister and an Emperor 400 (I could maybe add some coral to the 2 empty filter boxes on the 400?). anyway here is what I have come up with:

Bottom dwellers:
4: Yo-Yo Loach
6: Cory Cats (not sure on the type yet depends on what's available)

Mid/top dwellers:
4 Angelfish
2 Pearl, Blue, or Gold Gourami*
6 Scisortail Rasorba

Anyone see anything that obviously doesn't fit in? I really wish I could get the Redline Torpedo Barbs but I don't want to shell out that much for fish in my first tank and I have no idea if they would coexist with the Angels. I think the rasorbas are a good sub though. I've seen the max size listed anywhere from 3.5" to 6" so I'm not sure how big they get.

I would assume that is about the max stocking limits for the tank? I am more than likely going to use Biospira to cycle. Is there any specific order to which fish I should stock first? I was thinking the rasorbas, gourami and corys first since they are probably the most hearty and then add the angels and loaches after a few weeks.

*I had also thought of replacing the Gourami with 4 Boesemani Rainbow if they might fit in better.

 

[tkos]

I would opt for the rainbows over the gouramis. There is a good chance they won't get along with the angels. Cories aren't super hardy but if you add them first just simply check water params and if the ammonia reaches 2ppm or the nitrites reach 0.25 ppm then do a water change to get them back down. Add a group of fish and when ammonia and nitrite can stay at zero for more than 24 hours and nitrates are climbing you are ready to add more fish (but the cycle will kick in again).

Of course a fishless cycle would mean going through the cycle process once and then being able to add all of your fish at once.

 

[Jchillin]

Ditto on the gourami's. There not the best tankmates for Angels. Are you are correct about the barbs, they also have problems with Angels. Your list is fine as far as stocking a little under IMO. I have 3 Angels, 4 German Rams, 6 Serpae Tetras, 4 Lamp eye tetras, 4 corydora's julii (or trillineaus...depends on your point of view...LOL) and a sailfin gibbiceps pleco in my 75 gal.

I would suggest adding the bottom dwellers last...when the tank is mature (about a month after the cycle is complete).

I would double check the kh...your ph is high enough to have a higher carbonate level in the tank.

HTH.

 

[RabidChild]

I would double check the kh...your ph is high enough to have a higher carbonate level in the tank.

Maybe I need to get a new test kit because I thought the same thing. I got the KH one from a LFS and I don't really know how long it has been sitting around. I've done the test twice each on both tank and tap water with the same results each time.

 

[Jchillin]

What kind of test are you using?

 

[RabidChild]

It's the Aquarium Paharmicuticals kit. I bought the master test kit online and then realized it didn't have a KH test so I bought that locally.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Does your water go through a water softener?

 

[Jchillin]

Did you get the blue color on the first drop?

 

[RabidChild]

Did you get the blue color on the first drop?

Yep, blue on the first and yellow on the 2nd.

As far as I know there isn't a water softner. I live in an apartment building with about 20 other apartments and there isn't one in the unit anywhere. I can't imagine they have one for the entire building.

I think I'm just going to take a sample to the LFS tonight and have them test it for me.

 

[RabidChild]

I just did some checking on the Seattle public utillities site and in the 2004 report they listed tests of drinking water. The pH was from 7.8-8.7 and the hardness was 30ppm (or 1.7 grains/gallon) and the Alkilinity at 20 ppm. That looks almost exactly like what I'm getting.

 

[Jchillin]

Wow...then it makes sense. Soft water with a high ph is not all that uncommon, but it is rare. So, you can go with the buffers you mentioned earlier.