You "fish" your tank looked this good!

[rlstoll]

It looked like two fish were dead. And how would I know if there were any contaminants? And how much should I take??

 

[Borderlesscott]

I wouldn't touch anything in that tank, stay well away - parasites, disease etc.

Have you looked at Bolivian Rams, bigger and more hardy than German Rams and not as aggressive - nearly all stores will stock them.

 

[rlstoll]

Thanks for the advice. And no I haven't. Would they be good in my 37 gal tank with all the rest of the fish I picked out?

 

[Borderlesscott]

Should be fine, the Gourami might be pushing it - I would add it last after you see how things go. Don't add all the fish at once, add them see how it goes and carry on if all is well.

All Bolivians look rubbish in the shop, don't let it put you off - they just need time.

 

[rlstoll]

I really like the way they look. Thanks for the advice. I'll have to go check and see if pet smart has them.

 

[rlstoll]

Just an update on the tank. The cycle is complete and I just purchased 8 glofish. The tank looks great!!

 

[librarygirl]

That's great, congrats! I assume you finished cycling with the ammonia, right? If so, your biofilter is very strong right now; it will adjust itself to the fish level though, so if you keep just 8 glofish in there for a while you'll start to lose some of the bacteria you built up, so if you're going to finish stocking I'd do so sooner rather than later. You can add fish slowly but your bacteria will adjust down to the fish level so when you add more fish there's more chance of a temporary ammonia or nitrite spike. Good luck!

 

[rlstoll]

Yep. I did it with the ammonia. So I guess I should head back to the fish store tomorrow and get more. I will also keep testing the water to see if there is an ammonia spike. If there is, what should I do??

 

[monsteridea]

Yep. I did it with the ammonia. So I guess I should head back to the fish store tomorrow and get more. I will also keep testing the water to see if there is an ammonia spike. If there is, what should I do??

If you cycled correctly, and don't overstock, you shouldn't have an issue with ammonia for a while. If you used pure ammonia, it should be strong enough to handle a good fish load. Just remember guidelines, make sure there aren't too many so that they're in each others face at every turn and you should be OK.

 

[rlstoll]

Do you think this would be over stocking for my 37 gal??

Stocking plan:
~8 neon tetras
~8 GloFish
1 dwarf gourami
2 Bolivian rams.

 

[monsteridea]

Do you think this would be over stocking for my 37 gal??

Stocking plan:
~8 neon tetras
~8 GloFish
1 dwarf gourami
2 Bolivian rams.

Others may give you a different opinion, but I would suggest considering the behavior of the fish you want to add. Any school will want a lot of swimming space to travel around the tank. Gourami, even dwarves can be a little nippy, and sometimes require at least 5 gallons of space for just one guy. Be aware of swimming level as well. A lot of fish with an averaging swimming level of middle will all swim around in the middle unless space is threatened. All your fish swimming at the same level may make it look like the tank is over crowded, but perfectly decent when they swim at different levels.

Also, just something to think about: some people also neglect that their accessories and decorations take up a percentage of water in the tank. So, someone may have a 50 gallon tank but really only have maybe 30 or 40 gallons of usable space after decorating. Most fish don't seem to mind as long as there are plenty of hiding spaces for them, but it should be something to keep in mind regardless.

Also, what type of GloFish did you add? There are many species on the market now being sold as "GloFish." The most common are actually zebra danios, but there are black skirt tetras and tiger barbs now being altered with that jellyfish gene to make them "glow." This should also be in the back of your mind. Zebra danios are great hardy fish, but sometimes they can be fin nippers and bother some of the bigger fancier fish. Neon tetras tend to be OK as long as your tank is established (which it should be), although they can be sensitive with any fluctuations in your water chemistry. I've read that they do better in soft water systems, although I've seen them live fine in established hard water systems.

I think you should be fine as long as you don't go over board with the "big" fish and have a lot of hiding spaces, plants/crevices that small fish may run to if necessary. And as long as the type of dwarf gourami you get, doesn't have a bad attitude with the rams. At some PetSmart's, they sell a Dwarf Honey Gourami and they're supposed to stay smaller than the other varieties. They're a bright orangey-red color, very pretty.

 

[rlstoll]

Thanks for the advice!! I just got my dwarf gourami. Here it is!!

 

[rlstoll]

Help!! One of my glofish died. Not sure as to why. My tests are as follows:
PH 7.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20 ppm

Im assuming the nitrates are too high? what level should it be at?? All the other fish seem to be doing great.

 

[rlstoll]

So I had just bought a tank off of a guy on Craigslist. And it came with an extra top fin 60 filter that I want to put on this tank for a lot of extra filtration. What is the best way to clean an old filter?

After I have it cleaned and ready to go. I'll have a top fin 40 and 60 on a 37 gal!!

 

[rlstoll]

Got the filter cleaned and set up. The extra filtration will be good for when I add more fish.

Right now I have 5 glofish danios and 5 neon tetras ( had a dwarf gourami died unexpected). Any suggestions on a few center piece fish? Maybe just one or a pair or at most 3.

 

[Aqualady40]

IMO..2 Bolivian Rams would be nice center/focal fish

 

[azmodan]

I'd do a pair of German blue rams (after your tank matures a bit) or a pearl gourami.

 

[rlstoll]

IMO..2 Bolivian Rams would be nice center/focal fish

I do like the look of those. Are they extra sensitive?

 

[rlstoll]

I'd do a pair of German blue rams (after your tank matures a bit) or a pearl gourami.

How long would I have to let my tank mature? And what do I need to make them thrive and be healthy?

 

[rlstoll]

How necessary is the bubble wall in my tank? I turned it off to see if my micro bubbles would go away. And they did. The tank looks much cleaner and it's quieter.