Diving into the deep end in Upstate SC

[Paul L]

Hello!

I'm a 74-year-old retiree who has decided that a freshwater aquarium would be a good way to keep busy. I've spent countless hours information gathering on the internet and checked out a few books from the local library. Whew! What I've learned so far tells me I won't be bored!

I purchased a used SeaClear 35 gallon bowfront acrylic tank in very good shape. It was missing the lid, but a trip to Lowe's and a little time in the garage with a sheet of acrylic and I made my own, since a replacement isn't available now.

I'm slowing gathering all the equipment needed and will be taking my time to assure the water and setup are good before adding fish. Since I know little to nothing about what species peacefully co-exist, Gemini (my AI assistant) suggested the following:
1 Pearl Gourami
8 Rummy Nose Tetras
6 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Pleco
2-3 Nerite snails for algae control are optional

Am I on the right track? Wish me luck!

 

[Aiken Drum]

Hello Paul, Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing and hearing about what you are getting up to.

I dont think there is anything particularly controversial about your fish selection. I would just suggest going to the fish store and seeing what takes your interest, rather than just going with an AI suggestion or anyone else's for that matter.

Do you know if you have soft, acidic water, or harder higher pH, or fairly neutral? There are fish that don't do well at one end of the scale or the other.

 

[V227]

It's a good idea when first entering the hobby to introduce very hardy, durable fish.

The Corydoras & Rummynose Tetras tend to fall under a more fragile category.

 

[Paul L]

Hello Paul, Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing and hearing about what you are getting up to.

I dont think there is anything particularly controversial about your fish selection. I would just suggest going to the fish store and seeing what takes your interest, rather than just going with an AI suggestion or anyone else's for that matter.

Do you know if you have soft, acidic water, or harder higher pH, or fairly neutral? There are fish that don't do well at one end of the scale or the other.

I haven't filled the tank as yet, but I will be checking with an API Freshwater Master Test Kit. I used to live in a home with an inground pool, so testing and adjusting levels in the water aren't too foreign to me.
I asked AI for suggestions on the fish for a community tank because there are so many variables - aggression, temperatures, pH, etc. Just going to the store and buying what looks interesting, when you don't know who eats who, didn't seem like a great idea to me. Maybe when I get more confident I can add others.

 

[Paul L]

It's a good idea when first entering the hobby to introduce very hardy, durable fish.

The Corydoras & Rummynose Tetras tend to fall under a more fragile category.

Suggestions for alternatives?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Just going to the store and buying what looks interesting, when you don't know who eats who, didn't seem like a great idea to me.

Im not suggesting just going and buying whatever takes your fancy, but go and find something that interests you, then go away and look into what they need, what other fish are compatible etc and ask questions about them.

Your aquarium needs to have fish that interest you, not what would interest someone else.

 

[V227]

There are so many options.

If your water is hard with an elevated PH and you don't mind dealing with prolific breeding fish, you might like Swordtails, Platy's or Mollies.

If your water parameters are relatively neutral to moderately alkaline, look at Giant Danios, Barbs, such as Rosy's, Cherry's, Black Ruby or even Tiger Barbs.

Other possibilities might be durable Tetras. Columbian & Diamond Tetras, both were a couple of my favorites.

After your tank environment completely matures (six months) maybe add Loaches such as Kuhlis or YoYo's to the bottom feeders list.

Here's are pics of some of my listed starter fish suggestions minus the livebearers. I haven't kept livebearers in many years. Lol.

 

[Andy Sager]

Hello!

I'm a 74-year-old retiree who has decided that a freshwater aquarium would be a good way to keep busy. I've spent countless hours information gathering on the internet and checked out a few books from the local library. Whew! What I've learned so far tells me I won't be bored!

I purchased a used SeaClear 35 gallon bowfront acrylic tank in very good shape. It was missing the lid, but a trip to Lowe's and a little time in the garage with a sheet of acrylic and I made my own, since a replacement isn't available now.

I'm slowing gathering all the equipment needed and will be taking my time to assure the water and setup are good before adding fish. Since I know little to nothing about what species peacefully co-exist, Gemini (my AI assistant) suggested the following:
1 Pearl Gourami
8 Rummy Nose Tetras
6 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Pleco
2-3 Nerite snails for algae control are optional

Am I on the right track? Wish me luck!

Hi Paul and welcome to the group.
As the others have suggested, there are many fish that are available to the hobby but not all of them may be available locally to you or will do well in your water parameters. Here's what you need to know to from your tap or well water help make choices: pH, Nitrate and General Hardness and Carbonate Hardness. These will tell you what fish you should be looking for because they will do well in your parameters vs a general what can go together.
While I know technology is the " new" school of learning, what is missing is the differentiating between farm raised and wild caught fish. Most of the information you will get online and in books is for wild caught fish while most of the fish offered in the hobby these days are farm raised fish. Why this matters is that over the decades, many fish no longer are being kept in their "wild" parameters. Case in point, look up keeping Tetras from South American and you will see they mostly come from soft, acidic water and need acidic water to breed. Millions of these South American Tetras have been bred in Florida's rock hard, high alkaline water on the farms here. So you can see, there is a difference. This is why it's best to go to your local shop, ask them what water parameters they are keeping in their tanks or systems and then look at their inventory of fish that are doing well in their water then compare their water to your water. AI can't do that for ya. You want fish that live well in your parameters vs trying to change your parameters to match the fish's needs. That is a much more advanced thing to do and very time consuming and can be expensive. If you keep fish that live well in your parameters, you'll find fish keeping much easier.

Yes, there is a lot to learn about keeping fish. The more you know, the better your chances of success in the hobby. ( FYI, I've been keeping fish for over 60 years. It's a wonderful hobby. )

Hope this helps.

 

[G2-B]

I have well water at a very constant 7.5 pH. It makes it easier not to have to deal with water treatments every time you change the water. I personally like the livebearers, because they are always busy and you get babies.


I started with fancy guppies. They are cute, virtually indestructible, but like most livebearers they breed like crazy.


I also like red wag platies. I've stayed away from the swordtails so far, because they get at least twice as big as the other fish listed here.
In background harlequin rasboras and neon tetras. They are peaceful schooling fish that do well together with these livebearers.


Like many livebearers, mollies come in many different colors and body types.

I also have 8 yoyo loaches in that tank. Their antics are always good for a laugh.

As mentioned above, aquarium fish have been farm bred for generations in conditions that are very different than their natural environment. As long as you can keep your water within average parameters, you can keep many different kinds together.

 

[Chiligirl]

I would NOT recommend Tiger Barbs. Especially to a newbee. They are little monsters. Six Banded Barb (Desmopuntius hexazona) would be a good alternative. Odessa Barbs, Cherry Barbs, Rosy Barbs, Black Ruby Barbs are all hardy and active.

 

[BigFredkahuna]

Hello!

I'm a 74-year-old retiree who has decided that a freshwater aquarium would be a good way to keep busy. I've spent countless hours information gathering on the internet and checked out a few books from the local library. Whew! What I've learned so far tells me I won't be bored!

I purchased a used SeaClear 35 gallon bowfront acrylic tank in very good shape. It was missing the lid, but a trip to Lowe's and a little time in the garage with a sheet of acrylic and I made my own, since a replacement isn't available now.

I'm slowing gathering all the equipment needed and will be taking my time to assure the water and setup are good before adding fish. Since I know little to nothing about what species peacefully co-exist, Gemini (my AI assistant) suggested the following:
1 Pearl Gourami
8 Rummy Nose Tetras
6 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Pleco
2-3 Nerite snails for algae control are optional

Am I on the right track? Wish me luck!

Hey Paul, I'm upstate SC too right on the border. I have a 36 gallon bow front and going thru the nito cycle, darn stressful too. Patience is the name of the game here. Petsmart in Gastonia is has an adequate selection of fish, not a plug for them. Good luck, I'll be watching you

 

[Paul L]

Hey Paul, I'm upstate SC too right on the border. I have a 36 gallon bow front and going thru the nito cycle, darn stressful too. Patience is the name of the game here. Petsmart in Gastonia is has an adequate selection of fish, not a plug for them. Good luck, I'll be watching you

I hear you on the nitro cycle stress! The test kit reminds me of monitoring the water in the slightly larger (36,000 gallon) inground pool at my old house in MA. Speaking of patience, I'm in the process of boiling some mopani wood. It will probably be a few more weeks before I can even think about stocking with fish.

 

[BigFredkahuna]

MA! Went to school in Ashburnham and Southboro, spent a few summers on the Cape too. The snow this weekend reminded me of N.E. I don't miss it at all.

 

[Paul L]

MA! Went to school in Ashburnham and Southboro, spent a few summers on the Cape too. The snow this weekend reminded me of N.E. I don't miss it at all.

Grew up on the South Shore. Spent a lot of summer weekends on the Cape when it was still safe to hitchhike.
Moved to Central MA later in life. Moved here to get away from the snow! Can't complain, it was melted in two days.