RachelG
Aquarium Advice Activist
After much time and effort searching around for Sparkling Gouramis and not finding them(except for high prices online) and trying to figure out a safe and inexpensive way to soften the water and lower PH, I think I may have to give up on having Sparkling Gouramis for my ten gallon tank. Apparently I can't have my cute little chili rasboras, either. (All of the fish I want are impossible to find and need conditions that I cannot provide! What gives with my liking for fish? Why can't I like guppies like a normal person? Those are common!)
But how about I get three male platies instead? (Males only to avoid fry)
My water is fairly hard and has a PH around 7.8 to 8.0, and I've read that livebearers appreciate conditions like this(correct me if I'm wrong). My tank has an Aquaclear 20 filter and is planted heavily with anubias, java fern, hornwort, and anacharis, most of these floating or tied to driftwood. The tank is FULL of plants(set up with Sparkling Gouramis in mind). Would conditions like these be suitable for a small handful of Platies? They are supposedly hardy, so I think they might be good for me considering my limited experience with aquariums. They are very pretty and adorable, too! I'd love to have some. But are they right for my tank?
Also, my ten gallon is not fully cycled yet, but nitrites are dropping now, so I think I'm close.
Now that I've decided not to go for gouramis, maybe I can actually have some cherry shrimp! Would the platies eat them, harrass them, or just ignore them?
But how about I get three male platies instead? (Males only to avoid fry)
My water is fairly hard and has a PH around 7.8 to 8.0, and I've read that livebearers appreciate conditions like this(correct me if I'm wrong). My tank has an Aquaclear 20 filter and is planted heavily with anubias, java fern, hornwort, and anacharis, most of these floating or tied to driftwood. The tank is FULL of plants(set up with Sparkling Gouramis in mind). Would conditions like these be suitable for a small handful of Platies? They are supposedly hardy, so I think they might be good for me considering my limited experience with aquariums. They are very pretty and adorable, too! I'd love to have some. But are they right for my tank?
Also, my ten gallon is not fully cycled yet, but nitrites are dropping now, so I think I'm close.
Now that I've decided not to go for gouramis, maybe I can actually have some cherry shrimp! Would the platies eat them, harrass them, or just ignore them?
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