Newbie starting questions

[zitrael]

So wait a month before adding any fish, or start with like Danios before then wait a month?

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[josh7]

No I mean wait a month to add the rams if you get them they are sensitive and require good water quality. You can go ahead and add danios. I suggest not getting celestial danios though with mollies rams or swordtails they can become very reclusive and stressed. Look into zebra, leopard or pearl danios.

 

[zitrael]

If I go with rams, I'll have to forget about the swordtail and mollies anyway tho, right?

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[josh7]

Probably yes. But you could still get platys very similar fish look into them and you could do them with rams. You could do a stock of

2- Bolivian Rams
1 male platy 2 females
7- Zebra danios
5- Cory Cats

 

[zitrael]

My original idea was patties and guppies. But since my dad will get guppies I looked at other species. I see the Cory is a bottom feeder but will they do the same job as snails or shrimps?

Thanks alot for all the info by the way, really appreciate it

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[josh7]

No problem and yes Cory's will do pretty much the same they don't eat algae but they will eat pretty much every piece of food on the bottom. Also know you still need to fees them shrimp pellets and stuff like that.

 

[zitrael]

Yeah, just read that about fast sinking food so that top dwellers don't eat all.

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[josh7]

Yah it's what you need for catfish and any bottom dweller. Look into omega one shrimp pellets they are high quality good stuff!

 

[zitrael]

Well, 6 zebra Danio are in the tank now! They are swimming at the top like they are looking for food, but I always read to wait till the next day... Sorry fishes. :-\

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[Fishperson]

Rams need a very established tank, 3 months at least is recommended, especially for german blues. Swordtails aren't a good idea in your aquarium, they will need more space, and mollies aren't the best (but they are doable). I would stay away from CPDs in that size tank, with those other big fish. Do you know how to appropriately cycle a tank? Also, neons shouldn't be in a 5 gallon, you should add them to this tank. I'm thinking maybe:
- 6 neons
- 5 corys
- 6 danios
- 1 honey or dwarf gourami.

Edit: Oooooookay, just read the post about adding fish. Is the tank cycled? Or are you doing a fish in cycle? By the way I don't recommend rams to beginners.

 

[zitrael]

It was at 0 ammonia, 0.25ppm nitrite and 20 nitrate when I added the fish (6 danios). For the next couple weeks I'll keep close tabs on the water, doing water change regularly. Then, if all set, Cory cats. Then platies (3) later down the roads, and in a few months (about 3) I should add the 2 Bolivian rams if I'm up for it following josh7's advices and my dad's. Néons will most likely end up in my dad's tank in a month or so when it's set up, and I'll use the 5g for other purposes most likely.

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[zitrael]

Just a little update:

Now have 5 Danios and 5 albino Cory. I can tell you that the aquarium is moving! Just added the Cory yesterday and they are very fun to look at. Frantically cleaning the gravel then flying up the tank for no apparent reason, going around a few times then back to cleaning. The Danios accepted them right away (unlike the yellow shrimps I added a week ago... Yeah, most got eaten by one of my Danio.. Who was removed from the tank.)

I'm not sure if I'll stick with the plans and get 3 platty and 2 Bolivia Ram or just get like 6 platty... Decisions decisions...

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