stock list for a 55 gal

[odobenus]

We are upgrading for a 10 gal to a 55 gal (woo hoo!) and I need some stocking advice. There is a red tailed shark (E. bicolor or labeo bicolor) in the 10 gal that will need to move to the 55, so whatever else goes in the larger tank has to coexist with red. We are also planning on a sand substrate. (We purchased light-colored pool filter sand.) That being said, here is what I would like to add to the tank:

1 gold severum
10-ish Buenos Aires tetras

I chose the BA tetras because we have three in the 10 gal who would love the upgrade. They get fairly large (over 2 inches) and are really quick, so I thought they would be okay with the sev.

Here's the other problem: the pH of our water is around 7.6, and severums like a pH of 6.5-7. Is it possible to lower the pH that much and keep it stable? (Fishyfanatic started a thread about this a while ago. How did it turn out?) We are planning on getting a Rena Filstar XP2, so we could put peat in one of the baskets.

Do you think these three fish would get along okay? Is the pH going to be a real problem?

 

[severum mama]

Here's the other problem: the pH of our water is around 7.6, and severums like a pH of 6.5-7. Is it possible to lower the pH that much and keep it stable?

Don't worry about it. I wouldn't mess with it at all. A severum is a hardy fish and will do fine in 7.6 pH. If you buy the fish locally, chances are it will already be accustomed to your city water. I know my LFS doesn't mess with the pH in their FW tanks.

The severum will likely dig in the sand, so if you are planning on making rock caves I would suggest using aquarium silicone to glue the formations together, so at least they won't fall apart if your severum digs them up.

 

[Jchillin]

Looks good...I don't see any problems. Your tank will still be understocked (until the shark grows out). You can still add more if you want.

 

[odobenus]

A severum is a hardy fish and will do fine in 7.6 pH

I hadn't asked you this yet because you have pretty much perfect water right from the tap! I will be getting the sev from my LFS, but they do not stock them and will be special ordering them for me, so they will not have a lot of time to adjust to the local water before moving into my tank. I keep using "them" because I was told to buy two, "just in case". Once they grow a little the LFS will take one back in trade.

We're definately having rock caves! The plan is to build them on top of eggcrate first, and use silicone sparingly, so that we can reaarange the rocks if we run into any agression problems. (This is pretty safe plan, isn't it?)

You can still add more if you want.

Yippee! What would you suggest?

 

[Jchillin]

A bottom dweller would do you well. Either a pleco, or a school of corys or loaches.

 

[odobenus]

A school of corys would be fantastic! That would give us, after trading in one of the severums:

1 red tailed shark
1 gold severum
10 BA tetras
6 corys

What is the best order to add the fish to the tank? The woman at the LFS (to whom I have pretty much stopped listening) said that all the fish should be added at once, so that the sev "thinks of the tetras as being the same size and therefore might not eat them when it gets older". Right now we have the three BAs and the shark in a 10 gallon with a hob filter. Would it be possible to fill the 55 gal, move those fish over along with the hob, and have just a mini cycle? (The other fish could then be added slowly later.) Along with the filter we would move several large rocks and plants, but none of the gravel. Will this work as well as I think?

 

[rich311k]

I think that would make a nice tank. Good luck with it. What kind of corys are you thinking of?

 

[rich311k]

Sorry I missed the second half of your post. Yes, if you move the filter and as many decorations as you can, in theory you will avoid a cycle. Test your water and keep an eye on things and it should go smoothly.

 

[Jchillin]

It's good that you have decided not to listen to her. Tetras should be first, 5 at a time is ok (a few days apart would be even better). It's a toss up between the sev and the red-tail (since I've never had a sev.). The corys are last and should be added a month after the tank is established.

HTH.

 

[severum mama]

It probably won't decide to eat the tetras. Mine doesn't pay any attention to the dithers (barbs) in my tank. It's the other cichlids that catch his eye. Really, I think this tank will be relatively peaceful, until you need to rehome the second sev. You'll know when you need to do this, trust me. Then when you just have one sev I think it will go back to being relatively peaceful. That's not to say that a sev definitely won't eat any of your tetras, but I don't think it will necessarily seek them out as food.

I agree with JC, you should add the tetras first, then Red and your sevs at the same time, then the corys when it is more established.

I will be getting the sev from my LFS, but they do not stock them and will be special ordering them for me, so they will not have a lot of time to adjust to the local water before moving into my tank.

Even in light of this, I would not mess with your pH. I think they will get used to it, and it certainly is easier that way. They are tough fish and 7.6 shouldn't pose any problem for them.

Your tank will be awesome! You have to post pics when you are set up.

 

[rich311k]

Just to clarify my answer. I was only speaking of moving your existing fish to the new tank right away, as long as you move the filter and decorations at the same time. You see little or no ammonia, or nitrite spikes. Wait several weeks after starting the tank, and be sure everything is stable before adding any new fish.

Oh and make sure to dechlorinate the water before putting in the decorations and old filter, you don't want to kill any bacteria.

 

[odobenus]

It's good that you have decided not to listen to her.

... one of the best decisions I have made this month!

Jchillin and sev mama, I'm going to follow your stocking advice, with one little change (unless you can come up with an alternative). If I move the three tetras we have now and the hob filter to the 55 gal I will have to move the red tail with them, or he would be without a filter. Once I am sure the parameters are okay in the 55 gal I'll slowly start adding the new tetras, then the sev, then the corys. If I move the rocks around when I add the sev I think they will be okay.

What kind of corys are you thinking of?

The LFS has Agassizi corys, which I like a lot. I think my favorite (and my husband's favorite) are the Sterba's corys. It is a good thing I will have a month to decide!

Oh, when I move the fish/filter/rocks to the new tank, should I try to move some of the water as well?

 

[severum mama]

The LFS has Agassizi corys, which I like a lot. I think my favorite (and my husband's favorite) are the Sterba's corys. It is a good thing I will have a month to decide!

Ah, I've been wanting a school of those for such a long time! They really are stunning. Surprisingly, my LFS has some right now... for $21 apiece!!! 8O

And yes, I got so wrapped up in your stocking order that I forgot you had to move everything out of the 10 at the same time. I think it will be fine to move Red and the tetras over together. Test the water often. As rich311k pointed out, this will not be an instant cycle. You will probably end up with juvie sevs about 1 1/2-2 inches long, and if this is the case you won't have to rearrange the rocks. That will come later as they mature.

 

[rich311k]

Do not move the water it contains no beneficial bacteria. They are not free swimming, all you would be moving is built up fish waste and dirt.

 

[odobenus]

The new tank is up! We set up the filter and heaters last night. I am a bit concerned about the sand. To be more accurate, I am concerned about the dust from the sand. We used pool filter sand, and thought we washed it well before adding it to the tank. The water, however, is quite murky, and does not seem to be settling. Will the dusty water hurt the fish? We still need to wait for the temperature to come up and then we can move everything over from the 10 gal.

I have pictures! There are not any lights on the tank yet, so it is a bit hard to see. (We also have not trimmed the background yet. ) One of the plastic plants, on the left, brushes up against the heater. Is that okay?

We had a hard time stacking the rocks. They are all pretty smooth and rounded, so they were not very stable. The eggcrate made everything worse; there was no friction and the rocks slid EVERYWHERE! We ended up smearing aquarium silicone on the bottom of some of the base rocks to give them some traction. (Has anyone else had problems with slippery eggcrate?) I really wanted to stack the rocks higher, but it just was not possible.

Any thoughts/constructive criticism on the decorations and heater and filter placements? (And thanks for all the hep so far!)

 

[unfamous]

add some more driftwood on the right side of the tank and some more live plants would spice things up

 

[odobenus]

unafmous, it's almost funny that you mention the live plants... We have several java fern, a couple of banana plants, and a little bit of anachris in the 10 gal (all live) that will be moving to the 55 along with the fish. I think most of that will go on the right!