Tropical stocking, continuous update

[Puffymcstuff]

Sounds good. But just keep in mind the sexing ratio. 1 male to every 2-3 females

Yup! I was think two males and 4 females! Thanks!

And hey! Since ive never had luck with livebearers, what advice can anyone here give about keeping them happy and healthy with the stock I have?

 

[zooking12]

Yup! I was think two males and 4 females! Thanks!

And hey! Since ive never had luck with livebearers, what advice can anyone here give about keeping them happy and healthy with the stock I have?

What's your stock?

 

[Puffymcstuff]

What's your stock?

5 BSTs
1 DG
5 bloodfin
5 hy511
10 neons
5 corys
3 ghost shrimp
1 pleco
In a 60 gallon hex.

Soon to have:
2 baby angels (size of a dime)
1 or two more DGs
5 harlequin rasboras
6 hifin blue platies
3 orange flame Von rios
And quite possibly 3-5 hatchetfish

 

[zooking12]

First off, whats a dg? secondly, to me that seems just a tad bit overstocked. But the platies should be fine if all the other fish have done ok in that stock.

 

[alLexX]

First off, whats a dg? secondly, to me that seems just a tad bit overstocked. But the platies should be fine if all the other fish have done ok in that stock.

a DG is a dwarf gourami

 

[zooking12]

It still seems a little densely packed... but the other fish would suffer long before the platties noticed.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I think you should just add one or two more fish from what you want to what you already have. Adding all those fish together seems over stocked, not because of filtration but because of swim room IMO, hexes are more vertical than they are horizontal.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

I think you should just add one or two more fish from what you want to what you already have. Adding all those fish together seems over stocked, not because of filtration but because of swim room IMO, hexes are more vertical than they are horizontal.

Ok, the way I see it, I could do the angelfish and gourami because the ones I've had have stayed in the middle, (as opposed to the bottom like my current fish) and the hatchetfish because they stay on top, and like 3 of Von rios, I'll drop the harlequins, I'm thinking like 6 platies.
I'm dropping the harlequins for swim room and thinking the others for strata.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

If I did tht would it be fine?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Okay, so you're planning on doing the angels, the gouramis, the hatchets, the platies and the von rios???
Here's what I'd add:
-those two angels
-two DGs
-five hatchets

Six platies and you'll be having lots of babies before you know it, von rios I think you don't really need because you already have many tetra schools already

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Okay, so you're planning on doing the angels, the gouramis, the hatchets, the platies and the von rios???
Here's what I'd add:
-those two angels
-two DGs
-five hatchets

Six platies and you'll be having lots of babies before you know it, von rios I think you don't really need because you already have many tetra schools already

I really think id be ok with the platies, because the angels and DGs would eat the fry, and if they didn't, I could just pull em. I want at least three of the Von rips for Color, I know what I want to do, I just wanna know if the bioload would be ok or not? I could do 3 platies instead of 6, would tht be better? Do you see where I'm coming from?

 

[absolutangel04]

3 might be better as far as bioload is concerned. I have had as many as 8 platys in community and I never found babies. They all got eaten. Once the angels get big enough, they will devour the platy fry unless you remove pregnant females.

 

[zooking12]

3 might be better as far as bioload is concerned. I have had as many as 8 platys in community and I never found babies. They all got eaten. Once the angels get big enough, they will devour the platy fry unless you remove pregnant females.

Or you could keep all females.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

3 might be better as far as bioload is concerned. I have had as many as 8 platys in community and I never found babies. They all got eaten. Once the angels get big enough, they will devour the platy fry unless you remove pregnant females.

Good, because I don't want them for breeding, I want them for color.! Hah, so what I said earlier is fine people?

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Or you could keep all females.

Yea! Or all males cuz they r more colorful!! Great idea!!

 

[Puffymcstuff]

So just to be clear... What I'm going to do is safe 100%, because I don't wanna screw up this time!! Anyone who reads this, please respond!

 

[absolutangel04]

I think it should be good, but there is no such thing as 100% safe in fish keeping.

 

[Puffymcstuff]

Ok, thanks angel!

 

[Puffymcstuff]

O my gosh!! My gourami has not been eating the last few days, has lost some serious coloration, and is bloated round the belly, his face is also darker than usual, and whenever I've had DGs, that means soon death, help me!! Are DGs weak against nitrates, cuz mine are off the charts! I'm gonna do a 25% PWC today, but idk what else it could be!

 

[bruinsbro1997]

O my gosh!! My gourami has not been eating the last few days, has lost some serious coloration, and is bloated round the belly, his face is also darker than usual, and whenever I've had DGs, that means soon death, help me!! Are DGs weak against nitrates, cuz mine are off the charts! I'm gonna do a 25% PWC today, but idk what else it could be!

DGs are super sensitive when it comes to water quality (at least some species IME) so if the nitrItes are high I would be doing some PWC to keep it at bay.