Author Topic: Stocking ideas (Read 27019 times) 98 replies

barneyadi · « **Reply #40 on:** February 05, 2020, 09:47:47 PM »

Quote from: fcmf on February 05, 2020, 09:44:54 PM

Quote from: barneyadi on February 05, 2020, 06:59:04 PM
however Practical Fishkeeping magazine say 125 litre tank.
Just to confuse you more, they (also?) say "Discus reach 15cm/6” and need a 60cm/24” tall tank. They do well in groups of five or more. Go for a tank of 120 x 60 x 45cm/48 x 24 x 18” or bigger." https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/what-do-i-need-for-discus/

I GIVE UP!!!!

fcmf · « **Reply #41 on:** February 05, 2020, 10:08:47 PM »

Not sure if this helps or not but... I tend to adopt the rule-of-thumb that, if a 'bona fide' source such as Seriously Fish or Fishbase recommends a minimum tank size, go with that (or larger) as the figure will have been developed for a reason. Others may have had some 'success' with less than that (but bear in mind stunting and its effects, surviving .v. thriving, breeding not necessarily being a good sign but can happen in response to stressful circumstances, etc). It's always easy to find/get answers to fit with desires if asking around. However, when a fish dies, it's difficult enough to contend with and try to get to the potential root cause but, at least for me, it's one less factor for my conscience to deal with if I know I've given them the optimum care in line with the best available, 'bona fide' evidence (as opposed to knowingly going against it); everyone's different, though.

Hampalong · « **Reply #42 on:** February 05, 2020, 10:19:11 PM »

Quote from: barneyadi on February 05, 2020, 06:59:04 PM

@Hampalong This is where my confusion with the internet confuses the hell out of me. Seriously Fish say 120cm, 255 litre tank as a minimum however Practical Fishkeeping magazine say 125 litre tank. Most of the forums and facebook pages I have visited (most Discus owners) seem to say 200 litres is fine. So I am now totally and utterly confused and frustrated.

My best explanation is that a lot of people aren’t bothered about their fish growing to full size. ‘Minimum tank sizes’ generally tend to be a compromise. They fall short of what’s best for the fish to enable more people to keep them. In a big enough tank a group of discus wouldn’t need two waterchanges every week...

barneyadi · « **Reply #43 on:** February 05, 2020, 10:42:37 PM »

I think I am really just frustrated in not being able to come up with who goes with who etc, and even when I ask people I get very different answers. It is very deflating.

Even when I think I have cracked it, a spanner is thrown in the works. And finding the internet is more trouble than its worth.

Hampalong · « **Reply #44 on:** February 05, 2020, 11:38:03 PM »

Would it be a different approach to decide which fish you really want, and then work out where to put them and what with?

Say, one species per tank (?) then we’ll know what to suggest that would work with them...

Matt · « **Reply #45 on:** February 06, 2020, 02:54:47 AM »

Quote from: barneyadi on February 05, 2020, 07:27:59 PM

As for cichlid research, Dwarf Mbuna has been suggested to me, upto 20 for my 200 litre tank but need to look more into them. Most shops have them up as Malawi cichlids so not sure if they mean dwarf cichlids or not. But further research first.

Mbuna are a group of cichlids from Lake Malawi. The Dwarf Mbuna are smaller than other Mbuna but are not what we would normally classify as dwarf cichlids which are smaller again and tend to be from soft water South American habitats (though not exclusively!!).

Mbuna and other Malawi cichlids require hard water as this is what would be found in lake Malawi. The formation of the African lake system including lakes Victoria, Malawi and Tanganyika is a fascinating read if you get the opportunity. These fish are also often what we call “overstocked” which means pushing stocking levels to their maximum in the tank with large external filters etc. They are quite aggressive fish and by overstocking this aggression is spread out amongst a larger group vs allowing specific individuals to be picked out/on.

barneyadi · « **Reply #46 on:** February 06, 2020, 08:00:38 AM »

Quote from: Hampalong on February 05, 2020, 11:38:03 PM

Would it be a different approach to decide which fish you really want, and then work out where to put them and what with?

Say, one species per tank (?) then we’ll know what to suggest that would work with them...

Ok so let's say a Malawi Mbuna tank in my 200 litre. How many should I think about as they grow to 10cm and I can see then in the community creator.

Thanks

Hampalong · « **Reply #47 on:** February 06, 2020, 10:38:09 AM »

Here’s a list, and a guide to keeping mbuna...

https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/the-mbuna-keepers-survival-guide/

barneyadi · « **Reply #48 on:** February 06, 2020, 03:49:29 PM »

I think I have come up with a solution. Will post later .

barneyadi · « **Reply #49 on:** February 06, 2020, 07:43:07 PM »

So I need your help again. Been looking into Sailfin and Black Mollies. I think I am after a slightly larger fish for the 200 litre aquarium and these do seem to fit the bill. Following some research supposedly subject to preferred water conditions the fish below could be tank mates.

Swordtails
Corydoras Catfish
Angelfish
Platies
Plecos
Large Tetras
Black Skirts
Red Serpaes
Silver tips

So subject to them liking the same water conditions, does the list of tankmates seem reasonable?

Matt · « **Reply #50 on:** February 06, 2020, 08:38:07 PM »

So your looking for tank mates for molies in the 200litre?

My thoughts for others to add to as follows:

Swordtails - yes, not with platies
Corydoras Catfish - yes
Angelfish - not sure about how they would be with very active fish but otherwise yes
Platies - yes, not with swordtails
Plecos - yes, be careful to get a species that does not grow too large. Dependant on species but may well require wood in th tank, quite a messy fish
Large Tetras - yes
Black Skirts - yes
Red Serpaes - believe they can be nippy which might be a problem with sailfins etc
Silver tips - yes

barneyadi · « **Reply #51 on:** February 06, 2020, 08:45:53 PM »

Quote from: Matt on February 06, 2020, 08:38:07 PM

So your looking for tank mates for molies in the 200litre?

My thoughts for others to add to as follows:

Swordtails - yes, not with platies
Corydoras Catfish - yes
Angelfish - not sure about how they would be with very active fish but otherwise yes
Platies - yes, not with swordtails
Plecos - yes, be careful to get a species that does not grow too large. Dependant on species but may well require wood in th tank, quite a messy fish
Large Tetras - yes
Black Skirts - yes
Red Serpaes - believe they can be nippy which might be a problem with sailfins etc
Silver tips - yes

Thanks @Matt that all makes sense. Still looking into cichlids but this gives me a great option to think about.

Sue · « **Reply #52 on:** February 06, 2020, 08:49:48 PM »

But I would say no to a lot of those fish. Mollies need very hard water of over 15 dH/270 ppm so all those soft water fish wouldn't be very happy - cories, angelfish, tetras. If the hardness was less than 15 dH/270 ppm, the mollies would not be happy.

There is a tiny bit of overlap between mollies and some of the other fish, but that would mean hardness at the bottom of mollies' range and right at the top of the other species, and we should aim to keep fish in hardness around the middle of their ranges not the extreme ends.

Hampalong · « **Reply #53 on:** February 06, 2020, 09:49:57 PM »

Quote from: Sue on February 06, 2020, 08:49:48 PM

But I would say no to a lot of those fish. Mollies need very hard water of over 15 dH/270 ppm so all those soft water fish wouldn't be very happy - cories, angelfish, tetras. If the hardness was less than 15 dH/270 ppm, the mollies would not be happy.

There is a tiny bit of overlap between mollies and some of the other fish, but that would mean hardness at the bottom of mollies' range and right at the top of the other species, and we should aim to keep fish in hardness around the middle of their ranges not the extreme ends.

I agree. There aren’t actually that many small peaceful fish that will live happily with mollies, except other livebearers.
X-Ray Tetras are a notable exception, being even found in brackish water...
And some of the Rainbows...

Seriously Fish will tell you a lot of species are suitable, but there’s a difference between surviving and thriving...

A relevant old thread here...

https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/new-fishkeepers/list-of-fish-suitable-for-high-ph-and-hard-water/10/

barneyadi · « **Reply #54 on:** February 07, 2020, 09:01:01 PM »

Ok think I have founds a solution. I have researched on Seriously Fish and looked for info for tankmates and then double checked them on SF. Still getting some odd suggestions but these fish seem to go together and make good tank mates. Can anyone see anything wrong?

Honey Gourami's (between 2 and 6)
Tetras
Harlequins
Pearl or Rosy Danios
Corydoras.

fcmf · « **Reply #55 on:** February 07, 2020, 09:04:50 PM »

Any thoughts on which of the numerous types of tetras you'd like?
By 'pearl danios', do you mean 'celestial pearl danios'? [I'm not sure I've ever seen rosy danios before but I do see their profile on SF.]

barneyadi · « **Reply #56 on:** February 07, 2020, 09:37:02 PM »

Quote from: fcmf on February 07, 2020, 09:04:50 PM

Any thoughts on which of the numerous types of tetras you'd like?
By 'pearl danios', do you mean 'celestial pearl danios'? [I'm not sure I've ever seen rosy danios before but I do see their profile on SF.]

Something like the Black Phantom Tetra. This is a link for the Rosy Danios. https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/brachydanio-rosea/

fcmf · « **Reply #57 on:** February 07, 2020, 10:33:11 PM »

Apologies - my error; I see Seriously Fish does refer to a 'pearl danio' and a 'rosy danio'. I don't know how likely you are to find these in the LFSs - I'm not familiar with them. [Edited to add: Just checked MA's website www.fishkeeper.co.uk and it looks as though they may now be being stocked there.]

I see these two danio species' temp ranges are 16/18 to 25'C; this might work out ok (just about) with the other species. Generally, though, fish prefer to be and function best in the middle of the temp range cited for them.

So your suggestions might be fine but would be better if you had the gourami, tetras, harlequins and cories but not the danios.

Any thoughts on the type of cories you'd like?

barneyadi · « **Reply #58 on:** February 07, 2020, 10:55:20 PM »

Quote from: fcmf on February 07, 2020, 10:33:11 PM

Apologies - my error; I see Seriously Fish does refer to a 'pearl danio' and a 'rosy danio'. I don't know how likely you are to find these in the LFSs - I'm not familiar with them. [Edited to add: Just checked MA's website www.fishkeeper.co.uk and it looks as though they may now be being stocked there.]

I see these two danio species' temp ranges are 16/18 to 25'C; this might work out ok (just about) with the other species. Generally, though, fish prefer to be and function best in the middle of the temp range cited for them.

So your suggestions might be fine but would be better if you had the gourami, tetras, harlequins and cories but not the danios.

Any thoughts on the type of cories you'd like?

I can live without the danios. Have had peppered and panda Cory's before, was thinking one of those types but open to other ideas.

Littlefish · « **Reply #59 on:** February 08, 2020, 08:24:34 AM »

I have several different corys in different tanks (including peppered in the river tank and pandas in the forest tank) . There's such a wide range available at MA and other stores that you may struggle to choose choose just one species. Go have a look in the shops and see what takes your fancy.

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Stocking Ideas

Stocking Ideas

Author Topic: Stocking ideas (Read 27019 times) 98 replies

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