Suggestions for compatible fish?

Hi, I'd like to add a few fish to my community tank and was wondering which fish might be compatible with my set up. The tank is 180 litres and heavily planted with an external filter suitable for a tank up to 250 litres. Temp is 76 and ph is between 6.5 and 7. I do weekly water changes and there's no ammonia or nitrite. Substrate is fine sand and there is a lot of plant cover and caves.

Currently there are 29 small fish and 2 bamboo shrimp:

6 guppies
6 neon tetras
4 glass catfish
4 white cloud minnows
3 kuhli loaches
2 platys
1 cardinal tetra
1 pearl gourami
1 cockatoo cichlid
1 otocinclus


When I test the water a week after a 30% water change using an API test kit the nitrate is only 10 so I reckon it'd be ok to add more without overstocking. The most fish I've ever kept in it a couple of years ago was about 40 small fish and nitrate only ever got as high as 15-20.

I was thinking of adding a few more kuhlis, and a few cardinals because that 1 cardinal was bagged accidentally with the neons and although she shoals with them I'd say she'd appreciate her own species. Other than that I was thinking of a ram and possibly another apisto species.
The cichlid in the tank is extremely peaceful and got on well with an apisto last year (unsure of species) but the apisto unfortunately died a few months back.

I don't want to bump up the white cloud or platy numbers as i'm only hanging on to the ones in the tank since they are pretty old but once they die I don't intend to get any more of them.

So do you think the tank is fully stocked or is there room to play with? Any ideas for interesting species which could be suitable? Which would be peaceful/suitable dwarf cichlids?

Are there any other shrimps which are unlikely to be eaten? I'd love cherry shrimp but I reckon they'd be a snack.

Many thanks for any advice

Hi.

I can't help but suggest a shoal of Ember tetras, they look terrible in the LFS but when they settle in they are beautiful, they stick together like glue and don't put a load on the Filter.

You don't see them that often but Dave in Kinsealey pet shop can order them for you.

www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Hyphessobrycon_amandae.php

I also keep Pencil Fish, they are beautiful and move in an entertaining way, they are striking in colour and peaceful, they need small food due to a tiny mouth.

www.livefish.com.au/index.php?main_page=...info&products_id=961

Kev

i had a mix of about 45-50 neon and cardinal tetras in a heavily planted setup,amazing to see the whole lot shoal together,even the glowlight tetras joined in,also had pretty much everything on your list with them,i had about 80-90 small fish in my 180litre at one stage with no problems

Have you considered a shoal of Rummynose Tetras? They are a great little fish and school like no other. Good water is a must and they dont respond well to fluctuations in water quality but once settled they are great to view and wont bother any of their tankmates.

Jay

ok my suggestion, i'd say lose the gourami especially when it gets bigger small fish may be lunch, get a nice shoal of scarlet badis, or galaxy rasboras, absolute beauties and shoaling galaxies are wow, the scarlet badis are quite till they settle in but then their characthers come out, brilliant little fish

I'd bring your Neons up to 10
Add 10 Rummynose tetras
Add a buddy for the Gourami or make a pair.

Rainbows are nice too a nice shoal of 7 would also do.

Or a pair of Bristle Nose Plecos, they don't grow that large. 6" My male does a great impression of Brad Pitt when on the glass:)

I wouldn't add them all at once though, the filter needs to catch up with the bio load so add carefully and test 12 hours after adding new fish and as always research reeds online from as wide a range or articles as possible as there is a lot of conflicting info out there.


Good luck.

Oops, heavily planted, sorry, forget the Plecos.

Hi thanks for all the suggestions

I was thinking about rummy nose tetras and i'll be keeping them in mind when I start to add.

Galaxy rasboras and scarlet badis would be cool but i've never seen them in shops. Would they be eaten by my cockatoo cichlid or gourami? The gourami is only about 2" right now and peaceful so i'll leave her in but if I notice any chasing of smaller fish once she is bigger I can rehome her.

I'd love some BN plecos but I do have a few large broad leaved plants which I reckon they'd destroy! I might risk it though and see if I can keep one well fed to keep him away from the leaves.

Are there any fish/shrimp which eat hair algae apart from plecos? My oto pretty much stays on the glass or 1 particular plant and there is a bit of hair algae on leaves in the upper section of the tank.

I've also been considering a shoal of male endlers livebearers.. but do you think they'd be eaten? I had them once before but a dwarf gourami ate them. Tank wasn't as well planted back then though.

Cheers

You should be ok with bristlenoses in the planted setup if you keep them well fed with algae wafers and other greens like cucumber and zuccini. They will rarely tear up live plants so would be well worth trying them out. Also, it is very imprtant that you include some bogwood for them to rasp over as this chewed up pulp aids in their digestion. You will find that this is true for most plecostomus.

Jay

Must say i love my shoal of emeber tetras i have 20 and 20 neons they look the business. They do look dull in some lfs but after a week or so in ur own tank they turn a lovely red colour.

Get some corys for the bottom of ur tank they will form a group and swim round with each other.

Add some more cardinal tetras, add say another 10 they will look great, id move on the gourami as sheag said will be trouble in the long run.

Dont be surprised if in a couple of months there are alot of guppy fry in ur tank till will go at it like there is no tomorrow as will the plattys if you have a pair. As for the cockatoo cichlid (
Apistogramma cacatuoides ) is it male or female......? if you have a male add 2-3 females for him they are cool fish to watch.

Any pics of the tank.....?

Alan

Penny wrote:

.
Galaxy rasboras and scarlet badis would be cool but i've never seen them in shops.

I got mine in Aquapaws in Galway super fish love them, I'm sure your lfs could get them in by special order if you ask them

The guppies are all male, and the platys are a mother and her daughter. The dad died a month or so back presumably of old age as there wasn't a mark on him. The mother dropped about 40-50 unfertilised eggs and 2 fry yesterday so I don't think she will be having any more fry.

The cichlid is a male, I heard if you keep a male with females then they start being aggressive towards all the other fish. Is that the case with this species?

I'm living in Galway for about 3 more months before moving back home to where I keep my tank. Would fish make it about 3 hours in a bag while on the train if bag is insulated with newspapers etc? If so then I'll definitely call into aquapaws!

Camera is in galway atm I will post pics of tank at the weekend when im home again

3 hrs is fine try get a polystyreen box if you can.

On the cichlids when they start to breed they become aggresive but other wise they are fine.

Should do in a poly box with no hassle but to be extra safe go to an army surplus store and get those hand warming gel packs and tape it to the roof of the poly box for added security... hope it helps.... ps they have scarlet badis in at the moment Pete knows where they are
Seamus

Hi,
have to say,a shoal of rummey nose tetras is amazing looking(",)
scarlet badis are real nice and colorful little characters,we had some just before Christmas and will get som
e more when they'll be available!
If you're looking for a fish that eats hair algae,a couple of rosy barbs will do the job.
If you choose bristlenose as algae eater,they will chew any broad leaved plants for ex Echinodorus type plants.
As said previously if well fed you might get away with it .
Pencil fish are very nice too,marginatus is one of my favourite.
Hatchet fish could be interesting if you like something a little different...
Good luck
Dimitri

Where could I get a polystyrene box?

I like scarlet badis but i'll have to see them in person to decide if they are big enough to not get eaten.

pete could provide you a box free of charge in aquapaws if you ask him nicely