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Input on 55 gallon planted stocking with Bolivian Rams

27K views 98 replies 12 participants last post by  LadyKeiva 
#1 ·
Hello all!!

I've been interested in keeping a tropical community tank probably over 5 years now. I've always had loads of different pets and tanks (I just recently took down my 20 Long with African Clawed Frogs I've had for 6 years) and now I finally have the opportunity to setup the big planted tank I've always wanted.

Over the last few months I've done quite a bit of research, planning, forum hunting, bio reading, etc; (hours and hours, kind of obsessive really =P, I suppose I sort of over-plan when it comes to my pets) on lighting, filtration, heating, substrate, plants, ferts, fish, you name it.

After all of that, supplies have all almost arrived, and I'll be setting up in the next couple of weeks. I have a basic idea of what fish I want to eventually add and how many of each (not at once of course), but I'm looking for some input from people more experienced than I. Research can only get you so far.

This is what I've come up with:

55 gallon planted
-48" T5 light fixture, with proper bulbs (did my homework on daylight and plants needing both red & blue spectrum, etc; )
-Eheim Canister filter
-x2 200w Heaters

driftwood, accent rocks & slate terrace wall with drift wood going down almost the length of the tank like a big garden with eco complete substrate, caribsea super naturals sunset gold sand will be along the front half

For Plants I'm thinking of adding:
-amazon swords
-chain swords
-java fern
-java moss
-dwarf hairgras
-anubias nana
-anubias barteri
-watersprite
-anacharis
(plus more, still looking)

As for as fish go:

- x10-12 Neon Tetras (first fish I'd add)

- x10-12 Rummy Nose Tetras or Ember Tetras (both not 100% on, Looking for schooling fish that add some good color along side the Neons)

- x10 Sterbai Corys

- 1 Pair? of Bolivian Rams (Not sure if I should go with a pair, 4-6. I've been reading mixed input on this, some say a pair only, others say they do better in a small group)

- Possibly some other high dwelling fish. It would be the last thing I put (months down the line). Been reading that a few Pearl Gourami would work well (1 male to 4 females) as Pearls are one of the more peaceful Gourami (Just a thought, considered hatchets as well, but I'd be more looking along the lines of something other than a schooling fish).

That's the basic concept of what I've been planning to set up. Nothing has been started yet aside from purchasing supplies. I'll be starting on hardscaping in the next week or so. The Bolivian Rams and the Corys are my favorite of the stock. Everything else could be subject to change depending on advice.

I'm extremely excited for this upcoming tank and if anyone has any advice, comments, or questions, all are welcome and wanted.

Any feedback would be wonderful.

Thanks for for your time!! :-D
 
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#2 ·


I can't offer any advice on Rams, but it sounds like you have researched your tank well and really know what you want in terms of plants and fish. Good call on the T5s, I have yet to make the switch.

Looking forward to seeing some photos as this project progresses! With all those plants and driftwood it is sure to look amazing.
 
#3 ·
Thanks! I tried look up and plan out ever aspect I could. I wanted to get the right equipment right from the get go. Big fan of doing it right the first time, and not having to back track and fix =P. In theory it all seems dandy from what I can see but I'm always a bit paranoid =)

Hopefully I'll have some progress in the next week or so, at least with hardscaping and planting. Pictures to follow!
 
#4 · (Edited)
Welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.:wave:

Heaters and filter sound fine [Eheim are very well made]. The light might be an issue though. T5 comes in NO (normal output, if you can find this) and HO (high output). The latter is more common, and all else being equal (same spectrum, length) a T5 HO is about 1.5 times more intense light than a T5 NO or a T8. You mention bulbs in the plural, from which I am assuming more than one tube; are they 48-inch tubes? Without diffused CO2 you have to watch the light, as too much will be more than the nutrients can balance for the plants to use, and algae can become troublesome. Sometimes duration can help, less to keep the balance closer, along with a good cover of floating plants (Water Sprite is ideal for this, I have it in almost all my tanks).

Plants sound fine. Here I will mention our fish and plant profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page. If the name is used identical to how it appears in the profile, it shades, example amazon sword, and you can click the name for that profile.

To the fish. You don't mention water parameters (GH and pH) but if memory serves me you have fairly soft water (the GH) in NY. So you should be fine with the soft water fish you mention. Brilliant Rummynose Tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri) is best in larger groups; in your 55g I would go with 15+, they will be much more of an interest. This is the best characin for "schooling" or shoaling, and they remain together swimming the length of the tank almost constantly.

Bolivian Ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus, is a nice smallish cichlid for community tanks, perhaps the best of all of them. But as it notes in the profile, they are best either singly (one fish) or in a bonded pair. Bonded means the fish must select their own mates, so if you want a pair, carefully observe them for a time in the store tank. It will become obvious if there is a bonded pair; buy them.

Generally I don't advise combining gourami and cichlids, mainly because they are so much alike. Males are territorial. However, the Pearl Gourami is one of the calmer of the medium gourami so it may work out. I would suggest one male with two females. I think it explains why in the profile.

Be careful mixing substrates, they tend to mix together unless they are well divided somehow. Water currents and gravity move the substrate around, more than one might expect.

Byron.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for all the input! (It's much appreciated) Also, thanks for the tips on the fish and plant profiles =) I had actually already been browsing through them. Before I signed up for this forum I had found quite a bit of useful information from older posts on here (Numerous Google searches have led me to posts of yours Byron. They've been extremely helpful! So thank you!).

In regards to the lighting:
The fixture I got is the T5 HO that you mentioned. With two 48" tubes. I didn't realize that it made much of a difference. I actually didn't even see the normal T5 ones while browsing. I had planned to do quite a bit of floating plants in the tank (I love the look of Water Sprite). I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on it, mess with the timers, and see what happens (I'm unable to return the lighting). If I can't keep it under control I'll have to work something else out with that.

In regards to the substrate:
I had heard the same things about mixing different substrates. Though I had found numerous DIY posts about people creating a well built wall out of slate or the like to create a terrace or rock wall, sealing any small gaps with aquarium silicone, and having little to no spillage. I like the idea of having eco complete to benefit the plants and still having a nice sandy bank for the corydoras.

In regards to water parameters:
My pH is actually different from every source of water in my house. I found that kind of odd (I tested each source 3 times to make sure I wasn't failing). My sink was at around 7.3, my outside hose was at 8.0+, the water from my tub was at 7.0. I'm unable to test my GH at this time since I realized the Master Test kit I bought did not come with the hardness test. I'm currently waiting for that one to come in with my last supplies order.

In regards to the fish:
My first thoughts were to just have the pair of Bolivian Rams. Every Bio I read on them said single or bonded pair but after reading more posts from people, Quite a few of them said they're better in a small group. I'd prefer the pair, but the experiences others had caused me to second guess myself. (thank you for clearing that up!). A pair it is. I'll have to stalk my local fish store's stock for a while =).

I find the Rummy Nose Tetra's to be a beautiful fish. Their flash of red moving through out the tank is just perfect. I had been torn between those and the Ember Tetra (I love the orange color). But I prefer the size and schooling behavior of the Rummys better. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll probably go with the Rummys.

The Pearl Gourami were just a thought really. I've heard mixed reviews on them as well. I've heard that even though a very peaceful Gourami, many people end up with an extremely aggressive little fish. I may just forgo them completely. Might be too much of a compatibility risk for me. I was more or less looking for something other than a schooling fish to add a little variety to the tank.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Have you thought about harlequin rasboras and/or black neons?

Also, you could try flourite black sand, or some other Black sandy plant substrate...

As for plants, you Have quite a few broad-leafed green p"ants.. You might want to break them Up with Crypt Wendtii 'Red', cabomba caroliana, Echinodorus var 'Vesuvius', And Proserpinaca palustris..
 
#8 ·
Have you thought about harlequin rasboras and/or black neons?

Also, you could try flourite black sand, or some other Black sandy plant substrate...

As for plants, you Have quite a few broad-leafed green plants.. You might want to break them Up with Crypt Wendtii 'Red', cabomba caroliana, Echinodorus var 'Vesuvius', And Proserpinaca palustris..

To be honest, even though Harlequins are so popular, I'm really just not a fan of them. I don't like they way they look for some reason. The Black Neons are awesome looking. They have great contrast. I was looking for more color than they have though, was why I skipped over them initially. Could be something I use down the road though, Thanks!.

I'll have to check out the fluorite black sand substrate. I picked the Sunset Gold from CaribSea supernaturals for the grain size/texture. It seemed to be pretty uniform and smooth with the grains being 0.25 - 1mm. It had a deep goldish color rather than that obnoxiously bright white sand I see in so many tanks.

The plants I had listed in my initial post were just a rough idea of some of the ones I had looked up that were moderately easy to care for. I'm still in the process of browsing. All of the ones you listed above are gorgeous though. I love the reddish tints of Crypt Wendtii 'Red and the Proserpinaca palustris. And the shape of the Echinodorus var 'Vesuvius' is amazing. I love it. I'll most definitely look into grabbing that one for the tank

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
#9 ·
On the substrate, I would not waste your money on so-called enriched substrates like Eco-complete or Flourite. I have had the latter in my 70g for over 15 months and it has been very disappointing. My plants (same species, same conditions) in the other sand and gravel substrate tanks are just as good. You still have to dose liquid fertilizers so I can see no benefit for the expense, which is considerable.

I know I am always suggesting play sand, but it really is good. It is the least expensive substrate you can get ($7 a bag here, maybe less in the USA), and two bags will more than do your 55g. And it is authentic in appearance to the sand in Amazonia. Corys love it. I'm going to be replacing my Flourite tank with playsand when I get to it.

Byron.
 
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#11 ·
Hi again :)

I had posted a few weeks ago about input on my 55 gallon planted with Bolivian rams and received a lot of great and helpful input. I will now be doing all my planting Wednesday/Thursday and I'll be looking to add fish in the weeks to follow.

The stock I was thinking of doing was as follows:

-1 pair Bolivian Rams
-10 to 14 Neon Tetra
-10 to 14 Harlequin Rasbora and/or 15 to 18 Brilliant Rummy Nose Tetra
-10 Sterbai Cory

I'm not sure what the best order of introduction would be for the new tank. Any advice would be much appreciated!!!
 
#12 ·
This will repeat what I mentioned in my response to your PM, but for the record so others know:

Cardinal tetra instead of neon tetra is worth considering since you have soft water (GH 4) and the pH at 7 will easily lower naturally. They (cardinals) are more colourful, and much more resilient to disease than neons these days.

Rasbora in first, then cardinals, then rummys, then corys, then rams.:)

This is a good combination, I just happen to have these same species (minus the rasbora) in my 115g (along with a few others too). They really are so well matched, it is almost a lesson in community fish.;-)

Byron.
 
#13 ·
Super helpful, exactly the info I was looking for. Anyone else with other suggestions would be great :)

I'll most likely put in the Cardinal Tetra rather than the Neon. After browsing their profile and looking through videos and pictures they really are beautiful in a planted thank.
 
#14 ·
Anyone have any thoughts on doing a group of 10 or so Rosy Tetras instead of the Brilliant Rummy Nose?

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/profiles/rosy-tetra/

As much as I love the Rummy's and how they school. I was wondering if the Rosy Tetra would be a good suitable substitute. They seem to have the right requirements to fit with the rest of the stock. I thought they would be a a nice tribute to my Grandmother who just passed away last Monday (Her name was Rosie).
 
#15 ·
Anyone have any thoughts on doing a group of 10 or so Rosy Tetras instead of the Brilliant Rummy Nose?

Rosy Tetra (Hyphessobrycon rosaceus) Profile

As much as I love the Rummy's and how they school. I was wondering if the Rosy Tetra would be a good suitable substitute. They seem to have the right requirements to fit with the rest of the stock. I thought they would be a a nice tribute to my Grandmother who just passed away last Monday (Her name was Rosie).
No problem with the fish itself. I would just point out that you are removing the only "semi-active" fish, as the rummys do school like no other tetra, in a group, from one end of the tank to the other. Not in any super-charged way to bother sedate fish, but they do like to swim more. None of the other mentioned tetra or the rasbora do this, nor does the ram; they will basically remain in a group under shade. The Rosy do this too. If this matters to you, perhaps replace the rasbora with Rosy Tetra.

Byron.
 
#17 · (Edited)


Added the last of my plants :-D
Still need to find somewhere local to buy some nice smooth/flat river rocks. Left open spaces for them. No luck so far.
Used a bunch of different types of plants. Wanted to figure out what I had the best luck growing and what I liked the look of in the tank. Not sure I'm a fan of the hairgrass. Want more of the pygmy chain sword I think.

First group of fish going in to my QT tank next week.
 
#19 ·
Agree, that is what I call a very natural aquascape. Well done.

On the pygmy chain swords, be patient. Once they get settled, you will have runners with adventitious plants covering the substrate. If I had just $1 for every one of the runner plants I have tossed into the compost during the past year, I could buy a new car.:lol:

Byron.
 
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#20 ·
I like your tank also.
 
#21 ·
Thank you both! Spent about 5-6 hours last night between water changes, figuring out where I wanted to plant, and then planting everything right. Was a late night.. one very tired little lady here lol.

I have no plans on buying more plants, I shall be patient =). I started with 9 quarter sized pieces of Amazon Frogbit about a a week and a half ago, its EXPLODED with growth (It's that mass of roots on the left).

As for the Pygmy Chain Sword (planted a week and a half ago also) I was thinking of moving it a bit last night, I have it a gentle little tug to see if it had rooted well or not already... it must already be shooting roots out all over, there was no way it was going anywhere easily so I said forget it and let it be.
 
#22 ·
Just an update ^,^

All the plants seem to be doing wonderfully. The Cabomba Carolina and all the floating plants have shot up/spread rapidly. Swords have new shoots/leaves coming up, same for the anubias, and crypts. Hair grass is spreading a little bit, and I can see roots starting to go all over from (when looking at the glass under the tank) from the Pygmy Chain Swords and the grass. I even have a little Cardinal Plant and a Red Temple Plant that seem to be doing well (didn't know anything about these ones, it was given free from the seller).

What doesn't seem to be doing well is the Java Moss, Echinodorus 'vesuvius' and 2 of the Wisteria plants. One Wisteria doesn't seem to be doing bad or good, Just sort of at a stand still, and the other one is loosing leaves but at the same time has new leaves coming out.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the look and the plant progress! =D
Still waiting to get my first stocking of fish for the QT. My preferred LFS is waiting on their next shipment and my second choice LFS didn't have stock that I was happy with.

I'm tempted to just buy my Harlequins from Liveaquaria.com, I've heard decent things about them. Either I do that or just be patient and check my LFS again in the next couple weeks. Any thoughts?
 
#23 ·
Just an update ^,^

All the plants seem to be doing wonderfully. The Cabomba Carolina and all the floating plants have shot up/spread rapidly. Swords have new shoots/leaves coming up, same for the anubias, and crypts. Hair grass is spreading a little bit, and I can see roots starting to go all over from (when looking at the glass under the tank) from the Pygmy Chain Swords and the grass. I even have a little Cardinal Plant and a Red Temple Plant that seem to be doing well (didn't know anything about these ones, it was given free from the seller).

What doesn't seem to be doing well is the Java Moss, Echinodorus 'vesuvius' and 2 of the Wisteria plants. One Wisteria doesn't seem to be doing bad or good, Just sort of at a stand still, and the other one is loosing leaves but at the same time has new leaves coming out.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the look and the plant progress! =D
Still waiting to get my first stocking of fish for the QT. My preferred LFS is waiting on their next shipment and my second choice LFS didn't have stock that I was happy with.

I'm tempted to just buy my Harlequins from Liveaquaria.com, I've heard decent things about them. Either I do that or just be patient and check my LFS again in the next couple weeks. Any thoughts?
I have found Java Moss to take quite a while to establish. But once it is... :)

Stem plants can be fast or slow. Give them time.

Can't comment on LiveAquaria, never used them (I'm not in the US).
 
#24 ·
I think my lighting is too much for the java fern. Where ever the plants ate that aren't shaded by other plants, the floating or the swords, those ones are turning brown. The java fern in my
10 gal are doing fine. (The light is much weaker)
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#26 ·
FWIW IMHO IMe and all that :lol:

When I started planted tank back in the day I got a recommendation to basically use a mix of fast growing and slower growing plants. For both initial and long term conditioning.

I was just thinking on the thread there is a very good feed back for that kind of setup. At least having a mix of plants. Some may not do as well as others. But over all it increases the probability that enough will thrive to condition the tank.

but that just my fwiw, imho ime and all that

Worth at most .02
 
#28 ·
Well... Still waiting on first fish since my LFS hasn't gotten Harlequins in his passed two shipments for some reason. He's not sure why his supplier hasn't had them. Been toying with the idea of Diamond Tetras in the tank instead of the Harlequins. They're kind of big compared to my other shoaling type fish. Not sure if they're a good idea.

But anyways.. Just an update.

My tank is now a jungle and I love it. Need to do some pruning and I think I need move around some of the floaters, Maybe thin it out. Can't decided if its too much up there or not. The plants still seem to be getting plenty of light. My Frogbit is still expanding rapidly, as well as the Cabomba. One of the swords has a long stalk rising towards the surface. Pygmy chain swords are sending out some runners.. Even the Hairgrass is spreading a little bit.


 
#33 ·
Been toying with the idea of Diamond Tetras in the tank instead of the Harlequins. They're kind of big compared to my other shoaling type fish. Not sure if they're a good idea.]
Anyone see anything wrong with swapping in these guys (Moenkhausia pittieri) instead of one of the other shoaling type fish I had previously chosen for my stock list? (Trigonostigma heteromorpha, Paracheirodon axelrodi, Hemigrammus bleheri) (to go along side the cory cats and Bolivian Ram s).

They're about an inch bigger or so, other than that they seem to fit right in with all the conditions of my tank and requirements of the other fish.

ALSO, I had originally planned on 10 Sterbai Corydoras, would they do fine if I did 5-6 Sterbai, and 5-6 Blackfin Cory (Corydoras leucomelas)? Or should I just stick to one kind.

Thanks again :)
 
#31 ·
Thanks all! ^,^

Just keeping it simple really.. Using the Seachem Flourish once or twice a week, I like to do it twice but I forget =X (just the plain one, not excel) and a dual bulb T5 HO light fixture on from about 11:30 to 9:30. I was worried about the lighting being too bright, but I think the thick cover of floating plants do a really good job of diffusing it. Pretty much no algae growth, a TINY bit on the glass, but it takes about 3 weeks to even notice any speckles again after scraping it all off. :-D
 
#32 ·
That is indeed a lovely aquascape, well done. Byron.
 
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#42 ·
Picked up 9 ~1in. Harlequin Rasbora from my LFS. Spent about 15 minutes watching them in the store looking for illness and what not, they actually seem very healthy. They were pretty dull colored in the store, but as soon as they were done acclimating and got into the tank with the plants they brightened up a bit almost immediately. Didn't take them very long at all to relax and start exploring the tank. They seem to enjoy swimming through the dangling roots. For a back of a better term they simply looked happy in their new temp. home. Its amazing what proper conditions will do ^,^ Can't wait to see them with the lights on later!


My QT is only 10 gallons, Didn't want to get too many for the first time having fish in it. The tank is planted though not as heavily as my main tank. I wanted to be able to keep a better eye on the fish in there(Frogtbit, Watersprite, Wisteria, Pennywort, Java Moss).
 
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