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New plan for my 32g (Fish)

1K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  Hawkian 
#1 ·
Some of you may have already read the other thread about the plants for the new plan. The way I see it, I could use a few more fish in my 32g, which will be fully planted in another week or so. The new plants will go in first, at which point I will wait maybe 10-15 days and then add more fish. My tank currently has the following fish:

  • 7 Tiger Barbs
  • 12 Cardinal Tetras
  • 2 White Clouds
  • 1 female Kribensis

I plan to get maybe a small school of top dwellers, once I find a suitable floating plant, and possibly also a small school of bottom dwellers. By small, I'd be looking at no more than 5 fish. It's already been suggested that Corydoras trilineatus would do well in my tank as a bottom dweller (thanks Angel! ;-) ) and would love to get a few of them but I have 2 issues there: I am uncertain that my kribensis will be happy with them, and I'm told that they do better in groups of 8+, which is a number I'm not really comfortable with at this point. As for a top dwelling fish, I've read that the hatchetfish is the top dweller par excellence but I just don't like them much so I'd be looking for alternatives there.

All suggestions welcome and thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
LOL when I started reading I was gonna suggest Cory's lol....but you remembered it :)

Here's a good quote on your kribensis from a very reputable source
"Good tankmates include small characins, barbs, danios, rasboras, Corydoras, gouramis and Loricariids."

I hope this helps you. The Cory do act less skiddish in larger groups yes. That said thou if you provide some hiding placed (caves, plants...) and house a school of 6 that would be just fine.

Or what about kuhli loaches had you given them any thoughts (needing ph 5-7 and KH 5-15 if you have that range).

Only last thing for the size tank & bottom would be shrimp, but I am very sure you kribensiswould like that snack :)

For the top...others then hatchetfishI couldn't think of no one neither right now sorry.
 
#3 ·
Of course I remembered! They been on my mind since :) lol!

OK so thanks for the Krib quote. I think I'll need to add some caves ( I currently only have one for the krib) but that's not a problem. I used to have kuhli loaches in another life and loved them but would they be ok on a gravel substrate? I have a steady pH of ~6.5 but I have a different kH scale than yours I think: my readings are steady at 60mg/L and I don't know how to translate that to your scale.... :-(

Thanks! As for top dwellers it's not a problem as I don't remember seeing any LFS in the area selling floatings plants so this may take quite a while to get going...
 
#4 ·
Rattle my brains again why don't ya :lol:

Soooo One degree hardness is defined as 10 mg per litre. Acc to my math 60 mg/l = 6 degrees then right?

So that'd work for the kuhli's. I pers seen them successfully in set ups with sand and FINE gravel, if you have the larger edgy stuff, no then I'd not get them neither (but if you have that type substrate i'd also not recommend cory then!).
 
#5 ·
The tiger barbs worry me in this setup. Rather than go into all that, here's a link to a post from earlier this week in which Pasfur has good advice on this fish; I would take it to heart and consider trading the tigers. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-aquariums/fact-fiction-34742/

Cardinals and corydoras may find themselves being harrassed by tigers. Any any top fish will likely be sedate and even worse targets.

And before you may say it, yes, there are tanks with "peaceful" tiger barbs. But for how long? These fish are the way they are by nature, and various environmental factors can influence a fish's behaviour, good and bad. And thinking of a relatively small tank like a 32g (I have a 33g) I would not put a shoal of tiger barbs in there even on their own.

B.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Right!

Angel... your math seems sound! LOL! Thanks for that.

I did not add corys at this time for two reasons. Since I was doing an overhaul of the tank decor, I figured I would do one thing at a time... and more importantly, my LFS did not carry any! I also didn't get a school of fish for the top portion of the tank as Byron's comment seemed to make a lot of sense there: the barbs, as peaceful as they are with the cardinals, will probably have a "field-day" with the slower moving fish up top. So I'll just be content to see them being harassed by the Kribensis :)

I however added one Otocinclus Catfish. I know he cannot help me with the cyanobacteria but I am hoping that he pays his rent by working on the other type of algae in there. Plus, he's a pretty cool looking little critter, and I had to get someone to cleanup after I got rid of the Rainbow Shark! :)

Thanks for the feedback guys!
 
#7 ·
Angel... your math seems sound!
Cross checked with calculator just to be on the safe side ;-)

OTO...oh please picturessssss I love them guys....
 
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