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stocking plans

3K views 22 replies 4 participants last post by  Jayy 
#1 ·
This what I plan to stock my 55gal with. Ive checked on aquadivisor, but I want to be sure everything is fine. So once again this is 55gal.

Stock:
8 black phantom tetras
10 harlequin rasboras
3 marbled mollies(1m2f)
3 platies( all m)
6 peppered cories
1 dwarf gourami
1 guppy

My tank is planted and I have an marineland 400 pro, which goes up to 90gal, soo I have a lot of fileration.
 
#3 ·
your mollies, guppy and platies may attempt to cross breed. It's possible that any female of the 3 will be harassed to death if there are not enough to spread out the "attention". I would suggest you keep 2-3 females of each or do all males. Actually likelyhood of crossbreeding is low but they will try.

PS. Thats really not alot of filtration. Livebearers like a bit of current I believe so you may actually need more.
 
#4 ·
Well, I was doing the one m two f, but bought a young female that turned out to be a young not fully developed male. Soo should just do two males because I already have them in my tank. I don't have any of the others right now. I still want the mollies,but I don't really need the guppy.
 
#8 ·
We need numbers for the hardness and pH. Hardness you can ascertain from the water supply folks. Probably pH too at least for the tap water (initially this would help), but it is advisable to have a pH test kit for the aquarium as regular pH checks can help spot trouble before it is trouble.

You list fish that absolutely must have basic medium hard water (molly particularly). The rasbora and tetra would be better in soft slightly acidic water but as these are now commercially tank raised they manage (somewhat) in slightly basic water.

I would not add a guppy with the molly and platy. The dwarf gourami is a risk; Honey Gourami would be better, and a small group. Provided water parameters are not extreme.

Byron.
 
#12 ·
Responding to the last two posts.

Re the fish, the numbers of fish are no problem [minus the guppy and possibly gourami], but the water chemistry might mean some may have difficulty.

Yes, the fish store might do tests; if they do, ask them for numbers, not some vague meaningless term like "sort of hard" or "pH is OK.":lol:

I see ladayen has posted a site link while i was typing, so I'll check that before going further.
 
#14 ·
Nothing useful that I can see. They are more concerned over contaminants like lead, mercury, and such. You can call them and ask for the water hardness and Alkalinity (two separate numbers).
 
#16 ·
I used the link in ladayen's post. Is that not where you live?
 
#18 · (Edited)
My hardness is 75 alakline is 40. The water level in my area is normal,but. I don't know if this too hard for the I fish want to keep. The guy there said the alakine could go down once I do a water change (its time anyway ) is this true??
 
#19 ·
Presumably those numbers are ppm (or mg/litre which is close to ppm), and not degrees [they are too high for degrees]. So that is not bad at all. A GH of 75 is 4 dGH, and Alkalinity (KH) of 40 is about 2 dKH. That is quite soft.

Hardness and Akalinity do not change from what they are in the tap water, unless you do something to alter them. However, they are connected with the pH, esp Alkalinity, and with this low a KH the pH will tend to lower as the water acidifies due to natural biological processes. With your GH you are in ideal position for soft water fish. Regular water changes weekly will maintain stable parameters.

This softness however is not good for livebearers. The molly especially will have difficulty in such water and will not last long.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I've kept many livebearers in the past with success, just to add. You also mentioned honey gouramis,but instead of a group of those could I do one pearl gourami? I've also changed my stock abit.

Stock:
10 harlequin rasboras
8 cherry barbs
3 platies
3 marbled mollies
6 peppered cories
1 pearl gourami

Tell me what you think :).
 
#22 ·
I've kept many livebearers in the past with success, just to add. You also mentioned honey gouramis,but instead of a group of those could I do one pearl gourami? I've also changed my stock abit.

Stock:
10 harlequin rasboras
8 cherry barbs
3 platies
3 marbled mollies
6 peppered cories
1 pearl gourami

Tell me what you think :).
One Pearl Gourami should be OK; individual fish can be temperamental, that's an unknown.

On the livebearers, if those numbers are accurate, the fish are in trouble; they cannot and will not manage in soft water. I cannot offer more.
 
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