Hallo TFK Forums! I hope I'm posting this in the right place...
I'm a new member but not a new fishkeeper, although I would consider myself more moving from beginner to intermediate. I've kept livebearers before (platies, swordtails, mollies) which bred, of course, harlequin rasboras, various cories which did the same, as well as cherry and amano shrimp and pitbull plecs, this was a year or two ago. I'm looking to restart some old tanks and I'm looking ahead to possible stocking for them. I haven't started cycling or anything yet - I'm waiting to get some ferts/substrate and plants to get them planted up and running and will, of course, not put any fish into them until the cycles have completed and they are all nice and stable. My water is hard but I'm not sure of the exact numbers yet and won't be until my test kit comes, and I have access to soft water if needs be.
I wondered if I could have some feedback on a couple of tanks? The first is a 12.1 gUS (19.5" long, 13" wide, 11" tall) with a Superfish Aqua Flow 200 internal filter and a Aqua One Clearview 280 HOB Filter. It's got a black background which I'm planning on keeping and matching with black substrate, and I'm probably going to plant it up with Vallis, Anubias Nana, Crypts, maybe some Java Fern, I'm not sure. I'll have appropriate hidey holes in the form of driftwood and whatnot for the different guys in there.
I put my wishlist for this tank into AqAdvisor as follows:
This gave me:
The second tank is also uncycled, waiting to be made ready, so this is another look into the future. It's a 14.2 gUS bowfront (18" long, 13" high, 13/15" wide so I went with 14") with a Superfish Aqua Flow 400 internal filter, blue/white gravel which I'm going to rescape with ferts and sandy areas. I'm going to plant this one up too, Java Fern and Anubias Nana, I'm not sure about anything else in there but that's subject to change. Hidey holes again, of course.
I'm thinking about
Thank you kindly! :smile2:
I'm a new member but not a new fishkeeper, although I would consider myself more moving from beginner to intermediate. I've kept livebearers before (platies, swordtails, mollies) which bred, of course, harlequin rasboras, various cories which did the same, as well as cherry and amano shrimp and pitbull plecs, this was a year or two ago. I'm looking to restart some old tanks and I'm looking ahead to possible stocking for them. I haven't started cycling or anything yet - I'm waiting to get some ferts/substrate and plants to get them planted up and running and will, of course, not put any fish into them until the cycles have completed and they are all nice and stable. My water is hard but I'm not sure of the exact numbers yet and won't be until my test kit comes, and I have access to soft water if needs be.
I wondered if I could have some feedback on a couple of tanks? The first is a 12.1 gUS (19.5" long, 13" wide, 11" tall) with a Superfish Aqua Flow 200 internal filter and a Aqua One Clearview 280 HOB Filter. It's got a black background which I'm planning on keeping and matching with black substrate, and I'm probably going to plant it up with Vallis, Anubias Nana, Crypts, maybe some Java Fern, I'm not sure. I'll have appropriate hidey holes in the form of driftwood and whatnot for the different guys in there.
I put my wishlist for this tank into AqAdvisor as follows:
5 x Cherry Barb
2 x Peacock Gugeons
3 x Sparkling Gourami
2 x Peacock Gugeons
3 x Sparkling Gourami
Estimated stock level: 91%
Aquarium Filtration Capacity: 320%
I was a bit uncomfortable with that stocking level (should I have been?) so I removed one Sparkling Gourami and the stats became: Aquarium Filtration Capacity: 320%
Estimated stock level: 85%
Aquarium Filtration Capacity: 353%
My queries are: Aquarium Filtration Capacity: 353%
- Should I throw caution to the wind and keep the 3x Sparkling Gouramis?
- Swinging the other way, could/should I go down to 1 Peacock Gudgeon?
- Will the Cherry Barbs be okay if the Gouramis/Gudgeons spawn (I'm going to try to keep single sex pairings, unless the common consensus is that this will be more problematic than keeping potential breeding pairs alongside hiding places - I'm not looking to breed, but I'm preparing for if it happens): AqAdvisor is fretful over the issue
- What order should I start stocking in? Barb/Gourami/Peacock? Gourami/Barb/Peacock? Peacock last I'm assuming?
The second tank is also uncycled, waiting to be made ready, so this is another look into the future. It's a 14.2 gUS bowfront (18" long, 13" high, 13/15" wide so I went with 14") with a Superfish Aqua Flow 400 internal filter, blue/white gravel which I'm going to rescape with ferts and sandy areas. I'm going to plant this one up too, Java Fern and Anubias Nana, I'm not sure about anything else in there but that's subject to change. Hidey holes again, of course.
I'm thinking about
8 x Dainty Cory (habrosus)
5? x platies
I'm struggling with the number of platies. AqAdvisor says: 5? x platies
Estimated Stock level: 95%
Aquarium Filtration Capacity: 452%
I'm less nervous about being high on the stock level because I'm more familiar with platies, but I don't want them to be unhappy. I'd appreciate any input you guys could give me, and apologise for the long post! Aquarium Filtration Capacity: 452%
Thank you kindly! :smile2: