Open Possibilities

soccermatt

Hi,

I have a 12.5 gallon aquarium (24x12x10) with an AquaClear 20 filter, water temp around 25 (150 watt heater), and ph around 7. I am still cycling my tank but once it is finished i am wondering what a good beginner fish setup would be. To start i would like to add about 6 schooling fish, then later 3 slightly larger fish, then maybe eventually a centerpiece fish.

I am open and exited to hear to any suggestions.

Thanks

Hawkian

What kind of tank are you looking to get? Peaceful? Active? Aggressive? All depends on what you want. Zebra danios are goos for the peaceful tank... they're social and harmless. If you're looking for something more aggressive... you'd have to let us know.

Angel079

Like I said in your other thread, different fish have different water needs. Most commonly known schooling fish are Tetra's and with your pH 7 and hardness unknown its safe to assume you do NOT have soft acidic water that they need.

A "large" fish and 12g tank is sorta kinda a contradiction in itself cause a "large" fish needs room to swim and life.

I really apologize up front to be this honest with you: But the way you're talking you would like to built a large community tank that incl Livebearers - And that's just not gonna happen in a 12g. For something along the lines that you're thinking between your other post and this one, I'd say go out and get yourself a used 40g tank.

There's only so many fish happy in a small world, then with harder water and not being Livebearers that narrow's it down quite well.

Sorry to say all this - Sure I can go ahead and advise you a group of Platy with a Angelfish and 10 Cory now - But I don't wanna see that post of yours 2 weeks from now coming back how they're all dieing on you and I don't wanna lead you into the wrong alley here...

soccermatt

i am guessing my tap water is fairly hard. I was hoping for a fairly active community aquarium. I suppose any other fish that i could add to my 6 schooling fish would be good.

La Reina

Good ol zebra danios are great starter fish, and platies are very colorful and enterntaining. They are very happy in my aquarium.

I would have a mix of zebra danios and MALE platies. It's important that you get males because they breed like rabbits, and if you bought females every one of the would be pregnant from the store.

Male guppies would be good too.

1077

Not all tetras need soft acidic water. And it is small tetra like fish that should be considered for 12 gal tank.
I would research,(google) the fish that interested me and see what recommended water parameters are for that particular fish. I have a ph of 7.4 out of the tap and moderately hard water. In a 58 gal tall tank I have kept or am keeping ,Lemon tetras,red serpae tetras,bleeding heart tetras,blood fin tetras,gold pristella tetras,threadfin rainbows,as well as yoyo loaches.
Is true that for breeding purposes ,many tetras need very soft water but for many, if breeding is of no interest,they can thrive in neutral to moderately hard water .
Many times the listed parameters in books for tropicals were printed when much of the stock available were wild caught specimens.This is not to say that the listed parameters should not be considered,just that much of what is available today, is farm bred and as such they have more and more become acclimated to slight variables with respect to their water chemistry needs.
Tank raised Discus are an example. While they will adapt to slightly alkaline water, they may or may not breed in same. Wild caught Discus would do poorly in this slightly alkaline water and perhaps ,or very likely, become quite sick. They are still wild caught and must be kept in similar conditions as that found where they are collected to do well in the long term/
With a Ph of 7.0 it is doubtful that water is very alkaline and there are many fish that would do well. The KH I would expect to be low but can't know without test results .