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FishNoob · February 26th 06, 05:02 PM posted to rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc

In article ,
says...
"FishNoob" wrote in message
...
Since the background is still in place, the levels of everything in
the water are perfect, and the fish are looking good, what's a fish-
keeper to do? Well, plan what to do next, of course! :-)

Naturally

)

It's contagious. I caught it from this group ;-)

And since I didn't buy that marine set-up last night, here I am
thinking about what fish to add to my Rio 125. Currently there are
six mollies, four danios and two tetras, so there's plenty of room.

That would be 6 medium mid-level and 6 small top-level fish in a 33g
tank. How many more depends on your filtration, and as it gets more
crowded, compatibility. Your lower-level is empty, and depending on the
size of the Mollies (are we talking adult Sailfins or Balloon Mollies)
there is a bit of swimming room left.

All the mollies are small-to-average. There's one that's maybe 6cm
not including his tail, all the others are smaller than him.

The filtration consists of the Juwel Compact set-up, plus the filter
from my Rena, which is still running in there and can stay there
until I need it for something else.

This is what I fancy:

a panda dwarf cichlid

Need a proper name for this one (Genus species please)

Apistogramma nijsseni, apparently :-)

3 clown loaches

Low level swimmers, gregarious, reasonably non-territorial, colorful,
unique behaviour, typically slow-growing, would be a little tight in a 33
(quite active). I would look into some Zebra loaches instead, buying 3
to keep 2-3.

Not quite so pretty though. My 11-year-old is keen on the clown
loaches - a friend gave him a gift certificate from a local pet shop
for his birthday, and that's what he wants. That pet shop isn't
particularly good for fish imo, so I used the gift certificate on the
background I installed yesterday, and gave him the money to spend in
a specialist aquarium shop we've discovered instead. But as I said,
if they do get too big or the tank seems too crowded, I can move
them.

and a few more neon tetras, if I can find good ones that won't all
die

) uh huh. Placed in a stable environment (where new fish are NOT being
added), Neons become quite hardy. Most of their fragility is in
transport and in vulnerability to diseases.

We've not had good luck with neon tetras, and certainly our
experience bears out what you're saying - we either lose them within
a few days of purchase, or they survive (at least for as long as
we've had them). I'm hoping our new-found aquarium shop will be a
better place to buy them.

Without plants (no decaying organic matter for them to consume), their
rate of reproduction and growth will depend on the uneaten fish food they
find. Probably not a concern. Many cichlids snack on errant snails, so
I wouldn't buy botia loaches just for that.

We'll be adding plants next weekend - I'm ordering on-line for Friday
delivery, then will float them in the tank overnight on Friday and
plant on Saturday (at the suggestion of the supplier). But although
that's why the loaches are first in the line of new occupants, the
snails aren't the only reason for buying them; we like them too :-)

How does all that sound? Anything I'm missing?

I see more tanks in your future ;~).

:-p~~~~~~

--
FishNoob