45 Planted Stocking?

[Tony]

Looking for new world stocking ideas...

I've had a 45 gallon planted tank set up for a long time - probably pushing 8 years now. It's full of anubias and drift wood. I used to have rainbows stocked in there, but sort of lost interest. It's planted super dense, so there's not too much open ground (the whole foreground is full of Anubias nana) so no cory cats.

The current stocking is a few male rainbows (bosemani, turquoise, Madagascar), a few random tetras and rasboras, a Siamese algae eater and a bunch of Otocinclus.

I am getting a bag of 1" Krobia guianensis from an ECC member at the auction. I figure I'll grow them out a bit and toss them in there. They're not too rough, are they?

Another thought was maybe keyhole cichlids. Will they be ok with the Krobia?

I'll take some updated pics when I get a chance, but here's the tank from a couple of years back. I've since thinned it out a bit and beat the algae. It actually looks pretty good now.

 

[marge618]

Tony, German Blue Rams would love that tank and get along with all the neighbors.

 

[Tony]

Thanks for the suggestion, Marge. I've always liked rams. Not sure if I'd go with the blue or wild-type, but that's a great suggestion.

Doing a bit of searching, I can't find much info on those specific Krobia. As for other species, I've seen varying reports ranging from shy to being bullies - and they'd need a 4' tank. Maybe they would be better in the 6' tank with the Geos...

 

[jonclark96]

Tony

Matt - the ACARAKING, should be able to give you all the specifics, but I think that long term the krobia would be happier in the 6 footer. They are probably a bit more boisterous than the geos, but would fit in well.

Let me know if you want some keyholes - I have the two that were in the display tank at TFW over the koi pond. They would probably be happier in your planted tank than in my 120 with a bunch of bigger fish.

 

[Tony]

I thought Matt was the *CHANCHITOKING!!!*

I may take you up on those keyholes, Jon. Maybe I can trade you some mbuna for them. I've got some nice fry coming up...

 

[jonclark96]

There's nothing that says you can't be both the CHANCHITOKING and the ACARAKING.

As a total derail, my experimentation with mbuna is not going well at all. I have no idea what the problem is, but I have lost about 75% of my fish in the tank over the past week. Not all at once, but 1 every day or two. It's pretty disheartening...

 

[Spine]

I think Keyholes would work in that tank. I'm interested in the Keyholes if Tony doesn't want them.

 

[minifoot77]

I think Keyholes would work in that tank. I'm interested in the Keyholes if Tony doesn't want them.

were you in the military? you are one heck of a sniper

 

[Avatar]

Methinks you should take advantage of the verticality.

Krobia are pugnacious. Not the most gorgeous creatures either so not sure why'd one would dedicate a tank to them. I'd go with a pair of angels and some dwarf cichlid types myself - angels on top, Apistos/Nannacara/Rams on the bottom, but then I'm a fan of maximizing diversity/abundance in most everything but humans and their material wants (aquariums excepted).

 

[YSS]

hatchets on top and rams or apistos like Sam mentioned sounds good.

 

[Avatar]

Hatchetfish are cool...

...hard to keep in the tank however - I lost 7 of 8 over a 3-month period out of a 55 through a one inch square opening next to a HOB filter. Thought they were just dying off mysteriously until I found their dessicated bodies behind the tank. Sorry Holly.

Only other fish I've had take a fly like that are Corydoras semiaquilis and Enantiopus melanogenys but those were on open (formerly) tanks and the latter was a one-off. Any others I should know about?

 

[YSS]

...hard to keep in the tank however - I lost 7 of 8 over a 3-month period out of a 55 through a one inch square opening next to a HOB filter. Thought they were just dying off mysteriously until I found their dessicated bodies behind the tank. Sorry Holly.

Only other fish I've had take a fly like that are Corydoras semiaquilis and Enantiopus melanogenys but those were on open (formerly) tanks and the latter was one-off. Any others I should know about?

Yup. Same thing happened to my group of 12 I got from Rachel a year or two ago.

 

[Spine]

were you in the military? you are one heck of a sniper

Hachets and Apistos would be nice also

 

[Tony]

There's nothing that says you can't be both the CHANCHITOKING and the ACARAKING.

That may be too much for any one man to carry on his shoulders...

As a total derail, my experimentation with mbuna is not going well at all. I have no idea what the problem is, but I have lost about 75% of my fish in the tank over the past week. Not all at once, but 1 every day or two. It's pretty disheartening...

That's a major bummer, dude. Is it from aggression or are they getting sick?

Like I said, I have a few cool species of mbuna coming up. Whatever you want is yours for the taking.

 

[Tony]

I'll probably throw the Krobia in the big tank or maybe the 2nd Geo tank once it gets set up - planning on a 75 once my little guys put on some more size. The Krobia that I'm getting a babies, so will do fine in a 10 for a while.

(Knocks on wood) I've had pretty good luck with my marble hatchets so far in the 150. The first thing I did when brought them home was redo my lids though. Cut the plastic strips tight to the filters and everything.

I like the idea of the keyholes and something else. Apistos are neat and all, but would get lost in that tank, me thinks.

 

[jonclark96]

That may be too much for any one man to carry on his shoulders...



That's a major bummer, dude. Is it from aggression or are they getting sick?

Like I said, I have a few cool species of mbuna coming up. Whatever you want is yours for the taking.

I can't figure it out. The deaths don't appear to be aggression, as all dead specimens are fully intact. I lost another 2 last night. I tested water parameters and ammonia & nitrites are 0. I did a 80% w/c on Sunday, so nitrates are in check.

pH is at 8.0, which is higher than my tap water (normally 7.2), but I have some of the Malawi gold substrate from ACA, so I'm thinking that is what is raising the pH. Do you think that the pH swings from w/c could be the culprit?

Anyhow, I'm down to 3 OB zebras and a single afra.

 

[Tony]

pH swings probably aren't so big a deal. Mbuna are about as hardy as they come.

Most of my tanks have a bit of crushed coral mixed in with either PFS or black 3M. While I don't think that this has a huge effect on the pH, it does push it up a bit. Never had any issues related to pH changing from water changes in these tanks... and I'll sometimes do some pretty massive water changes.

Sounds like your parameters are fine. If it's not aggression, then could there possibly be something contaminating the water? Is this an established tank?

Could little Johnny be taking a leak in the tank when you're not looking?

 

[Avatar]

Apistos are neat and all, but would get lost in that tank, me thinks.

You'd be surprised, more so as they're not all so diminutive as you imagine with some of the males getting to 4-5 inches. Also, often when they appear to be lost they suddenly reappear with a cloud of babies in tow, even in community tanks provided they can seclude themselves somewhere in a small (as in a few square inches) defensible territory. Very very cool.

 

[mscichlid]

Small tank = one small pair of cichlids and some tetras. One bristlenose. Apistos or rams occupy the bottom. Tetras occupy the middle. The bristlenose is bottom dweller as well. He will buttheads with the apistos, but will move around as long as he has no mate. Instead of bristlenose, perhaps go for ottos.. Tank will be active enough.

 

[Avatar]

Rules are for people who don't know how to act (stock)

Since when is a 45 considered small? In my experience Bristlenose plecos are a pain unless they're the mellow yellow ancistrus types - all mine were summarily excommunicated from My Church of Divine (aspirational) Aquatica and ended up in the neighbor's basement with some other snarky refugees whom were similarly dispatched. I'll take Corydoras any day over their hooverish kin.

A 45 with a plant wall like Tony's has a lot of exploitable habitat that could accommodate far more than a pair of cichlids and some tetras. But it's all good I'm sure.