# trying to make it easy on myself. Restart questions inside. Tetra stocking advice plz



## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi all,
We've been away a few months, I'm restarting a tank and I've got a few questions.

I'm putting back together a 15g ADA 3 piece style tank. Eheim 2211 for filtration and a coralife 24" on top. The fist we had in there last time were white skirt tetras and they were happy enough, although I had bad luck with the plants in sub standard substrate and not enough light (in my opinion). this time round I'm making some changes to keep it simple.

I've got some nice rocks for hardscaping all cleaned and I'll get some silk/plastic plants. I've 1/2'd the gravel as Im not keeping plants this time. I want to make it as easy on myself as I can. 

I'd like to stock it with easy to keep fish, I'm thinking a Ram (GBR, golden), an Oto and some tetras. 

First questions is can I put in say 3 cardinals, 3 ember and 3 rummynose (as an example) will they school together or will I need more of each type (and less variety?).

As far as simplicity goes, what do we think of purigen here? Worth popping in the canister?

I'd like some inspiration on the fish side of things as well, any suggestions on cheap, hardy and easy to get in the lower mainland community fish?

Thanks for the help. Pics to come, and perhaps a setup journal.


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Now pic number one...









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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

And another question. I'd like a glass top. Any idea on a mount for this tank? Those Ada clips would be perfect but I haven't seen them here?

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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

nice tank!  A pair of any rams ( GBR, bolivian, golden, golden faced electric blue) will do fine in 15G. 

As for tetras, I would keep 6 or more of the same kind tetras.. I have 2 different kind of tetras and they never school together in my 90G..

Have you tried simple easy to keep plants( e.g water sprite, java fern, jungle val)?? Even though I have special talent(?) to kill plants, those plants are doing well in my tanks with low light. 

Rasboras ( e.g. harlequin) are nice hardy fish and they school tightly.. As for rams, I strongly recommend GBRs from Charles( sponsor here). they are hardy and nice.


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

*trying to make it easy on myself. Restart questions inside. Tetra stocking ad...*

Thanks jrh. I'm in touch with Charles already  I'll consider the plants with the wife's input.

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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

If you do go with a pair of rams, I would probably only put in 1 other species of fish since the rams will get fairly aggressive if they ever breed and that tank doesn't have a huge foot print


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Good point steve. Would you'd extend that single species to even an otto. Back almost 15 years ago no I had a Mawali tank and a pleco in there, he was hardy enough to take it. I've not had experience with oto's though, does the same extend to them?

I like the rasbora idea, could get away with a bigger school. I'll start looking at some varieties.



Steve said:


> If you do go with a pair of rams, I would probably only put in 1 other species of fish since the rams will get fairly aggressive if they ever breed and that tank doesn't have a huge foot print


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## mitchb (Apr 27, 2011)

Just wondering how come you are thinking about using purigen? Just for extra clean water? I had thought Purigen was not generally used in planted tanks as it pulls things out of the water? I use it in my tanks and love it but I was under the impression it wasn't great for planted tanks?


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

stubish said:


> Good point steve. Would you'd extend that single species to even an otto. Back almost 15 years ago no I had a Mawali tank and a pleco in there, he was hardy enough to take it. I've not had experience with oto's though, does the same extend to them?
> 
> I like the rasbora idea, could get away with a bigger school. I'll start looking at some varieties.


I've never kept ottos so i don't know how they act but I've heard sometimes they'll suck on the slime of other fish so I have never wanted to try keeping them. In theory you should be able to safely keep a pair of rams, a small school of whatever, and an otto or two though


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

otocinclus does not suck on slime on other fish. They are very community. Otocinclus is best to keep 4-6 in the size of your tank. They should be kept in school.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Chinese algae eaters will. Not ottos


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Next question. I'd like some glass on top of the tank. Happy to get it cut but I wondering if you can find clips like this or a work a like? I was at king ed looking at fish with the family today and noticed them though. I figured I'd ask you all instead of wait in line for help...









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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

I have kept Ottos in my apisto tanks and they never touch any fishes slime.. even if GBRs(or apistogrammas)are breeding, tetras and Rasboras are fast enough so it should be fine. When my apistogrammas were breeding, they were extremely aggressive yet none of my dither fishes( pencilfishes or neon tetras) died( well except one pencilfish).

As for clips, I think I saw them on ebay. you can check out there and order on-line. I remember being really cheap.. Or ask around here in classified section. there may be someone who has some extras and would like to get rid of them


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

great, found them!



jhj0112 said:


> As for clips, I think I saw them on ebay. you can check out there and order on-line. I remember being really cheap.. Or ask around here in classified section. there may be someone who has some extras and would like to get rid of them


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Next question, how to the rams handle cycling? Obviously want to get into this asap, but don't want dead fish. I'm thinking Seachem Stability for a few days and then the fish. Any opinions?


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

I would wait until tank is completely cycled. they are very senstive to ammonia and nitrite.. I would put hardier one first ( like rasboras) then wait till it's done. If you seed your filter, it should be cycled almost immediately. I would get some filter media from others and put it in your filter.


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Ok, here's a V0.1 (beta) possible stock list... I've got an eheim 2213 so there's plenty of filtration (I'm planning on purigen in it once the tank is cycled).



I'd probably get the rasboras to help cycle the tank. Canadian aquatic would be the place but they are coming soon. Any other store I can be assured of fish health to recomend? Any suggestions on Temp given the warning on the GBR's being not compatable with the others in regards to temp?

I'd also like to get a larger number of the schooling fish, given the 2213, what are your thoughts on overstocking a little according to AQ Advisor?


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Cycling has begun.. Some fish tomorrow when fantasy is open I hope.









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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

tank looks really nice!  what fish are you thinking of adding into the tank?


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

I'm going to Fantasy tonight hopefully to get some rasboras x6 (purple!). My wife has requested neon tetras so perhaps some diamond head from Fantasy in a few weeks and hopefully a pair of German blue rams down the track. Again, trying to keep it simple this time. 

Any other suggestions would be great. You can see in my post above a aqadvisor sample of what I'd 'like'. 

A question is given the tank is 14.6g and I've got a few rocks in there, should I be doing caculations on a 13 gallon tank just for safteys sake (given there's probably 1/2 a gallon of water in the eheim 2213 as well)??


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

You say you are going simple this time. What did you do last time? What went wrong?

Is that a single bulb Coralife light or double?


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## stubish (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi,
It's a double. 65W int total, couldn't tell you the color, but one is white on one is blue cast. 

The plants were a handfull. We moved, and they promptly died (change in light). I didn't have the right substrate as well I suspect. It's just black gravel. epic alge blooms as well. 

I got the 6 rasboras (purple). One jumped out of the tank last night so now there's 5 which I'll leave for a week before going to get the diamond head. It's looking good so far! The bummer is the jumper was the one with the golden eyes rather than the red, he was my 2 year olds favourite...


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