Going bigger

[Si4geckos]

My current main tank is 6ft 8 long, 20" deep and 22" high which means about 574L volume. 

Current stock is:

L397
Golden ancisturs pleco
Electric blue balloon ram
About 30 sterbai corydoras (regular and albino)
About 40 cardinals tetras
6 yellow honey gourami

My problem, I can't see the fish!

I used to sit in front of the tank on a bean bag and watch them, but when I sit on the sofa, I'm too far away to see the fish properly. Also they hide, A LOT! Only ever see more than about 10 at feeding time. 

The plan:

Get bigger fish! 

The main original idea was to have a big shoal of tiny fish (cardinals), but now I'm hoping to replace them with something bigger and more visual from afar. Cardinals currently just sit in a little group in the corner at one end in a plant. 

Ideas:

Gold barbs (15-20) to replace gourami (they'll be more active)
Dwarf neon rainbow fish to replace cardinals (20ish?)
Maybe congo tetras as a shoal instead? (20ish?)

Boesmani and/ or turquoise rainbow fish as the show piece fish. 6-8 maybe?

Don't know about the sterbai at the moment. Maybe haroldshultzi or brochis splendens as a replacement. OR I may just keep them if compatible with the others.

I'm keeping the plec and the L397. 

Any thoughts on compatibility.

Overall goals are an active tank, with lots of colour. Activity at all levels (top middle and bottom). Ideally some excellent shoaling/ schooling as the tank is so long, hoping to make the most of it! 

I'm going to remove a lot of the plants/ hiding places in the next day or 2 and see how that affects behaviour/ visibility. I still think changes will be necessary. I welcome any ideas about the above and any other suggestions for stocking, etc. 

Thanks,

Si

[Stephen]

Hi Si

Isn't your water very soft?
If so then the rainbows will be out of the question.

Your tank water temperature is currently running at 26.5C which is quite high.
The barbs will require cooler temps anyway.

I have a large 6 foot tank (600L) and have activity at all levels (see my signature).
I also have sterbai corydoras and see them often, they are quite a large cory when adult size, one of my favourites.
The fish that I do not see (without having a closer look) are my corydoras caudimaculatus that hang around the back amongst the plants. The Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) which also hang around the back do come out fairly often.
I'm just watching the Serpae tetra as they are out, shoaling and basically chasing each other but they'll soon disappear temporarily around the back again.
The black widow tetra and black neon tetra are always on show as are my cichlids.

I do have plenty of open space, probably 50% at the front, whilst the décor and plants occupy the other 50% at the rear.

I am currently sat approx. 9 foot away from my tank (at the computer).
Out of 18 x sterbai cory I can actually see 13 with 5 less than an inch from the front of the glass.
I can count all 7 cupid cichlids.
I can see both apisto cichlids (the male is following the female)
I can only see 2 of the red breast acara (cichlids).
I can see approx. 20 x black neon tetra.
I can also see approx. 12 x black widow tetra
I can also see approx. 10 x serpae tetra
The otos are there somewhere, probably on the pipework at the rear of the tank.
Basically out of a total of 120 fish I can actually see (and count) over half of them from my computer chair as I am typing.

[Si4geckos]

Yep the water here is soft. That’s a shame. There’s a good bit of colour in the rainbows. Anything bright orange/ yellow seems to be hard water.

Sat here counting fish now. The cardinals are visible in the plants but just group in the corner. The sterbai are actually quite active today, but that’s because some are spawning and chasing each other round.

Gourami aren’t the most active and can’t see the ram.

Seen some Congo terra adults that I may give a try. Add 10 or so. Sure Plankton said they may eat the cardinals (May have made that up), but I know he gave a reason for me to not get them before. Current owner has them in a tank with cardinals and neons and says no issues. I’m wondering if the bigger fish may give my cardinals more reason to school and move around if they think there’s possible predation?

Also I could maybe swap the gourami for more rams? German, gold, some more blues?



Tank just looks a bit empty...


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[Gingerlove05]

There are a couple of soft water rainbows.
I think the madagascan rainbow is the only big rainbow that prefers softer water, otherwise you have some of the smaller pseudomugil species that prefer soft water. I think the p. signifers i had, dont mind it softer water and they’re yellow!

[Si4geckos]

There are a couple of soft water rainbows.
I think the madagascan rainbow is the only big rainbow that prefers softer water, otherwise you have some of the smaller pseudomugil species that prefer soft water. I think the p. signifers i had, dont mind it softer water and they’re yellow!

Just had a google. They're nice and bright, but I would prefer something a bit bigger/ more visual. Very much appreciate the suggestion though.  

I may have just made an offer on 13 congo tetra (adult males) as I'm hoping the green/ blue and orange will brighten up the top of the tank and hopefully a "big" group of tetra will encourage the others to move around and be much ore visual from afar. Weirdly I'm sat here and the cardinals are swimming around and the sterbai are dancing and chasing each other which spawning. If the tank was always this nice I'd be happy. Sure it's either a freakish coincidence or they're subscribed to my thread and worried I'm getting rid of them and putting on the show! 

I'm now sat here trying to calculate who is going to go where, as I have 8 baby goldfish in the quarantine tank. The seller said they'd also throw in about 20 cardinal tetra/ neon tetra mix, so that should add to my microfish shoal as well if I can't find a suitable larger replacement. Looks like I'll be setting up some more tanks tomorrow! Standard...

[Stephen]

Congo tetra are fine in softish water that is 3dGH or higher but generally prefer some hardness.
Some south American cichlids are quite colourful, example cupid cichlids (which I have), they're not too big and grow to about 4 inches or a little more.
Here is a group (not mine) taken from the seriously fish site.



There are many other soft water species that may fit in with your tank size and soft water.

[KevB]

Madagascan rainbows don't get that big anyway really (obviously bigger than tetra) but they keep a fairly streamlined shape and don't 'fill out' like many other rainbows, I've read they can sometimes be a bit awkward to feed as they have 'upward' pointing mouths. I'd just look for bigger soft water preferring fish, must be loads of SA species that get to good sizes and like soft water? Would you risk trying discus?

[Ric]

A proper shoal of discus? Seeing them displaying natural swimming behaviour looks amazing.

[video=youtube]http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1rQecS3SRQ[/video]

[plankton]

I can't think of the reason why I would have said that congo tetras would eat cardinals, although they would probably go for fry.....maybe that was the reason as you bred the cardinals.....?? Congos are beautiful fish.

[Stephen]

The main original idea was to have a big shoal of tiny fish (cardinals), but now I'm hoping to replace them with something bigger and more visual from afar. Cardinals currently just sit in a little group in the corner at one end in a plant. 

Have you wondered why the cardinals are in a group at the one end?
When I had cardinal tetra they usually swam from one end of the tank to the other.

I can not see the set up properly.
Do you have one or two filters?
Where are the inlet & outlet pipes (filter pipes) positioned?
Where is the heater positioned? Do you use one or two heaters?

Thanks