Restocking

A

AndiH

Large Fish
#1
Sep 17, 2009
104
0
0
The Iron Range of Minnesota
#1
Hi all. I have found out my LFS will trade my fantail for other fish whenever I want. I don't want to rush in this time so, I'm trying to research what would be best.

I have a smallish tank, 14g and tall. The filter, I have 2 options, the 15g power that came with the tank or a 30-60 I was given.

I want to go with smaller fish (I learned my lesson!) but was wondering if the smaller, schooling fish would do well in it, like the neon tetras or endlers etc. I've also considered a brackish tank so I could go with mollies. To be honest though, I'm very unsure which direction is best for me and the fish so any advise would be very welcome.
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#3
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#3
If your tap stays around 7.3-7.6 and doesnt change when is in your tank (idk maybe you have CO2 injection or driftwood) the i'd go with the mollies/ other livebearers. The do not NEED brackish water. salt does help them but not in insane amounts. Its much easier to fiure out how much salt you need when youre tank is still empty. if its already half full, then you never know if youre adding too much salt.

And, what kind of LFS is this? it sounds really convenient to TRADE fish like that.
 

A

AndiH

Large Fish
#4
Sep 17, 2009
104
0
0
The Iron Range of Minnesota
#4
It does change in the tank, goes higher, but I'm not sure why. I dont have a CO2 injector, I dont have any driftwood. In fact its pretty bare at the moment. I know mollies don't have to have the brackish water, but my daughter has 2 fiddler crabs we'd like to get back in the tank and I read they prefer brackish as well.

As for my LSF, small local owner. Unfortunately he doesn't carry many plants because, as he said, he has a black thumb. I'm not limiting myself to what I can actually trade Charlie for, but its a start.
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#5
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#5
Well, you got reasons for it to be brackish, so id go with that. add the salt in w/e method you feel is safe, add those fiddler crabs and the livebeares of choice. they should do fine together. as for the pH, if its above 8.2 then get some driftwood in the tank. it wont lower it noticeably but itll look much better. CO2 lowers pH, but is kinda useless if youre not going to grow live plants.

Change of pH could be any rocks that you may have, or anything else in your aquarium that may be giving off disolved minerals.

As for fish choices, live beares would do great at that pH. i dont recommend tetras for alkaline pH because it wont make them feel comfortable. Endlers livebearers are i think the same as any other livebearers so theyll be fine.
 

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mattmctyre

Large Fish
#6
Sep 27, 2009
143
0
0
#6
if i was you i would go small fish. if you want schooling fish i would recommend giant danios. i have four giant danios,two gold dust mollys,four swordtails, two platys, five guppys, and one common pleco. and they all live together in harmony.
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#7
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#7
I would not have a school of Giant Danios in a 14 gallon tank. Just my opinion, but they'd be happier in a 30 gallon or larger tank. Perhaps the smaller Zebra Danio.
 

ValRasbora

ValRasbora

Superstar Fish
#12
May 2, 2009
1,202
0
0
Atlantic Canada
#12
Hey, it's great that you are restocking! Having just one fish is pretty boring... If you are going to do the zebra danio and gourami thing, you could have 5 or 6 danios and a dwarf gourami as a centerpiece fish. I don't reccomend neon tetras because they are very fragile due to overbreeding, and more often than not, die with 1 or 2 days of being put in a new aquarium. Another schooling fish I *do* reccomend is the harlequin rasbora, I find they are very hardy. They grow out at about 1 inch, so you could have more harlequins than zebra danios, plus the dwarf gourami. If you did harlequins as opposed to zebra danios, you could have around 10, and I say the more the merrier (plus the more schooling fish you have, the better they will school)!
Oh and you should probably use the bigger filter, better filters are always a good idea.
 

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mattmctyre

Large Fish
#15
Sep 27, 2009
143
0
0
#15
i wouldnt go with any kind of gouramis... i made a mistake with them i had 7 fish before and i decided too introduce2 blue gouramis and they literally chased my seven fish to death. but idk about dwarfs i never had those. if you want baby fish try guppies mine are always pregnant and having fry
 

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